CORPORATE PLAN TABLE OF CONTENTS Page no. Foreword 2
1 Setting the scene 1.1 Luton, - characteristics of the town 3 1.2 Luton Borough Council – democratic structure 4 1.3 Luton Borough Council - organisational structure 7 1.4 Luton 2011 and medium-term objectives 9
2 Pursuing our goals Introduction to the theme chapters 10 2.1 Environment 11 2.2 Transport 16 2.3 Leisure 21 2.4 Crime 26 2.5 Deprivation 33 2.6 Economic Regeneration 38 2.7 Education 44 2.8 Health and Social Care 52
3. Making it happen 3.1 The planning framework 60 3.2 Performance improvement 63 3.3 Equalities 69
4. Resourcing our goals 4.1 Medium-term financial strategy 71 4.2 Capital Programme 2004 – 2009 73 4.3 Procurement 74 4.4 Human Resources 75 4.5 Enterprise Information Strategy 76
Appendix A: Luton 2011 and the Strategic Planning Framework 79 Appendix B: LPSA targets 91 Appendix C: NRF floor targets 93 Appendix D: Contact details for associated plans and strategies 95
1 Page 1 of 97 Foreword signed by Leader and Chief Executive Stating the purpose of the plan and how it fits in with Luton 2011, and how we’ll monitor its completion.
Council is intending to transform quality of life in Luton – three components, big plans afoot, such as improved environment, town centre re-development, Translink, Partnership opportunities through Luton Forum growing in confidence
Coupled with growing confidence and capability as organisation – more long-term and medium-term planning, resource-matching against priorities, improved project management, risk management and contingency planning
2 Page 2 of 97 1. Setting the scene
1.1 A PROFILE OF LUTON
Luton is one of the largest towns in South East England, with a population of 184,000 residents, and about 71,000 households. The population is projected to rise to 189,000 by 2010.
The average age of residents is 34.9 years, compared to 38.6 in England and Wales, partly due to the students at Luton University, and also a high local birth rate. However, by 2010 there will also be a 9% increase in the number of people aged 75 and over living in Luton.
Luton’s people come from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds. Approximately 28% are of Black and Minority Ethnic origin, with significant Pakistani/Kashmiri, Bangladeshi, Indian and African Caribbean communities. In recent years the diversity of the population has been augmented by asylum seekers, and there are now small communities of Albanian, Russian and Turkish speakers. 20% of the population were born outside the UK. 44% of children in Luton schools speak a first language other than English.
Luton is about 30 miles north of London and has excellent transport links. London Luton International Airport lies on the edge of the town, and more than 7 million travellers pass through there every year. The Government has proposed permitting expansion of traffic on the single runway as demand requires it, up to the maximum capacity of 30 million passengers per year by 2030. Luton is also on the M1 motorway 10 minutes from the M25. The town also enjoys a frequent 30-minute rail service to London, and rail connections north to Leicester, Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield, and south to Gatwick Airport and Brighton.
Luton is a major sub-regional employment centre with approximately 90,000 jobs. Major employers include the airport, airlines, Luton-Dunstable hospital, Luton Borough Council, Luton University and the motor industry. The service sector now provides as many jobs as manufacturing. There is a successful business park at Capability Green, which has attracted new companies such as AstraZeneca UK and BAe Systems, and another is under development at Butterfield Green. Unemployment is comparatively high for the region, with higher unemployment in the inner wards of the borough, particularly among some minority ethnic groups. There are also pockets of unemployment in some peripheral estates.
Improving education and training are key priorities for the town, as residents have a comparatively low level of qualifications compared to other parts of the country (23% have the equivalent of NVQ3 or higher, and 31% have no qualifications). Luton has 12 high schools, one of which has a sixth form. At the age of 16, young people can continue their education in Luton Sixth Form College or the beacon-rated Barnfield FE College. The University of Luton in the town centre has an excellent reputation for business, media studies, marketing and PR, and attracts many overseas students. The University has twice finished top in national tables for the percentage of graduates gaining employment.
Luton is densely populated. There is no more land left for development; all housing development has to take place on land previously built on and there is a shortage of brownfield sites. However, the Government has proposed that the area north of Luton, together with the neighbouring towns of Dunstable and Houghton Regis
3 Page 3 of 97 should accommodate additional growth of 20,554 dwellings together with associated employment growth and infrastructure, by 2021. Most of this development will take place in Houghton Regis and on greenfield sites to the northwest of Luton.
A shortage of affordable housing remains a problem for Luton residents, and rental prices have been inflated by the demand amongst students at the university. The Council has a housing stock of approximately 9,000 dwellings, and there are just over 7,000 applicants on the waiting list.
Luton has more than 1,500 acres of recreational space and seven attractive parks, but there is a shortage of open space in some of the central wards. Sports facilities include a dedicated athletics arena, three leisure centres and six swimming pools, and the town has a reputation for hosting prestigious sporting events. Luton FC, “The Hatters”, has a devoted following. There are three museums, the Galaxy centre with its restaurants and multiplex cinema, the Hat Factory arts and media centre, the Library theatre, several nightclubs and a wide range of restaurants. Despite the lack of a large performance venue, there is a wide range of arts and cultural events. Every year the Luton Carnival attracts about 140,000 visitors, and many residents from all ethnic backgrounds participate throughout the year in carnival clubs to prepare elaborate costumes and performances. Other events, such as the Irish Fleadh and St. Patrick’s Day, a major film festival and the Mela, all add to Luton’s vibrant community spirit.
1.2 DEMOCRATIC STRUCTURE
Luton Borough Council exists to provide local services, to improve the quality of life in Luton, and to represent the interests of local people regionally and nationally. The council is a unitary authority, and so it is responsible for all local government services in the town, ranging from removing abandoned cars to running youth schemes. The police and the fire and rescue service both work across Bedfordshire and Luton, and Luton Borough Council has representatives on the Police Authority and the Combined Fire Authority, which direct how those services are run.
The Council consists of 48 members or councillors, elected by local residents in an all-Council election once every four years. The next election will be in 2007. The 48 councillors represent the interests of 19 wards. Each ward is a neighbourhood within the town. Councillors do not receive a salary, but are paid an allowance according to their duties.
The Mayor of Luton is chosen annually by the councillors from among their number. The Mayor represents the Council and the town in civic and public functions and chairs full meetings of the Council.
The Leader of the Council is a councillor elected by the Council who leads policy- making. The Council Leader heads the Executive, a cabinet of nine councillors, each with a special portfolio of responsibilities. They meet fortnightly, taking most of the key decisions on running council services. Executive meetings are open to the public and reports presented to the meetings are available in advance. Only a few issues are discussed in private, usually where commercial or individual confidentiality must be maintained. Decisions are published within two days but cannot be enacted for five days. This is to allow time for any decisions to be called in for scrutiny.
Any two councillors can call in Executive decisions for further examination by a scrutiny committee, and a scrutiny committee can recommend that Executive
4 Page 4 of 97 reconsider a decision. Councillors on the Executive cannot also be members of a scrutiny committee. All the scrutiny committees and the Scrutiny Board have Chairs who are not from the group forming the Executive.
The Council’s five scrutiny committees meet in public to monitor the Council’s performance and take an in-depth look at the key issues affecting the town. The Scrutiny Committees each have a work programme of topics they have identified as being important and significant issues for the people of Luton, and their work is guided and monitored by the Scrutiny Board. Scrutiny Panels are used to investigate cross-cutting topics. Scrutiny councillors may also break into small groups to gather evidence or to interview witnesses, and then report back to their committee on their findings. Scrutiny also monitors the service delivery performance of the council. The Council’s programme of Best Value reviews is chosen by the Best Value Scrutiny Panel, which considers review reports before these are referred to the Executive.
Area Committees comprise the ward councillors for each of the five areas within Luton. These committees, which have a small discretionary budget, meet locally in community centres or schools and discuss local issues, with members of the public and representatives from public bodies and community groups. .
5 Page 5 of 97 LUTON BOROUGH COUNCIL
DEMOCRATIC STRUCTURE
Area Committee Board 6 Councillors, proportional The Executive Standards Committee To co-ordinate the work of Area Committees Leader, Health and Social Care, Children 5 Councillors, proportional (meets 4 times per year) and Young People, Citizenship, plus 5 independent persons Regeneration, Housing and Environmental (meets twice a year and otherwise as Health, Finance and Performance, necessary) Customer Service, Environment Promotes and maintains high standards of Area Committees Meets every 2 weeks conduct by members and deals with issues of Central Luton (Barnfield, Biscot, High Town Accountable for service delivery, manages misconduct or impropriety of Members and Saints) the Council’s budget, service priorities and North Luton (Bramingham, Icknield, Limbury, the community planning process Northwell and Sundon Park) East Luton (Crawley, Round Green, Stopsley and Wigmore) South Luton (Dallow, Farley and South) West Luton (Challney, Leagrave and Lewsey) Co-ordinate area plans, monitor service delivery, to discuss and consult within the area COUNCIL (meet 4 times per year) 48 Members of whom 2 are Civic Mini Community Forums Mayor and Deputy Mayor Ward based Development Control Committee Meet prior to each Area Committee 10 Cllrs, proportional, Planning Applications Arena for people to raise local issues with the (meets 3 weekly) Council, the Police and other agencies Regulation Committee Environmental Protection, Health & Safety at work (outside), Policy on Licensing and Registration, 6 Cllrs, proportional, (meets 4 Scrutiny Board The Full Council times a year) 5 meetings per year plus AGM and special 8 Cllrs, co-ordinating role, scheduled to meet 3 Administration Committee budget meeting times a year, appoints topic based panels Elections, Byelaws, Naming powers, Local Bills, Local Govt. Pension Scheme and Sets budget and Council Tax discretionary redundancy payments 6 Cllrs, proportional (meets monthly) Standing Scrutiny Committees Sets strategic policy framework Constitution Committee Regeneration & Citizenship 11 Cllrs, considers proposals for and Lifelong Learning Public debating forum amendments to the Council’s Constitution Social Inclusion (meets twice per year) Environment and Non Executive Functions Appoints Leader and Executive Licensing Panel Performance Resource and Assets Approval, grant, renewal, refusal or transfer of Review and scrutinise decisions of Executive Appoints Councillors to Committees, etc. licenses – 5 councillors (proportional) meets and Regulatory Committees monthly Conduct of Best Value Reviews Various Appeals Panels Policy Development Meet as necessary Monitoring Service Delivery (meet monthly) Political Parties Scrutiny Panels Childrens’Services Health Scrutiny Best Value Joint Committee with Grants County Council Swimming and Leisure facilities Ad hoc and task related 6 Page 6 of 97
1.3 STRUCTURE OF THE COUNCIL’S SERVICES
The Council appoints employees to provide services to the public, and to advise on policy issues. The head of the Council’s paid service is the Chief Executive. There are four corporate directors, each of whom heads a department and also has allocated partnership, corporate and area responsibilities. Until April 2005, the structure of the Council’s services is:
Chief Executive’s department Scrutiny support Local democracy: electoral registration and running of elections, committee management, support for councillors, community consultation, community involvement, area committee support Equalities, social inclusion, community cohesion Communication: marketing, media relations, graphics design Community safety Emergency planning Policy support, performance management and strategic planning
Corporate and customer services Customer care, and the Customer Service Centre Corporate finance, payroll and cashiers services Capital and asset management Audit, risk management, insurance Procurement and contracts management Human resources Health and safety Information management Legal services, land charges, registration of births, deaths and marriages Collection of council tax and business rates Payment of benefits
Environment and regeneration Street cleansing, refuse collection and disposal, pest control, dog wardens Parks and open spaces and grounds maintenance Cemeteries and crematoria, Council vehicle maintenance and transport, Highways and traffic projects and maintenance, traffic management and road safety Public transport support, Trading standards and consumer protection, environmental health, markets, licensing Land use planning, building control, development control and enforcement, Economic regeneration and tourism
Housing and social services Management and upkeep of council’s housing stock Assisting the homeless and improving Luton’s housing, Residential and home care for older people, Support and services for people with physical disabilities or sensory impairment Support and services for people with learning disabilities Support and services for people in mental distress Support and services for children and families, fostering and adoption, children’s homes, child protection
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Lifelong learning Education (though schools are managed by head teachers and governing bodies), school improvement and curriculum development Education welfare, assessment of special educational needs and support for children with those needs, Early years and childcare provision Adult learning Youth services, Community development and community centres, Libraries, Leisure centres and sports development Arts development and the Hat Factory Museums
The Future Structure of the Council
Late last year the government’s green paper, Every Child Matters, was published and contained a range of proposals to support and protect children. The resultant Children Bill proposes that local authorities with responsibility for education and social services, like Luton, be required to appoint two new posts, director of children services and director of adult services. The Director of Children’s Services will be responsible for all services to children, combining the current responsibilities for education and social care to children and families.
The Council has therefore decided to replace the current Lifelong Learning, and the Housing and Social Services departments with two new departments, Children and Learning, and Housing and Community Living from April 2005, leaving other departments unchanged:
Children and Learning Education (though schools are managed by head teachers and governing bodies), school improvement and curriculum development, Education welfare, assessment of special educational needs and support for children with those needs, Early years and childcare provision, Youth services, Support and services for children with physical disabilities, sensory impairment, or learning disabilities, and for children in mental distress, Family centres and family support, fostering and adoption, children’s homes, child protection
Housing and Community Living Management and upkeep of council’s housing stock Assisting the homeless and improving Luton’s housing, Residential and home care for older people, Support and services for people with physical disabilities or sensory impairment, Support and services for people with learning disabilities Support and services for people in mental distress, Community development and community centres Adult learning, Libraries, Leisure centres and sports development Arts development and the Hat Factory Museums
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1.4 LUTON 2011:THE COUNCIL’S LONG-TERM PLANS
Luton 2011 is the Council’s long-term planning framework. There are two parts; long-term goals to achieve by 2011, arranged under eight themes, and corporate values which we will use as driving principles to help us to achieve the long-term goals. Luton 2011 was decided with reference to community preferences established in the extensive public consultation undertaken for the Community Plan 2002-2012, and relates easily to the themes from the Community Plan. 2011 has been chosen as the end date for the goals to be achieved as it is the end of a second electoral cycle from 2004.
The eight themes of Luton 2011 are: Environment Transport Leisure Crime Deprivation Economic Regeneration Education Health and Social Care
The eight corporate values are: Lifelong learning for all Protect and support the vulnerable, support independence Promote equal opportunities, tackle disadvantage Value our workforce Sustainable solutions for Luton’s communities Open, accessible and responsive government Value for money Active in partnerships, ready to work with others
The next chapter of the Corporate Plan, Pursuing our goals, shows the goals under each of the themes, and how these are to be pursued in 2004 – 2009. The following chapters, Making it happen and Resourcing our goals show how observing the corporate values will assist the Council to meet the goals.
Appendix A, the Strategic Planning Framework, gives details of Luton 2011, our medium-term objectives and annual priorities for the forthcoming year.
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2. Pursuing our goals
INTRODUCTION
This chapter describes the long-term and medium-term goals the Council has set under each of the eight Luton 2011 themes, and the approach we are taking towards achieving them. More details can be found in the list of plans which concludes each theme section.
For some of our activities it has been possible to develop quantified targets, but we have added a list of performance indicators to enable us to monitor performance across the full range of activities and issues under each theme.
The Council works in partnership with many organisations in the public, private, voluntary and community sectors, and we have listed the most significant partnerships. The Luton Forum, Luton’s Local Strategic Partnership, serves as the “umbrella” partnership for the town and has developed a community strategy or plan, currently under revision, with which the Luton 2011 goals are closely aligned. Under each theme, we have stated the relevant objectives from the Luton Community Plan 2002 – 2012, which is still current.
For some of the themes, the route towards achieving our goals is clearly set out in a Council plan or strategy, for example, the Local Transport Plan for the Transport theme. This is not the case for Crime, Deprivation or Health and Social Care, so for these themes we have set out more detailed “routemaps” describing the Council’s approach.
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2.1 Environment
BACKGROUND AND LOCAL CONTEXT
Local residents are dissatisfied with street cleanliness and it vies with crime reduction as one of their two top priorities for improvement. A clean and tidy environment with no graffiti, flyposting or signs of vandalism is important for reducing the fear of crime and promoting regeneration of the town. The Council has responded by making the environment the Council’s top improvement priority for 2004/05, investing in more street cleaning and improved parks, and tackling flyposting, flytipping and graffiti with a “flying squad”.
Luton faces acute pressures for development, with a shortage of building land, an increasingly busy international airport, and the impact of the Government’s Milton Keynes and South Midlands study proposing 21000 houses be built in the Luton – Dunstable-Houghton Regis area over the next 25 years. The Local Plan, draft 2 (see section 2.3 Economic Regeneration) establishes priorities for land use for the next seven years, but implementing the Local Transport Plan is also essential in order to reduce noise pollution and air pollution from traffic congestion.
Luton offers more than 1500 acres of recreational space and seven attractive parks but there is a shortage of open space in some of the central wards.
In Luton there are 16 County Wildlife Sites (CWSs) and 2 Local Nature Reserves (LNRs); one of which is a SSSI. Luton Borough also has areas of woodland for example Bramingham Wood (17.5 ha) and Slaughters Wood (4 ha) and approx. 584 ha of open space of which approx. 331 ha has nature conservation value. Luton also has various lakes, ponds, open water and water edge associated with the River Lea and its tributaries. Wetland habitats account for approx. 12ha, notable sites are Leagrave Marsh CWS (1.5 ha) and Cowslip Meadow CWS (1.5 ha). These sites are protected by the Biodiversity Action Plan and the Nature Conservation Strategy.
Overall, the Council’s vision is to provide an attractive, clean town with biodiversity, landscape and green space protected for the future. A new Environment Strategy now in draft provides an umbrella under which other council strategies can operate. Putting environment and sustainability at the centre of our activities will ensure that a balanced approach is taken in promoting the growth and regeneration of the town.
THE VIEWS OF LOCAL PEOPLE
Residents want to see :- Clean, litter free, safe and attractive streets and open spaces (with no evidence of dog faeces) An increase in education on litter issues An increase in enforcement if the education message fails Fewer abandoned cars and speedier removal of abandoned vehicles Less graffiti and other vandalism More green spaces, trees and places for wildlife Less noise pollution
Street Services feedback identified a wish for the Council to Deal with offensive graffiti and fly posting faster
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Open a second household waste and recycling centre Make the streets cleaner
LUTON 2011
The Council has set targets for improving the environment in Luton by 2011;
Over 75% of the people of Luton to be satisfied with each of the following: o Street cleansing o Parks and open spaces o Abandoned vehicles o Noise o Pollution o Maintenance of roads and pavements o The built environment
A greener Luton, with a significant increase in the number of trees
To achieve these goals we have decided to take action as follows:
ACTIVITIES FOR 2004 - 2009
To achieve our targets we will:
Priority activities for 2004/07 (Medium-term objectives)
Make Luton greener Clean streets and a tidy town Improve quality of LBC signs; reinstate town crest Tackle fly posting and graffiti decisively Reduce the clutter of signs on streets Refurbish St George’s Square Promote development of vacant sites
Local Public Service Agreement Targets
Ensure that by 2005/06, 95% of Luton streets reach a high or satisfactory state of cleanliness, as recorded in random inspections By 2005/06, remove all abandoned cars of no value within one working day of being notified, and remove cars of value within 2 working days.
Other targets and activities
To make Luton greener we will: Continue to require provision of appropriate areas of open space in new developments Continue to identify and protect county wildlife sites, and to carry out tree and hedgerow planting schemes on these sites; and establish and protect 3 main habitat corridors through linked open spaces in Luton Meet targets in the Bedfordshire and Luton biodiversity action plan Prepare a parks and open spaces strategy Restore Wardown Park Improve 16ha of land for use as open space in High Town, Lewsey and Ashcroft.
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Review the use of pesticides and chemicals to increase use of those which cause least damage to the environment We are also consulting the public on the Luton Town Centre Development Framework, which includes a proposal to Create a series of interlinked public squares and tree lined, pedestrian friendly streets in the town centre including a new public walkway along the course of the River Lea within Power Court.
