Decision Maker: Council

Outcome: Recommendations Approved

Is Key Decision?: No

Is Callable In?: No

Date of Decision: March 11, 2025

Purpose:

Content: 11.1    ELECTED MEMBER HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELLBEING   As set out in the published agenda Motion 11.1 was moved by Councillor Sullivan and seconded by Councillor Poulsen.   In accordance with Council Standing Orders 18.4  and 18.8  an amendment (additional published papers Amendment A) was moved by Councillor Edwards and seconded  by Councillor Ros Brown.   In accordance with Council Standing Orders 18.4  and 18.8  a second amendment (additional published papers Amendment B) was moved by Councillor Griffiths and seconded by Councillor Naylor.   Following a number of speakers a suggestion was made to incorporate Amendment A and B into the original motion which was agreed by the mover of the Motion (Councillor Sullivan) and the mover of Amendment A (Councillors Edwards) and the mover of Amendment B (Councillor  Griffiths).  This was subsequently put to the vote and agreed.   In accordance with Council Standing Order 18.12 the Motion incorporating the amendments as set out below was then put to the vote, was carried and became the substantive motion, was then voted on and was carried.     Resolved –   That the motion incorporating Amendment A and B be amended to read as follows:   Council notes:   Council believes   ·         Members will be put at increased risk if they do not have the information needed to respond effectively to queries from the public.   ·         Members should be made aware of any actual or implied criticism that has been reported to the council or other agencies.  ·   The increase in incidents of harassment, intimidation and in extreme cases, violence against elected representatives, with Election Commission research also finding that approximately 40% of election candidates reported having experienced intimidation whilst campaigning in 2022.   ·   Further to a Committee on Standards in Public Life review in 2017 into the intimidation of Parliamentary candidates during campaigns and more broadly in public life once elected and the “Protecting the debate: Intimidation, influence and information” consultation in 2018, the Elections Act 2022, updated the law on intimidatory behaviour towards election candidates and campaigners.   Recent report from the Local Government Association outlined that Women, those from BAME groups, members of our LGBT+ community and those with disabilities are being particularly targeted by harassment and intimidation.    ·   The Elections Act 2022 also included the ability to ban anyone convicted of the harassment of members and candidates etc, from standing as a candidate themselves, for a period of five years.   ·   The recent convictions of the latest individuals who considered it appropriate to harass Naz Shah MP (amongst others) and the sentences given.   ·    The various Member Safety guides published by the Crown Prosecution Service, the Local Government Association and other stakeholders   ·   Welcomes recent police operation to provide support and advice for elected members from the police.     Council resolves:   To take a zero-tolerance approach to abuse of councillors and officers and to challenge the normalisation of abuse against councillors and officers.  To thank and support the Police and the Courts for their efforts to stem the increase in and ideally alleviate such unacceptable behaviour and to continue to work with the police to ensure there is a clear-joined up mechanism for threats and other concerns of safety of councillors and officers and their families.    ·   To promote the use of bans to prevent those who harass / intimidate members and candidates etc from being able to stand for election themselves.   To request that the Chief Executive instruct appropriate officer(s) to review the reporting mechanism for councillors and officers to ensure that it is robust and can be used by all councillors.  To write to all MPs representing Bradford District and ask them to support the Local Government Association’s “Debate Not Hate” campaign.    ·   To provide a show of cross-party support for Naz Shah MP at this time and repeat this when any of the District’s MPs or other elected representatives find themselves in this unacceptable situation.   ·         To request officers to inform ward members before taking or announcing any action likely to result in members being contacted for comment or advice by members of the public. ·         To request officers to inform ward members immediately they become aware of issues generating controversy that members might be expected to comment on or be seen as responsible for.   ·         To request that the Chief executive writes to the West Yorkshire Police, NHS bodies and any other potential sources of controversy asking them to take a similar approach to forewarning elected members   To be actioned by: Chief Executive     11.2     BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS (BESS)     As set out in the published agenda Motion 11.2 was moved by Councillor Falak Ahmed and seconded by Councillor Winnard.   In accordance with Council Standing Orders 18.4  and 18.8  an amendment (additional published papers Amendment C) was moved by Councillor Watson and seconded by Councillor Love.   In accordance with Council Standing Orders 18.4  and 18.8  a second amendment (additional published papers Amendment D) was moved by Councillor Ross-Shaw and seconded by Councillor Hinchcliffe.   