Minutes:
The Leader of the Council, Councillor Claire Kober, gave the following “State of the Borough” address:
Mr Mayor it gives me immense pride to stand here this evening and to make this state of the borough address.
I have discussed the contents with my cabinet colleagues, directors and partners. I am also pleased to have met with the new chairs of the Youth Council – Funmi and Areeb – to discuss their views on the borough.
It is clear that across Haringey, the council and partners provide many vital services which our residents value highly, some of which I will highlight this evening along with the challenges which we currently face.
Mr Mayor, although I have been Leader only a short time I am acutely aware that the difficulties we face as a borough are more profound than ever in the history of Haringey.
With the country having recently moved into recession many residents feel less confident about their own financial situation. Growing fears about the credit crunch, the extent of the economic downturn, and job uncertainty are all pressing issues which are preoccupying many of those in the borough.
As a local council we need to meet this challenge head on.
I say that it is through providing clear political leadership which understands and is prepared for the challenges ahead.
At the end of the summer in partnership with Citizens Advice, HAVCO, Age Concern and the Pension Service we launched the ‘Claim it’ campaign.
We advised in excess of 600 people at over a dozen events. Over 40 per cent of those who attended found that they were entitled to additional benefits or tax credits and supported in making a claim.
We continue to deliver strong economic regeneration programmes tackling worklessness. Through the Haringey Guarantee, our Apprenticeships Programme and Families into Work, over 200 people, many facing significant barriers into employment, have been helped into work since September 2006.
I am pleased that last month, along with other boroughs in the capital, we signed up to London Council’s pledge to expand the number of apprenticeships on offer in our city.
This is action delivering for people when they need it most. We recently launched our ten point economic plan to support local people and businesses in the current climate.
But there is clearly more to be done and we will shortly be coming forward with a range of proposals to intensify the Council’s efforts to stimulate the local economy, support businesses and support residents who find themselves out of work.
Later this month I will meet local traders in our key shopping areas to discuss with them what more the council can do to support them through these difficult and unprecedented times.
We need to also anticipate other possible effects of the recession such as an increase in acquisitive crime and think seriously how we ward off such threats.
It is important also Mr Mayor that the Council ensures that money spent is spent wisely.
Working together, over the past three years the political and managerial leadership have provided over £25m of savings – over 10% of our net budget.
This is through a combination of measures including reducing the cost of the back office support functions, procuring goods and services more effectively, improving our income levels and cutting out unnecessary waste.
A focus on reducing sickness absence has generated a reduction of nearly 20% in absence to 8.65 days on average per employee.
Last year saw the agreement of a single set of employment terms for staff. This year we will implement much of the local settlement ensuring equal pay and conditions for our staff, benefiting frontline and lower paid workers.
Because of these efforts to make the Council more efficient we are able to propose a Council Tax increase of 1.95% for the coming year. This is one of the lowest increases in Council tax in Haringey over the last 15 years.
Mr Mayor, we have already discussed in this chamber on a number of occasions the tragic events surrounding the death of Baby P. The case, along with the subsequent Joint Area Review, provides this council with a fundamental challenge to ensure that our safeguarding practices and arrangements are not only fit for purpose but become an exemplar for modern social work practice.
Let me reiterate to members the commitment I have to ensure that as one Council we respond to the criticisms outlined in JAR and that our action plan in response sets the bar as high as it can be.
I welcome the new director of the Children’s Service and new Assistant Director of Safeguarding. But the improvements required in the service will require not just the hard work and commitment of our social workers and senior officers but the input of all councillors.
I would ask all members to consider how they can contribute to the scrutiny session on the JAR action plan next week. The action plan will provide the framework for the Council to move forward and deliver profound and lasting change.
Mr Mayor, the Cabinet member for Children and Young People and I understand the complexities and challenge of delivering improved child protection services in the borough, and Mr Mayor we are determined to deliver.
