StreetCare Localism Seminar
Yate Outdoor Sports Complex
20th Feb 2014
6:00pm - 9:00 pm
Safety Information
Welcome
Councillor Claire Young
Localising Services in South Gloucestershire
Localism in South Gloucestershire
“…the devolution and the fundamental shift of
power to councils, communities,
neighbourhoods and individuals. Empowering
local people to come together to take more
responsibility for their community”
SGC Localism Framework
Timetable
6:30–6:40 pm Welcome and Introduction
Cllr Claire Young
6:40–6:55 pm Project Background & Consultation Exercise
Mark King, Head of Street Care and Transportation
6:55-7:25 pm Parish Service Choices and Delivery from April 2014
Simon Spedding, Group Manager, Design & Ops
Gary Meddick, Assistant Operations Manager
Michael Dixon, Localism Project Engineer
7:25–7:45 pm Refreshments and Networking
Timetable (cont)
7:45–8:00pm Equality Impact Assessment
Daniel Wood, Corporate Equalities Officer
8:00–8:15pm Parish Mapping Data
Darren Davison, Programme and Asset Coordinator
8:15–8:45 pm Customer Enquiries, Website Development and Project
Publicity
Dominic Moody, Senior External Communications Manager
Nina Deverell, Project Manager – Transformation and
Efficiency
8:45–9:00 pm Conclusion/Questions/Networking opportunity
Mark King – Head of Street Care and Transportation
Project Background and
Consultation
Mark King
Localising Services in South Gloucestershire
Our approach to localism
Localism in South Gloucestershire has been the subject of extensive
engagement over the past two years, resulting in the following process:
What are we talking about?
• Street scene is the environment that we see and
experience when travelling through and along
our streets and public spaces
• We are talking about highway services.
We are not looking at public open space
• Providing and maintaining assets that are fit and
safe for purpose and encourage community use
• How local communities can influence and have
a greater say in the services they receive within
the resources available
Why are we doing this?
• Give communities more control over the services
they receive and support localism
• Provide value for money and contribute to
council savings
• Focus on the services the council must provide
to meet its obligations
• Tackle the current differing levels of service
throughout the area
Services affected by these changes
The following services are affected by these changes:
• grass cutting of highway verges
• maintenance of roundabouts
• maintenance of shrub beds on the highway
• weed spraying
• provision and maintenance of floral displays on highway
land
• provision and maintenance of hanging baskets
• provision of dog bins including maintenance and
emptying
• fly posting and graffiti inspections and removal
Future service delivery options
Each area will be able to choose from the following:
• The core service standard (default)
• Buy back service from StreetCare
• Provide the service through local parish or town council
staff
• Provide the service through another supplier or
contractor
• Licence to maintain given to a parish or group
• Transfer of assets (excluding land or buildings)
• Service transferred (delegated) to parish or town council
The core service standard
In future, our core service standard for highways will be to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
inspect, maintain and repair the highway network, keeping road, footway
and cycleway surfaces, streetlights, traffic signals and road signs in a safe
and usable condition
maintain grass on highway land including verges and roundabouts to a
highway standard, maintaining visibility and ensuring public safety and to
undertake a programme of regular inspections and maintenance to manage
trees within the highway boundary safely
undertake a programme of regular inspection and maintenance of highway
structures, drains and street furniture (bollards, benches, road name signs,
etc) to ensure that they are safe and to minimise flooding
ensure the area is kept clean and free from litter, weeds, graffiti, fly posting
and fly tipping
respond to emergencies and other incidents to minimise damage, maintain
safety and keep the network moving
provide a winter maintenance service to keep the highway network clear of
snow and ice
Implications and considerations
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
What service delivery option is best for you?