To promote clean streets and a tidy town we will: Provide a 7 day street and park cleansing service with additional cleansing of main roads and shopping areas throughout Luton Continue to issue fixed penalty notices for littering Continue the dawn patrol, clearing up litter arising from prostitution and drug misuse Continue to maintain poop scoop areas and enforce bylaws against dog fouling
To tackle graffiti and flyposting decisively we will: Continue to employ a hit squad to clean up graffiti, flyposters and flytips as soon as possible after they are reported, usually within 24 hours.
To minimise waste and improve reuse and recycling we will: Extend doorstep green waste collection throughout Luton Increase the variety of recyclable materials collected Run a public education programme to encourage people to minimise waste and recycle Establish a second Civic Amenity Site for Waste Recycling and Disposal Carry out a waste recycling and minimisation plan for Council-owned premises Continue to compost all green waste in parks to avoid the purchase of peat
To minimise pollution and protect air quality we will: Identify possible causes of pollution and take action to prevent potential pollution incidents Achieve the 2005 National Air Quality Strategy targets Respond to pollution control requests within 3 working days Promote walking and cycling through providing better facilities and safer routes Use greener fuels such as LPG and battery-powered vehicles and promote the use of these by others in Luton Improve energy efficiency in Council buildings and Council housing Implement the Council’s Travel Plan Promote National No-Smoking Day and publicise smoke-free eating places
To reduce noise we will: Investigate noise pollution and take action against it, prosecuting if necessary Continue Operation Potarch with the Police, an initiative to reduce noise nuisance from off-road use of motorbikes, through CCTV monitoring, setting up barriers, and Police follow-up of complaints Continue to carry out noise patrols on Saturday nights
To protect Luton’s heritage and built environment, we will: Provide advice on and monitor development affecting listed buildings and conservation areas Provide assistance for renovation of buildings in conservation areas Run the Luton Design Awards, an annual award set up to recognise high quality building design in the Borough of Luton.
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To help people enjoy the environment we will: Employ Street Wardens in the Town Centre, and Community Wardens Increase the number of playgrounds and play areas provided by the Council Increase and improve street lighting where people tell us they feel unsafe, and reduce the number of streetlights not working as planned Improve walking and cycling routes and facilities
MEASURES OF PERFORMANCE
We will measure progress in improving the environment in Luton through the following performance indicators:
BV 82a: % of household waste recycled BV 82b: % household waste composted. BV 84: Kilograms of household waste collected per head. BV 89: % of people satisfied with cleanliness standard in their area. BV 90a: % of people satisfied with household waste collection BV 90bi: % of people satisfied with waste recycling BV 90bii: % of people satisfied with doorstep recycling collection BV 90c: % of people satisfied with waste disposal BV 91 % of people served by a kerbside collection of recyclables. Average time taken to remove flytip after notification % abandoned vehicles removed within 24 hours (if of no value) or 48 hours of notification (if vehicle has value) Number of fixed fee penalty notices issued for littering Number of prosecutions for noise pollution % of streetlights not working as planned Number of playgrounds and play areas provided by the Council per 1000 children under 12
LINKS WITH THE COMMUNITY STRATEGY FOR LUTON 2002 – 2012
The Council’s approach is aligned with the Luton Forum Community Plan which has also recognises what is important to Luton by including a theme devoted to quality of the environment, and by including specific environmental objectives in the crime theme. The Community Plan sets the following objectives to achieve by 2012:
Clean and tidy, with hardly any litter, graffiti, fly-tipping or vandalism. Safe, well-maintained green spaces and parks, Protected wildlife and uncultivated spaces, No unfit housing, affordable housing for people on low incomes. Clean air and less noise pollution. A safe and pleasant place to walk or cycle, with more journeys made by public transport.
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LINKED COUNCIL PLANS AND STRATEGIES
DRAFT Environment Strategy Safeguarding our Environment 2011 Local Plan Waste Strategy for Bedfordshire and Luton Street Services Best Value Review 2002 – Action Plan (Luton Borough Council) Bedfordshire and Luton Biodiversity Action Plan Nature Conservation Strategy Housing Strategy 2002 – 2005 (Luton Borough Council) Anti-social behaviour task force action plan
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2.2 Transport
BACKGROUND AND LOCAL CONTEXT
Ease of mobility within Luton is essential to quality of life in the town, affecting everyone’s access to goods, services and employment. Traffic congestion and parking problems affect the economic vitality of the town, and cause air pollution and loss of public amenity. Luton needs accessible, affordable and reliable public transport, and better facilities for pedestrians and cyclists, to reduce the need for private car journeys, which cause most of the congestion.
30% of Luton households do not have access to a car.
Bus travel is in decline with fewer services available, and reliability problems associated with traffic congestion and obstruction by other vehicles.
Luton suffers from heavy inbound commuting, mainly by car, leading to congestion on key corridors. Many of the major roads are too narrow to take more than one lane of traffic in each direction, and on-street parking obstructs traffic flows. Capacity inefficiency is exacerbated by single occupancy of cars, 78% in a sample taken in 1999.
Congestion on local roads is also common because of a shortage of off-road parking and increased school travel by car.
Road casualties in Luton have begun to decrease again, but accidents involving pedestrians and motorbike or moped users are quite high in comparison with other similar areas in England.
Many residents commute to and from London to work, but services are often crowded because short platforms along the route only permit short trains on Thameslink services. There are sometimes delays due to congestion on rail routes north and south of London.
The Council’s approach is to encourage walking and cycling through safer routes and better facilities, for example Home Zones, and to complement this through improved public transport, such as the Translink guided busway scheme, and parking enforcement. It is also important to replace the bus station and railway station to provide a more welcoming environment. However, the Council is also mindful of the importance of motor vehicle access for economic prosperity, so we seek to provide parking spaces at local shopping arcades and to enable freight access to local industry.
THE VIEWS OF LOCAL PEOPLE
When consulted about the Local Transport Plan, residents and other local stakeholders said:
Social inclusion and integration with other activities There is a need to provide feasible travel choices for households who have no car Safe routes to school and business travel plans are important Parking levies and congestion charges could affect businesses and the vitality of the town centre
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The frequency and punctuality of local bus services should be improved
Walking and cycling Should be given a high priority Better pedestrian access is required from Luton Airport Parkway station Bicycles, mopeds and motorbikes need to be segregated more from pedestrians and other road users; consider allowing motorbikes to use bus lanes Encourage children to cycle by providing tuition
Parking Need for more secure parking for motorbikes and mopeds Illegal parking and parking on pavements is causing problems for traffic flow Maintain differential parking charges for commuters and shoppers
Freight Access freight, unlike through freight, is important to the local economy; it requires good signage and plenty of parking space. The Eastern Corridor road improvements are important Movement of materials needed by industry by freight should not be hindered Bus priority schemes should not hamper goods deliveries
Airport access Need to reduce the proportion of journeys to the airport by car Good airport access is needed to attract investors to the area
LUTON 2011
The Council has set targets for improving transport in Luton by 2011;
Increase use of public transport for travel to Luton Town centre by 15% when compared to 1999 levels. Increase walking and/or cycling as a % of total journeys in Luton.
Other targets from the Luton and Dunstable Local Transport Plan
Between 2001 and 2011 we will: Reduce the number of children killed or seriously injured in road crashes by 50% Reduce the number of people overall killed or seriously injured in road crashes by 40% Reduce the number of people slightly injured in road crashes Increase the proportion of children walking to school to 80% for primary schools and 90% for secondary schools by initiating Safety Around Schools schemes to every school, arranging convoys of walkers and implementing traffic calming Increase use of public transport to Luton town centre by 15% over 1999 baseline Increase the number of bus passenger journeys by 10% by 2010 Quadruple cycling mode share from 1996 baseline by 2012 Reduce the rate of traffic growth overall, and to key and sensitive areas, e.g. the town centre, inner areas and main employment areas
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By end of 2007 we will: Complete 75% of the main cycle corridor network to serve journeys to work, business, school and shops Install cycle parking at all shopping centres, public transport interchanges, public buildings and schools Significantly reduce the casualty rate amongst cyclists by introducing cycle paths, traffic calming measures, cycle proficiency training for children and safer cycling routes to all secondary schools
By 2005 we will: Increase the proportion of air passengers using public transport by 30% compared to 2001 Double the proportion of employees using non-car modes for travel to work compared to 2000.
Local Public Service Agreement Target
Reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on Luton’s roads to 60 on average for each year between 2003 and 2006
ACTIVITIES FOR 2004 - 2009
To achieve our targets we will:
Priority activities for 2004/07 (Medium-term objectives)
Remove unnecessary through traffic from residential streets Implement a rigorous traffic management programme to give the streets back to the people Improve traffic flow at junctions Provide more parking bays at neighbourhood shops Demarcate designated lorry routes Promote walking and cycling
Other activities
Bring Translink guided busline into service (deadline?) and so increase public transport travel into Luton Complete East Luton corridor highway improvement works (deadline?) Complete Luton’s inner ring road(deadline?) Introduce Urban Traffic Management and Control (UTMC), enabling computerised linked control of traffic at signal-controlled junctions, and improving bus flows. Carry out works to improve transport in the town centre as part of the Town Centre Regeneration plan, in particular improving access and integration for public transport, cyclists and pedestrians. Provide better crossing facilities for pedestrians Provide more dedicated cycle routes and cycle parking facilities. Create Home Zones where motorised traffic is calmed and reduced. Work with large employers to develop travel plans. Work with schools on travel plans and develop more safe routes to school. Provide cycle training for schools.
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MEASURES OF PERFORMANCE
BV99 Casualties on Luton’s roads BV102 Number of local bus passenger journeys per year Proportion of journeys within Luton undertaken by each of the following: cars, bicycle, on foot, bus Proportion of air passengers using public transport Proportion of employees using non-car modes for travel to work Total amount of traffic by mode
LINKS WITH THE COMMUNITY STRATEGY FOR LUTON 2002 – 2012
The Luton Forum Community Plan identifies access to services as a key issue for Luton residents. Residents who do not have access to a car are concerned about the price, frequency and availability of public transport as this affects their ability to go to work and enjoy leisure activities. The Plan also refers to the environmental impact of heavy car traffic. The Community Plan sets the following objectives for Luton in 2012:
Clean air and less noise pollution. A safe and pleasant place to walk or cycle, with more journeys made by public transport.
The strategy for achieving this is:
To control, calm and manage traffic to give priority to local bus services, promote safer walking and cycling conditions and so improve the quality of local neighbourhoods. To encourage the provision and use of public transport To encourage cycling in the town To require that the travel needs of people with mobility difficulties are taken into account in new developments. To ensure that traffic generated by new developments do not exacerbate road congestion or cause safety problems for other road users, or have an unacceptable impact on the quality of the local environment.
PARTNERS
Bedfordshire County Council and South Bedfordshire District Council Luton Borough Council works closely with Bedfordshire County Council as the highways authority for the neighbouring areas of Bedfordshire, and with South Bedfordshire District Council as the planning authority for those areas. The Luton – Dunstable Local Transport Plan was written by the three authorities in partnership.
Quality Bus Partnership, between the Council and Arriva The Shires bus company, agreeing facilities the Council will provide to improve access for buses, e.g. bus lanes and real time passenger information, in exchange for the bus company improving the quality of services provided, e.g. the buses used.
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LINKED COUNCIL PLANS AND STRATEGIES
Luton-Dunstable Local Transport Plan Luton Bus Strategy Luton Walking Strategy Luton Cycling Strategy Luton Parking Strategy Luton Road Safety Strategy
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2.3 Leisure
BACKGROUND AND LOCAL CONTEXT
Sporting and cultural activities are important because of their impact on the quality of life. By promoting more participation in leisure, the Council can improve: Health: The physical and mental well-being of residents Economic development: Skills development and employment opportunities, attracting inward investment Regeneration: Revitalisation of the town centre and neighbourhoods, encouraging people to take a pride in their surroundings Cultural cohesion: Encouraging mutual respect and appreciation across communities through celebrating cultural diversity, e.g. Luton Carnival Community safety: A reduction in anti-social behaviour amongst young people by providing alternative enjoyable activities
A key strength of Luton’s cultural and leisure scene is our cultural diversity (the town is home to people of more than 100 different nationalities). The Luton Carnival, the UK’s largest one-day carnival, attracts up to 150,000 spectators annually Luton has one of the youngest populations in Britain with 40% of the population under the age of 25, including students at Luton University. Demand for leisure opportunities is high.. The biggest causes of death in under 75s in Luton are cancer and circulatory system diseases and yet there has been a decline in physical exercise, including the use of council facilities The Council’s cultural facilities need additional investment. The town has no medium-sized or large performance venue, and some of the Council’s leisure facilities require repair or replacement.
THE VIEWS OF LOCAL PEOPLE
Residents, young and old, want more leisure opportunities in Luton. They have told us they want: One or more major cultural or leisure facilities. A theatre and live music venue were most frequently mentioned More leisure opportunities in local neighbourhoods An increase in the number of community centres and use of them. Open up schools for public use in evening Local neighbourhood clubs for older people in daytime More leisure activities for children and young people Reduced prices or free access, particularly for young people and people on low incomes Improved access to facilities for disabled people Frequent, cheap, public transport to reach leisure facilities, more public transport in the evening Improved information available about activities and facilities available More open spaces and trees especially in Biscot, Dallow and Leagrave Play areas and parks which are safer and feel safer too Improved cleanliness of parks, open spaces and landscaped areas Improved swimming pools Longer library opening hours, especially at weekends
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Newer and more public computers in libraries.
LUTON 2011
The Council has set targets for improving leisure participation in Luton by 2011;
10% more of the people of Luton are satisfied with the town’s cultural and recreational facilities, including sports/leisure, theatres/concert halls, museums, libraries, parks, community facilities/amenities and open spaces
In 2011, 40% of the population will have a library card that they use on a regular basis'
ACTIVITIES FOR 2004 - 2009
To achieve our targets we will:
Priority activities for 2004/07 (Medium-term objectives)
Promote development of a 1000+ seat auditorium for Luton Support football club relocation to junction 10 and a multipurpose 15000 seat stadium Develop a lively civic calendar of special or leisure events Improve swimming and leisure facilities Bring back community wardens to Wardown and Stockwood Restore Wardown Park Promote Luton’s industrial heritage, for example by considering a Hat Museum Bring National Carnival Arts Centre to Luton Encourage use of school buildings by community
Local Public Service Agreement target
Increase visits to libraries to the following level in 2005/06: o All visits: 1109856 o Children under 5 years who use their library card at least four times : 2,457 o 15-19 year olds who use their library card at least four times: 3263 o People over 60 who use their library card at least four times: 6206
Other targets and activities
We will achieve a 10% increase in participation in sports among priority groups between 2003 and 2006, by: Working in partnership with the Sports Action Zone. Introducing a new Leisure Card scheme to improve access and use of leisure facilities in Luton for people at risk of social exclusion Replacing Wardown swimming pool Renegotiating dual use agreements for school-based leisure facilities, to provide more opportunities for community use Improved marketing of sports facilities
We will increase parks usage by: Providing a seven-day park warden service
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Creating additional facilities at Lewsey Park (what?) Increasing the number of playgrounds and play areas provided by the Council from 1.25 per child under 12 in 2003/04 to 3.1 by 2007
We will increase enjoyment of Luton’s museums and their collections by: Providing a comprehensive museums service for schools, using Government funding to help increase visits by school aged children by 25% from 2003 to 2008, and attracting more BME visitors and visitors from social groups C2, D and E Re-developing Stockwood Museum as a major visitor attraction, improving access both physically and intellectually, and making the presentation of material more visitor-friendly Carrying out an oral history project to record the histories of Luton’s various ethnic communities, and developing a programme of other community projects Pursuing opportunities for small exhibitions in non-museum venues, e.g. community or commercial premises Working with local schools to develop a role as a case study for the GCSE/NVQ Leisure and Tourism curriculum
We will increase use of Luton’s libraries by: Extending opening hours, particularly at weekends Continuing to improve the stock Offering free PC use, and PC training courses Offering special events to attract new users Better marketing of the services available, and targeted marketing to particular audiences
We will also: Increase the number of community, neighbourhood and large-scale cultural events and festivals by 5% between 2003 and 2005 Develop an outdoor public performance space in St. George’s Square by 2007 Improve access for local people to the countryside Develop a fully constituted Sports Partnership Forum as the decision making body for sport, leisure and physical activity across the Borough. Introduce a Leisure Trust to manage sports facilities
MEASURES OF PERFORMANCE
We will measure progress in improving leisure participation in Luton through the following performance indicators:
BV119a: % of Luton residents satisfied with sports and leisure facilities and events BV119b: % of Luton residents satisfied with libraries BV119c: % of Luton residents satisfied with museums and galleries BV119d: % of Luton residents satisfied with theatres and concert halls BV119e: % of Luton residents satisfied with parks and open spaces Number of visits to museums, libraries, swimming pools and athletics facilities, specific events such as the Luton Mela Visits/usage of various facilities and events by different age groups, ethnic groups
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LINKS WITH THE COMMUNITY STRATEGY FOR LUTON 2002 – 2012
The Council’s approach is well aligned with the Luton Forum Community Plan, which has a theme devoted to leisure, in recognition that improving leisure participation is a key priority for Luton. The Community Plan sets the following objectives to achieve by 2012:
Everyone will have the chance to join in leisure, cultural, arts and sports activities, irrespective of their income, age, disability etc. There will be a range of activities available in local communities, and more activities will be available for children and young people. There will be at least one more major leisure attraction in Luton or nearby, accessible by public transport Children, young people and adults all have the opportunity to enjoy learning about new interests and pastimes Luton is to have safe, well-maintained green spaces and parks
PARTNERS
Luton Sports Action Zone
The Sports Action Zone is a government-funded initiative to promote involvement in sporting activity in deprived areas of Luton. The aims of the Luton Sports Action Zone are: 1. Involving local people in decision making for sport and developing community ownership. 2. Providing affordable and accessible sport and leisure activities. 3. Preventative health – activities targeted at non-exercisers, people at risk of physical and mental health problems. 4. Activities targeted at young people at risk of drug misuse, anti-social behaviour or crime. 5. Improving curriculum and after school opportunities. 6. Increasing use of existing facilities. 7. Engaging disaffected young people and providing an alternative curriculum for excluded pupils. 8. Activities and events that develop community identity and cohesion. 9. Providing opportunities for training and to get qualifications and for sport to provide alternative career and employment opportunities. 10. Improvements to the local physical environment. 11. Improving communication across Luton.
Living East
Living East is a body representing arts, museums, libraries, archives, sport, the environment and creative industries in the East of England region. Living East has produced a regional strategy called Culture: a catalyst for change
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LINKED COUNCIL STRATEGIES AND PLANS
Cultural Strategy 2003 – 2008 Museums Forward Plan 2003-08 Street Services Best Value Review Action Plan Sports Development and Facilities Best Value Review Options Analysis and Improvement Plan Libraries Improvement Plan Luton Sport Action Zone Needs Assessment and Action Plan Parks Strategy (under development)
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2.4 Crime
BACKGROUND AND LOCAL CONTEXT Luton residents have indicated in consultation that crime reduction is one of their top priorities.
(Source: the Community Safety Strategy, 2002 – 2005 Safer Luton Partnership) From 1998/1999 to 2000/2001 Luton had a 14.8% reduction in six key crime categories (i.e. Domestic Burglary, Theft of Vehicle, Theft from Vehicle, Violence Against the Person, Robbery, Sexual Offences). In comparison with similar areas in England, Luton had one of the best-improved performances in reducing levels of recorded crime and in increasing detection rates over this time period for these crime categories.
An examination of recorded crime reveals that the higher volume offences within Luton are property related, while violent crime comprises a smaller proportion of all crime. Significant property offences include vehicle crime, which represents 28% of all crime committed in Luton, and burglary represents 12% of all crime. Violent crime includes offences such as violence against the person, robbery and sexual offences; this aggregate group of violent crime represents 14% of all offences committed in Luton (2001 figures). However, the impact of serious violent crime is high in comparison with property crime, because of the toll of physical and emotional pain and suffering, lost output, and health service costs. Therefore, the Safer Luton Partnership acknowledges potential benefits or gains to society in reducing a certain type of offence, and reducing offending behaviour of persistent offenders.
Levels of recorded crime were found to be unevenly distributed across Luton, with higher concentrations of crime among the inner wards (those close to and surrounding the Town Centre) and among some outlying wards (Sundon Park, Bramingham, Lewsey, Leagrave). The distribution of crime concentrations corresponds with the area concentrations of deprivation observed in Luton.
