Agenda item

The Director of West Yorkshire Joint Services will give a presentation about the work of the organisation, with a particular focus on work within Kirklees.

The Director of West Yorkshire Joint Services (WYJS), Andy Robson, attended the meeting and gave a presentation about the work of the organisation, with a particular focus on work within Kirklees. A briefing note had been included with the agenda for the meeting which explained that WYJS delivered a number of shared services, including a number of statutory services, on behalf of the five West Yorkshire Councils.

Information relating to specific cases within the district was provided to members as background information. This briefing note, Appendix 2 to the report, was private, in accordance with Schedule 12A Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006, in that it contained information relating to an individual/individuals and information which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual.

The following points were highlighted in the presentation:

·       Kirklees’ financial contribution was based on its proportion of the West Yorkshire population and was approximately £821,000 per annum, equivalent to £1.90 per head.

·       A modernisation agenda was being pursued, whilst ensuring that the core activities were maintained and linking into the priorities of the West Yorkshire districts.

·       The Trading Standards service had an excellent reputation at national level, but funding was challenging; funding in other areas of the country was much higher per head.

·       The current financial challenges facing many local authorities were acknowledged.

·       Resources had to be prioritised and the approach was intelligence-led enforcement.

·       Work was undertaken to disrupt the activities of those who targeted and scammed vulnerable people, with the aim of trying to ensure those vulnerable individuals could live independently at home for as long as possible, which would help to reduce the burden on local authorities.

·       The recent challenges associated with the cost-of-living had meant that the organisation had focussed on issues in respect of fuel and food businesses, in order to protect both citizens and businesses.

·       The Archives Service also had a fantastic reputation and was also a leader in the field of moving, packaging and labelling collections. There were challenges associated with the suitability of some of the current Council accommodation where archives were being housed.

Questions and comments were invited from Committee Members, with the following issues being covered:

·       Work was being undertaken with the relevant Kirklees officers to address the issues with the archive accommodation but there was a need for some elements to be dealt with as soon as possible.

·       The Asbestos Service provided a service to local authorities and efforts were being made to extend this to those that did not currently use WYJS. The service was also trying to compete commercially in the marketplace, where there could be issues with economies of scale and, potentially, viability concerns in the longer term.

·       In terms of the level of resourcing for the work of the Trading Standards Service, the intelligence-led approach meant that action was directed to where intelligence reports/complaints had been made. If more funding was available then this would facilitate the undertaking of more pro-active and preventative enforcement work. In respect of addressing the sale of illegal and unsafe tobacco products or vapes, that were often targeted towards young people, this could include initiatives such as the use of test purchasing by minors or a programme of surveillance across the wider business community.

·       The intelligence-led core service in West Yorkshire was very effective.

·       Educational work and early interventions could reap benefits in the longer term. The organisation did work with partners, within the confines of the resources available, and asked them to signpost and relay messages on its behalf.

·       It was noted that the costs incurred by people who were successfully prosecuted for selling illicit tobacco did not compare to the street value of the items being sold.

·       National resources were accessed in respect of specialist dogs used to sniff out illicit tobacco products, the suggestion that the service/the Police might benefit from having their own trained dog could be considered.

·       Community engagement, to raise awareness and offer advice in respect of scams and fraud, was an important element and ideally there would be more capacity to do so. The impact on vulnerable victims and the barriers to reporting were recognised. Requests for engagement with particular groups could be considered and would be prioritised if there was intelligence to indicate that this may be valuable in a particular community.

·       The quality of the archive service was excellent.

Councillor Davies, the relevant Cabinet Member and Portfolio Holder, gave assurances that the position in respect of the current accommodation for the archives had been discussed with WYJS and a plan was in place to address the issues.

Resolved –

(1) That the Director of West Yorkshire Joint Services be thanked for attending the meeting to report on the work of the organisation in Kirklees.

(2) That copies of the ‘Little Book of Big Scams’ be shared with the Committee.