Agenda item

·       The views of the CYP Select Committee on Amplifying Children’s Voices

·       Response to the CYP Select Committee on Amplifying Children’s Voices

·       The views of the Safer Stronger Communities Select Committee on the Borough of Sanctuary Strategy

It was MOVED, SECONDED and RESOLVED that Mayor and Cabinet considered the reports and

·                Direct officers to explore the feasibility of adopting suggestions in paragraph 4.1 of the report made by young people who were already engaged with the Council and to report back to the Children and Young People Select Committee.

·                Note comments and views of the Safer Stronger Communities Select Committee on the Borough of Sanctuary strategy, and that officers should provide a formal response on the matter to Mayor and Cabinet before reporting back to the Committee.

3.1     Mayor, Damien Egan introduced the Item and announced that a referral together with an officer’s response had been received from the Children and Yong People Select Committee (CYPSC) on “Amplifying Children’s Voices”. 

3.1.2   Speaking on the referral, Councillor Chris Barnham, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People invited the Mayor and Cabinet to note and approve the officer’s report, highlighting the following:

·               That the amplification of children and young people’s voices was relevant because of the significantly high number of the borough’s population currently under 16, and the Council’s manifesto to build on the Young Mayor’s programme.  

·               That a working group, which included Lewisham’s Young Advisers, had been set up by officers to build on the recommendations in the officer’s report, with a view to bring further proposals to the Mayor and Cabinet aimed at enhancing the voices of children and young people in policy development and delivery across the spectrum of the Council’s work.

3.2     The Mayor announced that another referral was received from the Safer Stronger Communities Select Committee (SSCSC) relating to “Borough of Sanctuary”. 

3.2.1   Councillor Liam Shrivastava, the Vice-Chair of the SSCSC addressed the meeting on the second referral, advising that at its meeting on 2 March 2023, the SSCSC received an update report on matters relating to referral.  It was stated:

·            That the SSCSC welcomed information that efforts had been made to reinforce the Council’s commitment by the reinstatement of a dedicated officer resource to drive the delivery of the Borough of Sanctuary strategy.

·            That the SSCSC commended the work of the local voluntary and community sector to help safeguard and support sanctuary seekers in Lewisham.

·            That the SSCSC endorsed the work undertaken by the Action for Refugee in Lewisham, and the Lewisham’s Refugee and Migrant Network (LRMN) regarding front-line support provision, and the Safer Surgeries Campaign.

3.2.2     Councillor Shrivastava continued by stating that the SSCSC understood that the Council’s strategy as a Borough of Sanctuary was strong but felt that the delivery was not as effective as it could be.  Thus, the SSCSC’s referral contained 9 recommendations which the Council could adopt if it were to meet its Borough of Sanctuary ambitions.  Commenting on some of the recommendations, Councillor Shrivastava asked the meeting to note the following:

·            That the SSCSC recognised restrictions and exemptions regarding to ‘no recourse to public funds’ (NRPF).  Thus, the SSCSC had recommended:

o           That officers should take a proactive approach when assessing claims regarding statutory duties relating (NRPF).

o           That officers should keep lines of communication open with advocacy organisations to help anticipate issues to support sanctuary seekers, including early help for families with complex needs.

·            That the SSCSC acknowledged that some of the Home Office’s policies directly contravened sanctuary principles.  Thus, the SSCSC had recommended:

o           That training, like the type of the Safer Surgeries’ work undertaken with local General Practitioners would be useful to enhance knowledge and skills of front-line service staff.

·            That the SSCSC felt that collaborative working would help delivery partners to share best practice and identify patterns and challenges that could present themselves in different councils.  Thus, the SSCSC had recommended:

o           That the Council should appoint a person to act as a champion for migrants and refugees in Lewisham.  It was stated that the person to be appointed, in addition to acting as a critical friend to the Council and its partners, would be expected to work collaboratively with the nation-wide migrant champions’ network managed by the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants.

3.2.3     In closing, Councillor Shrivastava informed the meeting that since the recommendation was agreed for an update on the use of migration dispersal funding, the SSCSC had received and welcomed a report by the Borough of Sanctuary Manager as follows:

·            That as well as using the asylum dispersal grant for funding the Council’s services which asylum seekers could access, the Council was considering transferring some of the funding to further strengthen work relating to the Borough of Sanctuary strategy.

3.3     Commenting on the SSCSC’s referral, Councillor Juliet Campbell, Cabinet Member for Communities, Refugees and Wellbeing expressed an appreciation to Members of the SSCSC for formulating recommendations to build on the work of the Council as a leading borough of sanctuary, and she asked the meeting to note the following:

·            That the Council had produced a comprehensive action plan to progress with its work as a Borough of Sanctuary, in addition to a series of works planned across departments and with the voluntary sector.

·            That discussion to recruit a Migration Champion was underway, with an expectation that the job holder would work collaboratively with the Sanctuary Officer to progress with the Borough of Sanctuary’s strategy.

·            That the Sanctuary Officer, since starting work in January 2023, had met objectives regarding the work which the Council was doing as a sanctuary borough.  Thus, the migration dispersal fund was effectively utilised.

It was MOVED, SECONDED and RESOLVED that Mayor and Cabinet

·                Direct officers to explore the feasibility of adopting suggestions in paragraph 4.1 of the report made by young people who were already engaged with the Council and to report back to the Children and Young People Select Committee.

·                Note comments and views of the Safer Stronger Communities Select Committee on the Borough of Sanctuary strategy, and that officers should provide a formal response on the matter to Mayor and Cabinet before reporting back to the Committee.