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27. 11. 96
COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE
11 NOVEMBER 1996
A meeting of the Community Services Committee
was held on Monday 11 November 1996 at 4.00 pm
PRESENT: Councillor Garry Moore (Chairperson),
Councillors Carole Anderton, Graham Condon,
David Cox, Anna Crighton, Ishwar Ganda,
Pat Harrow, Lesley Keast and Barbara Stewart.
IN ATTENDANCE: Councillor Carole Evans retired at 5.10 pm and was absent for clauses 2, 3 and clauses 6 to 11.
Councillor David Close retired at 6.20 pm and was absent for clause 9.
Mr Philip Maw (Christchurch Youth Council representative).
APOLOGIES: Apologies for absence were received and accepted from the Mayor and Councillor Gail Sheriff.
Councillor Anna Crighton arrived at 4.15 pm, retired at 6.00 pm and was absent for part of clause 4 and clauses 8 to 111.
Councillor David Cox retired at 6.50 pm and was absent for part of clause 9.
Councillor Lesley Keast retired at 6.20 pm and was absent for clause 9.
The Committee reports that:
PART A - MATTERS REQUIRING A COUNCIL DECISION
1. HEADS OF AGREEMENT WITH CANTERBURY DEVELOPMENT
Corporation (CDC) RR 4041
| Officer responsible | Author |
| Property Manager | Rob Dally, Property Manager |
| Corporate Plan Output: Economic Development and Employment Advice To Council, Page 7.6.4 |
The purpose of this report is to obtain approval for a variation to the existing heads of agreement between the Council and the Canterbury Development Corporation (tabled).
INTRODUCTION
The Canterbury Development Corporation (CDC) currently delivers economic development and employment outputs on behalf of the Christchurch City Council under a heads of agreement dated 30 September 1993. This agreement had an initial term of three (3) years from 4 October 1993.
CURRENT SITUATION
It is now appropriate to reconfirm the role of the CDC by renewing/varying the heads of agreement as appropriate for a further term which better marries in with the Council's financial year (July/June).
The deed of first variation to heads of agreement dated 30 September 1993 is attached and confirms the existing agreement subject to minor changes as indicated.
The Chief Executive of the CDC is available at the meeting to answer any questions.
Recommendation: That the first variation to heads of agreement dated 30 September 1993 be approved by the Council.
2. DEVELOPING A YOUTH STRATEGY FOR THE
Christchurch City Council RR 4035
| Officer responsible | Author |
| Leisure and Community Services Manager | Julie Macdonald |
| Corporate Plan Output: Information and Advice to Council |
INTRODUCTION
At the September meeting of the Council it was resolved that a report outlining a long term youth strategy should be presented at the November meeting of the Community Services Committee.
The Council has responded to current concern about young people in Christchurch by establishing and supporting three new youth work positions in the city. A longer term strategy to address wider youth issues will provide the vital second phase of the Council's ongoing commitment to young people. This strategy would take into account the work already committed to by the Council and would address a broad range of issues concerning young people. This paper discusses the rationale and proposed stages of development of a Christchurch City Council youth strategy.
Rationale - Why do we need a youth strategy?
The development of a Youth Strategy provides an opportunity for the Council to examine its role in both what the Christchurch City Council does in regard to young people, and what it wants to do in the future. It is the Council's role in youth issues rather than overall youth needs and issues which would remain the focus of the strategy. However the strategy would inevitably look at the wider picture in terms of relevant legislation, service delivery and indicators of youth well-being and involvement in the community.
The reasons for singling out young people as the subject of a targeted strategy are as follows:
1. There has been a gradual change in New Zealand towards laws which acknowledge that there should be mutual respect between young people and adults rather than adults attempting to control young people (Gilbert, Youth and the Law: 1996). Children and young people are now encouraged to take part in decisions that affect them (this is articulated in, for example, the Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act 1989). However it is still the case that young people are treated differently from adults (in terms of legal rights) and have limited opportunities to influence decisions on issues which affect them. Youth, as with children, sometimes require special attention to ensure that their needs are taken into account adequately. Reasons this may not occur include:
2. In terms of the Christchurch City Council youth needs are taken into account in a variety of ways. For example, there is a Community Adviser with special responsibility for youth issues and the Community Development Fund and Hillary Commission funding (administered through the Council) each year direct funding to a wide variety of projects which benefit young people. Some Council projects have involved consultation with young people. These include the assessment of youth needs in the Riccarton - Wigram wards (1996), Christchurch Youth: Issues and Needs (1991) and the ongoing commitment to the resourcing of the Christchurch Youth Council. There is also commitment to the needs of young people in such areas as road safety (City Streets), employment (Youth Employment Service), Libraries and Parks.
