Agenda and minutes

Present: Cllr Larratt (PL Co-Chair), Martin De Rosario (MD Co-Chair), Doug Peacock (DP Different Strokes Northampton), Barbara Barber (BB Individual), Larry Barber (LB Individual), Jaqueline Forrest-Smith (JF Individual), Sue Armstrong (SA Action Support), Beverley Mennell (BM Individual), Martin Page (MP DWP), Richard Draper (RD DWP), Debbie MacColl (DM NBC), Rachel Clements (RC Sport4Fitness CIC), Cllr Rufia Ashraf (RA NBC), Cllr Julie Davenport (JD NBC), Will Heckford (WH Northamptonshire Sport), Lawrence Kay (LK Northampton Leisure Trust), Harvey Morgan(HM Northampton Leisure Trust), Mia Ball (MB Police PCSO), Tony Sereno (TS Police PCSO), Jennifer Shaw (JS NASS/OCS)

BM : Concern over Universal Credit. This should be brought up in the next meeting.

MD: Many lives affected by cuts in disability. People cannot drink or eat properly.

BM: With benefits in general. There is a nice or kind way of rolling out reform. Structure of social security. This group should debate.

MD – asked to change to Government as this is non-political group.

BB – affect d2d bus service – worried to death going to lose the service – is it the Government or NCC?  Speak to Cllrs to find what being cut.

JD didn’t hear the question – NCC give money to bus provider to help people who live in villages, so they will be affected, not D2D. NBC gives money to fund D2D. They are funded through the Partnership Funds.

NBC do have funding called Discretionary fund which can help people. Please let forum know.

RC: Did contact DPAC.

VR: Will contact DPAC

VR: This is not a political platform of the group.

DP: Problems with the PIP applications. People have gone from one place to another. Received a demand for £6000. Went through a mandatory review. Problems were that he went into debt. ACTION: DWP could help. Please speak after the meeting.

BM: We read and hear so many sad stories regarding government cuts. ACTION: Would like to find out the stats from when the first cuts were first implemented.

SA: Would like to highlight a case study in Northampton. Individual had 23 years in mental health services. Received good service from OT. Was able to reduce visits to hospital. Diagnosed with Bipolar. Had difficult times at work in personal life. Had to be returned to GP due to cuts. GP retired so knowledge lost. Will be raising a complaint with NHFT. No funding for community advocacy.

MD: Employers do not know how to deal with mental health issues.

PL: The owner of the St Peters Way car park (privately owned), has been managed by NBC on the same principle applied for the other car parks, including free parking for Blue Badge Holders.

The owner of the car park no longer wishes NBC to manage it and now appointed NCP to run this car park. NCP charge Blue Badge Holders for parking. This is not an NBC decision, it is purely that of the land owner. NCP charges will therefore apply to this car park, including charges for Blue Badge Holders.

NBC also manages the Morrisons car park on behalf of Morrisons. All the multi storey car parks, and most surface level car parks in the town are owned and operated by NBC.

DP: There must be clear signage with decent font size.

Action: Officers to make sure signage is clear and have the disabled logo attached

SA: Background as PE teacher. Developed a spinal disease and have bipolar. Was dismissed as a teacher due to the fact that she had bipolar.

Set up Action Support a social enterprise. Trained 20 volunteers advocating in the community. Started off training to work programme. Removed labels and see people as people.

Moved in St Giles Street. Now in Moulton Park.

Action Support works hand in hand with Scooter2Go. Invests its profits form the Furniture Centre and Property Maintenance & Garden Care Service into Train4Work supported employment programme.

Scooter2Go – In May SA lost use of legs. Used a scooter. No longer need this. Shopmobility shut down in October. Run by Northampton Door to Door Service. So many people relied on service. Went to Shiremobility who loaned Scooter2Go 7 scooters. Contacted Tangerine Red and APS and asked them to do the signage. Did this for free. Contacted NBC with Business Plan and asked for £10,000. Grateful to NBC for the support.