The Town Centre has the highest volume of crime overall within Luton; this is to be expected considering that it is the central point for retail business, leisure facilities and public resort. The majority of the crimes within the Town Centre reflect the mix of retail and leisure facilities, which are accessible to the area; the majority of crime relates to property offences, theft in particular. A recent audit found that 43% of all crime that occurred in the Town Centre related to theft and handling offences. The Town Centre, therefore, is an important target for crime reduction initiatives.
The audit highlights that socio-economic and demographic factors play an important role in shaping the distribution of crime within Luton. An analysis revealed that factors such as deprivation, unemployment and population concentrations are important in influencing crime levels; the calculation indicated that 87.9% of the variation in levels of crime could be influenced by the above social factors. Therefore, crime reduction initiatives need to take a broad range view when examining the causes of crime so that effective factors to reduce the risk of criminal events can be identified. Crime reduction initiatives aimed at reducing the causes of crime are best suited to a Partnership approach so that different agencies work together to initiate changes in such socially based factors.
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THE VIEWS OF LOCAL PEOPLE
Residents are most concerned about: Violent crime, being mugged, street robbery, being assaulted Drug-related crime Alcohol-related crime Vehicle crime: theft of vehicles, theft from vehicles Domestic burglary Anti-social behaviour
Reducing fear of crime: women were more afraid of crime than men; people cited parts of Hockwell Ring, Bury Park, Marsh Farm and parts of the town centre as places where they may not go through perception of danger. In a 200X survey, X% of residents surveyed said they feel 'fairly safe' or 'very safe' during the day whilst outside in Luton, falling to X% who feel fairly or very safe when out after dark.
Local people asked for: A more visible police presence Improvements to the built environment (graffiti, vandalism, abandoned cars, street lighting, housing) More CCTV Reduction in substance misuse, treatment for substance misusers, both drugs and alcohol, seen as key to preventing theft and violent crime Safer play areas and parks Activities for young people to prevent them “hanging around”, reduction in school truancy, advice and support for young people to prevent bad behaviour, and also to prevent them becoming the victims of crime
LUTON 2011
The Council has set targets for 2011;
Luton residents to have less fear of crime than three quarters of similar urban areas in England. Achieve a substantial reduction in residents’ concern about anti-social behaviour Reduce the number of young people who are victims of crime
PARTNERS
The Safer Luton Partnership (SLP) brings together the Bedfordshire and Luton Police, with the Council, Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service, Bedfordshire Probation Service, Bedfordshire Magistrates Courts, Luton Youth Offending Team, the University of Luton, Victim Support, Chamber Business and other statutory, private sector, voluntary and community organisations. The aim is to create a partnership between agencies and the community that develops safer neighbourhoods, improves the quality of life and reduces the level of crime for those who live, work and visit Luton. The SLP works through the Community Safety Strategy 2002 – 2005 to achieve this aim.
The Community Safety Strategy objectives for 2002-2005 are:
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1. Environment and Quality of Life Issues To reduce the number of incidents that affect the quality of people lives by improving community safety.
2. Youth Safety and Youth Justice To reduce the risks faced by young people as the victim and perpetrator of crime
3. Alcohol and Drug Misuse To reduce alcohol and drug related crime and the impact of alcohol and drug misuse on families and communities in Luton.
4. Violence and Harassment To reduce the number of recorded incidents of violence and harassment against individuals
5. Burglary and Auto Crime To reduce the number of recorded burglary of homes and auto related crimes within the town
6. Partnership Work To increase the level of investment and activity in multi agency partnership work
The Council’s approach to reducing crime and anti-social behaviour, and the fear of crime, uses this framework.
ACTIVITIES FOR 2004 – 2009
Priority activities for 2004/07 (Medium-term objectives)
Increase availability of detox for substance misusers to reduce offending Encourage developers to design out crime from the built environment
OTHER TARGETS AND ACTIVITIES – LUTON BOROUGH COUNCIL’S ROUTEMAP FOR THE REDUCTION OF CRIME AND THE FEAR OF CRIME
1. Environment and Quality of Life Issues
We will: Provide a 7 day street and park cleansing service with additional cleansing of main roads and shopping areas throughout Luton Continue bulky waste collection service for residents, including unwanted vehicles Work with community groups to prevent dumping of rubbish in alleyways by gating them Continue the Council’s Dawn Patrol for removal of drug and prostitution-related litter Continue to work in partnership with the Fire and Rescue Service and the Police on Environment Action Days, to remove flytips and abandoned cars, in particular reducing opportunities for refuse-related arson Ensure that by 2005/06, 95% of Luton streets reach a high or satisfactory state of cleanliness, as recorded in random inspections – Local PSA target
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By 2005/06, remove all abandoned cars of no value within one working day of being notified, and remove cars of value within 2 working days. – Local PSA target Continue to issue fixed penalty notices for littering Work within the Good Enforcement Concordat, prosecuting companies which cause litter by their free literature distribution Continue the dawn patrol, clearing up litter arising from prostitution and drug misuse Continue to maintain poop scoop areas and enforce bylaws against dog fouling, and run an education and publicity campaign to prevent dog fouling Continue to employ a hit squad to clean up graffiti, flyposters and flytips as soon as possible after they are reported, usually within 24 hours. Provide a noise patrol on Saturday nights, and take action against people who persistently cause unreasonable levels of noise, including prosecuting them if necessary Continue Operation Potarch with the Police, an initiative to reduce noise nuisance from off-road use of motorbikes, through CCTV monitoring, setting up barriers, and Police follow-up of complaints Reduce noise nuisance arising from dispersal of clubbers and pub-goers, working with the Police Increase and improve street lighting where people tell us they feel unsafe, and reduce the number of streetlights not working as planned Protect Council buildings, including schools, against vandalism, burglary and arson through enhanced security measures As landlord, help Council housing tenants improve their home security and home safety, particularly vulnerable people. Work with Police on “target hardening”, enhanced security measures for individuals who have been the victims of crime, and improved security on estates, e.g. alley gating. Promote “secure by design” standard in new developments through policies and design guides, to reduce the likelihood of crime Provide street wardens and community wardens in shopping areas and parks to tackle litter offending, unlicensed street hawkers, beggars and buskers, and so reduce anti-social behaviour and the fear of crime.
2. Youth Safety and Youth Justice
Youth Justice Plan 2002 – 2005 check, and update if possible The Youth Justice Plan is the work programme of the Luton Youth Offending Team (YOT), a Council team working in partnership with Connexions, the Probation Service, the Police and Luton Primary Care Trust. Here are a selection of the YOT targets:
Reduce involvement of young people receiving a caution or court action for domestic burglary by 25% between 2002 and 2005. Reduce involvement of young people receiving a caution or court action for vehicle crime by 35% from 2002 to 2005. Reduce the number of young people involved in robbery by 15% from 2002 to 2005. Achieve a reduction in re-offending rates by 8% from 2002 to 2005. Ensure that 85% of young people receive an intervention programme at the final warning stage, by 2005 Ensure restorative processes are used in 90% of case disposals by 2005
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Ensure 80% of victims who have been consulted or participated in restorative processes are satisfied or very satisfied with the outcome, by 2005 Ensure 95% of young people supervised by the YOT are in full time education, training or employment.
We will also:
Provide youth worker support to the Youth Inclusion Programme to divert young people at risk away from crime Help provide one-to-one peer mentors for at least 50 young people at risk of offending Provide play schemes and sports activities, such as the golf academy, basketball, football, go-karting etc. during school holidays to divert young people away from possible anti-social behaviour or crime Provide teen villages and out-of-hours community use of schools by young people to divert them Tackle truancy through at least two truancy sweeps each term, parenting orders and fast-track prosecutions Through the Healthy Schools initiative engage children of all ages in learning about looking after themselves and the risks they may encounter if they do not Through working with Connexions and other agencies on the 14-19 years strategy, support young people and reduce the number who fall victims to anti- social behaviour and crime
3. Alcohol and Drug Misuse
We will: Provide guidance to schools and to young people on drugs and substance misuse in general, ensure Council employees who work with young people are trained in the issues, and help develop a system of young people working as peer educators. All primary and high schools to provide alcohol and drug education. Hold drugs and alcohol awareness drop-in sessions at community centres Ensure vulnerable young people, particularly young people in Council care, receive targeted alcohol and drugs education and treatment if they have substance misuse problems Prevent underage alcohol and solvent sales through a programme of education and enforcement with shops, and through promoting a proof-of-age card to 16- 19 year olds. Develop a licensing policy statement for the Council which incorporates community safety as a fundamental premise Within the Licensing Strategy Group work with pubs and clubs to ensure safety standards are maintained and promote harm reduction about drugs and alcohol, and to reduce anti-social behaviour Through effective communication between community and street wardens and the Police, reduce the incidence of drug dealing and drunkenness in public spaces Extend Alcohol Free Zones, and re-design St George’s Square to prevent public drinking there Provide gating to parks and public toilets to prevent night-time misuse arising from drug dealing, drug taking and drunkenness Provide services to people with problems associated with substance misuse, aimed at helping them reduce their misuse and so potentially reduce alcohol or drug-related crime
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4. Violence and Harassment
We will: Enable people to report hate crime incidents to all Council public buildings including in schools, provide training to staff receiving these reports, and take action in at least 98% of cases, in partnership with the victims and Luton Multi- Agency Racial Incidents Group (LMARIG). We will achieve a 12% annual reduction in repeat victims of hate crime each year Help victims of domestic violence, providing refuges away from the abuse and family support. Contribute towards reduction in repeat victims of domestic violence. Advise and support schools to reduce bullying and harassment Provide a self-help pack and a mediation service to combat low level nuisance and solve disputes between tenants Prevent anti-social behaviour and crime on council estates through the housing service nuisance team Obtain Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs), Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABCs), Individual Support Orders (ISOs) and Parental Control Orders (PCOs) to tackle persistent anti-social behaviour, harassment and intimidation Train and register door supervisors to help minimise anti-social behaviour associated with pubs and clubs Work with partners to prevent rogue doorstep trading and distraction burglary, providing advice and information to potential victims and support to victims Fit CCTV in Private Hire vehicles and taxis to prevent violence and harassment against drivers and passengers
5. Burglary and Auto Crime
We will: Provide secure public car parking facilities Consolidate and expand the CCTV service in consultation with the Police and community, to improve performance and camera effectiveness. Provide Adult Protection systems to protect elderly people and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation, and help them with home security and home safety measures
6. Partnership Work Continue local Environment Action Days with Police and Fire & Rescue, identifying and removing safety risks from local neighbourhoods, including potential refuse fires from flytips, and abandoned vehicles, working more closely with schools. Participate with local partners in promoting the Flying the Flag pledge initiative, encouraging local people to respect one another and behave well towards each other Support and advise on the Safer Luton Partnership’s Crime and Disorder Audit and provide analysis
MEASURES OF PERFORMANCE
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BV 126 Domestic burglaries per 1000 households BV127a Violent offences committed by a stranger per 1000 population BV127b Violent offences committed in a public place per 1000 population BV127c Violent offences committed in connection with licensed premises per 1000 population BV127d Violent offences committed under the influence per 1000 population BV128 Vehicle crimes per 1000 population BV174 The number of racial incidents recorded by the authority per 100,000 population BV175 The percentage of racial incidents that resulted in further action BV 189a Percentage of residents surveyed who said they feel 'fairly safe' or 'very safe' after dark whilst outside in Luton BV 189b Percentage of residents surveyed who said they feel 'fairly safe' or 'very safe' during the day whilst outside in Luton
LINKS WITH THE COMMUNITY STRATEGY FOR LUTON 2002 – 2012
The Community Strategy has a theme of Crime Reduction and quotes extensively from the Community Safety Strategy objectives and targets for 2002-2005.
LINKED PLANS AND STRATEGIES
Luton’s Community Safety Strategy 2002 – 2005 Youth Justice Plan 2002 – 05 (Luton Borough Council) Luton Drug and Alcohol Partnership Young Persons’ Substance Misuse Plan and Adult Treatment Plan Designing for Community Safety in a Quality Environment (Luton Borough Council Supplementary Planning Guidance) Youth Service Plan New Deal for Communities: Marsh Farm Community Development Trust Delivery Plan Anti-social behaviour task force action plan
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2.5 Deprivation
BACKGROUND AND LOCAL CONTEXT Seven indicators are used by the Government to measure deprivation: income, education, employment, health, housing, access to services and child poverty. Using these criteria, Biscot and Dallow in Luton are within the 10% most deprived wards in England. Other neighbourhoods in Luton also have pockets of deprivation, for example Marsh Farm, and the Council seeks to help people improve the quality of their lives based on their level of need, wherever they live in the town.
Deprivation and poverty are not random; specific groups are more at risk, such as older people, (particularly women), black and some minority ethnic groups, people who are long-term sick, disabled people and lone parents.
As an indication of the challenges some local residents face:
15% of Luton’s population have a limiting long-term illness and 8% have general health that is not good. On average, Luton people live about a year less than the average for England and Wales. Luton has a comparatively high unemployment rate. As of May 2004 the unemployment benefit claimant rate was 2.9% (Eastern region 1.9%) of which 15.1% had been claiming for more than a year. Luton’s male unemployment rate was 4.1%. There are significant differences in the unemployment rate between ethnic groups, with people of Bangladeshi origin four times as likely to be unemployed compared to white British people, and Black African people and Pakistani people 3 times as likely. Nationally, labour market trends suggest that low paid jobs with little security are becoming increasingly common. In 2000/01 a survey of in Luton identified over 3300 unfit properties out of a total of 60,000 private sector dwellings. There is also considerable unmet housing need, estimated to be an additional 4,500 affordable homes. Since 1999, development of new affordable housing has been limited by availability of land and finance to less than 100 new homes annually. There is evidence of overcrowding in 8% of dwellings, more than 20% in Biscot and Dallow, more than 15% in Saints and South wards. 26% of Luton households have no access to a car or van 23% of the population have attained a qualification of NVQ level 3 or above and 31% of the population have no qualifications. This is a comparatively low average level of educational attainment, especially as the town has a university.
Luton receives Neighbourhood Renewal Funding from the Government. Areas in the town have been awarded Surestart funding, New Deal for Communities, on track funding, Health Action Zone and Sports Action Zone status, all targeted at communities experiencing deprivation.
THE VIEWS OF LOCAL PEOPLE
When consulted about their priorities for improving the quality of life in Luton, residents stated they wanted the following, which are relevant to the Deprivation theme:
Charges or concessions for services and facilities to be low enough so everyone can afford them Affordable housing, particularly for young people
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Improved public transport to enable people to get to jobs Improved and extended vocational training locally, including in schools Apprenticeships and traineeships for young people More childcare, more affordable Reduction in smoking Reduction in alcohol and drugs misuse Focus of greater resources on addressing wider determinants of health, e.g. housing, nutrition, income
LUTON 2011
The Council has set targets for reducing deprivation in Luton by 2011;
All wards will improve rating in Government deprivation indices No ward will be in 10% most deprived in England We will bring at least 60 long-term empty houses back into occupation each year We will eliminate the use of B&B accommodation in housing the homeless, except for short-term emergencies
ACTIVITIES FOR 2004 - 2009
To achieve our targets we will:
Priority activities for 2004/07 (Medium-term objectives)
Enable older people and disabled people to live independently as much as possible Increase fostering and adoption for children taken into the Council’s care
Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy
The Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy, agreed by the Luton Forum, aims to ensure that no one in Luton suffers from the effects of poverty and deprivation, irrespective of their background, ethnicity or neighbourhood. The strategy focuses on small neighbourhoods rather than the larger areas covered by wards where possible. The programme is partially supported by Government funding. For details, see Appendix C.
Housing Strategy 2003 – 2006 Carry out the BME housing strategy with the aim of ensuring BME people in Luton have increased access to appropriate social housing and housing advice, in proportion to higher than average level of need Invest £1.1 million to tackle homelessness, providing improved temporary accommodation, and support to people to prevent them becoming homeless or to find them private tenancies Provide 80 new social housing dwellings a year with partner RSLs, developing a building programme which reflects the housing needs of different client groups, including people with learning difficulties, mobility problems and meeting the requirements of the teenage pregnancy strategy Help owners bring 60 empty properties a year back into use, including compulsory purchasing if necessary
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Other targets and activities
Review all major Council proposals as they are developed to minimise adverse impact on social inclusion in Luton Develop a health improvement strategy, to focus on the reduction of health inequalities in Luton Increase benefits take-up, including tax credits, through funding four independent benefits and welfare advisers at the Citizens Advice Bureau, referring Council and NHS service users for benefits appraisals, and running publicity campaigns Help people at risk keep their homes warm and in good repair through the Affordable Warmth Scheme, including grants for property repairs, home energy efficiency, and income maximisation Increase number of concessionary travel passes being issued to the elderly population, working with community groups to encourage take-up and use Re-launch Leisure Card giving reduced fee or free access to council leisure facilities for people on low incomes; and maintain low ticket prices for all users Help disadvantaged people aged 18-30 to start businesses (How?) Continue to establish childcare places for school-age and pre-school children, ensuring equality of provision in deprived neighbourhoods (How many?) Increase the percentage of care leavers going into employment, education or training to 75%. Provide free access to computers and the internet through libraries Ensure the 750 Houses In Multiple Occupation (HMOs) in Luton meet health and safety requirements. Provide free pest control for people on low incomes Help the Luton Food Network improve the nutrition of local residents, particularly those on low incomes, and BME people, who are at higher than average risk of diabetes and coronary heart disease. We will do this by providing facilities for Asian women’s cookery clubs, providing breakfast and after school clubs, and supporting the Community Food Growing Project.
Local Public Service Agreement Targets
Increase number of disabled people helped by the Council’s d4 service between April 2003 and March 2006 to attain: Sustained employment: 105 Sustained voluntary work: 63 Accredited training: 42 Increase number of children adopted to 21 in 2004/05 and 24 in 2005/06 Increase number of people assisted to receive their full benefits entitlement between April 2003 and March 2006 to: People awarded out-of-work benefits 2565 People awarded in-work benefits 135 Stop using B&B as temporary housing for homeless families for any period longer than 4 weeks by 2005/06
LUTON BOROUGH COUNCIL’S ROUTEMAP TO TACKLING DEPRIVATION
Overall, the Council’s approach is to: Ensure access for all Luton residents to good food, water, shelter and fuel at reasonable cost Protect people’s good health and well-being through a safe, clean and pleasant environment
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Emphasise the prevention of ill-health, as well as care Ensure access to facilities, services, goods and other people is not achieved at the expense of the environment or health Empower all sections of the community to participate in decision-making and consider the social and community aspects of decisions Ensure that Luton residents do not live in fear of personal violence or crime Create a vibrant local economy that gives access to satisfying and rewarding work without damaging the local, national or global environment Value the unpaid work carried out by many volunteers and citizens in the community
To do this we will use the following techniques: Organisational change and increasing understanding of issues around social exclusion Addressing the needs and targeting of vulnerable, socially excluded groups Joined up internal policies and practice Meaningful and action-focused external partnerships Improved mechanisms for communication and consultation with communities Generating community action and involvement in decision-making Social Inclusion Policy Statement 2002
MEASURES OF PERFORMANCE
The number of excess winter deaths % of the population of working age who are claiming key benefits Number of unfit homes per 1000 dwellings % of the population living more than 400m, as the crow flies, from the following: a) shop or market selling fruit and vegetables b) bus stop or railway station c) doctor d) post office e) park f) community centre or leisure centre Total number of nights spent by all people claiming homelessness in either B&B or a hostel Total number of people claiming homelessness % of Luton households on a low income Death rate by specific causes (direct standardised mortality rate per 100,000 population): a) coronary heart disease b) cancer c) stroke d) respiratory disease (asthma/emphysema, but excluding cancer) e) perinatal mortality, all causes % of 15 year olds achieving 5 or more GCSEs at grades A* - C or equivalent No. of pupils permanently excluded from school per 10,000 school population % of people satisfied with the cleanliness standard in their area The number of problem drug users accessing treatment services in a year % of residents satisfied with local authority cultural services % of residents holding a Leisure Card giving them discounts on culture and leisure activities
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LINKS WITH THE COMMUNITY STRATEGY FOR LUTON 2002 – 2012 See Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy above
PARTNERS
Bedfordshire Sub-Regional Housing Group, comprising Luton Borough and the three other councils in Bedfordshire which have housing responsibilities, partner housing associations and the Supporting People teams of Luton Borough Council and Bedfordshire County Council.
