Cllr Colin Foster (Labour, Heatons South), Shadow Spokesperson – Children and Education:
Robert Menard, the anti-immigration Front National Mayor of Bezier, a French town which is twinned with Stockport, has plunged new depths this autumn.
Two examples include on 15th September [when] he was recorded by the media as telling a Syrian refugee family ‘you’re not welcome in this town’ and personally trying to evict them.
[Then recently] in the municipal magazine he has used photos of Syrian refugees [with captions saying] ‘accommodation and benefits for all’ and ‘they are coming’.
I could list many other examples…but will the Leader of the Council agree with the Labour Group that it is time to suspend our twinning with Beziers in light of the appalling actions of their elected Mayor?
Cllr Sue Derbyshire (Liberal Democrat, Manor) Leader of the Council:
Thank you Councillor Foster. I carry no approval at all for the comments of the Mayor of Bezier. Obviously the relationship is an old one and has gone on for a long time. There hasn’t always been agreement, [for example] I remember…a motion to this Council about bullfighting, which is a tradition in Bezier but not something in Stockport that we are terrifically keen on.
The comments are absolutely unacceptable and we have agreed among Group Leaders that it will be an item for our next Group Leaders’ meeting to bring forward how we respond.
Certainly there have been no exchange visits at all between Stockport and Beziers for some [time, and] there are no school links between schools in Bezier and schools in Stockport…not all the residents of Bezier I’m sure agree with the comments of their Mayor by any means [though], and I think we have to find an appropriate way of responding to this and hopefully we can find one that we can all agree on.
Comment: The Labour Group has repeatedly raised the issue of Stockport’s twinning with Beziers since Mr Menard was elected in 2014, immediately asking for the arrangement to be suspended. The appalling behaviour of the Mayor should show bring into sharp focus for the other Groups on the Council that it is now time for concrete action rather than just words.
Cllr Wendy Wild (Labour, Davenport and Cale Green) Shadow Spokesperson – Adults:
Can the Executive Member for Independence and Well-Being explain how the proposal, passed by the Executive on 18th August, to cut £258,000 from the hospital social work team at Stepping Hill will save any money in light of officers estimating that the Council may be required to pay up to £250,000 in fines back to the NHS in penalties for late discharges?
How have the proposals been received by the hospital and is this approach in line with the joint-working which we should all be seeking to promote?
Cllr John Pantall (Liberal Democrat, Cheadle Hulme North) Executive councillor – Independence and Well-being:
This is actually a question relating to Adult Social Care in terms of hospital social work but…I do know a little bit about it.
I think it was found at the time of the spike in demand for hospital beds in January that although the numbers attending the emergency department didn’t increase, the kind of severity of those who were attending increased and put pressure on [services].
It was then found that actually it was possible to make arrangements for discharging a number of patients into community and social care and I think the feeling was that…there could actually be a smaller number [of social workers] but [focusing] on the need for rapid reaction.
It has been discussed … at Stepping Hill Stockport Foundation Trust Governors and I think the reasoning of getting a better use of that social work time is understood.
When you look actually, at the utilisation of social workers, not only at Stockport, the actual amount of time they are in client contact is actually quite low. I’ve not got up to date figures, but generally it’s low – one of the things that was found in January was that dual assessments were being done. [This meant] an assessment was being done by a social worker after an assessment had been done by a health professional and that was nonsense – you were looking at the same needs.
So I think simplifying the assessment process would help.
Comment: With pressure on the funding of both the Council and the NHS, it is extremely important that proposals which affect both services are adequately discussed amongst everybody affected. This response, and the specific example in the question, does little to provide a reassurance that productive joint-working is truly happening in Stockport.
Cllr Kate Butler (Labour, Reddish North) Shadow Spokesperson – Council Reform:
A Council pilot is currently being run at Bramhall Library using automated ‘open Library’ technology which is [being used] to extend opening hours until 8pm. In other Local Authorities similar technology has been used to reduce staffing levels and cut costs.
Can you offer a guarantee to residents that this technology will only ever be used to extend Library opening hours in Stockport rather than undermine vital services which local people rely upon?
Cllr Shan Alexander (Liberal Democrat, Marple South) Executive councillor – Safe and Resilient Communities:
Are you talking about the digital technology that they are trying out in Bramhall Library? I can’t give you any guarantees on that one. I really can’t because they are piloting it. Let’s wait and see what the outcome is and I will keep you informed.