However, while young people are identified as having special interests and needs in some areas of the Council (for example in the Community Development area), there is not an overall strategy or commitment guiding wider Council projects.
Components of a youth strategy
It is suggested that the development of a youth strategy should include the following phases:
1. Consultation phase - the strategy study (which involves all the key stakeholders and makes recommendations about strategic objectives).
2. Development phase (where strategic objectives are written and the youth strategy is accepted by the Council).
3. Implementation phase where new projects are actioned.
4. Evaluation (after three years).
The youth strategy could be structured around the following themes or topic areas[1]:
There should also be enough flexibility in the study to enable participants to help determine areas in particular need of attention.
These themes reflect the key youth policy areas (Realising the Potential, Ministry of Youth Affairs, 1996). (See Appendix One - white paper).
1. Consultation phase - the strategy study
The Council's commitment to the development of a youth strategy necessitates an initial consultation phase. This is because the views of young people themselves must form the basis for any strategy which aims to better provide for their needs. The Council must also be informed by the views, experiences and insights of other stakeholders. These include parents, Council, community organisations working with young people, youth workers, government departments, schools and tertiary institutions, training providers, churches and youth groups, youth organisations, lobby groups, businesses, social service organisations and funding providers.
Questions could be structured to provide an overview of:
2. Development phase
The strategy study would provide a large amount of information able to be used to develop the youth strategy. The information itself would not form the Strategy, as it will need to be considered in the context of broader Council objectives, existing service provision and existing Council policies (such as the Community Development Policy and the Youth Policy).
3. Implementation phase
The nature of the implementation of the Youth Strategy is dependent on the content of the Strategy. The priorities which may emerge from the consultation (if taken on board by the Council) will determine the kinds of projects to be initiated.
It is at the Implementation Phase that the employment of a Youth Advocate could be considered. The Youth Advocate would have the following role (as described by the Mayor and Councillor Moore):
4. Evaluation
An evaluation of the project and its outcomes should be carried out within three years to ensure that the implementation of the strategy has been consistent with the strategy objectives and that implementation has been effective.
Discussion
The above process has been suggested for the following reasons:
1. To allow the Council to consider the role it already has in youth issues in Christchurch
In 1992 the Christchurch City Council adopted a Youth Policy. This policy acknowledges that youth needs and expectations may be different to those of other sectors of the population, and that the Council has a responsibility to take various youth needs and views into account when planning and providing services which affect young people. For some years the Council has been involved in a number of activities consistent with the principles and objectives of the Youth Policy. The objectives of this policy relate largely to the role of the Community Adviser Youth. (See Appendix Two (white paper) for the Policy's objectives and examples of Council's current relevant activities.)
2. To ensure the Council makes the best possible use of information and views gathered during the consultation phase
For the consultation to be a meaningful process, ideas for implementation should follow from this consultation. For example, while Councillors may consider the appointment of a Youth Advocate to be the logical first step in promoting youth issues within the Council this view will not necessarily be shared by the wider community. If the consultation to develop a youth strategy is to have any credibility then the outcomes must be (and be seen to be) determined by this work and not by decisions made prior to the consultation process. It should be noted that the consultation and subsequent strategy may suggest a number of innovative ideas in addition to, or instead of, the employment of a Youth Advocate.
3. To allow Council to develop a strategy which is complementary to the roles already being carried out by other groups
It is important to recognise the variety of roles played by a large number of `stake holders' in youth issues in Christchurch (for example, Department of Internal Affairs, Public Health Service, the new Youth Law Service, Youth Employment Service, various funding organisations and providers of a wide range of youth services). The process outlined will enable these roles to be identified and taken into account in the development of the strategy.
Timeframe
It is proposed that the youth strategy study should begin in the new year. It is estimated that the consultation phase will take six months to complete. A January 1997 start is favoured for the following reasons:
Resources
The staff resources needed for this project will be extensive. For example the project team is likely to consist of two Community Advisers (part-time), contract researchers for interviewing and focus group facilitation, support staff and other Council officers (including a Community Activity Officer representative, a Youth Employment Service representative and staff from other relevant Council departments).