Following a number of speakers in accordance with Council Standing Order 18.12 Amendment D as set out below was then put to the vote, was carried and became the substantive motion, was then voted on and was carried.     Resolved –   That with the addition and deletion of the appropriate words, the motion be amended to read as follows:    Council notes:   The urgent need to develop a sustainable energy network so we can transition to Net Zero as quickly as possible The need for regulation to keep pace with new technologies so they can be facilitated safely and effectively Public concern over Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) units, particularly around fire safety, clustering of other BESS schemes, potential for contamination in the event of an accident and proximity to residential areas The latest design of BESS systems has evolved to address concerns over fire safety and contamination Bradford Council consults the West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service on all BESS applications, and they consider issues like the proximity of other BESS in the area as part of their response   Council resolves:   ·         To recognise the need for energy security and sustainable forms of energy to enable a rapid transition to Net Zero ·         To support any West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service representations to government requesting that Fire Services be added as statutory consultees for planning applications for BESS sites  ·         Continue to consult the West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service on any BESS applications ·         To diligently balance the needs for sustainable energy security storage capabilities with the health, safety and environmental considerations of the location of energy storage facilities   To be actioned by: Strategic Director, Place   11.3    ENSURING FULL COUNCIL HAS A SAY ON FUTURE REQUESTS FOR EXCEPTIONAL INCREASES TO COUNCIL TAX   As set out in the published agenda Motion 11.3 was moved by Councillor Edwards and seconded by Councillor Neil Whitaker.   In accordance with Council Standing Orders 18.4  and 18.8  an amendment (additional published papers Amendment E) was moved by Councillor Pollard and seconded by Councillor Poulsen.   In accordance with Council Standing Orders 18.4  and 18.8  a second amendment (additional published papers Amendment F) was moved by Councillor Hinchcliffe and seconded by Councillor Imran Khan.   Following a number of speakers in accordance with Council Standing Order 18.12 Amendment F as set out below was then put to the vote, was carried and became the substantive motion, was then voted on and was carried.     Resolved –   That with the addition and deletion of the appropriate words, the motion be amended to read as follows:   This Council notes:    It is a legal requirement for all councils to set an annual budget and for that budget to be ‘balanced’ or fully funded. Every councillor therefore has a responsibility to the residents they serve to ensure that the council meets its legal obligations. This year the Labour Group was the only political party in the chamber to propose, and vote for, a legally compliant budget.   On 3rd February 2025, the Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner granted a request by Bradford Council to allow an exceptional council tax rise of 9.99% without a referendum. This follows a request on 14th January from the Leader of Council to the government to allow an increase of Council Tax by either 9.99, 12.99 or 14.99% following the provisional local government settlement published by Government on 18th December 2024. Bradford is one of six councils of different political colours granted that permission along with Birmingham, Newham, Somerset, Trafford, and Windsor and Maidenhead. The government accepted that Bradford met the criteria of having a low council tax charge compared to other councils and has support in place to protect vulnerable people.   Bradford Council has made clear that the 9.99% this year is a one-off and that in future years it will revert to the norm. This is part of the council’s substantial plan to return to financial sustainability.   This decision means that after the increase of 9.99% Bradford district will still have a lower council tax charge than other similar places in the country.   Two consultations have taken place on savings proposals:  The consultation on the proposals from the 5 November 2024 Council Executive committee ran until Sunday, 22 December 2024. The consultation on the proposals from the 3 December 2024 Council Executive committee ran until Sunday 19 January 2025.    Significant debate has been held on the council tax increase, including three petitions. Petitioners spoke at the Executive Budget meeting on 4th March before the budget was decided and their views were heard and considered. Residents have also been directly contacting their councillors and council officers to raise questions, comments and concerns.    This Council further notes:    One of the consequences of Government granting a request by the council to increase Council Tax beyond 4.99% without a referendum, was that the Exceptional Financial Support was reduced by the corresponding figure the additional tax would generate. This saves council taxpayers £111m in borrowing costs over the next 20 years which would otherwise have to be found through more cuts.   