Luton Action Against Poverty, a forum including the Council, JobCentre Plus, the Citizens Advice Bureau and other advisory services, NOAH and other groups working with disadvantaged or homeless people.
LINKED PLANS AND STRATEGIES
Housing Strategy 2003 – 2006 Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy 2002 – Luton Forum Luton Borough Council Social Inclusion Strategy Luton Borough Council Equality Policy and Strategy Health Inequalities in Luton – getting to the point Luton tPCT Annual Public Health Report 2003 Local Transport Plan 14-19 years Strategy (draft)
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2.6 Economic Regeneration
BACKGROUND AND LOCAL CONTEXT
Luton is a major sub-regional employment centre with approximately 90,000 jobs. The service sector now provides as many jobs as manufacturing, but manufacturing still represents 19% of businesses in Luton. Major employers in Luton include the airport, airlines, the Council, Luton-Dunstable hospital, the university and the motor industry. In 2003 66% of new businesses had survived for more than years. Luton has a comparatively high unemployment rate. As of May 2004 unemployment benefit claimant rate was 2.9% (Eastern region 1.9%) of which 15.1% had been claiming for more than a year. Luton’s male unemployment rate was 4.1%, and BME people suffer a higher rate of unemployment. Unemployment is particularly high in Biscot, Dallow and Northwell. Luton has 70,750 households of which 26% have no car or van and 71% are owner-occupiers. 23% of the population have attained a qualification of NVQ level 3 or above and 31% of the population have no qualifications. This is a comparatively poor general education level, especially as the town has a university. Most of Luton has been designated Objective Two status and has achieved Assisted Area Status in recognition of the structural economic problems in the town. The Government has proposed permitting an increase in flights at London Luton Airport from the current planning ceiling of 10 million a year, to 30 million by 2030, as demand permits. At present, 7 million passengers pass through the airport every year. Permitted growth at the airport will provide extra jobs locally, but is likely to have an adverse impact on other aspects of the quality of life in Luton, due to aircraft noise, and traffic to and from the airport.
The regeneration of the local economy will secure the future of Luton. We need to improve the built and natural environment, provide the infrastructure for business to thrive, and ensure the local workforce is well-trained and able to take up high-paying jobs available locally.
The Council’s approach to regeneration is:
Business Competitiveness To increase Luton’s sustainable economic growth through integrated assistance to improve the competitiveness of local businesses, supporting enterprise creation, growth, development, innovation and access to capital.
Modernisation and Diversification To modernise the local economy and diversify into predicted growth sectors, developing key locations, sites and clusters and attracting new investment.
Employability and Workforce Development To raise standards and attainment levels in education and lifelong learning, to develop a world class work force.
Infrastructure and Physical Regeneration To improve the built and natural environment, and communications and other infrastructure, for the sustainable benefit of both the business and residential communities - all within the context of the local and structure planning system.
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Employment and Social Exclusion To reduce unemployment, disadvantage and social exclusion, particularly within priority regeneration areas, including increasing the opportunities for and capacity of local communities to be involved in decision making, and assisting the development of social enterprises and employability skills.
THE VIEWS OF LOCAL PEOPLE
When consulted about local priorities for the community plan, people asked for:
Improved public transport to enable people to get to jobs Improved and extended vocational training locally, including in schools Apprenticeships and traineeships for young people More employers in Luton; make the town more self-sufficient in jobs, ensure employers moving to the town employ local people Improved local employment opportunities, and the number of small businesses in all parts of Luton, particularly in areas of high unemployment More manufacturing jobs, particularly to replace Vauxhall Keep sites previously used for industry or business earmarked for these functions in the future Regeneration effort to be spread throughout all areas of the town
To improve the business climate, residents and local businesses asked for: Improved image and quality of life for Luton, to attract employers and employees Reduced business rates, particularly for small businesses Improved support/advice as well as financial support to small businesses, including shops
LUTON 2011
The Council has set targets for achieving regeneration in Luton by 2011:
Employment level to be above the East of England average Full implementation of the Town Centre Master Plan To increase job density (the number of filled jobs in an area divided by the working age population resident in that area) substantially
ACTIVITIES FOR 2004 – 2009
To achieve our targets we will:
Priority activities for 2004/07 (Medium-term objectives)
Encourage redevelopment of Vauxhall site for quality employment Enable more skills based, vocational and trade training schemes in town to match with local employment needs Develop the Hat factory district: housing, cafes, shops Encourage housing development in High Town; conversions, and new build apartments
Other targets and activities Work with partners to;
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Realise new business incubation services to nurture talent, including the new Business Base Luton Network and co-ordinate Business Support facilities including the establishment of the Enterprise Hub Promote targeted grants and loan regimes, including the Luton Venture Loan Fund and Assisted Area Grants Support technology transfer and successful commercial innovation through exploiting the new Butterfield Innovation Centre Create Luton’s first high-technology business community at the Butterfield Technology village Bring about major co-ordinated change in the Marsh Farm NDC area in accordance with the New Deal programme. Carry out the Town Centre Improvement Strategy Support the LutonFirst initiative to promote Luton as an attractive area for investment
Local Plan objectives The Local Plan is the guide to development and land use for the next ten years, and has an overall aim of achieving sustainable development in Luton. The second draft of the new Local Plan has been out for consultation which is currently being evaluated. The principles of the existing Local Plan still act as a guide until the new version is adopted.
The objectives of the Local Plan are:
Sustainability Ensuring development is carried out in accordance with the sustainability aims set out in Policy 1 of the Bedfordshire Structure Plan 2011 Ensuring development promotes the regeneration of Luton, through more sustainable patterns of development
Environment Protecting and enhancing the natural and historic environment of Luton Requiring good design in Luton to make it an attractive place to deliver an urban renaissance
Social matters Meeting local housing needs, including the need for affordable and lifetime housing Making adequate and appropriate provision for sport, leisure and community
Economy Reducing levels of unemployment by retaining, strengthening and adding to employment opportunities in Luton Retaining the sub-regional shopping role of Luton and maintaining the vitality and viability of the town centre and other shopping areas whilst meeting the shopping needs of residents
Infrastructure Promoting public transport, cycling and walking in Luton to reduce the need to travel by car, thereby reducing congestion and motorised transport’s contribution to greenhouse gases Accommodating the demand for telecommunications, managing waste in a sustainable way, and accommodating future energy needs
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Action Areas There are six Action Areas identified in the Local Plan, and the objectives for these are: Identifying areas of change and opportunity in Luton, and setting out the key priorities to guide future development Securing delivery of appropriate development in Luton
In summary, the specific objectives for each of the six Action Areas are: Central area Improve St George’s Square, assist University of Luton to provide 600 seat theatre, improve open spaces and Plaiters Lea Butterfield area Development of university campus, innovation centre and technology village Stockwood area New stadium for Luton Town FC and other sports facilities for which there is identified need London Luton Airport development Support expansion subject to strict environmental controls over aircraft noise Marsh Farm Support development of masterplan through Marsh Farm Community Development Trust High Town Develop masterplan in conjunction with High Town Action Trust.
LUTON AND EUROPEAN FUNDING
Luton has benefited significantly from European Funding under the 2000 - 2006 Structural Funds Programme. As at 1st January 2004, the Luton area has on-going projects worth over £50 million, attracting almost £26 million of European Funding. These are large and small projects, working with businesses, communities and individuals in the area. Examples include:
Community centres in Dallow, Lewsey, Bury Park, High Town and Chaul End. Support and training for local business, provided by Chamber Business and the University of Luton. Language support for Companies. Capacity building for social enterprise and community groups. High Town, Plaiter's Lea and Town Centre renewal and renovation. Building a new innovation and business centre at Butterfield Park. Training projects such as community based media and music training, training for women in property maintenance and training in British Sign Language. Rehabilitation and mentoring support for ex offenders. Neighbourhood renewal workers in Bury Park, Dallow, High Town, Lewsey and Ashcroft. Research into accessibility of life opportunities and services for people with learning disabilities and their carers from Asian and Afro Caribbean groups.
The three main types of European Funding available in the Luton area are Objective 2, Objective 3 and EQUAL. Thirteen of Luton's wards are eligible for Objective 2 Funding. These wards (based on the pre-2001 wards boundaries) are: Biscot, Challney, Crawley, Dallow, Farley, High Town, Leagrave, Lewsey, Limbury, Saints,
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South, Stopsley and Sundon Park. All areas of Luton are eligible for EQUAL and Objective 3 Funding
MEASURES OF PERFORMANCE
There are no universally recognised measures of success for economic regeneration. The Council’s Economic Regeneration Unit has been examining the possibility of developing some measures.
CEDOS are developing possible measures of performance which may allow benchmarking in terms of aspects of Business Support Inward Investment Land and Premises Managed Workspaces Training and Employment.
LINKS WITH THE COMMUNITY STRATEGY FOR 2002-2012
The Council’s approach is aligned with the Luton Forum Community Plan which has also recognises what is important to Luton by including regeneration objectives in the Learning, Skills and Employment theme. The Community Plan sets the following objectives to achieve by 2012:
No long term unemployment Self-sufficient in jobs, Successful in attracting new businesses, and having a strong rate of survival for businesses, including new start-ups A well-trained workforce able to fill jobs locally, and receiving higher salaries in real terms than at present Childcare available at affordable prices for parents who want to work A thriving university and colleges fostering new ideas and bringing new business into Luton, as well as enabling local people and visitors to attain a broad education of high standards Employment levels above the East of England average
PARTNERS
The Council works with a number of partners including Luton Council is a member of the Luton-Dunstable Partnership, a limited liability company run by a Board which includes representatives of Businesses, Local Authorities and the Community and Voluntary sector. These partners are involve in a variety of projects to regenerate areas or levels of Luton through a variety of funding mechanisms. Our main, but not only, Regeneration Partners are : . East of England Development Agency . Government Office East of England . Voluntary Action Luton . Chamber Business . Bedfordshire and Luton Learning Skills Council . University of Luton . Barnfield College . Luton Dunstable Partnership . Marsh Farm Community Development Trust . Luton Town Centre Partnership
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. Luton Forum . Luton Health Agencies . Business in the Community . Luton Assembly . Luton Council of Faiths
The Council is also linked with the Marsh Farm Community Trust Fund and the programme it is running under New Deal for Communities (NDC) which is intended to enhance current provisions and mainstream local services within the area.
LINKED STRATEGIES AND PLANS
Learning & Skills Council – Outline Strategic Plan 2002/05 – (LSC Bedfordshire and Luton) Single Regeneration Budget Delivery Plan (Luton and Dunstable Partnership) New Deal for Communities: Marsh Farm Community Development Trust Delivery Plan Objectives 2 and 3 local development plans Borough of Luton Local Plan Bedfordshire and Luton Structure Plan Local Transport Plan Luton Borough Council Corporate Capital Strategy Single Regeneration Budget Delivery Plan (Luton and Dunstable Partnership) Luton Town Centre Partnership Business Plan.
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2.7 Education
BACKGROUND AND LOCAL CONTEXT
Education and learning opportunities are to be valued for themselves as enjoyable and life-enriching, but educational attainment is also a key determinant of life chances. Education allows individuals to achieve better jobs, more income, higher status, and access to more education itself. Nationally as well as locally, children and young people from deprived backgrounds are significantly less likely to proceed into further and higher education. Breaking this link between deprivation and educational attainment is vital for improving equality and social inclusion.
Luton’s school pupils’ performance overall is generally below average compared to other parts of England. Despite the presence of the University, the educational achievement level of Luton residents is below the national average. 31.3% do not have any qualifications, compared to a national average of 29.1% (16-74 year olds in the 2001 Census) There are marked differences in the attainment of children in Luton schools according to their gender and ethnic origin, and also between the attainment of children in different schools. For example, girls achieve on average 10% more at GCSE than boys. In 2003 the proportion of boys obtaining 5 or more passes at A* to C was 10% lower than boys nationally and the proportion of girls Luton achieving 5 or more passes at A* to C was 14% lower than the figure for all girls. Collectively, pupils of white UK, Pakistani and Black Caribbean heritage achieve well below the national average at this level, but pupils of Bangladeshi, and Indian and Irish heritage pupils reach good levels of attainment in comparison with all pupils nationally.
The Council seeks to create a learning society in Luton, with opportunities for vocational and non-vocational learning at all ages, and a rich curriculum in local schools. Our aim is to ensure that there are no barriers to learning for any individual child, pupil or student and to enable all pupils to have access to varied learning opportunities in a multi-cultural environment. The Council wishes to secure:
- Lifelong learning for all - Ensuring children achieve to the maximum of their ability, to enhance their chances in life. - Enabling people to train and enhance their skills, leading to rewarding careers - Everyone to enjoy the chance to learn, to enrich their lives
The Children Bill recently laid before Parliament proposes that local authorities such as Luton be designated as a “children’s services authority” and given a clear mandate to lead the development and delivery of services to children to promote their: physical and mental health, protection from harm and neglect, education and training, the contribution made by them to society, and, social and economic well being
A Director of Children’s Services will be appointed and will be responsible for all services to children within the “children’s services authority” combining the current responsibilities for education and social care to children and families.
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The “children’s services authority” will be responsible for taking the lead in developing a strategic partnership with all relevant agencies. Services will need to be developed on an interdisciplinary format that, where possible, makes use of pooled budget arrangements leading eventually to the formation of Children’s Trusts.
THE VIEWS OF LOCAL PEOPLE
Residents want: Improved and extended vocational training, including in schools More, and more affordable, childcare (crèches, after school clubs, homework clubs etc.) to allow parents to work
Consultation with Luton Schools, Council Members, Governors and Community Groups identified key issues affecting schools, in no particular order of importance: The adverse impact of pupil mobility Achievement of some ethnic minority pupils Behaviour support Recruitment and retention of high quality staff at all levels The use of ICT to improve the quality of teaching and learning
LUTON 2011
The Council has set targets for improving educational attainment and skills levels by 2011:
Educational achievement levels at all stages to be above the national average Work with Learning and Skills Council, colleges and Connexions to increase the percentage of the Luton workforce who are vocationally qualified to at least NVQ2 or equivalent Increase community use of school facilities
ACTIVITIES FOR 2004 - 2009
To achieve our targets we will:
Priority activities for 2004/07 (Medium-term objectives)
Help schools to widen the choice of subjects in the curriculum Have no schools in special measures; ensure all schools perform to standards of highest Reduce % of Luton children educated outside the borough Enable more people to enjoy lifelong learning opportunities locally Achieve Education Development Plan targets (see below)
Education Development Plan Objectives (summarised)
Raise pupils’ standards of attainment in the Early Years and in Key Stages 1 and 2 Help schools improve the use and analysis of performance data and teacher assessment to identify pupils who are underachieving and target support
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effectively, integrating the resources available from a wide range of school improvement strategies and initiatives Work with schools to raise pupils’ standards of attainment at key stages 3 and 4 Support the development of vocational pathways at Key Stage 4 Help bring schools out of serious weaknesses and special measures on time Provide strategic support for schools in developing the use of ICT across all curriculum subjects Help schools identify and use the appropriate teaching strategies to meet the needs of individual pupils and groups Deliver more effective support for managing behaviour to promote inclusion and improve the quality of learning Support schools in recruiting, retaining and developing staff
Sure Start targets and activities
Create 211 new childcare places (revenue funded) in areas of disadvantage Create 639 new childcare places (revenue funded) in other areas Identify and develop second extended school (i.e. Ashcroft High School) supporting out of school provisions and possible roll out of children’s centre services. 114 Out of School Childcare places (capital funded) created in areas of disadvantage Create 65 new childcare places (capital for playgroup conversion) in areas of disadvantage Create 50 new childcare places (capital for playgroup conversion) in other areas Create 229 Children’s Centre Childcare places (in areas of disadvantage)
Local Public Service Agreement targets
Increase percentage of pupils achieving Level 4 or above in tests at Key Stage 2 to 83% for maths, and 84% for English in 2005 (targets under review with DfES) Increase visits to libraries to the following level in 2005/06: o All visits: 1109856 o Children under 5 years who use their library card at least four times : 2,457 o 15-19 year olds who use their library card at least four times: 3263 o People over 60 who use their library card at least four times: 6206
MEASURES OF PERFORMANCE
We will measure progress in improving education in Luton through the following performance indicators:
Proportion of children achieving the Early Years Goals Attainment at Key Stages 1, 2, and 3, and at GCSE/GNVQ, by all pupils, and by school, subject, pupils’ gender and ethnic origin. Percentage of schools in special measures Unfilled places in primary and secondary schools Speed of issuing statements of special educational need Permanent exclusions, by number, and by school, pupils’ gender and ethnic origin Number of hours’ tuition a week received by permanently excluded pupils
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Amount of authorised and unauthorised absence from primary and secondary schools Pupil mobility Number of library uses of ICT, book issues
LINKS WITH THE COMMUNITY STRATEGY FOR 2002-2012
The Luton Forum Community Plan includes learning in the Learning, Skills and Employment theme. The Community Plan sets the following objectives to achieve by 2012, which are relevant to the Council’s work on education:
Schools where education builds the foundation for lifelong learning and develops skills for future employment and citizenship Childcare available at affordable prices for parents who want to work A thriving university and colleges fostering new ideas and bringing new business into Luton, as well as enabling local people and visitors to attain a broad education of high standards Opportunities to learn through the People’s Network and UK Online at local libraries
EXCELLENCE IN CITIES
Excellence in Cities (EiC) forms a central plank in the Government’s strategy to raise the standards of achievement and improve the life chances of young people in urban areas. The strategy consists of a number of “strands”, all of which are being pursued in Luton. These are (in the secondary sector): improving the quality of leadership and management; improving provision for gifted and talented pupils; providing learning mentors; providing learning support units; developing a City Learning Centre (CLC); increasing the proportion of young people progressing to higher education (the “Aimhigher” strand); and supporting schools in achieving specialist college status. Six primary schools are involved in aspects of the above work through their participation in the Excellence in Cities Education Action Zone. Fourteen primary schools form an additional group targeted for funding from September 2004 as a consequence of the EiC “primary roll out”. Eleven primary and four secondary schools are involved in the BIP (behaviour improvement programme), which also comes under the EiC umbrella. EiC and associated activities will bring more than £4m of funding to Luton in 2004-05.
ENGAGEMENT WITH ALL SCHOOLS The LEA School Improvement Division has an agreed cycle of engagement with all schools that includes:
Opportunities to examine standards through data analysis and agree targets. Supported school self-evaluation, including a focus upon teaching, learning, leadership and management. Annual Review, including agreement of the appropriate LEA support level that is subject to termly consideration.
The LEA also works with school leaders to plan an annual programme of school reviews that provides an in-depth evaluation of some schools each year. From the information shared in the LEA/School cycle, school reviews and the outcomes of OFSTED inspection, schools are identified that:
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require special measures (support level 1) have serious weaknesses (support level 2) are a cause for concern (support level 3) have strengths that outweigh weaknesses (support level 4) have significant strengths and secure self-evaluation processes (support level 5).
Schools requiring support levels 4 and 5 are supported through the annual cycle of engagement and may choose to purchase an Optional Support Agreement (OSA) to provide additional focussed inputs on the school’s priorities agreed through supported self-evaluation. Schools requiring support level 5 are often, though not exclusively, engaged in sharing best practice and supporting other schools.
SUPPORT FOR SCHOOLS
When schools are judged by OFSTED to have Serious Weakness or require Special Measures, or they are a High School that causes concern, a project team is established. The core purpose of the team is to examine evidence of progress against the school’s key issues and jointly plan to remove any barriers to change.
For support level 1 and 2 schools, the attached School Improvement Adviser (SIA) is responsible for planning, leading and coordinating LEA support and challenge through the LEA Statement of Action and Commentary. The SIA works directly with the headteacher, Senior Leadership Team (SLT), teachers and Governing Body and reports regularly on the progress and impact of intervention work to Project Teams.
