Agenda item

            The Committee considered the following report:

 

“1.0      Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

 

1.1       The paper presents the context and need for a review of our ‘Community’ service offer in support of integrated Neighbourhood Services and the priorities set out in the Belfast Agenda. 

 

1.2       The definition of ‘community provision’ for a future integrated service delivery includes the traditional services namely:

 

·        Community development and services;

·        Community safety/ anti-social behaviour;

·        Neighbourhood/ community cohesion/ Good Relations;

·        Outreach/ education and awareness/ open spaces;

·        Active living and leisure development &

·        Health and Wellbeing.

 

 

2.0       Recommendations

 

2.1       The Committee is asked to;

 

·        note the planned review of community provision across the new CNS department and

 

                                          i.     Agree the proposed governing strategic principles

                                         ii.     Agree the commissioning of external support as required.

 

3.0       Main report

 

3.1       Since local government reform, Council has formed the Belfast Agenda, the city’s community plan, and Belfast has become a SMART & Resilient city. The City Centre Regeneration Strategy and Local Development Plan seek to enhance city infrastructure & place and continuing efforts to attract external investment and tourism along with the City Deal provides opportunity for everyone to prosper. 

 

3.2       Members are shaping the Inclusive Growth framework to ensure ‘no one is left behind’ and this is likely to enable programmes & interventions to prevent poverty, or provide support where it may result. There is now a need to review our front line community provision to ensure it is enabled to play its significant part in achieving these goals.

 

3.3       Chief officers are forming the area framework to enable an integrated area service delivery with neighbourhood regeneration, targeted interventions and a suite of city services delivered through a robust and sustainable area planning model. This will help realise Council’s original aspiration in March 2015 ‘to review and modernise services to ensure they are performing at their best and that resources, processes and technology are integrated to maximise efficiency, improve performance and increase customer satisfaction’.

 

3.4       This decision led to the formation of the City & Neighbourhood Services Department & since appointment in January 2016, the Strategic Director of City and Neighbourhood Services has led this change programme bringing all 1700 staff together across a range of services from parks & open spaces, environmental health, waste, community safety, community services and good relations, etc. into one service hub with all services settled in the CWB.

 

3.5       The pillars on which the C&NS change programme is founded are improved customer focus, support for effective neighbourhood working, fit for purpose structure and increased efficiencies. These are supported by a number of work streams with a range of transition activities emerging, for example, the onset of the new customer focus management approach and the 10 year waste strategy consultation.

 

3.6       It is now timely, as the change process continues to evolve, to seek external assistance to independently scope current community provision in order to support the design of future activity in line with the emerging ‘neighbourhood/ area working’ framework.  The review will also consider how to improve service integration under the direction of the incoming Neighbourhood Services and City Services Managers.

 

3.7       A central aim of the Belfast Agenda is to enhance the quality of life for people in Belfast by working collaboratively to improve our services to communities. It is long accepted that community development plays an important role in promoting active involvement of local communities in addressing local problems of disadvantage, poverty and inequality. Without it the work of any organisation seeking to deliver change in local areas becomes much more difficult.

 

3.8       It is proposed the review is underpinned by a set of strategic principles and that these include the need to embed good community development practice so that our future neighbourhood support strengthens communities, fosters  improved good relations and increases active and empowered citizenship.   A robust stakeholder plan will ensure effective channels for elected members to inform the review from the outset.  It will also engage council staff, Trade Unions and other community representatives.

 

3.9       A critical point has been reached where community provision needs transformed to sustainably meet the needs, standards & expectations of Members, staff & citizens.

 

3.10      The definition of ‘community provision’ for a future integrated service delivery includes the traditional services namely:

 

·        Community development and services;

·        Community safety/ anti-social behaviour;

·        Neighbourhood/ community cohesion/ Good Relations;

·        Outreach/ education and awareness/ open spaces;

·        Active living and leisure development &

·        Health and Wellbeing.

 

3.11      The definition will bear in mind other services which may have a benefit in being delivered as part of this community offer however do not directly sit within City & Neighbourhood Services Department, for example, employability.

 

3.12      The review will capture the principled way of doing that has been adopted within services to date and will seek to confirm the strategic principles for future service delivery:

 

·        Outcome focused

·        Community development approach

·        Community resilience

·        Stakeholder participation and engagement

·        Working with communities

·        Innovative, people centred design and delivery

·        Customer focused

·        Sustainability and increased efficiency

·        Effective neighbourhood working

 

3.13      As noted, this piece of work will have a robust underpinning stakeholder engagement plan to ensure it leads to a market leading service portfolio which returns social value and invest to save opportunities.

 

3.14      To complete phase I of the review, members are asked to agree the need for external expert opinion to complement departmental business development resources. This will provide resource support to meet the challenging time-frame and allow for independent comment.

 

3.15      The main tasks in the review will include:

 

·        Develop a project plan and phased timeframe (up to 16 weeks)

·        Present a stakeholder engagement plan to include elected members, officers, Trade Union representatives and appropriate stakeholders

·        Scope the current range of community facing service information including the range and uptake of programmes, current resource investment, response to differential need and demand, performance management and community impact, etc.

·        Complete a best practice review, including appropriate benchmarking, to recommend the future ‘community’ offer which will best support council and Belfast Agenda priorities and outcomes

·        Consider delivery models in support of area working

·        Develop a range of recommendations in relation to change priorities and a related transition plan

 

3.16      Next steps

 

            As the review progresses, further committee reports will be tabled to consider the 3 key outputs: review of current services, recommendations report on the proposed future BCC community offer and a related change plan.

 

3.17      The review will form the first phase of the project.  Pending committee consideration of related reports, the agreed change plan will be initiated.

 

3.18      Financial & Resource Implications

 

            The review will be covered within existing budgets. 

 

3.19      Equality or Good Relations Implications/Rural Needs Assessment

 

            There are no implications associated with this report.”

 

            The Committee adopted the recommendations.