Contracting considerations
Competency, skills, training and equipment
Service specification and standards
Client and inspection responsibilities
Liabilities, insurance and indemnity
Health and safety, risk management and
business continuity
• Service enquiries and complaints
Parish information packs
Each parish received the following information:
• Maps showing the extent of highway grass, litter and dog bins
and floral displays & hanging baskets
• Data table listing provision of assets and sites affected
• Current cost of service provided and future core service
standard
• Buy back service menu including indicative costings
• Customer information about the number of service enquiries
and customer importance and satisfaction information (to follow)
• Strategic and operational framework including service delivery
considerations
• Copies of consultation documents
Consultation launch
Consultation period
 Detailed information to
parishes
 Individual parish discussions
 Indication by parish of future
service delivery model
Consultation close
Report to SGC Communities
Committee on consultation
results and for decision on
future service size and design
Detailed negotiation and costing
of service delivery model for
each parish
Confirmation by parish of future
service delivery model
Final negotiation and signing of
service contracts and licences
Implementation date of core
service standard
11-Apr
Apr-14
Mar-14
Feb-14
Jan-14
Dec-13
Nov-13
Oct-13
Sep-13
Aug-13
Jul-13
Jun-13
May-13
Apr-13
The consultation process

From 24
Apr
By 13-Sep
13-Sep
November
date TBC
By 20 Dec
01-Apr-14
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


Parish Service Choices and
Delivery from April 2014
Michael Dixon
Localising Services in South Gloucestershire
Parish Service Delivery and Choices
• Parish Meetings
• Range of choices made
– Buy Back
– Core Service
– Core Service plus
– Third Party Contractor
– Transfer of Service
• License to Maintain
– Individual Agreements
• Unparished Areas - Core Service
Dog Bin Service
• Service Continuity
• Service Rationalisation
• Third Party Emptying and Disposing
– Commercial Waste
– Waste Carriers Licence
• Dual Usage Litter Bins
Parish Service Delivery and Choices
• Service Documentation
– Issued to all Parishes and then discuss applicable
elements and clarification
• Contract
• Service Specification
– Published Routines
• Equality Impact Assessment
• License to Maintain
• Finalising Discussions and Details and issued in March
Parish Service Choices and Delivery
from April 2014
Simon Spedding
Localising Services in South Gloucestershire
Any questions?
Parish Service Choices and Delivery
from April 2014
Gary Meddick
Localising Services in South Gloucestershire
Health & Safety in Grounds Services
What Everyone Should Consider
• Who is responsibility for H&S?
– If you intend to complete the work yourself, then
you have complete responsibility.
– If you employ a third party you are responsible for
ensuring their compliance with H&S.
– Ignorance is no excuse
Hot Topics
1. Safe Working on Slopes
2. Noise & Vibration
3. Use of Pesticides
The above list represents only a fraction of H&S
issues but theses are all topical and numerous
on highway landscapes.
SLOPES: Manufacturer Recommends:
DO NOT USE ON SLOPES GREATER THAN 15°
MUST NOT BE USED ABOVE 20⁰
15⁰
The village green too steep to mow:
Council 'won't risk' work on 25-degree tilt
Ref: The Daily Mail
10th May 2011
This is the consequence of risking it.
Workman fighting for life after being crushed by mower
that toppled over as he rode it
Ref: The Daily
Mail 19th June
2012
One recent prosecution at Bristol CC
• The 51 year-old worker, from Bristol, who does not wish to be
named, broke her pelvis and badly damaged an achilles
tendon in the incident in Netham Park, Bristol on 30 May
2012. She remained off work for a year but has since returned
and is undertaking an office job.
• Bristol City Council, was fined a total of £20,000 and ordered
to pay £4,700 in costs after admitting two breaches of the
Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.
• Bristol City Council had inadequate systems in place to
ensure operators were suitably trained in the use of this
equipment and failed to identify the need for a suitable seat
restraint.
Noise & Vibration
•
•
•
•
Almost two million people at risk in the UK
Reported Cases of Hand Arm Vibration rising
Rise in civil Claims
LA being targeted (No win No fee, councils seen
as easy target)
Wirral Council recently fined £25,000 plus cost
after golf course workers suffer Hand Arm
Vibration
We routinely ask ourselves these questions
•
•
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ARE we monitoring HAVS?
Is our vibration data current?
Have we assessed workplace Noise levels?
Are our control measures adequate?