Comment: This exchange is a very worrying one for the future of the library service in Stockport. Cllr Alexander is unable to provide even a basic guarantee that she won’t use the introduction of automated technology as an opportunity to slash our local libraries.
Cllr Wendy Wild (Labour, Davenport and Cale Green) Shadow Spokesperson – Adults:
On 17th July it was announced that implementation of Phase 2 of the Care Act, which would have limited care costs to a maximum of £72,000 for the over-65s and for younger adults with disabilities from April 2016 onwards, will now be delayed until April 2020.
The Government is likely to take a decision on where the money saved by postponement of the cap will go during the upcoming comprehensive spending review in November, but it is far from guaranteed that it will be put directly into the social care system instead.
Can the Executive Member outline what he has done so far to lobby the government to achieve the best for outcome for Stockport on this please?
Cllr Keith Holloway (Liberal Democrat, Cheadle and Gatley) Executive councillor – Supporting Adults
I have not lobbied directly any Government Minister. What I was able to do, I was able to attend the National Social Care Conference at Bournemouth a fortnight ago and there the Junior Minister, Alistair Burt was one of their main speakers. He did have a private session with portfolio holders and I was very pleased that this whole issue of the allocated funding for the Care Act was raised by a number of existing Councillors. Because of that I saw no need to [feed] into that discussion.
I was also aware that Directors of Social Services, Adult Social Care and Children’s Services also had that same opportunity for that meeting and also raise exactly those questions.
So, Stockport is ensuring that at Government level, they are aware that we need a decision as to the use of that funding. We hope, more than hope, I think there are now some indications that that will be the outcome…that money will be retained within the social care budget for our use in a variety of things that will be valuable on a local basis.
Cllr Wild:
Just a point of clarification then, just so that I get this absolutely right, you have not done any direct lobbying on this particular area and actually, whilst you were at conference and, whilst you participated in the discussion, you actually didn’t raise this on behalf of the people of Stockport?
Cllr Holloway:
I had made sure that that issue was raised by authorities right across the country, including at least one Lib Dem one. I do not want…to talk at a session like that just for the sake of it. I don’t think it would reflect well on Stockport at all.
Comment: This is a meeting at which Stockport had a voice in the room with a Government Minister, but the Executive Member is admitting in public that he did no lobbying on behalf of the people of the borough which he purports to represent. Another unfortunate example of a lack of Lib Dem proactivity, something which is becoming very damaging.
Cllr Elise Wilson (Labour, Davenport and Cale Green):
The Unity Radio Next Generation Youths show is an excellent example of a young person-led project which is both thought-provoking and successfully engages with young people.
In Stockport the young women’s project taking place on Bridgehall is designed to raise awareness of positive relationships. It came about because young people wanted it to happen and it is relevant to their lives.
Showcasing projects like this to a wider audience allows users to share their experiences with the Council so that local services can be adapted to better meet their needs.
Will the Executive Member for Supporting Children agree to commission a report into how local young people can raise awareness of their projects with the Council and members of the wider community?
Cllr Wendy Meikle (Liberal Democrat, Offerton) Executive councillor – Supporting Children:
Thank you Mr Mayor, and thank you for the question. Yes, I will agree to funding for that.
Cllr Wilson:
That’s great, thank you. I was at a recent briefing on child sexual exploitation and it was commented on by the officers present that they were unable to get the victims involved in the planning of the awareness raising activities due to them not being comfortable in the format of the process. It was too formal. They got involved in the event, just not in the planning of it.
The woman’s project which I have mentioned is doing work in a related sphere of experiences, and by showcasing their work and feeding back into the system, it will allow us to adapt our formats so that we can improve the engagement with the planning of our awareness raising. This will build vital bridges between Children’s Services, [Greater Manchester] Police and young people today.
How else do we find out what is going on in young people’s lives and get young people to engage with [the Council’s] efforts?
Rather than trying to get young people to fit in with our systems, we need to find a way to adapt and fit in with young people. This is why I believe it is really important and vital to find a way of showcasing these projects and take on board what they have to say to us.
Cllr Meikle:
Councillor Wilson, I wholeheartedly agree with you, and I would like to be invited along to see this project for myself.
Comment: Efforts to enable young people to engage more easily with the Council and the Police are very welcome and the Labour Group will support any action which will improve access to services or support for young residents in Stockport.