The council’s finance team and Chief Executive are available to councillors of all parties throughout the year to discuss budget proposals, not just in the days before the council budget meeting. Comprehensive finance reports are published for all to read and digest.  All groups can therefore publish their own proposed budget and council tax proposals accompanied by a report from the s151 officer.   The annual budget, including council tax, is also scrutinised by the cross-party Corporate Overview & Scrutiny Committee which questions and challenges senior officers as part of its work.   This year the Green Party was the only group on Bradford Council to present an alternative budget. The Greens proposed a 9.4% council tax increase alongside further cuts. For a Band A household the difference between a 9.4% increase and 9.99% increase would be 13 pence a week. However, the Green Group then failed to vote for their own budget proposal, leaving its proposed budget without any votes.   This Council acknowledges that following 14 years of disastrous policies driven by radical ideologically-based austerity under the previous Conservative government, many residents of our district are continuing to struggle.   The new Labour government is already making significant progress after less than a year in post following a decade of chaos under the Tories, with an acknowledgement that such damage cannot be undone overnight. Labour is already delivering progressive policies such as:   the increase in the minimum wage the employment rights bill the rollout of breakfast clubs £20m for Keighley through the Plan for Neighbourhoods. Keeping the triple lock in place for pensioners so that the state pension will rise by £472 a year from April 2025 An extension of the Household Support Fund in Bradford supporting those most vulnerable Bus Service Improvement funding for West Yorkshire which amounts to £20 million until March 2026 which the West Yorkshire Mayor is using to keep fares low and to subsidise lifeline routes.   The new Labour government has also provided a funding settlement to the council that is around £38m better than expected, plus it has acknowledged that it will reform council financing to more fairly direct funding to those areas that need it most.     This Council resolves to:    Request the Director of Finance and all senior officers to continue to be available to elected members of all groups and to provide necessary facts and information on the council’s finances. Do all we can to support those people on the lowest incomes whether that be through the hardship fund, through Household Support Fund, through Welfare Advice or through Skillshouse.     To be actioned by: Director of Finance and all Strategic Directors   11.4     ONLINE SAFETY, AI AND PERSONAL DATA   As set out in the published agenda Motion 11.4 was moved by Councillor Ros Brown and seconded by Councillor Russell.   In accordance with Council Standing Orders 18.4  and 18.8  an amendment (additional published papers Amendment G) was moved by Councillor Felstead and seconded by Councillor Pollard.   In accordance with Council Standing Orders 18.4  and 18.8  a second amendment (additional published papers Amendment H) was moved by Councillor Hinchcliffe and seconded by Councillor Ross-Shaw.   Following a number of speakers in accordance with Council Standing Order 18.12 Amendment H as set out below was then put to the vote, was carried and became the substantive motion, was then voted on and was carried.     Resolved –   That with the addition and deletion of the appropriate words, the motion be amended to read as follows:   This Council notes:    The benefits of the Internet and Artificial Intelligence (AI). It also recognises the strong driving forces pushing to advance and embed AI further in our lives.  That technological advances can support human flourishing but to do this it needs to learn from the experiences, concerns and aspirations of those in our District in relation to online content, AI and personal data to inform policy.  Legislation has failed for too long to protect too many in our communities from pervasive and damaging content online. Given this failure to adequately regulate to prevent online harms it is possible this will happen again in relation to AI and the use of personal data.   The Online Safety Act lists over 130 ‘priority offences’ which tech firms must assess and mitigate the risk of these occurring on their platform. The deadline for companies to complete their risk assessments is 16 March 2025. However, campaigners have expressed dismay at the regulator’s “gradualist approach to immediate threats to life” and have called for more robust regulation to tackle illegal content.    All adults and children are vulnerable to the pervasive effects in our society of sites and apps that promote misinformation, hate, inappropriate or illegal content or fuel addiction. Local authorities and public services pick up the bill for supporting individuals while companies prioritise profits over people’s safety.   As Bradford celebrates our year as UK City of Culture we are well placed to understand the backlash and concerns raised by artists across the UK’s creative industries regarding the government’s plans to let tech companies freely use copyrighted material to train AI models.  The Local Government Association is promoting the transformational potential of AI within local government for “fundamentally reshaping public services to improve lives, build stronger communities and drive economic growth”.  