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Building on Community Strengths in Knowsley October 2012 A Joint Strategic Asset Assessment for Knowsley Conducted by Public Perspectives with Knowsley Public Health Team Building on Community Strengths in Knowsley Contents Introduction and background ........................................................................................... 1 Approach and methodology ............................................................................................. 1 Key findings ....................................................................................................................... 2 Making the most of Knowsley’s assets ........................................................................... 4 What next for Knowsley and asset based working?....................................................... 8 Appendix 1 - List of assets by area partnership ............................................................. 9 Appendix 2 - Area partnership asset maps ................................................................... 28 Appendix 3 - A view from outside Knowsley ................................................................. 32 For further information please contact: Ken Harrison Chris McBrien Area Relationship Director Public Health Programme Manager Directorate of Communities and Leisure Knowsley Public Health Team Knowsley Council NHS Knowsley / Knowsley Council Telephone: 0151 443 3033 Telephone: 0151 443 2641 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Building on Community Strengths in Knowsley Introduction and background NHS Knowsley and Knowsley Council are committed to utilising an asset or strength based approach to promoting health and wellbeing. An important part of developing an asset based approach is the production of a Joint Strategic Asset Assessment (JSAA) which aims to identify the key physical and community (people) assets in an area and how they can be best utilised to address key health and wellbeing issues. Consequently, such a JSAA sits alongside a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment approach to inform public health (and other public services) in planning commissioning and service delivery. In addition, this approach is an important part of Knowsley’s social growth and community empowerment agendas. The social growth agenda in Knowsley is working to build the strength and resilience of the social sector, improve connections within the sector and also between the sector and the public and private sectors. The community empowerment agenda is related to this and is aiming to empower the community to be more resilient and less dependent upon the public sector. Identifying key assets – community, social, public and private – and understanding how these can be best utilised is clearly essential to the effective delivery of the social growth and community empowerment agendas. A JSAA has been conducted for each of the six Area Partnerships in Knowsley. This report is an overarching executive summary designed to sit above and bring together the key findings from across each of the Partnerships. It also outlines some key principles for conducting a JSAA and taking an asset based approach. In addition, it outlines asset based working practice taking place elsewhere across England following a survey of other Local Authorities/PCTs conducted by Public Perspectives (Appendix 3). Approach and methodology At the heart of any asset based approach is the involvement of stakeholders, including community representatives. With this in mind, in each area a two stage methodology was adopted to conduct the JSAA as follows: A desk based audit of key assets identified through liaising with NHS Knowsley and Knowsley Council and through internet research. A stakeholder (including community representatives) workshop to add to and sense check these assets and identify how they can be best used to address local health and wellbeing issues. This approach provides an important snapshot in time of the main assets in Knowsley and each of the six Area Partnerships. It is not designed to be exhaustive, but rather to highlight the key assets in the area as identified by stakeholders and discuss how best to utilise these in taking forward a strength based approach to enhancing health and wellbeing. Given that the concept of a Joint Strategic Asset Assessment is relatively new, developing this JSAA has been a learning experience. Throughout this process we have identified and deployed some key principles and approaches to follow when developing a JSAA: Make use of existing information available amongst the public agencies to establish an initial baseline of physical and community assets. 1 Building on Community Strengths in Knowsley Build on the expertise and knowledge of public agency staff who will tend to have a strong awareness and understanding of their local assets and how they can be best used1. Involve key stakeholders across the public and voluntary sector, community groups and active individuals in the local community to identify key local assets and discuss how they can be used to address local health and wellbeing issues. Look to go beyond the usual suspects by using community research techniques such as on-street interviews and engaging with key community groups on their own terms to further develop a picture of local assets and how they can be best used2. Identify key assets in a local area to use as a platform for asset based working, alongside assets which may need help to maximise their potential. Appreciate that a JSAA is a ‘living’ tool with assets and their value changing over time, therefore the JSAA is not a directory of assets but rather a tool to identify key assets and develop asset based working to address health and wellbeing issues. Consider the practical application of the JSAA to ensure it identifies examples and recommendations to take forward asset based working rather than merely listing the various assets that exist in a local area. Key findings Across the Area Partnerships there are some common themes which have emerged: There is significant support amongst stakeholders and community representatives for asset based working in Knowsley. Of the 102 feedback forms received from the workshops, 65 strongly agreed and 34 agreed that ‘An asset based approach to tackling health and wellbeing is important’. Two participants were neutral and just one disagreed, citing concern that asset based working would be an excuse for further public sector cuts. The process of creating a strategic asset assessment is an outcome in its own right as it galvanised local stakeholders and communities to discuss how they can find solutions to long standing issues by making better use of the assets in their areas. Knowsley is in many ways asset rich. Of the 102 workshop feedback forms received 66 strongly agreed and 36 agreed with the statement that their area ‘has lots of strengths and assets that can be utilised to help promote health and wellbeing’. There was concern amongst some workshop participants that their local assets may suffer from a potential lack of support if funding and resources are reduced as a result of public sector cuts and the economic climate. Although Knowsley is asset rich there was often a view that many of its assets are underutilised and the real challenge is to promote the assets and make the most of their potential to enhance health and wellbeing. Changing negative perceptions and better promotion and communication were often seen as being key to maximising the potential of the assets. Local people and community organisations were identified as being an important and key asset. However, there was often a lack of detail as to who the individuals or groups 1 In the development of this JSAA key staff were involved in the workshops and in reviewing draft reports. If resources had allowed, it may also have been helpful to have conducted in-depth interviews with key staff in each area. 2 Due to resource limitations this approach was not adopted in developing this JSAA. However, the process of conducting six area workshops meant that over 100 stakeholders, including community representatives were involved throughout the process. 2 Building on Community Strengths in Knowsley are. A key recommendation of this process is to further map these assets by building on the information already gathered. Across Knowsley, there were several examples of asset based working already taking place, including linking different community assets together and supporting local residents to take control and manage underused green spaces and community facilities. In each area there were also some specific findings which are summarised here: Halewood Halewood has a number of important assets, although there was concern that public transport links are acting as a barrier to use. In total, 38 physical assets were identified. These include children’s centres, community centres, community facilities, a learning centre, leisure resources, open spaces and health care services. Several assets were identified by workshop participants as ‘star’ or priority assets, including green spaces, the Halewood Centre and the new Town Centre. Several assets were identified as assets of ‘unrealised potential’, many of which were also identified as ‘star’ assets, such as some community centres and green spaces. North Huyton In total, 56 physical assets were identified, including children’s centres, community centres and facilities, learning centres, schools, leisure centres, libraries, medical

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