Issue - meetings
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
Meeting: 02/10/2025 - Council (Item 42)
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
To receive petitions, comments and questions from the public.
Decision:
Representatives of Citizens’ Advice North Herts, North Herts CVS and North Herts Minority Ethnic Forum provided presentations on their respective organisations and, following each presentation, Members asked questions.
Minutes:
Audio recording – 5 minutes 14 seconds
The Chair invited the first Public Speaker, Ms Rosie Waters, Chief Executive Officer of North Herts Citizens’ Advice Bureau to speak about their organisation. Ms Waters thanked the Chair for the opportunity and provided a verbal presentation which highlighted the following:
· They advised people on a range of issues including housing, debt, benefits, employment and they were active in every community across the district.
· 7,193 residents in North Herts had been helped by their services last year which was a 7% increase on the previous year.
· Their services had positive, lifechanging and sometimes lifesaving impacts and helped the Council to address their Thriving Communities priority.
· Many clients reported better mental and physical health after using their services.
· Their services significantly reduced demand for statutory public services.
· 1,380 people had been reached via their preventative workshops and events.
· They had worked to make their service more accessible and they supported digitally challenged residents to navigate increasingly online public services.
· Housing advice they provided had saved the Council an estimated £200,000.
· Their Energy Champion provided trusted information to residents and they had applied for grants to expand their green energy offer in this area.
· They offered value for money as every £1 invested returned an estimated £11 to residents and £18 in wider, socioeconomic benefits.
· Financial outcomes of £2.8 million had been achieved by their services.
· The previous Council grant had helped them to attract an additional £600,000 of funding from other sources.
· A new, multi-year grant from the Council would help them to maintain their capacity and develop their services further to improve the lives of residents and help the Council to achieve its priorities.
N.B. Councillor Martin Prescott entered the Chamber at 19.37 and Councillor Sam Collins entered the Chamber at 19.41.
The following Members asked questions:
· Councillor Vijaiya Poopalasingham
· Councillor Bryony May
· Councillor Daniel Allen
· Councillor Val Bryant
· Councillor Sadie Billing
In response to questions, Ms Waters advised that:
· Residents could contact them through multiple channels including telephone, email and face-to-face and could also access their self-help online materials.
· They would reach those that did not already use their services through their communication strategy and increasing the comfortability of their services.
· Volunteer recruitment decreased dramatically after the COVID-19 pandemic and had not recovered to the same level since.
· To increase recruitment, they had made volunteering easier and more flexible.
· Young people were underrepresented in their client numbers and they would address this by improving their digital accessibility and engaging schools to introduce schemes such as their financial capability programme.
· The North Herts Cost of Living Alliance was a monthly meet up attended by partner organisations in North Herts as well as Officers from the Council Revenues and Benefits Team with the aim of working together to better help residents that were struggling with the cost of living.
· Disability benefit claims had reportedly increased.
· Housing issues in North Herts were more prevalent than in neighbouring districts and boroughs as housing affordability was becoming ... view the full minutes text for item 42