Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber - Town Hall - Maidenhead

Items
No. Item

50.

Apologies For Absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Barbara Richardson, Victoria Gibson, Lynne Penn, Robin Pemberton and David Scott. Ben Smith was attending on behalf of David Scott.

51.

Chairman's Introduction

Minutes:

The Chairman introduced everyone to the meeting.

52.

Minutes Of The Last Meeting pdf icon PDF 106 KB

Minutes:

The minutes of the last forum on 4 December 2017 were Unanimously Agreed by the Forum.

53.

Matters Arising pdf icon PDF 1 MB

4.1

Windsor Guildhall access audit and options for a lift.

Ben Smith

4.2

AAF and Planning Applications feedback

 

Victoria Gibson

4.3

Maidenhead Town Centre Regeneration (including Broadway car park)

Barbara Richardson

4.4

St Marks/Courthouse Road Junction

Neil Walter/Cllr Love

4.5

Maidenhead Station Forecourt

Gordon Oliver

4.6

Equality and Diversity Policy RBWM draft consultation

Information Note from Rachel Kinniburgh

4.7.   

Raising the profile of AAF

Angela Clark

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

4.1 Windsor Guildhall access audit and options for a lift

 

Ben Smith, Head of Commissioning – Communities, gave a presentation (Attached) to the Forum. Ben Smith gave a short background, details on the access audit and then went through the six options and the next steps. Ben Smith informed the Forum that there was currently no funding available for this project. All options were costed and were all over £200K.

 

David Scott would welcome all comments from the Forum with the preferred option and would then take to a Senior Leadership Team to find the funding. The most appropriate and deliverable option was Option 2, and this was very challenging but the designs could be made to work in consultation with the conservation officer. The cost of this option was in the region of £400K.

 

The following points were raised by the Forum and answered by the Officers:

·         Where would the access to the Guildhall be? Ben Smith informed the Forum that the access would be through the front entrance. This is currently through the front of the Guildhall on the castle-side.

·         The full report was sent to the Chairman and Vice Chairman for consideration. The consultants had suggested in the report that other immediate works were required at the Guildhall, this had not been budgeted so far. How would this work be carried out? Ben Smith informed the Forum that David Scott was aware of all the issues and would take a report to the Senior Leadership Team.

·         Windsor Guildhall was a publically used venue for Council meetings but had no access facilities for residents using a wheelchair and had no hearing loop facilities. Hence the Guildhall was not suitable for public council meetings. Ben Smith informed the Forum that all these points would be covered in the report that went to the Senior Leadership Team. The Vice Chairman informed the Forum that she would write to the Head of Democratic Services informing them of the difficulties of access at the Guildhall and public meetings currently being held there.

·         The Forum highlighted the details that needed to be considered when a new lift was installed. The depth and width of the lift was very important and the weight that the lift could hold. If a child was using the lift, a carer would also be in the lift so the size was very crucial. The Vice Chairman informed the Forum that the full report with all the options included a section on the types of lifts/platforms that could be used.

 

ACTION: David Scott to send full report to all Forum members.

 

4.2 AAF and Planning Applications feedback

 

Victoria Gibson had sent apologies for the Forum.

 

The Vice Chairman informed the Forum that she had been in contact with the Deputy Head of Planning, Ashley Smith, and was awaiting a date to provide training for assessing planning applications. Since the beginning of the year, 118 planning applications had been considered and 30 responses had been sent to the planning team.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 53.

54.

Items pdf icon PDF 726 KB

5.1

Parents and Carers in Partnership

Liz Kelsall/Helen Gregory

5.2

Using Direct Payments to employ a PA

Karen Tang/Vernon Nosal

 

Minutes:

5.1 Parents and Carers in Partnership

 

Liz Kelsall and Helen Gregory, Parents and Carers in Partnership, gave a presentation to the Forum, Attached.

 

The Chairman thanked both Liz Kelsall and Helen Gregory for attending the Forum.

 

ACTION: Send presentation with minutes to Forum

 

 

5.2 Using Direct Payments to employ a PA

 

Vernon Nosal and Karen Tang from Optalis attended the Forum to assist them to understand the system of using direct payments to employ a PA.

 

The Chairman informed the Officers that the Forum had sent some questions and wanted information on this item.

 

The questions were as follows:

 

Direct Payments for Care & Support - What information, from the list below, is provided by RBWM or Optalis to users / authorised persons ?

·         what direct payments are

·         options for mixed package of care (eg Direct Payments & LA provided)

·         how to request a direct payment

·         explanation of the direct payment agreement and how RBWM / Optalis will monitor the use of the direct payment

·         regulated & unregulated providers and how to make arrangements with them

·         the responsibilities involved in managing a direct payment and being an employer

·         Record keeping and documentary evidence

·         Pre-employment checks

o   DBS (whose responsibility)

o   References

·         Insurance

o   employers’ liability

o   home and contents

o   risk assessments

·         Legislative requirements

o   Employment contracts

o   PAYE & Employers National Insurance Contributions

o   National minimum wage, holiday, sickness & pensions

·         Planning for redundancy payments

·         Grievance and disciplinary issues

·         Training for employee

o   Moving & Handling

o   First Aid

o   Food Hygiene

o   Safeguarding

·         signposting to local direct payment support organisations and RBWM / Optalis help for more detailed guidance, training and support

·         information on how direct payments are used locally to meet needs

Additional Questions

·         How often are direct payments reviewed with the user / authorised person ?

·         Is the outcome of the review written down and a copy given to the user / authorised person ?

·         What is the process if a user no longer wishes to receive direct payments ?

Vernon Nosal informed the Forum that he would look at the questions and send the feedback to the Forum with the minutes.

 

ACTION: Optalis to provide responses to the questions raised by the Forum with the minutes.

 

Vernon Nosal suggested that he could attend the next Forum and could also invite someone from an Agency to inform the Forum of the process.

 

The Vice Chairman highlighted that currently there was no information, guidance or support for understanding the implications of Direct Payments. Vernon Nosal would look into what information is available and how residents could be signposted to that information.

 

This would be an item for Achieving for Children to address too.

55.

Date Of The Next Meeting

To Be Confirmed.

Minutes:

Forum Members noted that the date for the next Forum was still to be confirmed.

 

The dates of the meetings for the next municipal year are to be agreed at Annual Council in May.

 

I will let you know of the future dates as soon as I can.