A second member of the SIA team acts in a monitoring role for each school with support levels 1 and 2. Their principal aim is to monitor, evaluate and report their judgements about the impact of the schools’ activities and focussed LEA support on teaching, learning, leadership and management. Typically there is also a focus upon pupil behaviour and parental/community involvement. The methodology employed by team members in the monitoring role includes data analysis, lesson observation, work scrutiny, interviews and examination of documents such as pupil tracking information and policies. School visits are at least fortnightly with a follow up report being sent within 5 days to the Chief Adviser, Head of Service, Headteacher and other key officers as appropriate. The recommendations in monitoring reports are followed up urgently by the school and the attached SIA.
Consultants, including Secondary and Primary learning and teaching consultants, EMAS, Excellence in Luton team members and AST’s are deployed to support and challenge departments and schools in OFSTED categories and those identified as a cause for concern. Their work is negotiated through post OFSTED action plans or ESPs.
Training packages are designed and delivered by Lifelong Learning staff including School Improvement Advisers (SIAs) and the Governor Support Team to specifically address key issues in schools in OfSTED categories and those identified as a cause for concern.
The Council has negotiated Service Level Agreements with Head Teachers who have a proven track record of success and experience of intervention work. The remit of those heads is to work alongside leadership teams in schools in OFSTED categories or those causing concern to add capacity and assist those teams in
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leading rapid and measurable improvement. In the secondary phase the Leadership Incentive Grant enables this work.
PARTNERSHIP WORKING
The provision of education and access to it are major contributors to initiatives to overcome deprivation and to regenerate Luton. These are undertaken with a in a variety of partnership arrangements in which Luton Borough Council participates. The following are major initiatives delivered by or as part of partnerships.
Sure Start
Sure Start is a is a Government programme targeting under 4’s and its aim is to improve the social, educational, health experience and potential of young children in deprived areas.
Sure Start aims to achieve better outcomes for children, parents and communities by:
Increasing the availability of childcare for all children Improving health, education and emotional development for young children Supporting parents as parents and in their aspirations towards employment
Flying Start
Flying Start is a locally developed initiative, which builds upon some aspects of Sure Start to raise educational achievement in schools. It does this through three strategies aimed at children residing in the catchment area of 20 schools in the most deprived areas of Luton – a) Recruitment of a family worker to work with families and their children aged under five; b) Funding to allow four year old children to attend school full-time c) Provision of additional early years places for three year olds on school sites but run in partnership with the non-maintained sector. This initiative requires both one-off capital investment and recurrent revenue finding.
Children's Fund And On Track Partnership
The Children’s Fund is a Government initiative which targets children aged 5 - 13 at risk of social exclusion, bridging the gap between Sure Start for pre-school children and the Connexions Service for the over 13s. The Fund is administered by a partnership of statutory, voluntary and community organisations, including the main health, educational and social service providers, youth offending teams and the police. It is designed to deliver preventative services to help children and young people at the earliest stages of difficulty over and above those provided through mainstream statutory services and specific programmes, and to improve existing services for this age group. This is mainly done by assigned family workers. The On Track programme has been incorporated into this programme.
The Fund aims to achieve the following outcomes: Reduce inequalities in educational achievement Reduce non-attendance in school Reduce involvement in crime
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Reduce numbers being victims of crime Improve access of under-represented groups to services available Improve the satisfaction of users of services Involve children, young people and families in the design and delivery of the services they use
11 -19 Achievement Strategy Group
This group has been established to focus on the range of strategic issues that need to be faced to raise standards of achievement in the secondary sector. It assumes the role of the previous 14-19 strategy group and the Luton Excellence in Cities Partnership. Its membership includes Headteachers, Further Education Principals, and representatives of Luton Borough Council, the Learning and Skills Council , and Connexions, A range of working groups and standing groups report in to the 11-19 Achievement Strategy Group.
The purpose of the group is:
To maximise the achievement and increase the life chances of young people aged 11 to 19 in Luton by ensuring that local and national approaches to raising educational standards are implemented as coherently and effectively as possible.
This will be achieved by: setting targets for and maintaining an overview of the progress, attainment and educational progression of students aged 11 – 19 in Luton;
contributing to the development of local strategies for raising educational attainment and ensure their implementation in Luton;
mediating national strategies for raising educational attainment and ensuring their effective implementation in Luton;
providing strong strategic leadership for the significant improvements required in 14 – 19 provision in Luton, including achieving increased participation and progression;
acting as a forum for sharing effective practice and addressing problems in relation to the successful implementation of local and national strategies for raising educational attainment; and
acting as a genuine “collaborative”, providing support and challenge within the group so that all young people in Luton receive the high quality educational experience in Luton to which they are entitled
The Connexions Bedfordshire and Luton Partnership
This is one of 47, government-funded Partnerships with a statutory role to support young people aged 13-19 (and up to 25 for those with learning difficulties and disabilities) with the provision of information advice and guidance to help young people overcome any barriers to learning.,.
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From October 1st 2004, the Connexions Partnership in Bedfordshire and Luton will be moving to a direct delivery model of operation whereby Personal Advisers will be working, and linking in with a full range of local partners, to support young people in making successful transitions to adulthood. Connexions has a remit to serve all young people but also focus in on supporting those young people identified as having significant barriers to moving on.
The main targets are: To meet and exceed a reduction in the number of 16-19 year old young people who are Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET) from 12% (n=2538) in November 2002 to 10.8% (c.254) in November 2004 Increase the number of 19 year olds achieving NVQ Level 2 from 6052 in 1998- 99 to 6545 in Autumn 2004 (n=493) Increase the number of 19 year olds achieving NVQ Level 3 To secure better outcomes for a range of vulnerable young people including those who become involved in, or are at risk of becoming involved in, crime, teenage parents, care leavers and those from Black and ethnic minority communities.
LINKED STRATEGIES AND PLANS
Education Development Plan 2004-05 Excellence in Cities Plan 2004-05 Adult Learning Development Plan 2003 – 2006 School Organisation Plan 2003-2008 Behaviour Support Action Plan April 2004 – March 2006 Luton On Track Plan 2004-05 Sure Start Strategic Plan 2004-2006 Luton Children's Fund Delivery Plan 2004-2005 Lifelong Learning Accessibility Strategy Action Plan 2003-2006 14-19 Strategy Luton Sure Start Local Programme Strategic Plan Youth Service Plan
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2.8 Health and social care
BACKGROUND AND LOCAL CONTEXT
Health
Source: Health Inequalities in Luton – Getting to the Point , Annual Public Health Report 2003 of Luton teaching Primary Care Trust (tPCT)
Nationally, health and life expectancy are still linked to social circumstances and childhood poverty. There is a gap in health outcomes between those at the top and bottom of the social scale, and health inequalities mean poorer health, reduced quality of life and early death for many people.
Locally,
Luton has a lower than average life expectancy compared to the rest of England and the gap has been growing. The average man in Luton can expect to live four years less than his neighbour in St Albans; the average woman, three years less. Every year about 250 Luton people die early because they smoke. About 4% of Luton’s population are recorded as having diabetes but the real figure is certainly higher Luton’s oral health is poor compared to the rest of England
Luton tPCT recommends the following priorities for improving health in Luton:
Sexual health, including HIV: Luton has high rates of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV compared to England as a whole. Rates are rising and pose a substantial risk to public health. Over 400 local people have HIV/AIDS. Action should include developing more accessible and integrated sexual health services as part of a focussed and co-ordinated plan. Work should focus explicitly on young people and on specific communities most affected.
Coronary heart disease (CHD): This is the single biggest cause of premature death in Luton and incidence is much higher among BME people and people suffering deprivation. Action should focus on reducing risk factors and on improving primary care for the least well off. A special effort should be made to achieve a measurable reduction in smoking in Luton, with the main partnership being a local one between Luton organisations. This would help reduce CHD and cancer deaths.
Tuberculosis: TB is another infectious disease showing a big increase locally. A TB audit is being completed and service changes may be needed based on the evidence gained through the audit.
Perinatal mortality: Rates in Luton are significantly higher than the national average and are also higher than comparable areas. A reduction in perinatal mortality will require a joint approach focussing on specific parts of the town such as Biscot and Dallow and on specific communities.
Community development: More focussed work is needed with communities to tackle specific health inequalities, and to help create a basis for reducing the risks of diabetes, CHD, perinatal mortality and other health problems. It is important to help
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strengthen communities, working directly with those who are more vulnerable rather than solely through community leaders.
Language support: There is evidence that more effective use of health care can be achieved through better language support. Although good services exist they may benefit from improved co-ordination and easier access.
It is also important to tackle the wider determinants of health. These include housing, education, poverty and unemployment, the environment, food and diet, alcohol and drugs.
Social care Please note there is more material to be added here for Community Care Services
The challenges for the future are to: Shift provision towards preventative services such as family support Promote independence and enable clients to participate in decision-making about the services they receive Provide culturally sensitive services and ensure service uptake matches need across all the ethnic communities in the Luton population Support carers Work in partnership with other council departments, statutory agencies, voluntary and private sector to provide seamless services which make the best use of resources, including information. Provide services locally as far as possible to prevent clients having to move from Luton or to undergo long journeys
The Children’s Bill Over the next few years there will be radical changes in the way social care services to children and support to families are organised and delivered.
In September 2003 the government issued a green paper which responded to the concerns and recommendations of Lord Laming’s report into the death of Victoria Climbie, and proposed a way forward that would give greater protection for children at risk within a framework of universal services which support every child to develop their full potential. The paper was called “Every Child Matters”.
Since that first green paper a further report has been published, Every Child Matters – Next Steps”, and a Children Bill has been laid before parliament. It is anticipated that the Children Bill will reach its final reading and Royal assent late in 2004.
The Bill focuses on five high level outcomes for the development and delivery of services to all children. These stated outcomes are, physical and mental health, protection from harm and neglect, education and training, the contribution made by them to society, and, social and economic well being.
Local authorities designated as a “children’s services authority” will be given a clear mandate to lead the development and delivery of services to children to achieve the above outcomes.
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A Director of Children’s Services will be appointed and will be responsible for all services to children within the “children’s services authority” combining the current responsibilities for education and social care to children and families.
There will be a lead councillor for children’s services.
The “children’s services authority” will be responsible for taking the lead in developing a strategic partnership with all relevant agencies. Services will need to be developed on an interdisciplinary format that makes use of pooled budget arrangements leading eventually to the formation of Children’s Trusts.
Similarly the authority will be required to set up a Local Safeguarding Children Board which will place on a statutory footing the functions previously carried out by the Area Child Protection Committee.
The purpose of all of the above is that services to children and families will be more joined up at the point of delivery, will have clear lines of accountability, and will make best use of financial and workforce resources.
Here in Luton we have anticipated many of the provisions within the Children Bill:-
In April 2004 we re-launched the Children and Young Peoples Strategic Partnership with the active participation of the chief executives of all of the main agencies leading developments through a Strategic Board.
In April 2005 the Children and Family Services within Housing and Social Services will come together with Lifelong Learning in a new Children and Learning Department.
A Portfolio Holder responsible for children has been appointed.
The creation of a Local Safeguarding Children Board for Luton is currently under discussion and will replace the present Area Child Protection Committee.
The use of pooled budgets is being developed especially in regard to respite care for children with disabilities and for children in public care whose needs are best met by out of borough placements.
The Luton Futures initiative is being developed to provide multi agency inter disciplinary support services within Luton for young people with high level learning and social care needs.
THE VIEWS OF LOCAL PEOPLE
Through consultation, Luton residents have indicated that their priorities include: Reduce hospital in-patient and out-patient and Accident & Emergency waiting times Reduce drugs misuse Reduce smoking Develop health promotion and the prevention of ill-health
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Develop a local alcohol strategy – reduce alcohol misuse, improve leisure opportunities not involving alcohol Provide chemists, doctors, dentists, opticians and other primary care services in local neighbourhoods and reduce waiting times for GP appointments More care homes in local neighbourhoods for growing population of older people; review costs for residential care Improve palliative care services More community nurses Culturally sensitive and culturally tailored service provision More information and involvement in health services Focus greater resources on addressing wider determinants of health, e.g. housing, nutrition, income Care for carers
LUTON 2011
The Council has set targets for improving health and social care in Luton by 2011;
Halve the gap between life expectancy of people in Luton and the rest of the country Bring death rate for babies in Luton down to the national average. Increase proportion of people misusing drugs or alcohol who receive treatment and target resources towards the prevention of such misuse Increase proportion of people aged over 65 and vulnerable adults, supported by the Council to continue to live independently in their own homes.
ACTIVITIES FOR 2004 - 2009
To achieve our targets we will:
Priority activities for 2004/07 (Medium-term objectives)
Health and Social Care priorities are to be developed during 2004/05 in partnership with Luton tPCT
Other targets and activities Please note there is more material to be added here for Community Care Services
Children and young people’s health and well-being Implement the provisions of the Children Act, to provide seamless service delivery with schools, the Police and Health sector. Achieve participation by more schools in the Healthy Schools initiative Review and monitor all unallocated Childrens cases more effectively, ensure all statutory child protection and looked after children cases are allocated Continue to develop support for foster carers Improve access to respite care and shared care for children with disabilities Maintain recent improvements regarding adoptions Look after the health of children in the authority’s care Increase the number of schools participating in the Healthy Schools initiative Increase the percentage of children going to school on foot or by bike, by providing safe routes, walking convoys and cycle training.
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Support the Luton Young People’s Executive to act as an advocate for young people in the town. With partners, implement the Luton Young People’s Consultative Strategy Appoint a Member of the ruling Group to be Young People’s Champion in Council decision-making
Drugs and alcohol misuse We will: Expand access to substance misuse relapse prevention service by 10% by April 2005 in comparison with 2003/04. Provide public education programmes targeted at different audiences, to prevent drugs and alcohol misuse, for example, peer mentors working with young people
Mental health We will: Establish fully integrated Community Mental Health Teams through the transfer of staff to the new MH Partnership Trust in April 2005 Increase the number of young men from Luton who access the CALM help- line Improve links between primary and secondary care for people with mental illness De-stigmatise mental illness in schools, youth centres and other areas through providing advice on good mental health
Support for older people Through the Older Peoples Independence Team, help older people continue to live in their own homes, by providing home care, suitable equipment and adaptations, home improvements such as energy efficiency measures and fire safety measures. Meet the Local PSA target for increasing the proportion of older people receiving help to stay in their own homes. Support the Luton Senior People’s Forum to act as an advocate for older people in the town. Appoint a Member of the ruling Group to be Older People’s Champion in Council decision-making
Promoting independence Increase number of clients choosing and paying directly for their care package Social Enterprise developments to provide part time employment activity (minimum 2 days per week) for 35 disabled people as an alternative to day care attendance Re-provide Downlands Centre through Chaul End development and support 30 service users to access community based activities for 2 days per week Co-located Integrated Care Team for older people to divert 20 people from traditional day care through fast track assessment and rehabilitation service targetted on hospital discharge planning Commission support to 56 new tenancies at Applegrove scheme, including 30 tenancies with high dependency extra care support. Install assistive technology equipment to promote independence and protect safety of 20 vulnerable tenants
Access to information, and customer care Continue to improve public information and accessibility of services Establish stakeholder group including users and carers to support implementation of ‘Better Care, Higher Standards’ with a commitment to quarterly meetings
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where key statistics on quality monitoring will be shared and stakeholders consulted to make standards more closely linked to user/carer priorities Working with Health partners, develop a Single Assessment Process for older people, to save time in delivering a care package
Provide culturally sensitive services Provide advice and support to BME community organisations to enable 50% providers to expand service provision through Direct Payments. In response to assessed need for increased access to culturally appropriate day services provide: o 5 day opening of African-Caribbean day centre from earmarked grant funding for African Caribbean elders. o 8 additional day sessions per week through Asian community organisation lunch clubs
Prevention of accidents Through road safety training, traffic calming, safe routes to school etc., reduce the number of children killed or seriously injured in road crashes by 50% from 2000 to 2010. Help Fire and Rescue Service to reduce number of accidental fires in dwellings by 10% each year, by referring vulnerable people for fire safety checks and installation of smoke alarms and inspecting fire safety of Houses in Multiple Occupation. Test products on sale and remove unsafe ones from sale. Work with the Bedfordshire Accident Prevention Group to reduce accidents
Address the wider determinants of health Evaluate the impact on local people’s health of major council proposals, and ensure adverse effects are eliminated or minimized Develop a townwide health improvement strategy for Luton in partnership with Luton tPCT, focusing on the priorities identified by the tPCT and on the wider determinants of health Provide quality nutrition in school meals and leisure catering Support the Luton Food Network in their efforts to ensure local people eat well Provide grants to renovate unfit houses and to improve energy efficiency, and ensure Houses in Multiple Occupancy (HMOs) are in good condition Increase benefits take-up through providing benefits advice and a publicity campaign Continue to provide exercise by prescription; GPs prescribing exercise at local leisure centres Inspect food premises and provide hygiene training, to reduce the incidence of food poisoning Provide a free pest control service for removal of rat infestations
Local Public Service Agreement Targets
Help older people to retain their independence by providing home care and rehabilitation care, to achieve in 2005/06: o Increase in proportion of people receiving intensive homecare per 1000 population aged over 65 to 20.2 o Increase in number of older people helped to live at home per 1000 population aged over 65 to 100 o Increase percentage of items of equipment to assist people with disabilities or long-term illness delivered within 3 weeks to 95.6%
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Increase number of children adopted to 21 in 2004/05 and 24 in 2005/06 Reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on Luton’s roads to 60 on average for each year between 2003 and 2006 Reduce the number of accidental domestic fires to 121 in 2005/06, and the number of deaths or injuries from these fires to 12.
MEASURES OF PERFORMANCE
BV 12 Number of working days/shifts Council employees lost due to sickness absence BV 15 Percentage of Council employees retiring on grounds of ill health as a percentage of the total workforce BV 197 Change in the number of conceptions to females aged under 18, resident in Luton, compared with baseline year of 1998 Number of swims and other visits to Council leisure centres per 1000 population Number of users of the Council athletics facility Number of unfit dwellings per 1000 dwellings BV 54 Number of older people aged 65 or over helped to live at home per 1000 population aged 65 or over PAF A5 Emergency admissions of older people PAF A6 Emergency admissions of psychiatric re-admissions PAF C33 Avoidable harm for older people (falls and hypothermia) PAF C19 Health of looked after children PAF C22 Young children looked after in foster placement or adoption BV 49 Stability of placements of children looked after by the Council Percentage of food premise inspections that should have been carried out and were Percentage of Luton schools participating in Health Schools initiative Number of people killed or seriously injured on Luton’s roads Number of deaths or injuries from domestic fires Death rate by specific causes (direct standardised mortality rate per 100,000 population): a) coronary heart disease b) cancer c) stroke d) respiratory disease (asthma/emphysema, but excluding cancer) e) perinatal mortality, all causes The number of problem drug users accessing treatment services in a year
LINKS WITH THE COMMUNITY STRATEGY FOR LUTON 2002 – 2012
Health and social care is a theme within Luton’s community strategy. The objectives for improvement follow the main points of Luton tPCT’s Local Delivery Plan. The ones which are relevant to the Council are:
Work in partnership to tackle all aspects of health and ensure ownership and involvement of partner agencies to deliver the health agenda Improving sexual health for Luton’s residents Ethnicity and equality in health information and health services Improving health outcomes for people with diabetes Management of coronary heart disease
The overall vision is for Luton to be a town where people have access to appropriate health care that they are satisfied with; access to affordable, healthy food and drink,
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safe products, and safer mobility, so they can lead healthy and independent lives, enabling them to play as full a part in society as they can.
PARTNERS
LINKED PLANS AND STRATEGIES
Children’s Services Plan Luton Children's Fund Delivery Plan 2004-2005 Bedfordshire and Luton Health Improvement and Modernisation Plan Bedfordshire and Luton Teenage Pregnancy Strategy Joint Review Action Plan
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3. Making it happen
3.1 THE PLANNING FRAMEWORK
Corporate planning Service planning Financial planning Long term planning: Services are asked to identify areas of potential major development and spend variations over the next five years, linked with Luton 2011, community plan, the local and national agenda, and known performance issues April Annual report on community plan progress reported to residents (from 2005 onwards)
Information Management finalises Some services complete team plans which workplan for the year, based on budget cascade objectives from the service plan and prioritised with regard to Luton 2011, May into service sections’ workloads corporate priorities etc.
