Page 6
Minutes of General meeting
Date / 13 December 2016Time / 10.00-12.00
Venue / Jubilee Lounge Stoke Town Hall
Agenda topic / Action
Attendees:
· John Beech
· Pam Bryan
· Geoff Bryan
· Stephanie Wood
· John Burgess
· Jennifer Pardue
· Eileen Bloomfield
· Winston Green / · Mick Jones
· Jo Coulson Disability Solutions
· Brian Turnock
· Philip Woodward
· Stewart Barker
· Brian Edwards (Stoke City Council
· Lesley Smith (Stoke City Council)
Apologies received from:
· Simmy Akhtar Healthwatch
· Angie Bunn Disability Solutions / · Kerry Summerfield
· Alan Rowe
· Rob Lamonby
Brian Edwards Passenger Transport Manager
Brian discussed the report on Community Transport which was commissioned by Public Health as part of the Age Friendly City review around a year ago. The report was written by Transport Advisory Services after extensive consultation with people from a range of organisations (including STAND). The report identified a range of options which would improve transport for older and disabled people. Options ranged from a new community transport system to recommendations on how to make better use of transport systems already in place. It outlined that because disabled and older people are all individuals with differing needs, there is no ”one size fits all” solution. Brian apologised for the time it is taking to move things forward but there is a resource issue with restrictions on local government spending.
As a result of the report, Brian has spoken to a number of taxi companies to see if there is any potential for reduced fares and more accessible taxis. The feedback from taxi companies has not been very positive. Taxi companies do not directly employ their drivers and it is felt that they may not support a reduced rate for fares.
One option put forward in the report was the introduction of a Gold Standard taxi service to improve the quality of service for disabled and older people. Brian is working with the Licensing Team to upskill the drivers who work on council contracts e.g. Safeguarding. He sees that there is potential for one or two taxi companies to work towards achieving the Gold Standard. He feels that the Gold Standard will benefit everyone but particularly people with disabilities.
Brian has also spoken with some local minibus operators to see if they can combine their school run work with providing a service throughout the day. One operator has already done some work with local councillors, whose wards have lost bus services, providing services to make up the loss. Feedback has shown that the routes are not financially viable funded by fares from passengers and so services such as this would need financial support. Brian thinks that this is a start and the minibuses are not accessible – but this may be an idea to develop. Brian also advised that there have been reductions in bus routes and subsidies have reduced, so he can’t see any increases in routes in the near future.
Brian then threw the discussion open and asked for opinions as to whether transport issues are a council function or whether issues should be dealt with jointly with other organisations.
Phil Woodward said that consideration needs to be taken of the possible future banning of all diesel powered vehicles. Phil thinks the city needs to consider a new transport infrastructure and cited Nottingham’s electric trams as a good example of what might work in Stoke.
Stewart Barker spoke about Shrewsbury Dial-a-ride which was set up and is run entirely by volunteers. This accessible service was set up using Big Lottery funding and donations and is revenue funded by a contract with the local council. Stewart thinks this is the way forward and if the vehicles are 12 seaters the drivers do not need PSV licenses and so it would be easier to recruit volunteers. Elaine Bloomfield asked if passengers paid to use the service and Stewart advised there was a flat rate of £1.
Jo Coulson said that wheelchair users often have problems with taxis. They often will drive by a wheelchair user and they start charging as soon as they arrive. It is impossible to get an accessible taxi in the morning when taxis are doing the school run. Jo told the group about Uber WAG which could offer better access to taxis at all times.
John Beech said that he thought that deregularisation had started the problem. Any council capital inputs into transport infrastructure benefit shareholders rather than the public. Brian Edwards said that councils are often wary of capital investment for this reason – they have to be careful that they are not investing public money to benefit bus companies. Councils cannot legally purchase buses for commercial providers. From time to time the Government invites bids for funding to get cleaner buses. The City Council has helped First Bus put its bid together for electric hybrid buses for Stoke but the bid was not successful. The Government said that demand had outstripped funding but London and Manchester bids were successful though. Next year there will be a new fund to retro-fit buses to bring them up to a better environmental standard. Brian advised that Nottingham still has a municipal bus company with 49% of the company owned by the local authority. The council is very pro public transport and funds it to the sum of around £2m per year.