Our focus on safeguarding in the borough is vital but it will not be at the cost of driving up educational performance in our schools across the borough.
The trend is clear – over the last three years Haringey schools have improved at twice the national average.
Better qualified young people are more likely to move onto further and higher education and secure a decent job.
Our recently released exam results for 2008 show increases above the national average:
Mr Mayor I am delighted to report to Council that at the end of January CONEL was awarded Learning and Skills Beacon Status. This prestigious award officially recognises the very top performers in further education, and confirms CONEL’s status as one of the leading colleges in the country.
Mr Mayor we understand the challenge of delivering first class educational opportunities and we will continue to deliver.
We know from resident’s surveys, area assemblies and surgeries that residents want us to address concerns over crime and community safety, and improve our local environment and green spaces.
I am pleased to report that the cleanliness of our streets has improved significantly since 2006/07.
Mr Mayor it is encouraging to see the improvements over recent times in community safety:
These improvements are due to the hard work of officers and Cabinet member working in partnership with the police and other local stakeholders.
These improvements Mr Mayor have made concern about crime fall from 54% to 46% in the last Residents’ Survey – for the first time in several years.
These achievements demonstrate that through clear leadership the authority responds to local concerns. It is important that we highlight and celebrate these successes but that this does not become a cause for complacency.
That is why Mr Mayor as part of the forthcoming budget proposals the Council is investing in local priorities.
We understand the challenge of promoting a sustainable future for Haringey’s environment and making Haringey a safe place, we are delivering and we will continue to do so.
This year so far we have reduced the number of people in temporary accommodation by 700 households and a further 250 reductions are projected by the end of the year.
This will continue to be our focus for 09/10.
We are creating 2,500 affordable homes through significant regeneration schemes at Hale Village as part of the Tottenham Hale Master plan.
Our Haringey Heartlands regeneration scheme involves plans for a further 2,500 new homes around underused utilities land in Wood Green and Hornsey.
Our Decent Homes programme delivered by Homes for Haringey has delivered improvements to over 1300 properties with resident satisfaction rates running at 94%. By the end of the financial year works will have been carried out to 1800 homes. This programme will continue into the next financial year.
It will be important Mr Mayor that during the coming year, as the delivery of the decent homes programme is realised, we think how we can provide a step change in housing in the borough and provide a long term solution to meet housing needs.
We understand the challenge of providing decent and affordable housing, we are delivering and we will continue to do so.
Effective adult social care is a vital part of the Council’s work. I am pleased Mr Mayor that during the past year we were awarded two stars in November 2008 by the Commission for Social Care Inspection.
It is vital that we see continued improvements in performance but that we also focus on the issues of quality in the services we deliver.
Also we must renew as a Council our commitment to delivering the personalisation of services during the coming year. This will be vital to achieving our vision of modern adult social care which is responsive to the requirements and aspirations of service users.
At the heart of the Council’s work must be our commitment to community cohesion. It is vital that in this area of work we provide responsive leadership in developing the community engagement framework during the coming twelve months.
This must build on the successful launch of the Community Cohesion Forum in March 2008 and the highly successful conference in October showcasing local good practice around intergenerational initiatives and the signing of the community cohesion pledge.
We will continue to work tirelessly on diversity and cohesion issues.
Mr Mayor it is clear that the last year has been tough for Haringey – we have faced challenges none of us would have wished for.
In responding to this we have to be honest.
We have to recognise where we have failed, we have to recognise our mistakes and we have to learn from them.
We have to promote as members a culture and Council which is comfortable with change and open to change and open to the challenges we face.
Mr Mayor we must also be honest in recognising and celebrating that significant progress has been made by the Council over the last three years and that with common purpose and commitment, together as one Council, one partnership, one Haringey, we can and will succeed in meeting together the challenges we face.
The Leader of the Opposition spoke in response.
RESOLVED:
That the Leader of the Council’s “State of the Borough” report be received and agreed.