Agenda item

         The Committee considered the following report:

 

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

 

1.1       The purpose of this report is to provide a mid-year update on the People and Communities Committee Plan 2017/18 outlining progress on key actions, achievement and risks.

 

1.2       The People and Communities Committee Plan 2017/18 was approved by Committee on the 13 June 2017, following a planning workshop with members on the 15 February 2017 and a follow up Committee Planning feedback report noted at the People and Communities Committee on the 7 March 2017. 

 

2.0       Recommendations

 

2.1       The Committee is asked to;

 

            Note the progress to date against the agreed actions within the Committee Plan.

 

3.0       Main report

 

3.1       Key Issues

 

            The Committee is currently working to an ambitious Committee Plan which describes how it’s purpose, objectives and activities contributes to the strategic direction of the Council’s Corporate Plan and the achievement of the city’s long term vision and priorities detailed within the Belfast Agenda.  The Committee Plan was created after discussion with Members and Senior Management Team about the role of the Committee and its priorities for the City and local neighbourhoods.  While the Committee contributes to the delivery of all four Belfast Agenda priorities, City Development, Growing the Economy and Living Here are the main focus of this Committee, particularly the latter priority. 

 

            Committee Plan Update

 

3.2       Over the last six months Committee have developed and implemented a range of strategies, policies, programmes and projects aimed at improving the quality of life at the local level, working with partner organisations and communities to realise the City’s full potential.  Lead officers provided status and progress updates against Committee Plan projects, programmes and activities.  A detailed update is outlined in Appendix 1 and some key highlights are summarised below against the relevant priorities of the Belfast Agenda. 

 

3.3       Living Here – Improve Neighbourhoods highlights:

 

·        We are working on the development of a neighbourhood regeneration framework to include a range of key workstreams identified in the Belfast Agenda e.g. employability and skills, health and well-being, community safety, good relations and are currently sharing and learning good practice with Officers from Bradford City Council. 

·        We have established contacts with the Family Support Hubs to raise awareness of our outreach play service and made links with Barnardo’s and the Red Cross to deliver a play programme for Syrian families.  We continue to deliver programmes to the Belfast Islamic Centre, Traveller children and reach out to new groups across the city. 

·        We continue to deliver the Belfast (D)PCSP strategic plan, using an outcomes based approach to monitor performance.  We are maximising our resources by integrating internal working between SNO’s, Parks Wardens and AEO staff and by liaising weekly with the PSNI and carrying out joint operations.  We are currently finalising an information sharing agreement on drug and alcohol issues and supporting vulnerable people in partnership with the statutory, community and voluntary sector.

·        We have a grand total of 17 green flags, by successfully retaining our 15 and achieving accreditation for 2 additional spaces - Tullycarnet Park and Dunmurry Village. 

·        We have reached a major milestone with the opening of the final section of the transformative Connswater Community Greenway (CCG) project.  In total the CCG has developed 16km of new foot and cycle paths, improved green spaces, introduced 23 new or improved bridges, created 5km of flood walls and embankments, introduced 6 new tourism and heritage trails as well as the C.S. Lewis Square.  We will ensure that the use of this valuable asset is maximised, via sustainable programming.  

·        We have developed a social innovation challenge programme framework and process.  Inner East and Whiterock have completed an accelerator programme, with 3 projects pitching to receive funding i.e. New Lodge, Belvoir and Milltown.

 

3.4       Living Here – Improve the city living experience highlights:

 

·        As part of the delivery of the Playing Pitches Strategy, work at Falls Park is underway and will be complete by March 2018.  Work on the new pitch at Cherryvale will commence October and finish by March 2018.  We will continue to ensure that the capital investment in our neighbourhood assets is maximised, through usage and programming.  

·        As part of the Amateur Boxing Strategy, we have worked with the IABA to develop and resource an agreed boxing action plan up until March 2018.

·        As part of the C&NS Departmental Change Programme, a draft City Centre Streetscape Strategy and Action Plan has been developed to support inter-departmental working and help secure commitment and contribution from external partners.

·        We successfully organised and delivered the Spring Fair, Rose Week and Autumn Fair, with a high average of 95% satisfaction rating.  

 

 

3.5       Living Here – Improve community relations highlights:

 

·        An integrated Good Relations action plan is currently being delivered including the allocation of Tranche 1 grant aid funding, Decade of Centenaries programme, Interfaces programme and commissioned work in relation to racism in schools. 

·        Work is continuing on the development of projects under the Peace IV themes of Children and Young People, Shared Spaces & Services and Building Positive Relations and we are currently fulfilling some conditions required prior to the receipt of a letter of offer.

 

3.6       Living Here – Reduce life inequalities highlights:

 

·        We continue to work with our Belfast Strategic Partners (BSP - BCC, PHA and BHSCT) and have agreed priority areas for action going forward.  Some collaborative pieces of work completed include; the launch of the ‘Take 5’ Toolkit and training programme and ‘Have your say’ emotional wellbeing survey, attended by 120 people, Emotional Resilience action plan, Get Active Belfast pledges and the Learning City plan for Belfast.