Are our control measures up to the task?
DO You?
Use of Herbicides to control weed
The use of herbicides in grounds maintenance
has to be controlled
• For Operator Safety
• For Public Safety
• Environmental Issues and Control
Herbicides What We Consider
• Training and competence of operators, supervisors,
contracts managers, specifiers and advisors?
• Product selection and approval?
• Storage, handling and disposal?
• Assessing risks to human health and the environment?
• Risk Mitigation
• Record Keeping (legal requirement)
• Ability to confidently handle complaints related to
pesticide use.
Highway and General Safety
We Ensure – Do You
•That machinery and the use of it, complies to the
Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations
1998.
•That ride-on mowers are road legal (lights, indicators &
display current disc)
•That you comply with HMRC rules regarding fuel for
road vehicles
•That your vehicles comply with current and future traffic
management legislation. (Traffic Management Act,
traffic signs manual chapter 8, sections 05.1 General,
05.2 Conspicuity & 05.3 Beacons)
USFUL LINKS
• https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/
attachment_data/file/203670/traffic-signs-manual-chapter08-part-02.pdf
• https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/
attachment_data/file/4388/safety-street-works-code.pdf
• http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/chann
elsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageV
AT_ShowContent&id=HMCE_CL_000164&propertyType=
document
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedde
d&v=RiZGS2VI9mc
• http://press.hse.gov.uk/2014/bristol-city-councilprosecuted-after-worker-thrown-from-tractor/
• http://www.hse.gov.uk/index.htm
• http://www.amenityforum.co.uk/
Any questions?
Refreshments
Demo of Mapping System on Request
Reconvene at 7:45 pm
Equality Impact Assessment
Daniel Wood
Localising Services in South Gloucestershire
The Equality Act - Public Sector Equality Duty
The Equality Act 2010 sets out the Public Sector Equality Duty. This Duty
requires all public bodies, in the exercise of their functions, to have due regard
to the need to:•
Eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other
conduct that is prohibited by the Equality Act 2010;
•
Advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a
protected characteristic and persons who do not share it;
•
Foster good relations between persons who share a protected
characteristic and persons who do not share it.
The Equality Act 2010 requires all Parish, Town and Community
Councils to meet the General Equality Duty
Meeting the Duty in Practice
• Evidenced consideration to be taken of how your activities meet the
three aspects of the General Duty.
• Ensure activities do not discriminate against any equalities group(s).
• Amend activities where there may be potential for discrimination or
unfair treatment.
• Amend activities to ensure greater equality of opportunity for all in
instances where this can be achieved.
Equalities Issues to be Aware of
Disability
• Some Disabled People may be more disadvantaged by a change in
the provision of dog bins as those people with assistance dogs
would clearly require the provision of appropriate information
regarding how to handle dog waste should no dog bins be available
or relocated to a different position.
• It is advised that Parish and Town Councils keep this issue under
review.
• Take appropriate minutes in order to evidence your consideration of
this issue and any issues emerging on an on-going basis.
Equalities Issues to be Aware of
Procurement
•
•
Satisfy yourselves that any third parties which exercise functions on your
behalf are:
– capable of complying with the Equality Duty
– required to comply with the Equality Duty
– that they comply the Equality Duty in practice
This means that:
– Contractors should be required to show how they would comply with the
Equality Duty should they be successful in being awarded any contract.
– Contracts for the delivery of services contain adequate equalities
provisions.
– Continually monitor the equalities-related performance of any
contractors in order to ensure and evidence that the Equality Duty is
being delivered in practice.
Support
•
The Council will be writing to all individuals on the Local Authority VI
Register and has liaised with Disability groups across South Glos. To
provide information.
•
Bespoke equalities session(s) can be delivered for you.
•
South Gloucestershire Council Annual Equalities Reports (2011/12 &
2012/13)
•
South Gloucestershire Council Equalities in Procurement Guidance
•
Census Information
Any questions?