The consultation phase will require a number of different forums (involving Councillors, Council Officers, young people and other `stakeholders') to guide the project. The forums should function to:
A memorandum from the City Manager to the Policy Director dated 15 August 1996 indicates that $20,000 in addition to staff time is available to complete both the strategy study and youth strategy document. It is anticipated that this amount will be sufficient for the strategy study but that a further $5,000 will be necessary to enable to completion and production of the strategy itself. Implementation is unable to be costed at this stage as this will depend on the content of the strategy.
CONCLUSION
The development of a youth strategy indicates the Council's commitment to recognising and responding to the special interests and needs of young people. This strategy and its outcomes should be grounded in extensive consultation to enable to Council to respond appropriately and adequately to the issues raised.
Recommendation: 1. That the Christchurch City Council agrees to develop a youth strategy.
2. That the first stage of this strategy will be the placement of three youth workers on the streets of Christchurch.
3. That the second stage of the strategy will be the formation of a sub-committee consisting of Councillors Garry Moore, Graham Condon, Carole Anderton, Barbara Stewart, Ishwar Ganda, together with Youth Council representatives and individuals who are knowledgeable in youth affairs to develop a suggested youth strategy for the Council's consideration at the June 1997 meeting of the Committee.
3. SUBMISSION ON SRHA BREAST CANCER
screening programme RR 4076
| Officer responsible | Author |
| Director, Policy | Jennifer Pitcher |
| Corporate Plan Output: Strategic Planning page 8.1.3 |
The purpose of this report is to seek endorsement of the Community Services Committee for the draft submission (attached) on the SRHA breast cancer screening programme.
At its meeting on Friday 12 October the Community Services Committee arranged for Councillors Anderton and Keast and the Senior Policy Analyst to attend the consultation workshop on breast cancer screening. Community Board members were also invited and Heather Brown from Hagley/Ferrymead attended. This was one of several workshops being held around the southern region and within Christchurch, including consultations with Maori, Pacific Islands women, new immigrant women and women with disabilities.
Approximately 60 women attended the workshop and comments made on the night were recorded as submissions. This separate submission from the Council has been prepared in consultation with Councillors Anderton and Keast, Heather Brown and Dr Heather Little from Environmental Policy and Planning. The submission was due on 8 November and has been sent in as a draft pending endorsement by the Council.
Recommendation: That the draft submission on breast cancer screening be approved by the Council.
PART B - ITEMS DEALT WITH BY THE COMMITTEE AND
REPORTED FOR INFORMATION ONLY
4. DEPUTATIONS BY APPOINTMENT
(a) HEBRON COMMUNITY TRUST
Ms Cathy Harrison, Director of the Trust, spoke to and answered questions regarding the services provided by the Trust, the climate in which it operated and gave background to its establishment and history to date. Areas in which the Trust was now principally working were in the young parents programme, and intervention programmes with youth at risk. The young parents programme had received an increasing number of referrals and the Community Funding Agency required them to work with 60 families during the year.
Principal funders of the Trust were the Community Funding Organisation (CFA), and Internal Affairs with Trustbank Community Trust making a contribution towards administration costs.
Ms Harrison reported that the Trust had operated at a deficit of approximately $100,000 in the last two years which had been met by the Order of St John of God. Applications to other sources of funding for the programmes undertaken by the Trust, such as the Regional Health Authority, had not been successful. She expressed her concern for the future of the Trust if funding was discontinued by the Order.
(b) CITIZENS' ADVICE BUREAU
Ms Margaret Nolan, Chairperson of the Citizens' Advice Bureau spoke to the Annual Report of the Bureau for the year ended 30 June 1996 which had been previously circulated to members. She highlighted major achievements of the Bureau during the year in the areas of administration, preparation of a business plan and improvements to telephone services. Marie Christoffersen, Treasurer, then spoke to the financial accounts for the Bureau. She expressed her appreciation for the grant received from the Christchurch City Council and advised since October 1995 they had employed a paid co-ordinator to respond to the increased workload.
Representatives from the Bureau then answered questions from members and it was noted the Christchurch Bureau handled the largest number of calls in New Zealand. They advised that in 1997 they would be celebrating their 25 year anniversary.
The Chairman then thanked Ms Nolan and Ms Christoffersen for their presentation and for the work which the Bureau was undertaking.
5. CIVIC AWARDS RR 4057
The Committee considered a report on the recommendations received for the 1996 Civic Awards from Community Boards.
This was in accordance with the revised guidelines adopted in July 1996 for the Civic Awards scheme which provided for recommendations from Community Boards to be referred to the Community Services Committee for approval.
A total of 10 individuals and two community organisations had been recommended for Civic Awards and the Committee resolved that the recommendations as detailed in the report should be confirmed.
