Agenda and draft minutes

Venue: Wallis Room, Parkside, Chart Way, Horsham

Contact: Email: committeeservices@horsham.gov.uk  Direct Line: 01403 215465

Items
No. Item

1.

Notes of previous meeting pdf icon PDF 78 KB

To receive the notes of the meeting held on 4 April 2018

Minutes:

The notes of the meeting held on 4 April 2018 were received by the group.

2.

Food Safety and Health and Safety Service Plans

The Council is required to produce an annual Food Safety Service Plan to help protect the public and enable business to function safely.  The Council is also required to produce an annual Health & Safety Service Plan and make adequate arrangements to enforce it. The PDAG will be presented with the draft Service Plan for these functions for 2018/19

Minutes:

The Environmental Health and Licensing Officer presented the draft annual Food Safety Plan and the draft annual Health & Safety Service Plan to the group.

 

The Commercial Team are the enforcing authority for food safety and Health & Safety at work activities in certain commercial business premises within the Horsham district.

 

Each local authority is required to produce and make available an annual health and safety service plan as well as a service plan to meet the requirements of the food standards agency (FSA) document ‘Framework Agreement on Local Authority Food Law Enforcement’.

 

 

3.

Discretionary Disabled Facilities Grant Update

There are mandatory Discretionary Facilities Grants available to disabled people when adaptations to their home are judged necessary and appropriate to meet their needs.  In November 2017 Cabinet approved a number of policy changes within both the mandatory DFG regime and a discretionary DFG assistance policy that would help keep people safe and well at home.  The PDAG will be briefed on measures proposed to build on the work being carried out by the Council to work towards a consistent and improved customer experience for adaptations

Minutes:

The Environmental Health & Licensing Officer provided the group with an update regarding the Discretionary Disabled Facilities Grant.

 

DFGs are the only mandatory grants and are available to disabled people when works to adapt their home are judged necessary and appropriate to meet their needs and when it is reasonable and practicable to carry them out having regard to the age and condition of the dwelling.

 

Some of the money coming in to the county will be used to employ a manager to develop these grants and create a pooled budget across the county in order to allocate funds where needed based on demand.

 

The group were provided with a summary of work going forward relating to this project and were informed that Council would be sought when making a decision on the following before the end of December 2018:

 

           Approval of the pooled fund arrangements

           Approval of a revised county-wide policy, informed by the project to date.

 

It was noted that the number of referrals received in the first six months of 2018 were greater than the total number of completed applications for 2017.

4.

Warden Expansion Programme Update

The Council currently manages three Neighbourhood Warden Schemes in: Ashington; Steyning, Bramber and Upper Beeding; and Pulborough. The PDAG will receive an update on progressing a two-year pilot scheme to extend the Neighbourhood Warden Scheme to other Parish and Neighbourhood Council wards

Minutes:

The Director of Community Services provided the group with an update regarding the Warden Expansion Programme.

 

It was noted by the group that Billingshurst and Horsham’s unparished areas had Wardens allocated with an ongoing training and induction programme.

 

The group were also informed that from time to time it may be possible to call upon wardens to visit other parishes under exceptional circumstances.

5.

Forward Plan Extract for the Community and Wellbeing Portfolio pdf icon PDF 107 KB

To note the Forward Plan extract for the Community and Wellbeing Portfolio

Minutes:

The forward plan extract was noted.