Engagement with industry and investors is to be welcomed but the views of the public and those working in public services also need to inform decisions about AI use and investment.   Recent Health Determinants Research Collaboration sessions for elected members have shown how locally led research projects can inform and enhance local decisions and policy making through supporting the participation and voice of all in our District. Such engagement needs to inform regulatory frameworks so that they put the interests of people and planet first.  The Council published a policy on its use of AI in August last year.   This Council resolves to:     Write to the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology and Ofcom to support urgent, swift and meaningful enforcement of sites and apps to ensure companies take compliance seriously to protect children and adults.  Make sure that the Council’s policy is updated on at least an annual basis to reflect this fast changing technology. Seek to set up a Health Determinants Research Collaboration project to listen to local people’s experience regarding online content, AI and personal data to inform local and national policy.  Write to the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to support the campaign to protect the livelihoods of those in the creative industries in relation to AI and copyright legislation.  Call on the government to engage with Local Authorities to consider the benefits and risks of AI infrastructure investment and development.    To be actioned by: Strategic Director Corporate Resources   11.5    ADDRESSING THE CRISIS OF EMOTIONALLY BASED SCHOOL   AVOIDANCE (EBSA) AND SEND SUPPORT FAILURES IN BRADFORD   As set out in the published agenda Motion 11.5 was moved by Councillor Ward and seconded by Councillor Uddin.   In accordance with Council Standing Orders 18.4  and 18.8  an amendment (additional published papers Amendment I) was moved by Councillor Poulsen and seconded by Councillor Pollard.   In accordance with Council Standing Orders 18.4  and 18.8  a second amendment (additional published papers Amendment J) was moved by Councillor Duffy and seconded by Councillor Hinchcliffe.   Following a number of speakers in accordance with Council Standing Order 18.12 Amendment J as set out below was then put to the vote, was carried and became the substantive motion, was then voted on and was carried.     Resolved –   That with the addition and deletion of the appropriate words, the motion be amended to read as follows:   This Council notes:   ·         The resolution passed by this council in January 2025, “Upholding every child’s right to a quality education”, which addresses many of the issues raised in this motion. The actions we propose here build on that previous motion. ·         That Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) is linked to children and young people with and without Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) who are experiencing anxiety that is impacting on their ability to attend school based on a range of different factors that will be individual to each child. EBSA is not the same as SEND Support, these are two cohorts of Children and Young People. ·         The Joint Strategic Needs Assessment published in December which discussed the review undertaken by Education Psychologists around EBSA where they heard from families, young people and professionals in schools during 2024. ·         Parent/carers are represented on all workstreams and the Local Area SEND Strategic Partnership Board that drives forward developments across the District and holds the statutory partners the Local Authority (LA) and Integrated Care Board (ICB) to account. ·         Co-production is a key component of the work that is done in SEND.  The LA works closely with the Parent Carer Forum (BAPCF) and other parental support groups (e.g. AWARE & SNOOP).  ·         The Councils EBSA works directly with identified Children Young people and their families to address complex and challenging circumstances that are a barrier to school attendance. They also work with the school to provide whole school approaches.  ·         The Council has engaged with partners across the Local authority to establish The Attendance Alliance this has been set up with key partners and schools to address all issues relating to school absence with a particular focus on persistent and severe absence.  ·         The Councils work in Bradford to address EBSA and persistence absence and its impact has been recognised by the Department for Education, they have continued to support this work with funding and have asked Bradford to showcase work at national events on attendance.  ·         In the national context of a children’s mental health crisis and challenges including around school attendance particularly since the pandemic, the council, through the THRIVE model which provides service from prevention through to crisis support. All secondary schools have Youth in Mind staff and Mental Health teams work across 40% of upper schools and we welcome the government’s commitment to roll this out to 100% of schools by 2028. ·         The council is working with schools to develop inclusion standards that will consider behaviour policies which will further support the EBSA and SEND agendas. This council also welcomes the change introduced by the new Labour government towards a more inclusive education system and its ambition to introduce a more engaging and exciting curriculum to deliver the highest quality engagement and learning experience in schools. ·         There is focus across the early help system to collaborate and work together as partnership to improve the attendance of children and young people this includes children missing education, SEND, exploitation, neurodiversity and Emotional Based School Avoidance (EBSA), youth justice ·         From an Early Help Perspective the Trust is in dialogue with the Parent and Carer Forum to share the work that they are doing and what might be useful to parents and children with SEND which will be then linked to the Local Offer. ·         As part of the EBSA project, research has been commissioned from Manchester University to evaluate the guidance for parents and schools so we can continually improve.   This Council Resolves to:   Support children, families and schools to improve school attendance   ·         Build on the work underway seeking to avoid permanent school exclusion ·         Continue to extend the resourced provision for SEND pupils within mainstream schools ·         Supporting schools to ensure that education for children with a wide range of needs including special educational needs is available through mainstream school and also more flexible and bespoke arrangements are in line with the child’s needs ·         Work with health partners to improve neurodiversity services for children and young people and address any related barriers to accessing a good quality education ·         Creating inclusive educational offerings, including continuing to roll out the Living Well Schools programme, making it easier for schools to remove health-related barriers to education and working directly with senior leaders to implement a whole school approach to health and wellbeing. ·         As part of our child friendly Bradford district programme we are actively engaged with ensuring that all children across the district understand the rights of the child. ·         Refresh the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities ·         To work with partners to undertake Mental Health Outcomes Based Accountability to focus on all aspects of Mental Health including Emotional School Based Avoidance   To be actioned by:  Strategic Director, Children’s Services   At this point of the meeting, under Council Standing Order 9.1.2 a vote was taken to re-order the business on the agenda to move Motion 11.6 (Tackling Knife Crime) to be considered before Motion 11.6 (Upholding Whistleblower Protections and Ensuring Accountability within Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and other Public Institutions).   Resolved-   That under Council Standing Order 9.1.2 the business on the agendabe reordered to move Motion 11.8 (Tackling Knife Crime) to be considered before Motion 11.6 (Upholding Whistleblower Protections and Ensuring Accountability within Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and other Public Institutions).       11.8     TACKLING KNIFE CRIME     As set out in the published agenda Motion 11.8 was moved by Councillor Kamran Hussain and seconded by Councillor Duffy.   In accordance with Council Standing Orders 18.4  and 18.8  an amendment (additional published papers Amendment M) was moved by Councillor Davies and seconded by Councillor Pollard.     Following a number of speakers in accordance with Council Standing Order 18.12 Amendment M moved by Councillor Davies was then put to the vote and lost. The Motion moved by Councillor Kamran Hussain was then put to the vote, was then voted on and was carried.     Resolved –   Two years ago the Knife Angel was exhibited in Centenary Square. Standing 27ft (8m) high, the Knife Angel is made from about 100,000 bladed weapons collected through knife amnesty bins from 43 police forces and has toured across the country. A concerted effort has happened since then to take action on such violence. From 24 September 2024 it became illegal to possess or sell zombie-style knives and machetes in England and Wales, as part of new measures to reduce knife crime. In addition the Home Secretary has just announced  Ronan’s Law which will include stricter rules for online retailers selling knives, along with tougher penalties for failing to enforce them.  Every avenue needs to be pursued to protect young people from knife crime.   This Council notes: ·   That there is a national target to reduce knife crime by 50% within the decade. Bradford should play its part in achieving that target ·   The work of the West Yorkshire Mayor and the Deputy Mayor for Policing who launched the West Yorkshire serious violence strategy last month ·   Early help and prevention work with our young people will always have the best results on outcomes ·   The work of the Safer team in primary and secondary schools in educating our young people about the dangers of violent crime ·   A strong partnership effort is important to prevent and tackle knife and gun crime This Council resolves to: ·   Support the call to action during Anti Violence Month in March ·   Support our Youth Service which this council has continued to fund when other areas do not ·   Work with the West Yorkshire Mayor on implementing the actions from the serious violence strategy ·   Work with Youth Justice to prevent young people from re-offending ·   Work with the voluntary and community sector on evidence-based prevention and support activities, such as peer education schemes, to help steer young people away from knife and gun crime ·   Accelerate our work on school attendance, the best place for our young people to be during the day is in school ·   Work with partners to identify additional funding to support our young people and keep them away from violence.   