6. PSYCHIATRICALLY DISABLED CUSTOMERS RR 4074
The Committee considered a report from the Acting Libraries Manager as requested at the October meeting of the Committee, on the representations made by the Psychiatric Survivors Trust that the exemptions provided by the Library to physically disabled customers be extended to the psychiatrically disadvantaged.
The Trust had presented a letter of support from Dr Don Quick, of the Community Health Service, Healthlink South, supporting the claims made by the Trust that psychiatric illness would cause impaired reading ability. The report recommended that Dr Quick's suggestion that written confirmation from the customer's psychiatric specialist confirming their disability should be accepted for the purpose of granting an exemption.
The Committee resolved that the proposal to provide concessionary library cards to psychiatrically disabled customers be adopted immediately, with the proviso that this be reconsidered at the time of the service level review in an effort to provide a broader policy, rather than continuing with ad hoc arrangements.
7. DEVELOPING A SOCIAL COHESION, PERSONAL AND
social well-being strategy for christchurch RR 4075
The Committee considered a report from Joanna Campbell, Community Adviser Research, suggesting a framework for developing a "social cohesion, personal and social well-being strategy" as requested at a seminar of the Committee on 18 September 1996.
The report provided reasons for a strategy, actions needed, the elements that could be contained within it and suggested priority areas which were seen as:
1. Community Development
2. Housing
3. Economy
4. Health and Safety
5. Environment and Transport
6. Recreation and Leisure
7. Children and Young People
8. Older People
In relation to priority 7, children and young people, it was agreed a further indicator "That no children under the age of 20 should be doing nothing" should be added.
Following discussion on the report the Committee resolved that a sub-committee consisting of the Community Services Committee as a whole be formed to work with staff to consult on the agreed priority areas, develop suitable indicators and report back to the March meeting of the Committee.
8. DRAFT SUBMISSION ON GAMING -
A NEW DIRECTION FOR NEW ZEALAND RR 3986
The Committee considered a report from the Community Manager, Papanui which sought approval to a draft submission to the Department of Internal Affairs on its policy proposals on gaming in New Zealand. The report was in response to the document "Gaming - A New Direction for New Zealand" which had been prepared by the Department of Internal Affairs for public submissions which closed with the Department on 30 November 1996.
The submission was prepared by a team consisting of the Community Manager, Papanui, Barbara Ford (Facilitator), together with Rob Dally, Lyn Campbell, Terry Moody, Peter Walls, Therese Carey and Sally Latham.
During discussion of the draft submission, some concern was raised at the detail of this and the impact of any additional form of taxation within some industry sectors.
It was resolved therefore that a sub-committee of available members of the Community Services Committee meet on Friday 22 November to finalise the submission for dispatch to the Department of Internal Affairs and for ratification at the December meeting of the Council.
9. REVIEW OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 1995/96 CORPORATE PLAN
Reports on the following units for the year ended 30 June 1996 were considered as follows:
Libraries Unit
The Libraries Manager, Sue Sutherland, presented her report and spoke to it. In relation to significant achievement she mentioned in addition the completion of stage 1 of the Central Library upgrade and completion of the Halswell Library. The voluntary library review was due to be completed in December 1996 and the information technology project had been launched in June 1996 and was ongoing.
In response to questions from members the Libraries Manager reported that revenue targets had not been achieved in some areas. Changes in the methods of charging had made it difficulty to predict this and in particular fewer people were paying the extended loan charges.
Questions regarding the provision of an additional library at Riccarton and the study of co-location of the Fendalton Library were raised by members and it was noted that a survey of Councillors on the issue of service delivery which would impact on the Fendalton co-location was currently being arranged. It was suggested future reports could give comparisons to previous years' statistics and page numbers and an index be provided.
Housing Unit
The Housing Manager spoke to the report. Housing for the semi-dependent elderly had not been started pending the outcome of the housing review and as a consequence the number of units remodelled had doubled from that budgeted to a total of 167.
In response to a question concerning the monitoring any changes in the financial status of tenants in Council housing it was agreed a report would be provided on the feasibility of changing the present policy of confirming the assets of tenants only at the time of application.
10. RESOLUTION TO EXCLUDE THE PUBLIC
The Committee resolved that the draft resolution to exclude the public set out on page 19 of the agenda be adopted.
CONSIDERED THIS 27TH DAY OF NOVEMBER 1996
MAYOR
[1] These topic areas are expanded from the 1995/96 CCC Children's Strategy Study and Christchurch Youth: Issues and Needs 1991/1992.