8th December – small anniversary party. All welcome.

Membership fees explained. Cater for individual needs. Now have 13 scooters. Have various items for sale. Sell second hand disabled aids.

Engage with people at the bus station.

Need more support from communities and businesses. Please promote our business.

DP: Congratulated organisation.

Q: Do you do access checking in retailers?

A: Yes would like to do this. Happy to be accessibility checkers.

Q: Google have agreed to do accessibility mapping. Booklets are produced. Will you do this?

A: Plan is do a plan for charity shop shoppers. Need sponsorship from the retailers.

Q: Northampton town centre booklet. But nothing was published about disability.

A: Will look into this and get a piece in the BID magazine.

BM: We have One Stop Shop (OSS). Need to make most of it. Can we add this to the OSS?

ACTION: NM and DM to do this.

Northampton Leisure Trust (NLT) non-profit organisation. Have different facilities and activities. Recently purchased Berserk.

LK and HM went through presentation to talk about disability and sport.

Engaging with various clubs and groups to promote disability and sport.

ACTION: NM to send out information to the forum.

RC: Would like to work in partnership in Sport4Fitness.

RA: Happy to find ways to link in.

WH: Northamptonshire Sport would like to support. Changes in our organisation. Graeme is now covering Daventry area. WH covering Northampton. Work with disabled people and support. Want to make elders more active and work on lower incomes.

Training courses are being cancelled due to lack of uptake. Please help promote.

SA: Table tennis is very inclusive ranging from ages 7-90s. Is there any club that promotes table tennis for people with disability?

DP: How do contact individuals and reduce social isolation?

A: LK met with hospital (physio therapy depts. etc.) and looking at how we can work through referrals. Will put an action plan together working in partnership with health service.

RC: Doing lots of surveys and would like to share information with NLT.

MB: We work with vulnerable people. Who do we promote?

LK: People know as more use Trilogy.

HCAW delivered.

Disability Day. Scooter to display.

RA: Recently in St James Ward problems with dog fouling. Make it a town wide campaign. Would like support from the Forum. 5th December 2pm St James Library.

ACTION: Poster to be distributed.

JD: What if people cannot bend down, need compassion.

RA: This will be included in the information.

JFS: Had Care and Repair to do gardening. Charged £79. Will not use them again.

SA: Action Support do gardening service.

BM: Enforcement is an issue of dog fouling.

Please let DM know of dog fouling in Kingsley area. Concern in Kenmuir Crescent, Hazeldene Road etc.

PL: NBC have new enforcement contract soon to be introduced.  Please advise of areas where enforcement action would be worthwhile / beneficial

DP: In New Duston area people are picking up dog poo and throwing it in the hedge! Discarded coffee cups are also found.

MB: Maybe good idea to see more bins which are more visible.

SA: Will contact Shiremobility and see if they can sponsor RA campaign.

JD: Many residents suffering as they feel that the Environmental contract does work for them. We have a duty to ensure that people can move freely. Elderly people in sheltered bungalows feel isolated as they are surrounded by overgrown trees. Disabled people should be treated fairly.

WH: Wheelpower have primary sports camp 10th February. 5-11year olds.

BM: Raised this against about JD points in last minutes. Huge roots was a concern in particular area. Contacted Highways. There is a duty of care for public footpaths to ensure there is a flat surface for people on mobility scooter and mothers with pushchairs etc.

JD: This is mostly NPH and there is no funding for this.

BM: Need to go media for support.

DWP: We cannot effect policy. Wait for budgets next week for further information.

We are work coaches and our job is to help people feel more confident to go to work. Can advise how to manage this.

ACTION: To do a presentation in future.

DM: International Mens Day in Grosvenor Centre. Forum invited.

Inter Faith Week – Northampton Inter Faith Forum have a stall in the market square. Forum invited.

NM: Final meeting. New position.

MD: Thanked NM for all support given.

January 19^th   2018 10:30am – 12:30pm. The Guildhall

19 January 2018, 10:30am – 12:30pm.