To be actioned by:  Strategic Director Children’s Services   11.6    UPHOLDING WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTIONS AND            ENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY WITHIN BRADFORD            TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST AND            OTHER PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS   As set out in the published agenda Motion 11.6 was moved by Councillor Saleem and seconded by Councillor Ishtiaq Ahmed.   In accordance with Council Standing Orders 18.4  and 18.8  an amendment (additional published papers Amendment K) was moved by Councillor Winnard and seconded by Councillor Poulsen.   In accordance with Council Standing Orders 18.4  and 18.8  a second amendment (additional published papers Amendment L) was moved by Councillor Hinchcliffe and seconded by Councillor Ferriby.   After the moving and seconding of Motion 11.6 (Upholding Whistleblower Protections and ensuring Accountability within Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and other Public Institutions) and the amendments and hearing a number of speakers the time reached 10pm. A bell was rung in accordance with Council Standing Order 20.1. No further discussion was held and the Motion and amendments , in accordance with Council Standing Order 18.2 and 20.2 were voted on without any further debate.   Amendment L as set out below was put to the vote , was carried and became the substantive motion, was then voted on and was carried.   Resolved –   That with the addition and deletion of the appropriate words, the motion be amended to read as follows:   Council Notes:   The new Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said that the NHS is broken and going through the biggest crisis in its history. Fourteen years of Conservative and coalition governments left the NHS in crisis, including rising patient demand, staff shortages and resource constraints, all of which contribute to delays in urgent care at every hospital in the country. Our three local hospital trusts are no exception as they work for patients in this challenging national context. Despite these national challenges and constraints, hospitals and Trusts are accountable for delivering good quality services to their patients, and in ensuring they have appropriate staff policies and procedures, and they are able to take their own measures to improve their services. The former Chair of BTHFT is in legal dispute currently with the Trust and this matter will be settled by an Employment Tribunal.  Two non-executive directors of BTHFT have made complaints. Bradford West MP Naz Shah has formally written to the Health Secretary and the Chief Executive of NHS England about her concerns and this letter has been published.  NHS England has statutory accountability for oversight of both Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and NHS providers using the NHS Oversight Framework. The NHS oversight and regulatory framework (NOF) has four segments for ICBs and NHS providers. 7.    The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates all health and social care services in England, including hospitals. The CQC is responsible for ensuring the quality and safety of care.   8.    The Trust is in NOF 3, one of 81 trusts out of 210 trusts nationally – around one in three – that are in segment 3. In the North East and Yorkshire Region where there are 34 trusts, there are 21 in NOF3 – around two in three – in segment 3.   A review has been commissioned of Board leadership and governance, which will include consideration of relevant actions which may be required in the light of the outcome of the investigations into complaints raised by Board members and the CQC Well Led review. The scope and timescales for initiation and completion have been agreed and overseen by NHS England. The Trust has acknowledged its governance issues and is working with NHS England and partners to robustly and quickly address them. The Trust agreed to have an independent investigation into the allegations first made by non-Executives in November 2023. Expert independent inspections and scrutiny are crucial to ensuring high quality healthcare services for patients and staff. Three independent service inspections of BTHFT carried out by the CQC have been published within the last four months. Key findings of these independent CQC inspections include: i. The Trust’s services are safe and the quality of treatment and care is good. ii. The Trust’s three most recent CQC service inspections demonstrate that all three services inspected had improved. iii. Medical services at both St Luke’s Hospital and BRI are good. iv. The Trust’s Maternity services have continued to improve. Notably the two domains inspected this time, ‘safety’ and ‘well led’, were both rated ‘Good’. v. The Trust’s neonatal service is rated ‘Outstanding’. vi. The Trust performance through winter has been strong and consistently in the top 10% of Trusts for the achievement of the 4hr A&E wait time throughout the challenging winter period. Letters in support of the leadership of the Trust have been received by Governors at the hospital as well as senior figures at both the Integrated Care Board and NHS England.  