·        We are also working collaboratively with our partners to pilot crisis de-escalation (Community and Voluntary and Statutory Services) and street triage services (NIAS and PSNI services). 

·        We continue to deliver a wide range of sports development initiatives including Clubmark Club accreditation scheme, Everybody Active 2020 Programme, Support for Sport funding programme to include a ring-fenced boxing events fund and the Belfast Sports Award. 

·        We continue to manage the strategic partnership with GLL and a new Active Belfast Limited business plan (2017-2020) was approved by Committee in May 2017.  Performance measures and health outputs are built around the strategic partnership outcomes of getting: ‘more people, more active, more often’. 

 

3.7       Living Here – Enable active, healthy and empowered citizens highlights:

 

·        An action plan for implementing the volunteering policy has been developed in partnership with Volunteer Now and a steering group will be appointed to take this forward.  The Volunteer management process has been piloted and is now being reviewed.

·        We are currently developing a phase 2 Growing Communities action plan aligned to the Belfast Agenda and the C&NS Change Programme principles, which will be presented to DMT in Autumn and Committee shortly after.

 

3.8       Living Here – Provide fit-for-purpose city services highlights:

 

·        We continue to work on the workstreams and projects as part of the C&NS Change Programme, in relation to service integration, structural change and efficiency.  Committee have agreed the Tier-3 management structure, which we are now seeking to recruit by April 2018.  Work is ongoing to develop the JDs and agree the recruitment process for filling the posts.  We have commissioned Deloitte to support our work on the development of a customer model and corporate approach to customer focus.

·        We continue to develop our approach to area planning and model for area working with the Director of C&NS taking over as lead Chief Officer of the AWGs.  Initial thinking around area planning and working is that it is linked to Peace IV and compliments other pieces of new and existing capital and programming work. Over the coming months there will be engagement through Party Group briefings and Area Working Groups.

·        Work is continuing on the bereavement improvement programme including the development of various options and financial models and ongoing discussions with neighbouring councils about joint working opportunities in relation to crematoria and cemetery development.  We continue to engage with grave owners and memorial sculptors during the implementation of the memorial management policy. 

 

3.9       Living Here – Support young and older people highlights:

 

·        The Age Friendly Belfast 2017 event took place in June and work is ongoing on the development of a Age Friendly action plan. 

·        We regularly engage with 40 young people from across Belfast as part of the youth forum.  In May 2017 young people launched their research ‘Poverty; It’s not a choice’ and have been actively engaging key decision makers within Council on the recommendations.  The youth forum have also been working with NI Youth Forum and Children’s Law Centre to plan a new youth led mental health campaign called ‘The elephant in the room’. 

 

 

3.10     City Development – Protect and enhance our environment and built heritage highlights:

 

·        We continue to work with a wide range of partners and stakeholders to develop an Open Spaces Strategy and local biodiversity action plan to ensure we take a sustainable approach to protecting and maximising the benefits of the city’s natural and built environment to achieve better outcomes for Belfast.

·        The Waste Framework was ratified by Council in July 2017 and the collections options appraisal completed in August 2017. Consultation research is currently being conducted to inform the public consultation phase due early next year.  We successfully completed the ‘No Food Waste’ campaign phase 1 in September 2017 and the next step is to report to oversight board for capital projects outlining the capital cost implications arising from the waste framework.

·        We continue to develop the circular economy framework - Resourceful Belfast including key actions for implementation. 

·        Together with Project and Projects, we continue to support and progress HLF funding applications to restore and animate city assets, including the £3.7million upgrade of the Tropical Ravine, City Cemetery and Templemore.  

 

            Corporate Risk Actions Update

 

3.11     There has been good progress in relation to the two corporate risk actions, a detailed risk action update is outlined in Appendix 2.  The risks are being assessed, plans are in place and are regularly monitored. In summary the four actions under the Waste Management risk have made significant progress, as three actions are now agreed/ fully implemented with the development of a strategic plan encompassing collections arrangements and target attainment complete and a strategic action plan signed off.  One action remains partially completed as still awaiting the outcome of the PAC in relation to Arc 21, current contract arrangement is suffice as a contingency arrangement. The Safeguarding All Ages risk is progressing well at this stage with good progress being made.  It is anticipated that the draft policy framework for safeguarding all ages will be presented to SP&R Committee at the beginning of next year and following that a communication and training programme will be rolled out. 

 

 

3.12     Financial & Resource Implications

 

            The Committee Plan 2017-18 has been developed and delivered in the context of the resources available to Committee. 

 

3.13     Equality or Good Relations Implications

 

            Where necessary all projects, programmes and activities contained within the Committee Plan have and will be subject to equality screening in line with the Council’s processes.”

 

         Following a query from a Member, the Director of City and Neighbourhood Services undertook to clarify the officer who was now responsible for progressing the Council’s Anti-Poverty Strategy and to update the Member directly.

 

         The Committee noted the update provided.