Jennifer Pardue said that one key issue for people with disabilities (and in particular wheelchair users) is the varying fares for the same journey. She has known charges for the same trip vary from £7 to £12. Drivers of private hire vehicles often ask “How much do you usually pay?” and if the passenger has not done this particular journey before, it’s a problem. John Beech said it is always advisable for passengers to agree a fare with private hire drivers before they get in the vehicle.
Pam Bryan said she had had conversations with taxi companies about the variance in fares. They said that the bigger the vehicle, the more the cost irrespective of whether a person has disabilities or not. If a booking is made by a wheelchair user, they always send a bigger vehicle because they don’t know what’s needed. So wheelchair users that can manage in a smaller vehicle should always specify that they need a medium sized vehicle when they book and the cost should be less. However, Pam warned this doesn’t always happen. Sometimes drivers charge extra anyway so passengers should challenge this overcharge.
John Beech said overcharging had been an issue for a former colleague of his but when she challenged this with the Licensing Team at Stoke Council, she discovered that some drivers are registered in Birmingham. He advised that disabled passengers should take action by asking the taxi driver for a receipt and then reporting overcharging to the Licensing Team at Stoke Council. He also said that Licensing authorities could specify the types of vehicles and even the age and colour of vehicles used as taxis, but Stoke City Council chose not to do so.
Jo Coulson said that it was difficult to prove discrimination if a taxi won’t stop for you. If they overcharge, you can prove it, but you can’t prove this more subtle discrimination.
Brian Edwards said that if Stoke on Trent had a Gold Standard for taxis, which companies will adhere to, this may eliminate some of the issues. Pam said that one of the tenets of the Gold Standard should be the issue of receipts because then people will be able to prove what they paid. Brian said part of the Standard could be a set scale of charges, so people know in advance how much they will have to pay.
John Beech said his concern about a community transport system is that it may get funding for a start-up but it is difficult to find funding for on-going running costs. The risk is then that people become reliant on the service and then lose it. Brian said that was one reason he was looking at taxis as a more flexible and sustainable transport option.
Phil Woodward said that over charging taxis were profiteering from a person’s disability and that this should always be reported to Licensing. Licensing need to toughen up on taxi drivers and tell them that they need to stop this practice or the council will specify that all taxis have to be black cabs. He said he thought it was despicable that people were making money out of someone who’s at a disadvantage. He also suggested that base offices could do more to help people share costs of taxi journeys by organising “shared taxis” and giving people the option. Brian agreed that this was a good idea but that taxi companies and drivers would need a commercial incentive to do so and possibly this could be part of the Gold Standard.
John Beech wondered if the social care vehicles had any spare capacity. Brian said there were 7 or 8 vehicles but they were used more frequently these days so they is no significant “down time”.
Jo Coulson advised that disability awareness training should be built in to any Gold Standard
Action: Brian Edwards will speak to Licensing Team about a possible Gold Standard and report back to STAND at their next meeting in February 2017. / BE
Minutes of meeting of 7th November 2016
Accuracy
Brian Turnock advised that his donation has not been minuted. Pam apologised for the oversight and added that these minutes would reflect that kind donation.
No matters arising.
Visit to Carmountside
Pam advised that a site visit had been made to Carmountside on 7th December to check that works which had been requested to improve wheelchair accessibility had been completed. There had been a delay on the provision of a sign, but all works have now been completed. Brian Turnock’s issues were still on-going.
Brian Turnock agreed that his access issues are still not settled and advised the group that he would carry on until he was satisfied. He advised the group that he had been in touch with Health and Safety (HSE?) and that they had advised him that they would not have stopped vehicle access, so he didn’t understand why the council were still restricting vehicle access for disabled people. He said he believed that he was having difficulties because of his work history with the council.
John Beech advised that historically a proposal was put forward to ban all vehicles except cemetery staff and funeral directors vehicles from city cemeteries. Longton cemetery was being used as a rat-run by taxi drivers and there were safety concerns. Politicians decided against this proposal but put bollards in to restrict access to people who genuinely needed to be in the cemeteries. Brian said that he had spoken to a number of councillors and they had agreed with him but that they hadn’t done anything even though he believes that there is no health and safety reason why access is being blocked. He also said that the Muslim burial area at Fenton had no barriers.
