Agenda and minutes

Contact: Partnerships and Communities Team  0300 330 7000 e-mail:  forums@northampton.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Welcomes, introductions and apologies 5 mins pdf icon PDF 57 KB

Minutes:

Present: Cllr Hill (Co Chair CH), Pauline Woodhouse (Co Chair PW) Lara Lloyd (Northants Police LAL), Jon Lloyd (Northants Police JL),  Abade Ahmed (Somali community AA), Mavis Mundirwa (Writor,MM), Aimee Luck (NBC AL), Debbie MacColl (NBC DM), Jenny Campbell (Inspiration FM Parent JC),

 

Apologies: Alaa Abouzanad, Rufia Ashraf, Toby Birch, John Rawlings

2.

Minutes and matters arising 5 mins pdf icon PDF 185 KB

Minutes:

Minutes recorded as true to record.

 

No matters arising

3.

Nominations for Co - Chair

Minutes:

PW was thanked for her Chairmanship. The forum agreed for PW to stand again as Chair

4.

Jenny Campbell - Update on project 10 mins

Minutes:

Started project 5th December with two members from Youth Forum. Focussed on peer to peer training.

 

PSA Week 1 – revolved around student services. Sent to comms before it is broadcasted. Focus was on young people and their development. Project is 10 weeks long.

 

This is a pilot project. Ideal starting ground and identifies tweaks. They are not advertisements. Making people who listen aware of the services.

 

Projects consists of 10 broadcasts. NBC has chosen 6 and Inspiration FM has chosen 4.

 

Thanks to the forum and contributions purchased a laptop and equipment.

 

Q: Are youngsters trained?

A: See them as a blank canvas and the role is to populate the canvas. Student was able to put together a script. By week 2 – more time on script writing.

 

Students working on Hate Crime and Straight Allies. Only at studio 1.5 hours. Like to thank Aimee for accompanying students from Youth Forum.

5.

Toby Birch - Community Centres 10 mins

Minutes:

Toby to attend next meeting.

6.

Diana Belfon - Moving Ahead Project 10 mins

Minutes:

DB did project beginning of the year. The project concentrates on BME mental health issues. Research shows that there is an over representation of BME with mental health problems. The project supplied 4 years’ worth of data.

 

Results shows discrimination against BME communities. Referrals were coming through criminal justice system and not through GPs. There are clear issues. Worked with communities to work on this project.

 

The project has trained BME leaders. Went through training programme to enable, educate and empower them. Needed to educate professionals too.

 

Now going to embark on all form of community engagement. Improved in various areas eg – IAX services, talking services. Changed publicity materials made BME feel welcome. They don’t have to go to GPs to be referred. Can see a bigger picture.

 

Community engagement has not happened due to staff issues. DB taken over as Project Manager and have support and will have a programme of engagement. Has written to all BME and faith groups as they want to engage with them.

 

Will be sign posting services and offering free training cultural bias training. Want this forum to engage.

 

Q: Referrals through Criminal Justice System. How is important is that BME communities engage earlier?

A: Prevention is better than cure. Need to engage to explain to BME communities how to engage.

 

Q: Are you happy to engage with myself and to present to neighbourhood policing teams.

A: Yes. Happy to deliver training.

 

Have developed a cultural competency toolkit to look at what people believe in

 

Q: Would it possible to have access to cultural competency toolkit?

A: It is still being developed and will be available soon.

 

Q: Training equality champions – what will they look like? Sounds like it’s more geared towards practitioners?

A: We will be attending events eg Public health, Heathwatch. Want to know about issues from the service users so they can be addressed.

 

Q: How are you going to identify the Caribbean community?

Q: The community has little trust in the NHS.

DB: Hard to reach groups, we are ringing people to go to these groups. Have created our own list. We have a steering group and decide who would be best to engage. Know that we have barriers and there is mistrust. Need to empower and inform these communities and build bridges.

 

The steering group has community group leaders who support other members of communities. Input is from the community who is already engaging. Know the difficulties from BME groups. It’s all our jobs to engage and use the soft approach.

 

JC: Going to be difficult to engage with the Caribbean communities. Have contacted the churches.

 

AA: Opportunities are there, but you cannot force them to come and use the programme. I have attended the training.

 

Now that we have deliverables, asked the forum for support to engage further.

7.

Working Progress - Linda Martin 15 mins

Minutes:

Did not attend.

8.

Mavis Mundirwa - Stories of Resilience International Women's Day 15 mins

Minutes:

MM: I run a support group for widows called Widows for Substance. Give emotional and practical support.

 

MM has written a blog called Power of the Mind. In 2016 MM wrote a book called Untold Stories of Resilience. This empowered her and boosted her confidence.  Found that story telling can inspire and bring social inclusion. We have predjudices and don’t understand cultures. There are misconceptions.

 

Wants to advocate the importance of storytelling and to work together.

 

There were two main challenges to write this – financial and to find a publisher.

 

Want to offer a platform for ordinary people to share their stories. Want to help people get published at a lower cost.

 

Would like to invite BME communities to write about themselves. The story is to be 2000 words and submit their stories. Chosen stories will be published for International Women’s Day.

 

Want to host Black History Month event. Want to celebrate Heroes of our Time. Want to invite people to wear colourful clothing. Details will follow.

 

MM: Please can you let MM know of any poets to contact her.

 

AL: People can submit and will share information.

 

ACTION: Further information will be sent out.

 

 

 

 

9.

Hate Crime Week Update - Northampton Police 5 mins

Minutes:

LL: We have had two Hate Crime panels – on 13th July and September. National Hate Crime Week.

 

11th October Cyber week at University of Northampton.

 

During Week – launching Gender based hostility. Officers will be trained on this.

 

17th Oct – Will have a sports day at schools. Partnership with NCC.

 

19th Oct – Chief Constable Community Supper.

 

18th Oct – Forums to have a tea party.

 

Has had feedback to talk about fears from taxi drivers. Working with Somalian community about this.

 

ACTION: Poster to be created to send out to all the forums.

 

Q: Who are looking to benefit?

A: The victim.

 

Q: What is the media coverage about Hate Crime?

A: If there is a Hate Crime that you are aware of, often put out something on media.

 

Seen an increase in reporting. Its gradual.

 

Can report through Police, True Vision, NREC, NIFF.

 

Q: How do support with people in the Health care sector? Would you link in?

A: Can give you details to help facilitate this.

 

 

Head of Special Branch – reassuring to hear that we talk of the same problems eg safeguarding.localising reporting process. Develop support mechanisms.

 

Most people want to speak to someone they trust.

JL: Explained the counter terrorism local profile. 

 

Northants Police are to launch Operation Explorer in Autumn 2017 as the principal local route for educating the police family and partner agencies around identifying risks relating to terrorism and extremism and in order to provide a means of reporting any concerns or information directly to the Police.

 

explorer@northants.pnn.police.uk

 

 

 

 

10.

Community Information Exchange 5 mins

11.

Date Of Next Meeting 5 mins

23rd November 2017, The Guildhall, 18:30 – 20:30

Minutes:

23rd November 2017 6:30pm – 8:30pm