Issue - meetings

The Board received a presentation from Marc Dorfman, Assistant Director for Planning, Regeneration and Economy, on the progress made in respect of the Council’s resilience plan for the recession. The presentation looked at the statistics relating to the impact of the recession to date, the predicted future impact and the actions the Council was taking and considering introducing as a response. It was noted that while the employment rate for Haringey had reduced, the improvement in employment rates in the borough had been above the London average prior to the recession. It was also noted that the improvement in key skills in Haringey was much higher than the London average, by around 11%. The Committee asked for the number of Job Seekers Allowance claimants in the borough, and it was reported that in Tottenham there were around 5,500 and approximately 3,500 in Hornsey and Wood Green.

Among the actions being taken to support local residents during the downturn were the extension of Haringey Guarantee outreach locations, the development of further working partnerships, the expansion of the Haringey Apprenticeship scheme and the increased promotion of the Fuel Poverty programme. Additional actions being considered included the expansion of credit union services into the borough, offering recognition for businesses employing local people, promoting volunteering as a route back into employment in partnership with the voluntary sector, working with Citizen Advice Bureau to increase support for growing advice needs and promoting flexible working as an alternative to redundancies.

In response to a question from the Board regarding the effectiveness of the measures in place it was reported that, although it was difficult to link specific actions with measurable effects, the move to increase the number of invoices paid within 10 days had been welcomed by local businesses. The Board noted that, with banks becoming increasingly risk-averse in their lending, it was essential to support local businesses by ensuring that proposals being developed and submitted for loans were of a satisfactory quality.

It was reported that advice and support was needed by more affluent sectors of the community in the present economic climate. This to be balanced with the essential focus on the support being offered to the poorest communities, with programmes that included skills training and the Haringey Guarantee supporting people back into work.

The Board discussed the impact of the recession on different industry sectors, and the need to consider carefully any proposals that would have an impact on the extent of land used in the borough for manufacturing and distribution.

The importance of the role of the voluntary sector in creating opportunities for people to develop skills and experience and prepare for employment was emphasised. It was acknowledged that it was important to differentiate between volunteering and work placements in this context, and to ensure that placements were structured to ensure that they could contribute to the skills needs of local employers. The Board agreed that the voluntary sector needed to be acknowledged as a business entity and to receive support in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 130