Issue - meetings

Report of Cabinet Member for Safety and Communities, Councillor Flo Clucas.

RESOLVED THAT:

1.            the revised safeguarding policy is adopted;

2.            authority is delegated to the Director of Communities and Economic Development, in consultation with Cabinet Member for Communities and Safety, to agree updates to the policy as we transition our housing services.  

The Cabinet Member for Safety and Communities thanked Tracy Brown, who is doing a great job as safeguarding officer, and Councillor Chelin, the council’s safeguarding champion.  She said the report has been updated as Human Resources (HR) came back into CBC, to ensure that it reflected policy, and has been through HR, Licensing and Procurement to enable those parts of the council to reflect on its contents and make suggestions as to any improvements.

She went on to the say a safeguarding policy is necessary because it affects us all.  The policy is up-to-date, clear and allows people to access the necessary information.  She hopes that it can be inserted into any policy brought forward for training councillors, allowing everyone to act in the best interests of all the people of Cheltenham.

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets said this is an important policy – effective, simple and crucial – and that in view of the large numbers of vulnerable adults and children, spreading awareness of the issues in the policy and how to report them is essential.  He agreed that the training aspect is important, and thanked the Cabinet Member for Safety and Communities for bringing the policy forward this evening.

The Leader stressed the importance of not only having these policies in place but also ensuring that they are revisited, reviewed and refreshed on a regular basis, to move with the times.   

The Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency said the report is excellent, as it explains how the processes work to people who have not been involved in these issues before, making it simple to grasp and understand – which isn’t always the case with safeguarding goals.  She thanked officers and the Cabinet Member for Safety and Communities for their incredible work in making this policy.

RESOLVED THAT:

1.            the revised safeguarding policy is adopted;

2.            authority is delegated to the Director of Communities and Economic Development, in consultation with Cabinet Member for Communities and Safety, to agree updates to the policy as we transition our housing services.