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 2018/19 outlining progress on key actions, achievements and risks (as at 30th September 2018).

 

1.2       The People and Communities Committee Plan 2018/19 was approved by Committee on 12th April 2018, following a Members planning workshop held on 27th February 2018 and a feedback report was tabled for consideration on the 6th March 2018. 

 

1.3       The Committee Plan provides an overview of the various priorities and key activities that this Committee will oversee in the 2018-19 financial year to help deliver on the priorities and ambitions in the Corporate Plan and Belfast Agenda.

 

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

 

            Key Issues

 

3.1       The People and Communities Committee Plan provides an overview of the priorities and key activities the Committee will oversee throughout the 2018-19 financial year to deliver the ambitions in the Corporate Plan and Belfast Agenda.  The Committee Plan actions contribute towards the City’s strategic direction and long-term vision.

 

            The Committee Plan supports the delivery of the Belfast Agenda, working towards the delivery of inclusive growth across all four priorities of Living Here, City Development, Growing the Economy and Working and Learning led by an organisation fit to lead and serve, and aiming to leave no one behind.  The Living Here priority makes a significant contribution to improving life at a local level.

 

            Committee Plan Update

 

3.2       Over the last six months a range of strategies, policies, programmes and projects have been developed and implemented aimed at improving the quality of life and well-being at a local level, working with partner organisations and communities to realise the City’s vision and achieve its potential.  Lead officers have provided status and progress updates measured against the projects, programmes and activities as laid out in the Committee Plan.  A detailed update is outlined is available on Mod.gov with some key highlights summarised below against the relevant priorities of the Belfast Agenda.

 

3.3       Living Here -Improve Neighbourhoods highlights:

 

·        Our work in partnership with Early Years Organisations with pre-school children is reaping benefits; the opportunity to train staff with new techniques embeds skills which benefit all child age groups. 

·        We are re-enforcing our commitment to leave no one behind by solidifying closer relationships with Family Support Hubs. We continue to extend outreach services in hard to reach communities.  We have delivered a number of single identity sessions in our Community Centres to newcomers and ethnic communities, and increasingly children are participating in our mainstream services which are drawn from a wide range of ethnic minority communities including the Roma and Traveller community.

·        We are continuing to deliver the Belfast PCSP Action Plan exceeding our targets aiming to ensure our neighbourhoods are safe. 

·        Officers are meeting regularly with the PSNI to improve front line services by tackling Anti-Social Behaviour in our Parks and Open Spaces, prioritising resources and programming activity to areas most in need.

·        We have earned two new accredited Green Flag Awards for Connswater Greenway and Half Moon Lake achieving a total of nineteen as we successfully retained our seventeen existing sites across the city; Botanic Gardens also successfully achieved the Green Flag Heritage Award.

·        The Connswater Community Greenway (CCG) is thriving with 337,402 people using our new and improved facilities. Our animation plan is well established with 23,918 people attending CCG events actively engaging in a wide range of cultural, active and sporting activities.  A multi-activity programme of events has been delivered comprising Walking, Yoga, Cycling activities including Market Fayres, Festivals and Park Runs.

·        We are finalising the Belfast Open Spaces Strategy ready for committee approval prior to a period of public consultation to maximise the council’s commitment to improve the city’s natural and built environment. 

·        We have completed and submitted the Air Quality Plan to DAERA fulfilling our commitment to protecting and improving the city’s environment.

 

3.4       Living Here – Improve the City Living Experience highlights:

 

·        We successfully organised and delivered the Spring Fair, Rose Week and Autumn Fair to an audience over 86,000 visitors maximising the benefits of our local assets and green spaces.

·        Our investment towards the development of sports in the city is making good progress with the recent approval of the Sports Development Strategy terms of reference.

·        We are continually working at a local level with our residents to deliver the Stadia Community Benefits programme with GAA coming on board and joining the initiative.

 

3.5       Living Here - Improve Community Relations highlights:

 

·        We have received a Letter of Offer for £506K to deliver our Good Relations Action Plan which continues to be rolled out via a range of programmes across Belfast.

·        We allocated Grant Aid Funding to 69 projects across the City for a range of Good Relations and Summer Intervention activity.

·        We successfully rebid for £5.5M under the Peace IV Programme themes of Children and Young People, Shared Spaces & Services and Building Positive Relations.

·        We have completed the public consultation on The Springfield Dam Park Masterplan aiming to foster greater levels of social integration and engagement; the project will reconnect the dam and park creating a new signature civic space improving access, recreational facilities and environmental enhancements.

