Agenda item

The Scrutiny Officer presented the report to the Joint Committee.

The Joint Committee (made up of the Committee and the Local Growth Scrutiny Committee) had agreed to undertake a Review of security arrangements at The Arc, Clowne, focussing on the policies, protocols and procedures in place and examine how security for staff, members of the public and Elected Members could be improved (as part of both Committees’ individual Work Programmes 2024/25).

For the Committee, the Review related to its remit of the following:

·       Emergency Planning;

·       Managing Complaints;

·       Customer Services; and,

·       Legal Requirements.

For the Local Growth Scrutiny Committee, the Review related to its remit of the following:

·       Facilities Management; and,

·       Legal Requirements.

By collaborating, the Committees were able to bring a broader range of ideas and perspectives to the Review, ensuring a more thorough and informed approach.  This effort had allowed for a more efficient use of resources and promoted a cohesive and integrated scrutiny process, which was particularly beneficial for such a large-scale and complex piece of work.

The Review had been initiated in response to growing concerns about the security of The Arc, Clowne, its vulnerability to incidents of Anti-social Behaviour (ASB), and the potential critical risks that could threaten the safety of staff, members of the public, and Elected Members.

With a focus on improving the safety, resilience and preparedness of The Arc, Clowne, the Review had aimed to identify existing weaknesses, explore legislative compliance, and make recommendations that would ensure the facility remained a safe environment for all users.

The Review’s original scope was attached at Appendix 1.

The key findings of the Review were all follows:

·       Clear accountability: there was currently no specific officer or Cabinet Member responsible for overseeing security responsibilities and inter-departmental coordination at The Arc, Clowne;

·       Lack of a comprehensive security policy: existing procedures were fragmented; a unified policy would consolidate security arrangements and improve overall effectiveness;

·       Unclear incident response roles: procedures would benefit from defined responsibilities and clear escalation pathways during emergencies to ensure swift and coordinated action;

·       Need for regular review / testing of procedures: security protocols should be regularly reviewed and tested to ensure they remained effective and up to date;

·       Training gaps for staff: frontline and operational staff needed consistent, ongoing training in conflict management and emergency response to enhance preparedness;

·       CCTV and perimeter security: consideration should be given to upgrading CCTV systems and perimeter security to improve monitoring and protection;

·       Security considerations for committee meetings: additional safeguards, such as barriers, codes of conduct and camera monitoring, were needed to ensure safe and orderly proceedings;

·       CTSA security audit: a Counter Terrorism Security Advisor (CTSA) had provided valuable feedback and Members had received a security briefing to enhance awareness and preparedness;

·       Emergency procedures under development: invacuation, evacuation and lockdown plans were currently being drafted but were not yet fully implemented; an accommodation review of the building is under development; and,

·       Proactive ongoing improvement: Security measures should be continuously updated to address emerging threats and ensure the ongoing safety of staff, Elected Members and the public.

The Joint Committee had put together 11 recommendations to assist the Council in improving security and safety arrangements at The Arc, Clowne.  These were detailed in Section 2 of Appendix 2 of the report.

The Portfolio Holder for Health and Wellbeing noted the Review had been fully comprehensive on the matter of security at The Arc, Clowne.  It was asked if further Code of Conduct measures for the Council Chamber might be required.  The Scrutiny Officer informed any further security measures for the Council Chamber would be for the Assistant Director for Streetscene, Community Safety and Enforcement and  Strategic Director of Services to recommend, with input from the Governance and Civic Manager.  It was also felt that security in the Council Chamber had been appropriately addressed.

The Assistant Director for Streetscene, Community Safety and Enforcement explained further that measures put in place (incl. the Council Chamber partition and the enforcement of wearing of visitor lanyards) had made a recognisable difference and that it was important to not dissuade attendance of public meetings.

The Portfolio Holder for Health and Wellbeing stated Committee Chairs might benefit from additional training on handling specific situations related to meetings (incl. dealing with difficult people and situations).

A Member thanked the Scrutiny Officer for the detailed Review and flagged that a number of Scrutiny Committee meetings, as well as all Licensing Sub Committee meetings, were taking place in Committee Room 1 – the security of this room might need to be considered for these meetings.  The Scrutiny Officer informed the security of Committee Room 1 had also been reviewed at the same time as the Council Chamber and would be moving forwards.

The Portfolio Holder for Resources informed all security of The Arc, Clowne, was regularly reviewed and tested – any risks and threats were handled appropriately.

The Portfolio Holder for Health and Wellbeing added that all Committee Chairs could halt meetings at any point to address disturbances or potential security risks – if necessary they should make full use of this responsibility.

Moved by Councillor Will Fletcher and seconded by Councillor Amanda Davis

RESOLVED that: 1) the Committee endorses the recommendations of the review outlined in section 2 of the attached report (Appendix 2);

2)    Committee submits the report to Executive for approval, in accordance with the Scrutiny Committee Terms of Reference – Part 3.6 (3) of the Constitution; and,

3)    following approval by Executive, monitoring of these recommendations by the Committee takes place over a twelve-month period via post scrutiny monitoring reports with an update report to the Committee at the end of the monitoring period.