Appendix 2 – proposed amendments to the Terms of Reference of existing member working groups in Part 4
TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE HOMELESSNESS REDUCTION BOARD
1. Name
1.1 Homelessness Reduction Board (HRB).
2. Purpose
2.1 The purpose of the HRB is to promote homelessness reduction and prevention through the development of improved and integrated homelessness services as set out in the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy.
2.2 Brighton & Hove City Council’s Housing Committee has the overall responsibility for the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy. The role of the HRB is to ensure that structures are in place to deliver on strategic priorities contained in the strategy.
2.3 The HRB will also monitor relevant actions agreed in the Council’s Corporate Plan and the Housing Committee Work Plan.
2.4 Each strategic priority will be included in an action plan. This will consist of the work of the council and its commissioned services. Housing and Health & Adult Social Care will work in partnership with Health, Children’s Services, the Probation Service, Sussex Police, and our voluntary and third sector partners to develop collective commitments to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping. Once these commitments are made, they will be included in the action plan and monitored.
3. Status
3.1 The HRB shall be an advisory board to Housing Committee and the Health & Wellbeing Board. The HRB will not have subcommittee status and the political balance rules in section 15 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 will not apply.
3.2 However, it is expected that the Board will be established on a cross party basis.
4. Areas of focus
1. To promote integration and joint working in Homelessness & Rough Sleeping services across the City in order to improve the homelessness outcomes of the people of Brighton and Hove;
2. To develop the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA), relating to homelessness & rough sleeping, for the City;
3. To cooperate in the development of other strategies for the City. To ensure that homelessness is accurately reflected in these strategies and integrated across the City;
4. To receive the Clinical Commissioning Group’s draft annual commissioning plan and to respond with its opinion as to whether the draft commissioning plan takes account of the Homelessness Reduction Strategy.
5. To establish and maintain a dialogue with the Council’s Local Strategic Partnership Board, including consulting on its proposed strategies and reporting on outcomes in line with the City’s Performance and Risk Management Framework;
6. In line with government guidance to promote transparency and accountability the HRB will involve stakeholders
7. To review annual progress against city priorities and the approved annual action plan
8. To consider reports, where appropriate, from relevant programme boards and related multi-sector committees with a remit for public health in order to inform the Homelessness Reduction Strategy including: Alcohol Programme Board, the Substance Misuse Programme Board and the Sexual Health Programme Board.
9. Leadership and Agenda Setting and Accountability
· Promote creative and innovative approach to homelessness reduction.
· Promote the agenda on integration - both in terms of sharing commissioning resource but also in terms of delivering a joined up service for homeless people.
· Provide collective leadership to a whole range of City-wide collaborative working and whole system issues - including emergency planning, resilience and preparedness, urgent care etc.
5. Reporting
5.1 The HRB will report to Housing Committee & Health & Wellbeing Board (as appropriate) with recommendations as necessary.
6. Membership
6.1
Membership of the Board shall consist of
three voting elected Members, appointed
on a cross party basis (currently 1:1:1) (1 Labour, 1 Green, 1
Conservative).and the non
voting members listed below.one
non-voting elected Labour member, Chair of Health and Wellbeing
Board
6.2 It will have a panel of non-voting members formed of the Chair of Health and Wellbeing Board and representatives of other public bodies and organisations working to alleviate and address issues associated with homelessness and rough sleeping.
Voting members:
Chair of Housing Committee
Opposition Spokesperson Housing Committee (Green Group)
Group Spokesperson Housing Committee (Conservative Group)
Non voting Members
1 Chair of Health & Wellbeing Board
2 Clinical Commissioning Group
3 Probation Service
4 Prison Service
5 Brighton & Sussex University Hospital Trust
6. Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust
7. Sussex Police
8. Two members of the Homelessness & Rough Sleeping Strategy Operational Board.
Officers in attendance:
Executive Director Neighbourhoods, Communities & Housing
Executive Director Families, Children and Learning
Executive Director Health and Adult Social Care.
Quorum
At each meeting, the quorum requirement is at least two voting members
Chair
The Board will be chaired by the Chair of the Housing Committee.
The appointments may be made, in accordance the wishes of the political groups, at the meeting of Policy & Resources Committee when the terms of reference are agreed or notified to the Chief Executive by the Group following the meeting.
7. Meetings and ways of working
7.1 The timing and number of meetings will be dictated by the volume of business for the HRB. The group will meet at least quarterly.
7.2 Board papers will be circulated at least 5 working days in advance of the board meetings.
7.3 Board papers will be published on the council’s website after the meeting, except where the Board determine that the information contained therein would be exempt from disclosure.
7.4 It is expected that the Member Working Groups will reach decisions by consensus where possible. Where there is no agreement, the voting Members will cast a vote and if there is an equality of votes Chair shall have the right to exercise a casting vote.
7.5 The Group will agree ways of working appropriate to the role and remit of the Group.
8. Review
8.1 These terms of reference may be reviewed and amended by Policy & Resources Committee.
TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR 2030 CARBON NEUTRAL PROGRAMME CROSS PARTY MEMBER WORKING GROUP
1. Name 2030 Carbon Neutral Programme Cross-Party Member Working Group (MWG).
2. Purpose A 2030 Carbon Neutral Programme has been established to help achieve a key policy objective of Brighton & Hove City Council in becoming carbon neutral by 2030. The Cross-Party MWG will oversee the programme development and implementation, including the development of an engagement programme and City Assembly.
2. Status The 2030 Carbon Neutral Programme MWG shall be an advisory board to the Policy & Resources Committee. The Board will not have subcommittee status and the political balance rules in section 15 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 will not apply. However, it is expected that the Board will be established on a cross-party basis.
3. Areas of focus
The focus of the Cross-Party MWG is to have oversight of the development and delivery of the 2030 Carbon Neutral Programme to help ensure the core programme objectives are met. These objectives are set out in the PID and are to:
· Agree a methodology for recording emissions that allows the Council and the City to readily compare our progress with other UK and international cities working to achieve similar targets (e.g. the SCATTER model developed by Manchester University).
· Develop and deliver an engagement plan / City Assembly process to harness the knowledge and enthusiasm of partners and local residents.
· Develop a high-level plan to meet the 2030 target – delivered through a coordinated programme of projects.
· Develop a communications plan to support activities and engagement.
· Continue to collate information on our current carbon reduction initiatives and assess the contribution these will make to the 2030 target.
The MWG also oversees the allocation of funding from the Sustainability & Carbon Reduction Investment Fund, and all tasks incidental to that.
4. Reporting
The Board will report to Policy & Resources Committee, with recommendations as necessary.
6. Membership
Membership of the Board shall consist of 5 elected Members, following nominations by their Group Leaders to reflect the political composition of the Council.
7. Meetings and Ways of Working
The timing and number of meetings will be dictated by the volume of business for the MWG. The Group will agree ways of working appropriate to the role and remit of the Group.
8. Review
These terms of reference may be reviewed and amended by the Policy & Resources Committee from time to time.