Agenda and minutes

In the absence of the Chair, the Vice-Chair chaired and welcomed everyone to the meeting.  

Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Nelly Gyosheva (Chair; who was substituted by Cllr Mahym Bedekova), Cllr Mustafa Cetinkaya (who was substituted by Cllr Mahmut Aksanoglu), Cllr Pat Gregory, Cllr Gina Needs and Paul Bishop (Enfield Unison).

Members of the Board are invited to identify any disclosable pecuniary, other pecuniary or non-pecuniary interests relevant to the items on the agenda.

Cllr Bedekova declared that she had a child with SEND.

To receive a report on tackling disproportionality within the Youth Justice System and improving trust and confidence between young people and the Police

Linda Crawford, Geraldine Gavin, Marco Bardetti and David Bradley introduced and highlighted the key aspects of the report. This included but was not limited to: disproportionality data; partnerships; progress being made/ work being done, particularly with regards to the Youth Justice Strategic Management Board’s Disproportionality Pledge; shared learning; and schemes and interventions with a child first approach, such as changes to the custody centre and stop and searches.

In response to Members’ questions relating to the impact of changes to the custody centre, Police representatives advised that they had reprofiled a separate, quiet, discrete area for children to be processed. In this area they’d removed Police posters, installed a mural of a countryside scene that had been chosen by young people and added chalk, a blackboard and appropriate reading material to the detention room. The system was described as unpleasant and inherently scary for children; the changes were evidence based and about trying to get the best outcome to reduce crime within the demographic. When a child was brought in, Police looked at their background and journey to understand what led them to commit the offence and took the appropriate measures to reduce the likelihood of them reoffending in the future. They were 3 weeks into the trial, but the changes were having a positive impact on the child and officers, as it provided an opportunity for reflection and created a more conducive environment. They were happy to arrange visits for any Members who wanted one and could come back to Members as to the number/ proportion of young people who were booked into the centre and provide a testimony of a child who had been through the altered custody centre so Members could understand its positive impact.

In response to Members’ questions and comments regarding stop and searches, officers and Police representatives responded that figures were influenced by a variety of factors, including in which parts of the borough Police resources were drawn. Evidence showed that stop and searches reduced crime by around 13% on average, so it remained a viable tool for Police, but it had its drawbacks so was one of a range of tactics they used; with less intrusive alternatives like hotspot policing also being an effective means of countering crime. The Police and Youth Justice Service were working with children who had experienced stop and searches to scrutinise the process, with virtual reality being developed to provide the perspectives of the child, Police officer and parent, which would be rolled out to schools and community centres. 

In response to Members’ queries relating to improving trust between young people and the Police, Police representatives replied that the borough had a dedicated youth engagement and diversion officer, who had a particular resonance with young people, and attended schools and community events to talk to young people and answer questions. The Council and Police were working closely with other bodies to develop and share best practice and learning. Local authority initiatives and charities in the borough, such as  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

To receive a report on Older Peoples Access to Services in Enfield

Jon Newton introduced and highlighted the key aspects of the report. This included but was not limited to: early intervention & preventative services; work being done with partners and other bodies; the Ageing Well Handbook; Adult Social Care Connect; supported accommodation; the Supporting Independence Strategy and focus group; libraries and community hubs; chatbots; and Older Persons Partnership Board.

In response to Members’ questions and comments regarding contacting those who are isolated, officers advised that it was difficult to reach isolated people, but it was easier to communicate with those groups who may be in contact with people that are isolated, who can then relay information to them. There were also a number of public bodies, voluntary and community centres close to residents throughout the borough which held events and that information was being channelled through.

In response to Members’ enquiries in respect of libraries, community centres and GPs, officers responded that they were welcoming places which represented a means of communicating with those who were digitally excluded. They tried to ensure there was as much non-online information available at such locations for older isolated people. The Older Persons Partnership Board brought together representatives from a wide variety of groups who contributed to the Council’s understanding of and messaging to harder to reach groups. 

In response to Members’ queries relating to the contact centre and catering for individuals whose first language isn’t English, officers replied that satisfaction was fairly good, there was ongoing training for staff and the service adapted to changes. For those residents who could access the website, there was an option to view it in different languages; customer services could also communicate in different languages, but it depended on who was available at the time. Officers would speak to colleagues who would provide Members with a more complete answer.

In response to questions relating to the roles of social prescribers and councillors, officers advised that the Adult Social Care Connect team worked with them and GP surgeries to develop knowledge and ensure residents know how to contact the right people to receive the support they need. The Ageing Well guides provided a lot of information and had been widely distributed, but it was difficult to know its impact because contacts to council front door services had increased significantly recently.

To note the Equalities Board Work Programme 2024/25.

Members noted the Equalities Board 2024/25 Work Programme.

To note the dates of future meetings as follows:

Wednesday 19 March 2025

Members noted the dates of future meetings as set out in the agenda.

The Chair thanked those in attendance for their time and contributions, and the meeting ended at 20:41.