Issue - meetings

37.1     The Committee considered a report and presentation by the Director of Adult Social Care and Health informing it of the progress to date of the Building Stronger Bridges pilot project and the work with the national charity Pub is the Hub, both of which are part of the Strengthening Local Communities work programme.

37.2     The following additional information was provided by the Director of Adult Social Care and Health and a representative of the Hailsham Trust in response to questions regarding the Building Stronger Bridges (BSB) pilot project and Pub is the Hub:

·         Under the Care Act 2014 (which comes into force on 1 April 2015), local authorities have a general duty to help prevent people developing care and support needs. This will mean that local authorities will have to consider what facilities and resources are available locally. The work of the BSB pilot project (and the Strengthening Local Communities work programme in general) will help to ensure that East Sussex County Council is proactively meeting this responsibility.

·         The BSB pilot aims to increase the number of clients who are referred by ASC Service Placement Teams to voluntary groups by facilitating the establishment of Good Neighbour Groups around the county. The BSB pilot project has commissioned six organisations, including the Hailsham Trust, to establish Good Neighbour Groups across the county.

·         The Hailsham Trust confirmed that it did not contact local district or county councillors during its recruitment drives for volunteers for Good Neighbour Groups; instead it took a ‘bottom up’ approach to recruitment by holding its own neighbourhood meetings and leafleting local areas.

·         The Hailsham Trust clarified that it now has three operational Good Neighbour Groups with 50 volunteers and between 50 and 60 clients.

·         Anyone who volunteers to befriend someone through the Good Neighbour Groups, including those from existing voluntary organisations, must pass a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and receive safeguarding training.

·         The vast majority of clients referred to the Good Neighbour Groups have been happy for people to befriend them.

·         The Pub in the Hub scheme is offered to ASC clients who have been referred to the Building Stronger Bridges scheme; and who have a pub in their local community that has signed up to it.

37.3     The Committee RESOLVED: 1) to endorse the Building Stronger Bridges pilot project and the work with the national charity, Pub is the Hub;

2) Request that, in future, district and county council elected members are informed, as a matter of course, about any proposed Good Neighbour Groups in their ward or division so that they may offer their local expertise in helping to recruit volunteers.