Numbers on York child protection register reducing

The City of York Council will make a child subject to a Child Protection Plan (sometimes referred to as the child protection register) if an Initial Child Protection Conference of multi-agency professionals finds that the child has suffered and is likely to suffer significant harm. Child protection

Such harm could be the result of physical, sexual or emotional abuse or neglect (definitions from Working Together 2013).

The numbers subject to Child Protection Plans in the City have been;

  • 162 @ March 2012
  • 123 @ March 2013
  • 125 @ March 2014
  • 114 @ September 2014

Indecision grips key York Council decision making meeting

Second Council “Cabinet” meeting postponed

For the second month running the Council’s policy decision making body, the “Cabinet”, will not meet. The meeting was to have taken place on 2nd December. But now – like the meeting which was to have taken place on 4th November – it has been cancelled.

It means that no major decisions will have been taken since 7th October.

The next Cabinet meeting is not due to take place until 6th January, only a few weeks before the Councils budget has to be drawn up.

Future of empty Guildhall still unclear

Future of empty Guildhall still unclear

The indecision is being blamed on the chaotic state of the Council’s Labour group, which still has the largest number of members. Recently the Council Leader announced his resignation leading to an apparent power vacuum and crippling the decision making process.

Amongst the decisions which were due to be made were the future of the Guildhall. Labour plans a hugely expensive “digital media and arts centrefor the building but it unlikely that the new Council would agreed to the increased levels of borrowing required to fund the project. It is possible that the, relatively new, annex – which comprises mainly modern offices – may now be marketed separately.

Other agenda items, now shelved, include:

Senior Councillors have now had sufficient time (over 6 weeks) to come up with a workable way of making decisions in a balanced (hung) Council.

It had to do so in a similar situation, between 2007 and 2011, when there was little delay in dealing with issues..

It is now vital that all Parties agree to put the welfare of the City ahead of partisan political priorities.

£2 million cost to allow elderly/disabled to live in their own homes

main_Home_Adaptations_1309352092The York Council spent over £800,000 last year in providing accessible shower facilities for their disabled occupants. Most of this was spent on adaptations to private houses (£564,000) with Council properties making up the balance (£249,000)

In total over £2 million was spent making it easier for elderly and disabled people to continue to live at home.

The figures were provided by the Council in response to a Freedom of Information request

NB. Internal appeals against the York Councils internal refusal to release information under FOI legislation have been upheld on 44 occasions in the 12 months up to the end of September. The decisions are in addition to thise referred to the Office of the Information Commissioner