Maintained Land Asset Data
Darren Davison
Localising Services in South Gloucestershire
The Data and Storage
• Stored Spatially (Mapping System)
• Areas separated into service
provision
• Helpdesk access to the digital plans
• Web forms linked to digital plans
What does it hold?
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Site Name/Code
Size of Area
Service Provision Type
Parish
Maintenance Regime
Colour Coded
Example Screen Shot
Plans For Operations Staff
Dog Bins
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Plotted Spatially
Ownership
Litter Bins – Plotted Spatially
Frequency Emptying
Parish
Helpdesk Access
Plans - Dog Bins
Thank You
Any Questions
Customer Enquiries
Nina Deverell
Localising Services in South Gloucestershire
Customer enquires
• We are changing the way we handle contacts from the public for
areas affected by Localism
• Currently we take any enquires/requests and pass them through
to StreetCare to action. Last summer there were 642 grass
cutting requests across the whole authority (open space and
highways), this was out of 370,000 calls and 65,000 visits to the
One Stop Shops
• In future if the service is being provided by the Parish we will
sign-post the caller or web user to the appropriate Parish
Council.
So how will this work?
Regardless of method:
•Web
•Phone
•One Stop Shop
•We aim to plot all requests on a map…….so if a
customer requests some grass to be cut…..
Enter the
location
When the
map
appears
pin a flag
to identify
the exact
location
Core service only
Under the South Glos Council’s Localism agenda
this area will receive a core grass cutting service.
We aim to cut the grass twice a year once in
May/June and again in August/September subject
to weather conditions.
Link to more information on localism.
Complete take-on of the work
• Under the South Glos Council’s Localism
agenda work for this area has transferred to the
Parish Council
• Please contact your Parish Council directly with
any queries
• Link to parish contact details
• Link to more information on Localism
Core service and third party
• Under the South Glos Council’s Localism agenda this
area will receive a core grass cutting service. South
Glos Council aim to cut the grass twice a year once in
May/June and again in August/September subject to
weather conditions
• Other works are the responsibility of the Parish Council,
please contact the parish directly
• Link to parish council contact details.
• Link to more information on localism.
Buy back option
• Provide more detail of the location
• Details of the issue
• Customers details: name, address, phone no, email
• Case is logged and job created in the back office
system
• Job allocated to a StreetCare operative
Dog bin problem
• Customer enters the location on the map
• This shows the dog bins in the area
Enter the
location
Dog bins
are
displayed
Drop the
pin on the
bin
Dog bin requires emptying or is damaged
Parish maintained:
The maintenance for this dog bin is the responsibility of the
Parish, please contact the appropriate parish
Link to parish contact details
Service bought back from South Glos Council:
1. Customers details: name, address, phone no, e-mail
2. Case is logged and job created in the back office system
3. Job allocated to a StreetCare operative
The dog bin is missing
• Under the South Glos Council’s Localism agenda dog
bins are being removed. Dog waste can be wrapped
and placed in litter bins or should be taken home and
disposed of in your black bin
• Some Parish Councils have taken on the maintenance of
the dog bins themselves which is why there still are
some still in use across the authority
• Link to more information on Localism
• Link to parish Council contact details
Thank you for listening
Any Questions?
Public Information and
Communication
Dominic Moody
Localising Services in South Gloucestershire
Aims
 Help embed changes through clear and accurate
information for the public
 Explain context for changes: transformation and
localism
 Promote understanding of new roles and
responsibilities
 Promote participation in local decision-making
Messages
 Localism, transformation and new relationship
between council and local communities
 Core standard of mandatory services
 Opportunity for community to play greater role in
enhanced services
 Dog waste – responsible ownership
Channels
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Website
Corporate contact centre
South Glos News
Local press and case studies
Social media
Events and briefings
Poster campaign (dog waste)
Dog fouling
New web pages
• ‘Landing page’ at
www.southglos.gov.uk/streetscene
– Core Standard page
– Enhanced services page
• ‘Area’ pages
– Detailed FAQ
Next steps
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•
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Update/populate area pages
News release with case studies late March
Increased social media activity
South Glos News late March
Text for parish newsletters
Mark King
Thank you
Any questions?