Lesley Smith asked if Health and Safety (HSE?) had issued a report because this would be useful in arguing against the council’s own risk assessment. Brian advised that they had advised him over the phone and not in writing.
Action: STAND will take this issue up with politicians
Visit to Middleport Pottery
Original date for visit had been cancelled due to ill-health. Teresa Fox-Wells (Middleport Pottery) had advised that she was free any date in March 2017.
Action: Date of visit to be confirmed at January Executive meeting. / Exec
Development in Hanley update
Lesley Smith advised that Phase 4 of the improvements would be starting in the New Year. This phase includes the bottom end of Stafford Street (up to Greenwoods) and Crown Bank. Pam advised the group that although Crown Bank toilets would be demolished, there were plans to provide new and much improved toilet facilities in Hanley Market. Lesley confirmed that the new toilets would be to the front of the market, open on non-market days too and would include a Changing Places facility. STAND members welcomed the proposed toilet facilities but Mick Jones asked for consideration of provision of more female cubicles and Jennifer and Jo recommended that the council considered gender neutral toilets.
Phase 5 of the public realm improvements is in early design stages but will include Parliament Row, Market Square, Upper Market Square and Fountain Square. As soon as there is draft design, Lesley will bring plans to STAND for consultation.
Action: Lesley Smith will take comments back to designers / LS
Closure of Community Hospitals.
Pam and Geoff Bryan have been to several meetings about the community hospital closures. Pam has prepared a report expressing STANDs concerns and the impact the closures will have on older and disabled people. People are being discharged into the community without a care package and once home, discharged patients find that there is no money for care or people to do it. In her report Pam has posed the key question “Who is responsible” as it is felt that some people will die without suitable care. There is also no question on the hospital discharge form to ascertain if a person lives on their own or lives with someone who is unable to provide care. Pam has been assured that the closures are “a temporary measure” but is not convinced of this.
Pam then outlined a case study where a person had been discharged home after a stroke and the only person living at the address had been his son who had MS and who had been left without care while his father was hospitalised and unable to speak. Neither the son nor his father was known to social care, so no-one knew he was in need. When the ambulance team opened the door to take their patient in they found the son in a shocking state as he had been unable to get himself food or drink or go the toilet without the help of his father. Social care stepped in and arranged rehousing and care but this illustrates the depth of need some families find themselves in and these are the people the system needs to support.
John Beech said that one key issue is that because people are being discharged earlier, there is often not enough time to organise care. People are taking up beds at the hospital as there is no care package available and the NHS blame the local authority for this. Funding is a major issue.
Discussion is on-going and STAND will monitor the situation and report back to members.
Domestic disabled parking bays
John Beech fed back to members about a City Council Task and Finish Group meeting he and Pam had attended on Monday 12th December. This group of city councillors is investigating if there is demand for domestic disabled person’s parking bays. The bays would need to be self-funding as they are non-statutory. They will cost several hundred pounds but the Task and Finish Group is also considering payment plans so people can spread the cost over a number of years. STAND will be involved in developing policy, the criteria for eligibility and information pack for applicants if the City Council Cabinet approves the proposal.
Donations
John Beech thanked members who had made donations towards the running costs of STAND. Thanks were given to:
· Brian Turnock
· Mick Jones
· Eileen Bloomfield
· Jennifer Pardue
Thanks also to Stewart Barker who brought some cakes to the meeting as a Christmas treat for members.
Any other business
Jennifer Pardue raised a formal objection to the sexist comments that some members were making. Chair, John Beech, acknowledged her objection.
Mick Jones said there was a phone number given to discharged patients for use in case of problems in the first few days after discharge. Pam said that the number is to an answering machine and sometimes it is a full day before a person rings the patient back.
Lesley Smith wished all STAND members a happy Christmas and thanked the group for their advice, help and support that they had given her over the year.
John Beech wished all members a happy Christmas and New Year.
Next meeting: Executive - Tuesday 17 January 10am Civic Centre Stoke
General – Tuesday 14 February meet at Kingsway entrance at 9.50am