 

 

3.6       Living here - Reduce Life Inequalities highlights:

 

·        We continue to work with our key partners in the Belfast Strategic Partnership (BSP) –supporting the development of a revised  draft strategic framework with identified themes.

·        Innovative and collaborative approaches towards tackling drug use in the city is helping to develop a joined-up approach to address drug, alcohol and mental health issues.

·        We are collaborating with partners working towards establishing the crisis de-escalation service pilot which is  on track for opening in January 2019 together with secured funding; and a tender process is underway.

·        An animation and outreach programme has been delivered in Marrowbone which is linked to Care Zone to support the approach towards suicide prevention, well-being and emotional resilience.

·        Financial support of £73K of has been allocated to deliver the Every Body Active programme.  The Clubmark scheme has now awarded 88 clubs with accreditation or achieved higher progression.

·        We continue to manage the GLL strategic partnership under the Active Belfast Ltd business plan, delivering year on year growth and efficiencies. The Olympia Leisure Centre continues to be a successful operational model and pre-paid membership is increasing.

 

3.7       Living Here - Enable Active, Healthy and Empowered Citizens highlights:

 

·        A cross council steering group has been established to lead on the Corporate Volunteer Policy with an internal communication plan developed to promote the policy.

·        Volunteer activity continues across a range of projects and services including Summer Scheme programmes, Age Friendly Belfast, Positive Ageing month, our Sail Training programmes and the Tropical Ravine. Over 5000 volunteers supported the delivery of community and play programmes amounting to over 31,500 volunteer hours contributed to date.

 

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

 

·        We continue to work on projects as part of the CNS Change Programme. In relation to service integration, structural change and efficiency, four workstreams have been prioritized : Customer Focus, Waste Management, Frontline Regulatory and Open Spaces & Streetscene. The Tier 4 management structure is complete with 5 management appointments in place by end of Sept (the final post was recruited in November).

·        Work is continuing on the Bereavement Improvement Programme with a recent risk zoning exercise taking place facilitated by a national expert. 

 

3.9       Living Here  - Support young and older people highlights:

 

·        The Age Friendly Plan has been agreed and approved by Committee ready for public consultation.

·        There is continued engagement with the Youth Forum campaign programme with 40 recently recruited young people.

·        The Belfast Youth Forum and Children’s Law Centre worked together on the collaborative project ‘Elephant in the Room’ to help inform and promote mental health issues in young people.

 

3.10     City Development – Protect and Enhance our Environment and Built Heritage highlights:

 

·        Our work progressing HLF funding applications in support of the restoration and animation of city assets has transformed the Tropical Ravine which has received 142,000 visitors since opening until September 2018.  The upgrade achieved ‘Project of the Year’ at RICS Awards 2018; this award is testament to the council’s commitment to deliver key strategic physical projects and enhance our environment and built heritage.

·        The public consultation of the Waste Framework began in June and is now complete with over 2,000 responses received to date.  Nineteen site-specific information roadshows took place across the city.

·        Workshops have taken place under the Circular Economy umbrella. A programme of work has been developed identifying four material streams of food waste; electrical & electronic equipment; furniture & clothing and textiles and is currently under consideration as part of the Strategic Framework.

 

3.11     Organisation Fit to Lead and Serve – our enablers

 

·        Presentations have been delivered to Area Working Groups and updates provided to Community Planning Partnership/Living Here Board.

·        Four Area Neighbourhood Service Managers have been appointed.

·        The plan to transfer the Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMO) regulation to Council is progressing.  A draft budget has been prepared for the new service and is currently under review.

 

3.12     Corporate Risk Actions Update

 

·        There has been good progress in relation to the two corporate risk actions. The risks are regularly reviewed and assessed.

·        Regular monitoring and reporting of existing waste contracts takes place within the business area. Next steps in relation to overturn DAERA’s award of planning for arc21 Residual Waste Treatment project remains with the Secretary of State NI.  Public consultation of the Waste Framework is now completed together with the strategic Outline Cases for relevant capital investments.

·        The Safeguarding All Ages risk is progressing with a Safeguarding Panel established and training being delivered.  An internal audit has supported the development of a responsibility matrix which is the basis of a continuous improvement plan which will report findings to the Safeguarding Panel.

 

3.13     Financial & Resource Implications

 

            The Committee Plan 2018-19 has been developed and delivered in the context of the resources available to Committee.

 

3.14     Equality or Good Relations Implications / Rural Needs Assessment

 

            Where necessary all projects, programmes and activities contained within the Committee Plan have and will be subject to equality and rural needs screening, which are dealt with at project level and in line with the Council’s processes.”

 

            The Committee noted the progress to date against the agreed actions within the Committee Plan.