Full version of Best Value Performance
Plan published, incorporating final
statutory performance indicator results Individual performance appraisals begin, for previous year, and setting targets for with objective setting for the next year
June next year, based on corporate priorities, based on the service plan and/or team Luton 2011 goals, statutory plans and plan service plans
Executive discuss medium term financial Annual revision of community plan is position and recommend strategies for July approved by Luton Forum (2005 Council Tax next year and approach to
onwards) budget setting. Possible public consultation on Council Tax choices begins
Drafting and assessment/prioritisation of August corporate priorities for next year
Service plan clinics: Heads of service report back on progress to service plans, identify Executive and Scrutiny review expenditure Corporate priorities for next year issues for next year’s budget including to date and budget approach for next September decided by Members service developments and corporate year priorities for next year, tied in with Luton 2011 goals
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Corporate planning Service planning Financial planning Support services assess resource and Priority performance indicators for next year service provision implications of corporate identified on basis of performance over priorities and other requirements identified previous 18 months; to receive detailed October at service plan clinics and determine if corporate monitoring and action to growth bids are needed improve performance over next year
Detailed budget proposals are challenged, Equalities impact assessments and evaluated for impact on public and
November completed, to be fed into action plans achievement of Luton 2011 goals
Government announces Formula Spending Share (FSS), and Executive receive report on consequences
December Potential public consultation on alternative budgets/council tax levels
Consultation priorities set for next year, Service plans prepared based on draft linked to performance issues and budgets, allocation of support services, corporate priorities for improvement Final assessment of budget proposals corporate priorities, equalities impact January Scrutiny reviews current budget position assessments and priority PIs. Service plans Preliminary identification of IM and FSS outcome include preliminary targets and principal requirements for next year, updating tasks for next year medium-term strategy
Annual review of progress in meeting Budget reported to Executive and community plan targets Service plan clinics: Heads of service report February approved by Council back on achievement to this year’s service Best Value Performance Plan public plans, and the members and officers summary prepared, to include finalise new service plans, check corporate corporate priorities and key tasks and priorities and community plan targets re in
March targets selected from next year’s service the plans, and the plans are resourced plans, and an account of whether last adequately from the budget. year’s targets have yet been met or not
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The diagram below illustrates that the service plans and the revenues budget/capital programme together form the central reference point showing how local, corporate and national agendas will be carried out within the organisation during the year. The arrows indicate the flow of information, tasks or targets from one plan to another. The diagram also illustrates that planning is not based on a simple cascade of objectives from the community plan and Luton 2011, through service and team plans through to personal appraisal objectives, but is influenced by national statutory objectives, budgetary constraints, the results of consultation and performance reviews and inspections.
Community
Plan 2002-2012
Statutory
plans Luton 2011 Medium term financial strategy
Inspections and performance SERVICE reviews PLANS BUDGET and Government grant CAPITAL based on Formula PROGRAMME Spending Share
Consultation (FSS) and staff feedback Team plans
Public
consultation
results
Personal appraisals
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3.2 PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT
3.2.1 Comprehensive Performance Assessment
Along with all other unitary, metropolitan, London borough and county councils, Luton Borough Council’s performance was assessed in 2002 by the Audit Commission.
The Audit Commission assessed core service performance in the service areas shown. Each service is scored on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 being the lowest and 4 being the highest. Education and social care are given more importance in reaching the overall service score than other areas. The scores were updated in autumn 2003 because performance had improved in Social Services and the use of resources.
Service Performance Service Performance Education 3 out of 4 Housing 3 out of 4 Social care - children 3 out of 4 Libraries and leisure 2 out of 4 Social care - adults 3 out of 4 Benefits 3 out of 4 Environment 3 out of 4 Use of resources 4 out of 4 Overall service performance 3 out of 4
A team of inspectors also reviewed the Council’s corporate performance, and made recommendations for improvement.
Key Question Theme Unweighted Weighted score score What is the council Ambition 4 4 trying to achieve ? Focus 3 3 How has the council Prioritisation 3 3 set about delivering its Capacity 2 2 priorities ? Performance Management 2 2 What has the council Achievement 3 9 achieved/not Investment 3 6 achieved to date ? In light of what has Learning 3 3 been learnt, what does Future Plans 3 3 the council plan to do next ? TOTAL THEME SCORE 35 OVERALL CORPORATE ASSESSMENT SCORE 3
Collectively, the service scores and corporate assessment scores gave Luton Borough Council a Good rating, and highlighted the need for improvement in libraries and leisure, and in corporate performance management and capacity building. The inspectors identified a series of improvement priorities for the Council. These are listed below, together with an account of progress since autumn 2002. a) Connect the vision and objectives to clear resource plans and strategies with measurable outcomes. The service planning arrangements, which include six-monthly reviews of progress and remaining work, is rooted in and ensures adherence to Luton 2011. Routemaps for the Luton 2011 goals of deprivation, crime and health have been developed and are published in this Plan. The Medium-Term Financial Strategy, including the Capital Programme, and the Human Resources Strategy all demonstrate the resourcing of corporate goals and priorities. For example, the Council has set aside £900,000 to address recruitment and retention
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issues threatening the implementation of Luton 2011, and is about to introduce a programme of Business Process Re-engineering to achieve efficiencies which will help us to fund our priorities. The annual budget continues to demonstrate a shift of resources towards achieving Luton 2011, for example, £0.7 million allocated to the improvement of street cleansing. b) Continue to develop performance management so that performance information is routinely and consistently used at all levels in the organisation to deliver improvement. A comprehensive performance management system was established which includes: Choice of a set of priority PIs for which performance is to be officially reported to Members at regular intervals during the year, the selection based on Luton 2011 priorities and performance concerns. Action plans are required to improve each PI. Regular monitoring during the year of a set of corporate health PIs concerning issues such as customer care and sick leave, with healthy competition between departments to have the best performance. This has been effective; for example, sick leave has decreased by 23% over the past two years, and payment of invoices within 30 days has improved from 80% to 91%. Corporate Directors monitoring corporate project performance regularly as a group, and taking remedial action as necessary Corporate causes of poor performance have been identified and tackled through capacity-building, for example, the Gold management training programme, and the recruitment and retention policy. c) Make better use of information technology to improve customer focus, service delivery, performance management and internal communication. The Council has invested £2.5 million in the establishment of a customer service centre in the Town Hall and a Customer Service Centre to handle queries by phone, e-mail etc. A call handling and tracking solution together with an Automated Call Distribution system (ACD) underpins the daily operation of the Contact Centre and allows better monitoring of incoming calls and response times to inform the service of performance standards. The Council’s website and intranet have been re-developed to contain more information and present it in a user-friendly format. The website offers transaction capability, for example, the option of paying council tax on-line, and this has proven very popular. A new workflow system manages process flows and tracks the flow of documentation around the organisation ensuring information is passed to the correct individual(s) in the right order at the right time to improve the service to customers. In addition, the Council has bought a business planning system which will be available to managers and Members from September 2004 onwards. It will be used to monitor the collection and reporting of performance data and to provide performance information in graphic form at the touch of a button. We will also use it to monitor implementation of our hundreds of interlinked targets and plans, so we can identify if we are achieving our Luton 2011 goals. The Council now has an Enterprise Information Strategy prepared with the assistance of consultants, to chart our path ahead in achieving performance improvement and efficiency through e-government, business improvement, information management and ICT. See section 4.4. d) Continue to develop the human resource strategy and in particular ensure it identifies and addresses levels of staff satisfaction, member and officer training and development needs, capacity, and two-way communication. Human Resources Division have devised a corporate Human Resource Strategy. An employee survey was carried out and we are taking action on the findings, specifically working conditions, internal communications and recruitment and retention.
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The Gold leadership and management development programme has proven popular and successful. We are now seeking accreditation for the courses, and defining a set of competencies for the Luton Manager. A system of fortnightly team briefing has now been in place across the Council for six months. The suggestion scheme was revised and publicised, and suggestions are invited and receive a response. e) Develop political arrangements so that members are not involved in operational detail, cabinet concentrates on strategy, and the future role and operation of scrutiny and area committees is clear. A New Ethical Framework (Code of Conduct for Members etc.) was introduced. Corporate Governance Officer and Member Working Groups were established with an action plan and timetable. Scrutiny arrangements were improved in response to the findings of the peer review carried out by IDeA and endorsed by the Scrutiny Board in Dec.2001. Scrutiny has a clear annual programme focussed on major scrutiny reviews, which have led to improvements in street cleaning, community cohesion, and services for people with learning difficulties, amongst others. Area committees now engage the Police and representatives of other local bodies. Public attendance is increasing. Ward forums precede the committee meeting, and issues raised are taken up and we report back to the public on progress. Area committees provide grants for local projects.
3.2.2 INSPECTION RESULTS
The results of recent inspections can be found in the Best Value Performance Plan for 2004/05.
3.2.3 CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
In 2003/04 the Council undertook a review of corporate governance in order to improve performance and meet the standards in the CIPFA/SOLACE framework for corporate governance. We did a preliminary check and identified where we would need to take action to meet the standards.
TASK COMPLETED RATIONALE
STANDARDS OF CONDUCT Gap analysis against CIPFA/Solace framework. The openness, integrity and Review of Codes of Conduct. accountability of all within the Develop a local Code of Corporate Governance. Council affect the reputation of Revise Protocol for Member/Officer Relations. the Council. To ensure arrangements are in place to promote an open culture within the Council.
STRATEGIC EXECUTIVE To refocus the role of the Review and workflow recent decisions process to Executive and other Committees highlight strengths and weakness of existing of the Council and its arrangements. consultative bodies, with the aim Review role and responsibilities of portfolio holders. of delivering improved policymaking.
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TASK COMPLETED RATIONALE
STAFF EMPOWERMENT Benchmark existing scheme of delegation (Gap To deliver the actions from the Analysis). IDeA Peer Review Report in the Paper outlining broad principles of new Scheme of area of leadership. Delegation. Review of staff communication mechanisms. Introduction supported by training to key officers. Item on operation of existing Scheme of Delegation at Managers Seminar. Continue to remind Officers on operation of existing Scheme of Delegation
SERVICE DELIVERY ARRANGEMENTS To ensure that Members have Review Policy and Budget priority setting assurance that services mechanisms (integration). delivered or procured by the Review Service Planning Framework. Council are being delivered Review of mechanisms for responding to External effectively to meet agreed policy Inspections. and to agreed standards. Review IDeA Action Plan. Supported by a Performance Management system that provides Members with the required degree of assurance and holds Senior Officers accountable for service outcomes.
NEW CONSTITUTION Limited Revision of Constitution. To implement improvements to Revise Constitution Corporate Governance.
MEMBER DEVELOPMENT Consultation with Members. To support the changes flowing Develop programme. from the review of corporate Deliver programme. governance. In particular the Identify and agree mandatory elements. role of Members: - Casework Management Community Leadership In Opposition The advocacy role Setting the ‘culture’ of the Council.
RISK MANAGEMENT AND INTERNAL CONTROL Gap Analysis against CIPFA/Solace framework. Make Recommendations. To improve risk management of Statement of Internal Control internal control exercised by New arrangements for the Statement of Internal Members. Control
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Tasks for 2004/05 Review arrangements for partnerships with other sectors. Review Performance Management Systems (+ engage Members). Develop scheme of Member appraisal and supporting training to implement it.
3.2.4 STATEMENT OF INTERNAL CONTROL 2003/04
The system of internal control is based on an ongoing process designed to identify and prioritise the risks to the achievement of the Council’s policies, aims and objectives, to evaluate the likelihood of those risks being realised and the impact should they be realised, and to manage them efficiently, effectively and economically.
The Statement of Internal Control 2003/04 includes a review of the effectiveness of the system of internal control. The review is informed by the work of the internal auditors and the executive managers within the Council who have responsibility for the development and maintenance of the internal control environment, and also by comments made by the external auditors and other review agencies and inspectorates.
The review considered that positive aspects of the system of internal control included: The Executive is responsible for Risk Management. In January 2003 the updating of the risk register for 2003/4 was delegated to portfolio holders in discussions with Heads of Service. Principal Risks and their management were included in each Head of Service’s 2003/4 Service Plan. The Executive approved a code of Corporate Governance in Autumn 2003 and during 2003/4 the Council had an active Corporate governance review team comprising senior members and officers. The Council’s Internal Audit Plan is risk based and is agreed with Corporate Directors Management Team (CDMT) and by the Executive and the Council’s Audit Committee annually. This provides the basis for the review of internal control within the Council. Achievement of the plan is reported to the Council’s Audit Committee. Internal Audit provide an annual report to CDMT and the Audit Committee, which provides assurance about the system of internal control throughout the Council. Financial monitoring reports have been considered by CDMT and the Executive throughout the year and the Council has an active budget challenge group comprising senior officers from each department. The External Auditor’s Annual Audit Letter is reviewed by the Council’s Audit Committee. Action plans are produced to comply with the recommendations on improvement in internal control made by the External Auditors. The Management Action Plan is monitored Internal Audit who report to CDMT on the achievement of the recommendations. The Leader of the Council and Chief Executive have been advised on the implications of the result of the review of the effectiveness of the system of internal control by the Risk and Internal Control Group and a plan to address weaknesses and ensure continuous improvement of the system is in place.
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1. There was an overspend of £1,359,000 in Children’s purchased care services, arising from the number and costs of placing children in out of borough residential and foster care. An action plan has been produced to reduce future costs which includes reviews of existing placements and examination of alternative provision, the engagement of a Contracts Officer to examine cost reductions for external placements, new contract care placements and improved management arrangements of tripartite funding. The action plan also proposes examining with Health and Education intensive in-Borough preventative services for teenage children and children with disabilities. 2. There was a need for a significant amount of expert advice in the preparation of a major long- term Waste Management Contract, to protect the Council’s position in future years. The total cost involved in moving to the new arrangements was £570,000 and this was actively managed by finding underspends elsewhere. The contract was signed on the 31 March 2004 and so this is not a continuing issue. It should be noted in relation to both items 1 and 2, that the use of the Council’s budget monitoring mechanisms ensured that at a corporate level, there was not an overspend. 3. The Council needs to ensure that all key controls are identified and evaluated to manage principal risks, and that mechanisms are in place to obtain assurances on the effectiveness of key controls. Actions: Risk and Internal Control Group identify specific areas of concern and work with relevant managers to produce action plans and identify and document the key controls. When this has been done, regular monitoring and review will be introduced including reporting to CDMT. 4. Contingency planning for service interruptions is limited in some areas, except Information Management. Action: Emergency planning exercises including service continuity to be carried out every 3-4 months. 5. A number of employees are routinely working excessive hours. Actions: Human Resource Strategy to address work/life balance; Pay and Reward strategy to address hard to fill posts, consequently reducing pressures placed on colleagues. 6. Heads of Service report that in a number of areas resources are not sufficient to achieve objectives. Actions: bidding for external funding where appropriate; bids for growth; member prioritisation of budgets. 7. Heads of Service report that in a number of areas, there may not be appropriate levels of documentation of the internal control system. Actions: in those areas, a review of current documentation, to improve as necessary. 8. Supporting People. The external inspection of the Council’s Supporting People function awarded it no stars for current performance, but with promising prospects for improvement. The action plan for improvement has now been approved by the inspectorate and the Executive. 9. There are two areas of concern identified by the Head of Audit’s annual audit report where the standards of internal control were assessed as poor and where the prospects for improvement remain doubtful. These relate to customer savings and safe custody arrangements where Social Services hold accounts on behalf of clients. Action plans have been prepared and audit will be carrying out formal follow up reviews in 2004/5 to check that improvements are made.
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3.3 EQUALITIES
Luton’s approach to equalities
The Council’s approach to securing equality in employment and service delivery has evolved over time. This has led to a generic approach to Equalities, which essentially recognises the need for a more holistic approach to tackling inequalities based on race, gender, disability, age and sexuality and any combination thereof.
The Council’s approach to equalities seeks the systematic integration of diversity, equality and anti-discrimination perspectives into all areas of policy, at all stages of policy development and at all organisational levels within the Council. This approach is based on the principle that effective anti-discrimination work cannot be the business of one section or key department solely, but should filter through into all areas of activity.
We are here to serve everyone who lives, works or visits Luton. We will always strive for greater fairness and equality of opportunity for everyone. This is fundamental to achieving our policy objectives.
Service Delivery Commitments
The Council and all service departments will ensure that:
Service users receive equal treatment when accessing services Services are responsive to the changing and diverse needs which exist within the community as a whole Service users are aware of their rights and entitlements when receiving services Services, buildings and information systems are accessible to groups who are disadvantaged or discriminated against with specific provision being developed where appropriate Disabled people are not treated less favourably for a reason related to their disability Reasonable adjustments are made in the provision of services for disabled people Reasonable adjustments are made in relation to the physical features of our property to overcome physical barriers to access Equality Impact Assessments are carried out for all services and resulting action plans monitored to ensure that there is no significant differences in satisfaction for all groups Complaints about services are actioned promptly We work in partnership with all sections of the community We encourage and support people to actively participate in community life We consult on developments in equality with all sections of the community We celebrate the wide variety of lifestyles and cultures in the Borough We provide clear information about Council services and policies in a variety of formats on request such as: large print, taped information or material translated into appropriate community languages. We work with others to provide an environment free from harassment and violence We encourage others to adopt this commitment All external contracts comply with the Council’s equality guidelines and we positively promote equality through the contracting process. All departments carry out equality self-assessment, scrutiny and audit.
The Council’s approach
Future actions will include:
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Improving access to information and services. Preparing annual equalities action plans Evaluating all relevant policy procedures and practices; if they are found to be discriminatory in any way, we will change them Reviewing all service delivery to comply with DDA part 3 requirements Monitoring and evaluation of services and the specific duty on employment resulting from the RRA Act 2000. Challenging all forms of discrimination and harassment wherever it occurs Creating an environment where all employees can work free from discrimination and harassment. Organising a programme of development opportunities to assist employees, particularly those from under-represented groups, advance their careers Improving access to services by, for example, extending the number of accessible transport routes Introducing new braille and tape facilities so that council documents are easily available to people with sensory impairments Consulting disadvantaged groups and communities about their concerns, needs and priorities Monitoring service usage and take - up across all services Organising awareness-raising events, including events to celebrate cultural diversity. Conducting Equality Impact Assessments on all services and publishing results of the assessments. Developing a comprehensive procedure for the reporting, recording and investigation of all hate crimes, harassment and victimisation. Workforce profiling, local labour market assessment and set targets for workforce representation, recruitment, staff training and staff retention. Conducting equal pay review Working to the equality guidelines/standards for procurement and use the contracting process to promote equality Working towards achieving level 5 of the Generic Standard Training to help mainstream equalities into the core business of the Council Improving service user, employee, partner and stakeholder consultation Removing of physical barriers to services Independent reviews of equality action plans by Equality Advisory Fora. Scrutiny of action plans by departmental steering groups, Equalities Unit, Members Equality Group, Scrutiny Committee and Equality Advisory Fora.
MEASURES OF PERFORMANCE
The make-up of the Council’s workforce at all levels and in each department, according to gender, disability status, ethnic origin, age, faith or belief Access to training, discipline and grievance cases and leaving rates, by gender, ethnic origin Participation and success rates at each stage in the recruitment process by gender, ethnic origin, faith or belief, disability status The number and type of hate crimes reported and the percentage on which we took further action Accessibility of council buildings and access to council services for people with disabilities
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4. Resourcing our goals
4.1 MEDIUM-TERM FINANCIAL STRATEGY
Strategic Aims
1. To maintain a balanced budget position, and to set a medium term financial plan demonstrating how that position will be maintained 2. That spending plans will be closely aligned with the Council’s aims and objectives 3. That the Council will maintain a prudent level of reserves 4. That budgets will be continually reviewed and modified to ensure that resources are targeted on key objectives.