In these letters medical staff at BTHFT speak of their confidence in and strong support for the leadership of the Trust. 16.BTHFT has a "Freedom to Speak Up" policy, aiming to provide guidance and support for staff to raise concerns.   Council Believes:   That Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary is right, the NHS is broken after 14 years of mismanagement by the last Government. A culture of openness and transparency is essential within all public institutions, especially those responsible for healthcare services. Whistleblowers play a vital role in safeguarding public interest by bringing attention to malpractice, impropriety, and wrongdoing. It is imperative that individuals who raise legitimate concerns are protected from victimisation, retaliation, or any form of detrimental treatment. Leadership within public institutions must be held accountable to maintain public trust and ensure the highest standards of service delivery. After the COVID day of reflection on 9th March we should take the opportunity to remember all those healthcare professionals who sacrificed so much during that devastating time and continue to give of their best.   Council Resolves:   To back Wes Streeting’s mandate to reform the NHS To look forward to the 10 Year Health Plan, to be published in the spring, which will deliver the 3 big shifts our NHS needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention. To encourage everyone who wants the best for patients at Bradford Hospitals Trust to work together to achieve the best outcomes. To reaffirm Bradford Council's commitment to protecting whistleblowers across all sectors, ensuring they can voice concerns without fear of retribution. To ask the Safeguarding Partnerships to make sure that organisations represented there have recently reviewed their Whistleblowing policies. To work with colleagues in the Trade Union movement to make sure their workers are aware of the respective whistleblowing policies of their employers.   To be actioned by:  Strategic Director Adult, Social Care and Health/All Strategic Directors   11.7     BRADFORD MAKING THE MOST OF THE EMPLOYMENT             RIGHTS BILL   Motion 11.7 was put to the vote and was carried.   Resolved –   Council notes and welcomes: The new Labour Government announced the Employment Rights Bill within 100 days of coming to office to help deliver economic security and growth to businesses, workers and communities across the UK. Strengthening ordinary people’s rights at work is a fundamental part of improving their daily lives, supporting inclusive economic growth and building a fairer Britain. This is compatible with delivering the kind of economic growth that the country desperately needs after the UK’s unprecedented fall in living standards under Tory austerity. Key measures in the planned legislation could include: -         flexible working made the default where practical -         strengthening statutory sick pay, removing the lower earnings limit for all workers and cutting out the waiting period before sick pay kicks in -        ending exploitative zero hours contracts and fire and rehire practices -        establishing day one rights for paternity, parental and bereavement leave for millions of workers -        strengthening protections against dismissal for pregnant women and new mothers Such measures will be designed to keep people in work for longer, also reducing recruitment costs for employers by increasing staff retention and helping the economy to grow. Bradford has a proud history of improving workers’ rights. In present day Bradford we are dedicated to building an economy that works for all, regenerating our district and creating more good jobs and opportunities. We recognise that we couldn’t do this without our own local government workers who, in spite of the fact that councils have lost 60p out of every pound they used to receive from central government over the last 14 years, are still dedicated to excellent service to the people of this district and deserve commensurate recompense comparable with other valued public sector workers. People have to be in work to benefit from workers’ rights. With this in mind Bradford’s SkillsHouse is a major success story having supported 10,342 Bradford district residents to access skills and training, employment support and career Information, advice and guidance in the year to date since September 2024. Bradford is outperforming the national average when it comes to reducing the number of NEET (not in education, employment or training), with the NEET figure in the Bradford district now reaching its lowest level since 2013. Council resolves:   ·       To encourage workers to join a Trade Union so they understand their rights. ·    Write to the Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds welcoming the government’s plan to strengthen workers’ rights, and emphasising the value of the local government workers on the frontline of serving communities. Nationally they have been overlooked for the last 14 years in pay settlements and future settlements need to reflect that. ·    To welcome the LGA City Regions Board to visit Bradford to see its work on employment and skills in June this year. ·    To invite government ministers to Bradford to see our nationally successful employment and skills initiatives.   To be actioned by: Interim Director of Human Resources