Agenda and minutes
PDF 55 KBVenue: 160, Tooley Street, SE1 2QH
Contact: Julie Timbrell, Project Manager (scrutiny)
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Apologies
To receive any apologies for absence. Minutes:
Councillor Sandra Rhule gave apologies for lateness as she was attending another council meeting.
Councillor Charlie Smith also provided apologies for absence as he was attending another committee meeting.
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Notification of any items of business which the chair deems urgent
In special circumstances, an item of business may be added to an agenda within five clear working days of the meeting. Minutes: There were none. |
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Disclosure of Interests and Dispensations
Members to declare any interests and dispensations in respect of any item of business to be considered at this meeting. Minutes: There were none. |
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Minutes
To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 13 November 2024. Supporting documents: Minutes: The minutes of the meeting held on 13 November 2024 were agreed as an accurate record.
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Blue Badge
Michelle Peake, Head of Specialist Services and Shaidi Khan, Accessible Transport Manager will present the enclosed briefing , which is a follow up from an item held on 15 November 2023 . Supporting documents: Minutes: The chair welcomed Michelle Peake, Head of Specialist Services, and invited her to present the enclosed briefing. The chair explained that this is a follow up from an item held on 15 November 2023.
Shaidi Khan, Accessible Transport Manager, who took a lead in preparing the briefing for the commission, was unable to attend this evening and the project manager convey apologies on her behalf.
Following the presentation the chair invited questions, and the following points were made:
· The officer confirmed that once the transition over to the new government form is complete it will mean the Blue Badge application will no longer be combined with the Freedom Pass application and residents will need to apply twice.
· There was a discussion on how best to support people who struggle with technology to make an online application. The library service can provide access to a computer, however there is no help to complete a form. It is, however, possible to access support to complete the form through the MySouthwark service point. Appointments can be booked by visiting the ground floor of Peckham Library or online. The service offers telephone and video calls to assist people to complete the Blue Badge application form. Members highlighted that presently the service is described as for council tenants only on the council website. The officer undertook to look into this and clarified that the service is available for all residents who require assistance to complete a form for a Blue Badge.
· The officer explained that there is also the Local Support team who will go out to peoples home to help, if a resident’s disability means they cannot leave the home.
· A member said that constituents had reported problems in scanning documents. The officer said all the above services can assist residents with this.
· There was a discussion on rejection of applications and the appeals process. It was acknowledged that hidden disabilities can be difficult to prove, however the officer said that there is growing awareness that not all eligible disabilities are visible. Southwark do have independent accessors who can conduct assessments.
· A member asked how long it takes to have a parking bay provided. The officer said this is not her area of responsibility, however this information can be provided, by way of follow up.
· Members asked about fraudulent applications. The officer explained that there is a fraud team who do a check of a sample of cases, and this did recently uncover a case. The officers undertook to get back to the commission regarding work to examine patterns.
· Members welcomed the transition to the national system. In particular it was noted that it would be a significant improvement for people making a reoccurring application for one of the recognised lifelong conditions, as they would only take an estimated 10 minutes to apply.
· There was a discussion on sharing information across government departments with Southwark officers, to overcome the issue of disabled people having to prove their disability to different agencies. The ... view the full minutes text for item 5. |
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Damp and Mould
Officer reports on damp and mould are to follow. Minutes: This item was deferred to the following meeting. |
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Work Programme
Minutes: The work programme was noted. |