In addition, the Council seeks to: o Produce a 5- year capital programme that is fully resourced o Reduce progressively the proportion of Airport funding allocated to revenue, and increase the proportion allocated to the capital programme o ‘Passport’ the full increase in schools formula spending share to schools o Implement in full the requirements of the new Prudential Code of Capital Finance
Medium term planning estimates (as at February 2004)
The medium term planning estimates are set out in the following table. They make no allowance for any change resulting from Council Tax revaluation or any change in the Government grant formula. Pay settlements are calculated as 2.5% per annum, and inflation as at January 2004, and allowance has been made for an increase in pension costs. The increase in schools FSS will be passported to schools. The revenue budget remains balanced without the use of the reserves:
Medium Term Plan 2004/5 2005/6 2006/7 2007/8 2008/9 £m £m £m £m £m Government Grant -172.8 -181.9 -192.3 -202.9 -211.7 Schools ‘Passporting’ 108.3 114.8 121.7 129.0 135.8 Requirement Available for Non-schools -64.5 -67.1 -70.6 -73.9 -75.9 spend
Base Budget excluding schools 106.9 114.2 122.0 129.9 135.6 Growth included in budget 8.1 11.1 13.2 14.8 15.5 Savings included in budget -2.5 -3.2 -3.6 -4.3 -5.5 PSA reward grant -1.6 -1.6 Leisure modernisation/Trust -0.6 -0.9 -0.9 -0.9 Additional Income -0.1 -0.2 -0.3 -0.3 Service Rationalisation target -1.5 -1.6 -1.7 -2.2 Modernisation of Social Services -0.5 -0.5 -1.0 -1.0 Delivery Further Efficiencies including -0.9 -1.2 -1.95 -1.95 Business Process Re- engineering and Procurement Balance capital programme -0.25 -0.45 without further disposals Council Tax ( for 2005/6 onwards -48.0 -51.4 -55.0 -58.8 -62.9 with an increased yield of 7%)
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Investing in Council aims and objectives
The Council’s aims and objectives relate to key developments required over the next few years, but the Council also has to fund statutory services and ensure proper governance in all its operations. In many services, for example children’s care services and homelessness, the level of demand is not fully within the Council’s control. These are limiting factors on the amount of funding that can be allocated to fulfil aims and objectives.
Despite the Council’s success in balancing the budget without the use of reserves over the past two years, we know that in future years underlying levels of basic spend are likely to continue to increase by a greater percentage than the estimated Government grant that is our main source of funding.. The Council has taken the following approach to freeing up funding to re-invest in Council priorities: a) 2% annual savings, and analysis of growth bids Services managers are required to identify 2% potential efficiency savings in their services each year. In years when this will not yield sufficient savings to balance the budget, further savings are also sought. The proposals are evaluated for accuracy, the likely impact on service delivery and the public, and the likely impact on achievement of the Luton 2011 goals and the medium-term objectives. A scoring system is used to appraise each proposal against these criteria. Members then decide which savings proposals to accept.
Growth bids, defined as “exceptional and unavoidable increases in cost” are appraised in the same way. This enables the Council to continue to focus its budget on its key objectives, by accepting the growth bids with the greatest positive effect on achieving those objectives, and accepting those savings proposals that will not adversely affect progress towards Luton 2011.
The overall budget is carefully assessed for risks, and a budget risk management strategy is in place to prevent the anticipated problems occurring and to minimise the impact if they do. For example, we use budget modelling showing trends and projections, to estimate the number of children who will need expensive out-of-borough placements for special educational needs. As a year’s placement for each child can cost up to £100,000, a small, unexpected increase would have a severe impact on the budget. b) Business partnerships Subject to a successful tendering exercise, the Council will enter into a Strategic Business Partnership this year with one or more companies in the private sector, to provide specialised resources for Support Services. This will include a programme of business process re-engineering, driven partly by the opportunities offered by the advance of ICT, which is expected to generate substantial efficiency savings by reducing time-consuming administrative procedures.
The new waste transfer station is being built by a private company, which will run the site for a fixed price, as a DBFO contract . c) Invest to Save Reserve and Scheme The Invest to Save Scheme permits an extra level of revenue costs to be incurred in one year in order to produce a reasonable rate of return in future years. The scheme funds key corporate developments such as the business partnership, and departmental projects which can be guaranteed to provide a real return, and so replenish the funds taken from the Invest to Save Reserve.
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d) External funding The Council has a successful track record of bidding for Government funding to support achievement of priorities. Recent examples include: Transport: £84 million for Translink guided busway between Luton, Dunstable and Houghton Regis Environment: £3 million in Liveability funding for the refurbishment of Wardown Park and St. George’s Square, High Town, Lewsey and Dallow Regeneration: £43 million under the New Deal for Communities programme for the Marsh Farm Trust
In addition, Luton receives extra Government funding to support programmes to reduce deprivation, for example; £X m Neighbourhood Renewal Funding £X m Sure Start funding for early years education and family support
4.2 CAPITAL PROGRAMME 2004 – 2009
The programme was prepared in accordance with the council’s capital programme strategy. The strategy provides a framework for evaluating and prioritising schemes. The following criteria were used:
1. Inescapable Asset Management Plan priorities Compliance with legislation, directives and national standards such as DDA, health and safety Essential works to keep buildings and highways open and safe Essential works to maintain and protect the value of the asset Existing commitments
2. Capital Resources and Revenue implications Fully funded – grant, lottery etc Part funded by third parties Invest to save projects with beneficial impact on the revenue budget
3. Community Plan, Luton 2011 goals and corporate values (See Appendix A for full list)
4. Other priorities or demand led service growth Modernisation and visual improvement of assets Identified service improvements e.g. From best value reviews Encouraging cross-service and multi-agency working Service growth arising from demographic changes.
Heads of service were asked to put forward project bids during the summer of 2003. The Capital and Assets Forum evaluated the programme and scored each potential project against the criteria above, and then drew up a recommended programme for Members to consider.
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Capital programme expenditure is divided between the Luton 2011 goals as follows:
2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 TOTAL (£000) Environment 2,638 3,040 2,962 8,640 Transport 5,803 33,197 54,525 93,525 Leisure 10,042 12,272 2,292 24,606 Crime 170 0 50 220 Deprivation 9,656 8,826 9,052 27,534 Economic regeneration 779 2,625 4,462 7,866 Education 15,298 9,978 8,548 33,823 Health and social care 5,106 3,072 2,746 10,924 Corporate values 7,420 4,766 4,501 16,687
TOTAL (£000) 56,913 77,774 89,138 223,825
4.3 PROCUREMENT
Procurement is defined as, “The function responsible for acquiring by purchase, lease, or other legal means the goods, works and services used by the Council to discharge its functions in an effective and cost- efficient manner”.
In recognition of the importance improved procurement will have in helping the Council to resource the achievement of Luton 2011, we carried out a best value review and have identified a programme of improvement and investment. Since 2002 we have:
Closed the Central Stores, as it was making a loss and put in place more economic direct supply arrangements
Re-focussed the work of the Central Purchasing Unit (CPU), to work on major contracts and purchases, and providing expert advice, rather than processing small, standard purchases. The CPU works to quantified targets, including cost savings. Their expertise is called on for all major projects.
Introduced an e-procurement system, now being rolled out across the authority. This will enable customers in the Council to buy standard items and services from an approved, on-line catalogue, freeing up the CPU to concentrate on strategic procurement issues. The customers will benefit from speedier ordering procedures and more automated payment, the Council will achieve the prevention of ill-advised purchasing, and estimated savings of 2 – 7% of overall spend.
Introduced a programme of staff training to help managers across the Council deal with procurement properly, particularly the letting and monitoring of contracts.
Introduced a range of Key Performance Indicators to monitor the impact of our procurement activity
Maintained our role as a key member of the Central Buying Consortium alongside sixteen other local authorities which include County, Unitary and Borough Councils from across the region
Set challenging savings targets to be achieved through better procurement coupled with improved systems and processes. For example we have put in place an innovative managed
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service arrangement for externally provided temporary staffing placements envisaged to save £900,000 over the four year life of the contract
Put in place a range of service partnerships with external providers e.g Printing, PassengerTransport and Waste Management DBFO while still supporting internal providers where they are economic and efficient
Supported national procurement initiatives such as the Byatt Report, the National Procurement Strategy and Regional Centres of Excellence to ensure Luton has a voice at a National Level on procurement issues
Compiled and introduced a best practice guide on incorporating Workforce Matters into the procurement process
Compiled an Environmental Procurement Guide including an environmental impact tool to be used for assessing procurement projects.
Created a procurement area on the LBC internet to publicise our forthcoming tenders and opportunities
Formulated a Procurement Action Plan to guide future developments and plan resource requirements
4,4 HUMAN RESOURCES
The People Strategy has the following agreed objectives:
“To ensure that staff have the right skills to deliver the services improvements required and enable them to respond to changing demands. To ensure that policies and procedures support change and innovation that are needed to realise Luton 2011, organisational development, and local and national priorities. To create a workforce that is well informed about and committed to the Council’s vision, goals, structure and services and who understand how their personal role contributes to achieving the organisation’s objectives.
The strategy will have a particular regard to: recruitment and retention issues developing the workforce making the Council an employer of choice identifying and removing barriers to achieve effective and innovative H.R. working practices creating a well informed and committed workforce
Other elements will include: succession planning, manpower resource and budget organisational development approach reward and remuneration profile, including recognition policy employee relations approach training and development needs analysis information systems and statistical data to underpin and support any strategy/priority”
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Unemployment in Luton is higher than the national average, yet many unemployed people do not have the skills to gain employment with the Council. The Council as a large employer can play a significant direct role in achieving the Luton 2011 economic regeneration goal, reducing unemployment and improving economic growth of the town. We already offer X apprenticeships to young people each year and our apprenticeship programme has been rated highly by Government inspectors.
The Council has recognized the importance of recruitment and retention and the growing problem the authority faces in competing for qualified staff, particularly in specialisms where there is a national shortage, such as planning and engineering. We are working with local colleges and Luton University to develop courses in hard-to-recruit areas such as social work, so that we can recruit staff locally. The Council has also set aside £900,000 annually to help enhance pay and benefits in hard-to-recruit posts.
Human Resources runs the popular Gold programme of management and leadership training for Council staff. These courses are mostly led by staff within the Council in their own field of expertise. The choice of courses was developed to match our assessment of the skills needed by Council managers today, and include financial management, procurement, change management, team building, project management, equalities in service delivery etc.
4.5 ENTERPRISE INFORMATION STRATEGY
The Enterprise Information Strategy combines the four interrelated topics of e-government, ICT, business improvement and information management. The Strategy was developed in recognition of current weaknesses which could impede our delivery of Luton 2011 goals, for example: Our vision is rather disjointed from the resources we have to deliver it. We aspire to be citizen-centric but there is some lack of belief and scepticism. Our skills are patchy, especially regarding technology, and our ability to respond to service needs is constrained by traditional structures and practices Our organisation structure is traditional, hierarchical and office-based, so most services are delivered within traditional boundaries of Monday-Friday, 8-6. Our processes are sub-silo focussed, perhaps blinkered. We are not good at integration. Our Line of Business Systems are reliable but inefficient. They are ageing and not fit for purpose. Our Corporate systems are in their early days—we can see progress with the Customer Service Centre but there is much more integration to be done The strategy has three phases, concluding in 2012: The Adaptation phase will be critical in preparing for transformation. During adaptation, the culture of the organisation will begin to embrace change in the recognition of what needs to be achieved over the next decade. Within four years time, the organisation will be transformed to deal with the demands of the 21st century. The Council will act as a single enterprise, with service areas working together in a seamless manner to deliver best value to citizens. At Maturity, in 2012, changes will be so embedded that staff can work innovatively and pro- actively to exceed customer expectations. Staff will be empowered and citizens’ needs will be fully met.
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Specific priorities for Business Improvement in Luton Specific priorities for Business Improvement include: Development of technology to support mobile working Development of the use of the Intranet as a source of communication and data access The further development of the ICT infrastructure to support the transfer of information between front and back office systems The further implementation of DIP and Workflow to enhance productivity and data access Provision of additional IM resource capacity to support the development of business systems
Specific priorities for Information Management in Luton Specific priorities for Information Management include: The corporate acceptance of the concept of providing information as freely as possible (subject to access/data controls) throughout the council and that information should be captured once as close to the source as possible and shared as many times as needed. The further development of data security and systematic records management policy. The promotion of adherence to British, European and international standards The standardisation of property data in accordance with BS7666 and citizen data in accordance with BS8766 when available Corporate understanding, ownership and commitment at all tiers of management to the principles of Information Management
Specific Priorities for Information Communication Technology in Luton Specific priorities for ICT include: Developing remote working capabilities Upgrading Line of Business systems for compatibility with joined up systems and data sharing Production of detailed ICT plans for each service aligning information requirements with business needs and corporate strategy Development of a middleware solution that will capture service and client data and provide a depository for easy access and transmission of information. The rationalisation of the number of corporate databases to improve operational efficiency Supporting the Council’s enhancement of its Internet and Intranet sites.
Specific Priorities for e-government in Luton Current priorities, as reflected by developments underway include: Bringing more services into the Customer Care Centre (which incorporates the contact centre and Town Hall service shop) Extending the opening hours of the Customer Service Centre, both for phone calls to the contact centre and for visitors to the service shop Setting up a corporate property database and investigating an integrated customer service database (customer relationship management). Examining the potential for more joined-up services with other providers. Improving customer care. Improving quality of service delivery. Improving the availability of telephone and Internet access.
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Improving the quality of decision-making through better-organised information. Development of further access channels
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APPENDIX A
LUTON 2011 AND THE STRATEGIC PLANNING FRAMEWORK
Luton Borough Council’s strategic planning framework comprises three inter-related elements:
1. Luton 2011 This is the Council’s long-term planning framework. There are two parts; long-term goals to achieve by 2011, arranged under eight themes, and corporate values which we will use as driving principles to help us to achieve the long-term goals. Luton 2011 was decided with reference to community preferences established in the extensive public consultation undertaken for the Community Plan 2002-2012, and relates easily to the themes from the Community Plan. 2011 has been chosen as the end date for the goals to be achieved as it is the end of a second electoral cycle from 2004.
2. Medium-term objectives 2004/07 These objectives are milestones for 2007, on the way to achieving the Luton 2011 goals. All of the objectives descend naturally from the 2011 goals and corporate values. 2007 has been chosen as the end of the first electoral cycle from 2004. Health objectives are yet to be finalised with the tPCT, and are therefore not listed in this version.
3. Corporate priorities 2004/05 The corporate priorities are set annually. They descend from the medium-term objectives. The corporate priorities are fed into service plans each year as priority tasks.
80 Page 80 of 97 LUTON 2011: (LONG-TERM GOALS AND CORPORATE VALUES)
We will work in partnership with the community and local organisations to achieve a dramatic improvement in the quality of life in Luton by 2011. Building on public consultation, we have determined the key priorities for Luton to be: the Environment, Transport, Leisure, Crime, Deprivation, Economic Regeneration, Education and Health and Social Care. We have set targets for 2011 under those headings:
Environment A clean, tidy and green environment is a key priority for local residents. Our targets for 2011 a) Over 75% of the people of Luton to be satisfied with each of the following: Street cleansing Parks and open spaces Abandoned vehicles Noise Pollution Maintenance of roads and pavements The built environment
b) A greener Luton, with a significant increase in the number of trees Transport It is important to reduce traffic congestion and provide adequate parking, and Our targets for 2011 also to make Luton a comfortable town in which to walk or cycle. Increase use of public transport for travel to Luton Town centre by 15% when compared to 1999 levels. Increase walking and/or cycling as a % of total journeys in Luton Leisure Residents, young and old, want more leisure opportunities in Luton. Luton Our targets for 2011 has few performance venues and few leisure facilities for young people. 10% more of the people of Luton are satisfied with the town’s cultural and recreational facilities, including sports/leisure, theatres/concert halls, museums, libraries, parks, community facilities/amenities and open spaces In 2011, 40% of the population will have a library card that they use on a regular basis'
81 Page 81 of 97 LUTON 2011: (LONG-TERM GOALS AND CORPORATE VALUES) Crime In a survey conducted in 2001, only 62% of people in Luton felt safe from Our targets for 2011 crime. Fear of crime is a major concern expressed by Luton residents. Luton residents to have less fear of crime than three Crime and fear of crime carry a heavy cost, not just financial, but on people’s quarters of similar urban areas in England. sense of well-being and their ability to go about their daily business. The Achieve a substantial reduction in residents’ concern Council will work through the Safer Luton Partnership to reduce crime and about anti-social behaviour fear of crime, through the Youth Offending Team, CCTV, street lighting, car Reduce the number of young people who are victims of parking, anti-drugs initiatives, neighbourhood wardens, consumer protection crime etc. Deprivation The Council believes strongly in the reduction of social exclusion and 1.4.1.1.1.1 Our targets for 2011 deprivation. All wards will improve rating in Government deprivation Seven indicators are used by the Government to measure deprivation: indices Income, education, employment, health, housing, access to services and No ward will be in 10% most deprived in England child poverty. We will bring at least 60 long-term empty houses back into To reduce deprivation all these interlinked issues must be addressed. occupation each year Biscot and Dallow wards are currently in the 10% most deprived wards in We will eliminate the use of B&B accommodation in housing England, but there are pockets of deprivation in all wards, and action will be the homeless, except for short-term emergencies taken to assists individuals on a needs-related basis as well as assistance for neighbourhoods. See also the targets under Economic Regeneration, Education and Health and Social Care. Economic Regeneration The regeneration of the local economy will secure the future of Luton. We Our targets for 2011 need to improve the built and natural environment, provide the infrastructure Employment level to be above the East of England for business to thrive, and ensure the local workforce is well-trained and able average to take up high-paying jobs available locally. Full implementation of the Town Centre Master Plan To increase job density substantially In October 2003, Luton’s claimant unemployment rate was 3%, compared to Job density is the number of filled jobs in an area divided by the an overall East of England rate of 1.7%. However, unemployment had working age population resident in that area decreased by 1.2% in a year, compared to a 0.5% increase across the East of England as a whole. Unemployment is highest in Biscot and Dallow See also the targets under Education and Transport and Traffic. wards, among men, and among Black and South Asian minority ethnic groups. Compared to the East of England, a higher percentage of unemployed people are under 40 years of age, and/or have been unemployed for more than 6 months.
82 Page 82 of 97 LUTON 2011: (LONG-TERM GOALS AND CORPORATE VALUES)
Education Educational attainment is a key determinant of life chances. In schools, Our targets for 2011 Luton’s pupils’ performance overall is generally below average compared to Educational achievement levels at all stages to be above other parts of England. This is not acceptable. the national average. Work with Learning and Skills Council, colleges and For everyone though, education and learning opportunities are life-enriching, Connexions to increase the percentage of the Luton and the Council seeks to create a learning society in Luton, with opportunities workforce who are vocationally qualified to at least for vocational and non-vocational learning at all ages, and a rich curriculum in NVQ2 or equivalent local schools. Increase community use of school facilities
Health and social care In common with the rest of England, Luton’s major health problems are Our targets for 2011 cancer, coronary heart disease, diabetes, strokes, childhood diseases and Halve the gap between life expectancy of people in Luton mental health problems. However, Luton also has higher than average and the rest of the country numbers of deaths caused by respiratory disease, and through perinatal Bring death rate for babies in Luton down to the national mortality. Sexual health issues, teenage pregnancies and sexually average. transmitted diseases are also above average. The Council can help to Increase proportion of people misusing drugs or alcohol who improve local people’s health through education and outreach work, through receive treatment and target resources towards the the Environmental Health service and by improving local housing and prevention of such misuse reducing social exclusion. People are more vulnerable to particular diseases Increase proportion of people aged over 65 and vulnerable according to their age, gender, income and ethnicity, so efforts to improve adults, supported by the Council to continue to live health will be tailored to the needs of different groups. independently in their own homes. At least 75% of young people leaving care to go into Social Care plays a pivotal role in protecting vulnerable people and employment, education or training promoting their independence. The Council will help older and vulnerable residents to live independently in their own homes should they wish, and will implement the Supporting People agenda. The Council will support children in its care as a good corporate parent, promoting their health and education, providing adoption and stable foster placements, and looking after their welfare when they leave care. We will co-ordinate our work to protect and support children, following the best practice in Every Child Matters.
83 Page 83 of 97 LUTON 2011: (LONG-TERM GOALS AND CORPORATE VALUES) 2 CORPORATE VALUES
The Council has committed itself to eight values which will guide our efforts to achieve the best for the people of Luton:
1. Lifelong learning for all Ensuring children achieve to the maximum of their ability, to enhance their chances in life. Enabling people to train and enhance their skills, leading to rewarding careers Everyone to enjoy the chance to learn, to enrich their lives
2. Protect and support the vulnerable, support independence Enabling people to lead independent lives as active members of society Protecting and supporting children in the Council’s care, helping them fulfil their potential Reducing crime and the fear of crime
3. Promote equal opportunities, tackle disadvantage Appreciating and celebrating diversity Reducing social exclusion and poverty Freedom and human rights for everyone as an individual, to protect us from discrimination and abuses of power Tackling discrimination and disadvantage experienced by people on grounds of age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, religion, disability and income
4. Value our workforce A well-trained, empowered workforce A workforce reflecting Luton’s diversity Minimised use of agency and temporary staff
5. Sustainable solutions for Luton’s communities A greener, cleaner Luton Development that provides local jobs, housing and economic regeneration for the people of Luton whilst protecting the natural environment, resources and biodiversity of Luton
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6. Open, accessible and responsive government Devolving decision-making to local people Consulting the people of Luton and responding to their needs and wishes Helping people to access our services Admitting and learning from our errors, as well as celebrating our successes Achieving the highest standards of corporate governance
7. Value for money Effective, efficient services A mixed economy of service provision to best meet the people of Luton’s needs Continuous improvement through performance management Maintaining a balanced budget, keeping council tax down
8. Active in partnerships, ready to work with others Encouraging the development of voluntary and community organisations Increasing the role of the voluntary and community sectors in service delivery Working in partnership as a matter of course, not an exception Seamless service delivery with our partners
85 Page 85 of 97 MEDIUM-TERM OBJECTIVES 2004-2007
The Council has established medium-term objectives for 2004-2007. This time period will tally with the medium-term financial strategy, and the electoral cycle. The medium-term objectives act as milestones for achieving the Luton 2011 objectives and long-term targets, and also show how the Council’s corporate values will be put into practice. All objectives are arranged under either one of the Luton 2011 headings, or one of the corporate value headings. Health improvement objectives are being developed in partnership with the Luton tPCT, so are not listed here. More objectives for the reduction of crime will be added, through continuing work with the Safer Luton Partnership.
A) Enablers/inputs, derived from the Corporate Values
Equalities Value workforce Open, accessible Value for money Active in partnerships government Implement a Improve project Encourage and publicise Develop a people-centred, enabling culture which reflects comprehensive revised management to ensure on- work of Luton Forum as a the diversity of Luton’s community communications strategy time, on-target delivery key vehicle for change Reduce use of Agency staff Increase involvement of Keep council tax increases Increase involvement of through successful local people in decision- down voluntary sector in recruitment of Council making at earliest possible achieving council officers stage objectives, including service delivery Develop workforce to meet Put the Pride back in Luton In a phased approach, shift Review role of councillors future Council needs campaign to build pride in airport income from revenue on outside bodies through staff development the town and reduce to capital strategy and programme untidiness and vandalism Increase proportion of Carry out a programme of Use performance Encourage excellence in Council staff living locally, devolution to Area management to achieve local organisations and particularly at senior levels Committees improvement, e.g. BV support them to build reviews Luton’s reputation Achieve improvements to Use Business Process Re- the level of customer engineering to improve service efficiency and cost- effectiveness
86 Page 86 of 97 MEDIUM-TERM OBJECTIVES 2004-2007 B) Service delivery outcomes, derived from Luton 2011 Environment Transport Leisure Crime Deprivation. Regeneration Education Increase Enable older Encourage Remove availability of people and Promote development of redevelopment of Help schools to widen Make Luton unnecessary detox for disabled people to a 1000+ seat auditorium Vauxhall site for quality the choice of subjects greener through traffic from substance live independ- for Luton employment in the curriculum residential streets misusers to ently as much as
reduce offending possible Implement a Enable more skills Have no schools in Encourage rigorous traffic Support football club based, vocational and special measures; Clean streets and a developers to management relocation to junction 10 trade training schemes ensure all schools tidy town design out crime programme to give and a multipurpose in town to match with perform to standards of from the built the streets back to 15000 seat stadium local employment needs highest environment . the people. Improve quality of Develop a lively civic LBC signs; calendar of special or reinstate town crest leisure events Tackle flyposting Develop the Hat factory Reduce % of Luton Improve traffic flow Improve swimming and and graffiti district : housing, cafes, children educated at junctions leisure facilities decisively shops outside the borough Increase fostering Provide more Bring back park wardens and adoption for Encourage housing Enable more people to parking bays at to Wardown and children taken into development in High enjoy lifelong learning neighbourhood Reduce the clutter Stockwood the Council’s care Town; conversions, and opportunities locally shops of signs on streets new build apartments
Restore Wardown Park
Promote Luton’s Demarcate Refurbish St industrial heritage, for designated lorry Achieve EDP targets George’s Square example by considering routes a Hat Museum Promote development of Promote walking Bring National Carnival vacant sites and cycling Arts Centre to Luton
Encourage use of school
buildings by community
87 Page 87 of 97 CORPORATE PRIORITIES 2004/05
Targets have been set under all the Luton 2011 headings and for corporate values. The key priority for 2004/05 is the Environment; other sections are arranged in no order of priority.
Environment Ensure 90% of streets are of satisfactory or high cleanliness standard (PSA) (new cleansing rounds, more frequent cleansing, introducing street washing, litter education and enforcement, cleaning away drug and prostitution litter, abandoned vehicle enforcement)
Provide a greener Luton by Planting trees, protecting trees through tree preservation orders, keeping planted areas tidy, encouraging developers and local residents to plant up areas and look after their gardens
Increase recycling to 35% of household waste by opening second household waste and recycling centre by late spring 2004.
Introduce “Clear Streets” policy to remove unauthorised advertising boards and signs and similar obstructions and hazards from the public highways
Transport Start on East Luton corridor and Translink
Further reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on Luton’s roads
Leisure Following the conclusion of the best value review of leisure, o Increase Leisure Centre usage and income in 2004/5 by 10% through improved programming, facilities, communication and marketing o Improve the current A Card scheme in order to increase take-up by disadvantaged people by 10% during 2004/5
Continue work with partners to establish a National Carnival Centre in Luton by 2006.
Crime Achieve through intervention by the YOT a reduction in the re-offending rate of young offenders of 3% from 2003 to 2004 and 5% from 2003-5, when comparing 2003 offenders with 2002 offenders.
88 Page 88 of 97 CORPORATE PRIORITIES 2004/05
Reduce number of dangerous, wrecked and abandoned vehicles on the streets enforcement action against back street garages and through impounding abandoned cars within 24 hours of notification (PSA)
Improve community safety confidence and quality of the parks environment by introduction of Parks Wardens and improved security measures for parks and public conveniences.
Deprivation Build 20 new homes in partnership with housing associations, and bring 50 privately owned empty homes back into occupation.
Reduce the number of Council homes that are non-decent by 53% (1431 properties) compared to April 2001.
Through the d4 service, assist 56 people with disabilities to gain employment or training (PSA)
Economic regeneration To improve upon the current job density* figure for Luton of 0.76 (by attracting new businesses, and helping them to source trained personnel locally) *Job density is the number of filled jobs in an area divided by the working age population resident in that area. It assists measurement of labour demand, and so can assist in indicating the strength of the local economy, unemployment and skills shortages.
To work for the regeneration of Luton through: o Completion and publication of the Luton Local Plan o Securing creation of an agency to carry forward development arising from the Milton Keynes and South Midlands sub-regional study
Education Double the number of Luton's secondary schools to have a specialism by end of academic year 2004/05.
Continue developing integrated children’s services for Luton to provide a one stop shop approach to Children's Services in 2004.
Open Luton’s first extended school and up to 2 new children’s centres.
Improve educational attainment at a faster rate than the national average at each key stage.
89 Page 89 of 97 CORPORATE PRIORITIES 2004/05
Maintain current low rate of permanent exclusions in Luton schools Health and social care Develop a health improvement strategy to show how the Council will contribute to improving health in the town, to include healthy eating initiatives, reduction in use and abuse of age-restricted products, e.g. tobacco, alcohol.
Increase by 4% the percentage of children looked after who are fostered locally
Prepare a commissioning strategy to ensure social care provision can meet future needs (Joint Review)
Help to achieve Supporting People strategy through: o Building 42 sheltered housing places, with some of these providing extra care o Continuing to increase the proportion of adults with disabilities, and older people enabled to live independently, through housing adaptations and equipment, provision of home care etc.
Open, accessible government Ensure that the public can use ICT to conduct 90% of the transactions with the Council, for which use of this technology is possible.
To improve customer care by transferring the following services into the Customer Service Centre: o Housing o Street Services o Environmental Health, pest control and licensing
Equal opportunities, tackling disadvantage Ensure all Council buildings open to the public are accessible for people with disabilities, (completing our 4-year programme of improvement works, improving evacuation procedures)
Meet targets to make our workforce more representative of Luton at all levels of the organisation (minority ethnic people, men/women, people with disabilities) Revise Council’s equalities action plans, impact assessments and training programmes to tackle discrimination on grounds of religious belief, and sexuality
Value for money Implement e-procurement, ensuring that most goods and services are purchased on-line from approved suppliers
90 Page 90 of 97 CORPORATE PRIORITIES 2004/05
Maintain sustainable balanced revenue and capital budgets, and prudent financial planning and controls
Establish new business partnership to restructure the Council's business processes to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of key business systems.
Valuing our workforce Through new HR strategy achieve: o Management development: increase range of courses and number of people trained under GOLD programme o Improved recruitment and retention, targeting services suffering particular difficulties o An effective response to issues raised in the employee survey
Improve internal communication, ensuring that all staff have access to newsnow team briefing and the opportunity to have questions answered
Active in partnerships Increase involvement of the community in the streetscene by introduction of a Luton Streetleader scheme (linked to Luton Pride and Neighbourhood Watch), with 50 volunteers recruited by Nov 2004
Implement the outcome of the BVR on Community Development to provide a cost effective, community- led service, with engagement of the community in the running of community centres.
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APPENDIX B
LOCAL PUBLIC SERVICE AGREEMENT TARGETS
Luton Borough Council and the Government have signed a Local Public Service Agreement (LPSA) for 2003 to 2006. The Council has committed itself to achieve an extra level of improvement in twelve services by March 2006. If we meet all the targets for a service in full, then the Government will give us a reward grant of £400,000. The Council could therefore receive a total grant of £4.8 million. One target, on domestic fire injuries, is being pursued by the Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service, and any reward grant for that target will be passed onto them. The Council expects to negotiate the next LPSA with the Government in 2005, in consultation with our partners on the Luton Forum.
The Corporate Plan has specific targets listed in the appropriate Luton 2011 theme chapters, and here is the full list.
1 Improving educational attainment Increase percentage of pupils achieving Level 4 or above in tests at Key Stage 2 to 83% for maths, and 84% for English in 2005 (targets under review with DfES)
2 Helping disabled people into employment Increase number of disabled people helped by the Council’s d4 service between April 2003 and March 2006 to attain: Sustained employment: 105 Sustained voluntary work: 63 Accredited training: 42
3 Helping older people continue to live at home Help older people to retain their independence by providing home care and rehabilitation care, to achieve in 2005/06: o Increase in proportion of people receiving intensive homecare per 1000 population aged over 65 to 20.2 o Increase in number of older people helped to live at home per 1000 population aged over 65 to 100 o Increase percentage of items of equipment to assist people with disabilities or long-term illness delivered within 3 weeks to 95.6%
4 Increasing adoptions Increase number of children adopted to 21 in 2004/05 and 24 in 2005/06
5 Removing abandoned cars By 2005/06, remove all abandoned cars of no value within one working day of being notified, and remove cars of value within 2 working days.
6 Keeping streets clean Ensure that by 2005/06, 95% of Luton streets reach a high or satisfactory state of cleanliness, as recorded in random inspections
7 Increasing library use Increase visits to libraries to the following level in 2005/06: o All visits: 1109856 o Children under 5 years who use their library card at least four times : 2,457 o 15-19 year olds who use their library card at least four times: 3263 o People over 60 who use their library card at least four times: 6206
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8 Improving cost-efficiency Improve cost-efficiency by 8% between 2002/03 and 2005/06, as measured by comparing performance over those years for a basket of council services, against total Council expenditure for the same period.
9 Reducing road accident injuries Reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on Luton’s roads to 60 on average for each year between 2003 and 2006
10 Increasing benefit take-up Increase number of people assisted to receive their full benefits entitlement between April 2003 and March 2006 to: o People awarded out-of-work benefits 2565 o People awarded in-work benefits 135
11 Better housing for homeless people Stop using B&B as temporary housing for homeless families for any period longer than 4 weeks by 2005/06
12 Reducing fires in the home Reduce the number of accidental domestic fires to 121 in 2005/06, and the number of deaths or injuries from these fires to 12.
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APPENDIX C
Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy Floor Targets
The Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy, agreed by the Luton Forum, aims to ensure that no one in Luton suffers from the effects of poverty and deprivation, irrespective of their background, ethnicity or neighbourhood. The strategy focuses on small neighbourhoods rather than the larger areas covered by wards where possible.
The Strategy is supported by Government Neighbourhood Renewal Funding for the Council, as part of a national programme to reduce the gap between deprived areas and the rest of the country. The Government has set floor targets, targets that set a minimum standard for disadvantaged groups or areas, or a narrowing of the gap between them and the rest of the country. The Council is expected to achieve these targets by re-directing mainstream expenditure on services as well as through projects using government grants. In Luton, our efforts are focussed particularly on the following floor targets:
NRF national floor target Council action with partners on Luton Forum
Raising standards in English and maths so Introduce the Flying Start programme to two more that by 2004, 85% of 11 year olds achieve schools, bringing the total to 20 and covering the level 4 or above, and, by 2006, the number of schools with the highest level of need as assessed by schools in which fewer than 65% of pupils educational attainment levels, level of free school meals achieve level 4 or above is significantly and percentage of EAL learners. It provides full time reduced provision for all four year olds, part time provision for three year olds and a family worker to support pupil and adult learning from birth to five years
Raising standards in English, maths, ICT and Pilot project for community mentoring of African Science in Secondary Education so that by Caribbean and mixed heritage pupils to be enhanced. 2004 75% of 14 year olds achieve level 5 or Reading Recovery implemented where required. above in English, maths and ICT (70% in Male youth worker recruited to provide additional science) nationally and by 2007 85% (80% in mentoring and role model for white male pupils and science), and by 2007, the number of schools recruit further mentors from the community and local where fewer than 60% of 14 year olds business achieve level 5 or above is significantly reduced. Between 2002 and 2006 the proportion of Three schools supported with the introduction of a those aged 16 who get qualifications Vocational GCSE with an additional member of staff equivalent to 5 GCSEs at grades A* to C recruited to teach in all three schools in a subject rises by 2 percentage points each year on determined in consultation with schools, local colleges average and in all schools at least 20% of and with regard to local skills needs. pupils achieve this standard by 2004 rising to 25% by 2006.
Increase the percentage of pupils obtaining five or more GCSEs at A*-C, with at least 38 per cent to achieve this standard in every local education authority (LEA) by 2004.
Improve life chances for children including by Teenage pregnancy strategy reducing the under-18 conception rate by 50% by 2010.
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NRF national floor target Council action with partners on Luton Forum
Reduce the number of people killed or (See Local Public Service Agreement target also) seriously injured in Great Britain in road Introduce cycling training to schools. accidents by 40%, and the number of children Work with schools to create safe routes to school and killed or seriously injured by 50%, by 2010 safety zones around schools. compared with the average for 1994-98, Creation of Home Zones to give priority to pedestrians tackling the significantly higher incidence in and cyclists in specified areas. disadvantaged communities.
By 2010, bring all social housing into decent Continue to invest in grants to improve private condition with most of this improvement housing, focusing on the most deprived areas of the taking place in deprived areas, and increase town the proportion of private housing in decent Appoint a Decent Homes Co-ordinator for two years condition occupied by vulnerable groups. (2002/04)
Reduce crime and the fear of crime; improve Reduce home burglaries by 25% by 2006 based on performance overall, including by reducing baseline data for the period 2002 – 2003 with no local the gap between the highest Crime and authority area having a rate more than three times the Disorder Reduction Partnership areas and the national average. best comparable areas; and reduce: Target hardening programme in Marsh Farm. vehicle crime by 30 % from 1998-99 to 2004; domestic burglary by 25 % from 1998- 99 to 2005; and maintain that level.
An increase in the number of people Community and business start-up training to be considering going into business, (ii) an developed in conjunction with Luton-based improvement in the overall productivity of regeneration programmes. small firms, and (iii) more enterprise in Increase number of businesses operating in Marsh disadvantaged communities. Farm, by providing business development funding and business skills development.
Over the 3 years to Spring 2006 increase the employment rates of disadvantaged areas and groups, taking account of the economic cycle - lone parents, ethnic minorities, people aged 50 and over, those with the lowest qualifications and significantly reduce the difference between their employment rates and the overall rate.
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APPENDIX D: In preparation
CONTACT DETAILS FOR ASSOCIATED PLANS AND STRATEGIES
The Corporate Plan refers to various plans and strategies which contain further detail of the Council’s approach to achieving specific goals and targets. For more information, contact the following:
All telephone numbers are 01582 area code for Luton, unless otherwise indicated. All contacts are Luton Borough Council staff, unless otherwise indicated. (To be completed)
Contact name Telephone Plan or strategy no. 14-19 Years Strategy (draft) Adult Learning Development Plan 2003 - 2006 Rebecca Nelson 540103 Affordable Warmth Strategy Sarah Allen 546979 Allotments Strategy (when approved) Barry Timms 546702 Asset Management Plan Dinesh Kotecha 546156 Audit Strategy Phil Davies 546077 Bedfordshire and Luton Structure Plan Alan Storah Behaviour Support Action Plan 2004 - 2006 Anne Futcher 548006 Biodiversity Action Plans Children’s Fund Plan Stephanie Cash 544322 Children's Services Plan David Fitzhugh 547619 Class Size Plan Community Care Plan Paul Jenkins Community Development Strategy Ray Westcott Community Plan Anne Hawkins 546681 Joan Bailey, Safer Luton Community Safety Strategy 2003 - 2005 Partnership Andrew Elvin, Connexions Business Plan Connexions Consultation Strategy Nicola Reeve 547261 Cultural Strategy 2003 - 2008 Dave Sutton Education Development Plan Education Inclusion Plan Education Service Strategic Plan Energy Strategy Entertainment and Leisure Strategy, Environmental Strategy (draft) Kully Birring 546768 Equalities Policy and Strategy Val Grant 547147 Equalities Action Plans Ethnic Minorities Achievement Plan Europe Strategy Flying Start Plan Greening Strategy Health Improvement Plan 2000 I 2001 Housing Strategy 2003 - 2006 Alan Thompson Information Management Plan Interim Strategy & Business Plan Inward Investment Strategy Joint Investment Plan For Older People,
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Lifelong Learning Accessibility Strategy Action Anne Futcher 548006 Plan 2003 - 2006 Local Housing Strategy Statement Alan Thompson 546232 Luton Local Plan Alan Storah 546307 Luton Town Centre Partnership Business Plan Luton Walking Strategy 3 Marsh Farm Community Development Trust 4 Abu Nasir 547335 Delivery Plan Mental Health Strategy and Joint Investment Plan Antony Cole 547780 Museums Forward Plan 2003 - 2008 Maggie Appleton 546719 Nature Conservation Strategy Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy (Luton Forum) Anne Clube 546668 Objectives 2 and 3 local development On Track Plan Stephanie Cash 544322 Parks Strategy (when approved) Barry Timms 546702 Pay and Reward Strategy Chris Goulding 546291 People Strategy Chris Goulding 546291 Procurement Strategy Chris Addey 546867 Regeneration Strategy Head of Regeneration 546433 School Organisation Plan 2003 - 2008 Single Regeneration Budget Delivery Plan (Luton and Dunstable Partnership) Social Inclusion Strategy Sarah Allen 546979 Special Educational Needs Development Plan Sports Strategy Sports Development and Facilities Best Value Helen Barnett 400272 Improvement Plan Street Services Best Value Improvement Plan Celia Robb 546248 Sure Start Early Years Strategic Plan 2004 - 2006 David Bruce 548048 Teenage Pregnancy Strategy, Bedfordshire and Luton Waste Strategy for Bedfordshire and Luton Mick Wright 546894 Workforce Strategy for Adult Learning Disability Bernie Middlehurst 547538 (Draft) Youth Justice Plan 2002 - 2005 Noreen Swiecicki 547902 Youth Service Plan Tahir Khan
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