Report of the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils

Recommendations to Ministers on Beacon Authorities for Round 6 Report of the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils

Recommendations to Ministers on Beacon Authorities for Round 6 Office of the Deputy Prime Minister Eland House Bressenden Place London SW1E 5DU Telephone 020 7944 4400 Internet service www.odpm.gov.uk

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Product Code 04LRGG02888/PNL. CONTENTS

Report of the Advisory Panel 5

Introduction 5 The Recommendations 6 The Panel 6 Declarations of Interest 7 The Assessment Process 7 Service Theme Performance 7 General Performance 8 Feedback 9 Dissemination 9 Reflecting the Diversity of Local Government 9 Conclusion 9

Annexes 10

A. Recommendations 10 B. Panel Members 13 C. Declaration of Interests 18 D. Interests Declared 20 E. Advisory Panel Sub-groups 23 F. Theme Reports 25 –Affordable Housing 26 – Asset Management 44 –Effective Environmental Health 60 – Getting Closer to Communities 63 –Healthy Communities 85 – Integrated Children’s Services 93 – Promoting Racial Equality 109 – Supporting Carers 123 – Supporting New Businesses 142 – Sustainable Energy 153 Report of the Advisory Panel

Introduction The Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils is pleased to recommend 48 English authorities to receive the Beacon Council Award. This report presents the reasons for our final recommendations and describes the process that we have undertaken to arrive at our decisions.

The 48 authorities are recommended for a total of 44 separate applications; 43 sole applications and one joint. Applications were made against ten new themes for this, the sixth round, of the Beacon Council Scheme. This brings the total number of themes covered by the Scheme to date to 59. This year’s themes offered every best value authority opportunities to be recognised for their innovation and excellence in themes ranging from Affordable Housing to Sustainable Energy. The Panel is confident that the successful Beacons will offer their colleagues in other authorities numerous opportunities to improve services for the communities they serve. A wealth of imaginative, practical and exemplary work has been demonstrated throughout the exacting selection process. The standard of applications has been extremely high, and many of the authorities that have not been recommended for Beacon status are commended for their energy, hard work and achievements.

Round 6 of the Scheme continued to attract a high level of interest, with 210 applications being received. This year a number of authorities applied for Beacon status for the first time, leaving but a handful of English authorities that have yet to make an application.

The Panel wishes to extend its gratitude to the Specialist Panel Members who provided invaluable expert advice and opinion throughout an intensive assessment process. Thanks also go to the Government Theme Leads who also worked so hard to define the themes and contributed to the selection process. Without these people to underpin the Scheme, it would lack the credibility and robustness that make it so valued.

The Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) has increased its role this year, taking on the responsibility for the application and assessment process from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM). This is in addition to the Agency’s existing role of supporting Beacon authorities in their efforts to disseminate their key messages to peer authorities throughout the country. This positive change means a single point of contact for authorities, whether they are applying for an award, undertaking learning activities as a successful Beacon, or in search of learning opportunities from Beacon authorities. The Agency is also well positioned to integrate Beacon authorities to the wider improvement agenda and initiatives that are operating throughout the sector.

The Beacon Council Scheme has achieved a great deal since its inception, six years ago, and its popularity among users continues to rise as the Scheme develops. But there is much more that can be done in the future. The Panel was delighted to accept an invitation from Nick Raynsford, Minister of State for Local and Regional Government, to undertake a thorough review of the Beacon Council Scheme. Working with the IDeA, the Panel has taken this opportunity to further enhance the Scheme seriously.

Input to the review has included: • A full consultation has been undertaken which closed on February 9th 2005

5 Report of the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils

• A series of regional Round Table briefings • A future-visioning event • A survey of the Applications and Assessment processes • Interviews with officers, members and relevant stakeholders • Research commissioned from Warwick University Business School • A breakfast meeting with the Minister for Local Government and key national stakeholders

The Panel has been considering the evidence, advice and suggestions emanating from these sources and submitted its proposals for improving the Beacon Council Scheme at the beginning of March.

The Panel would like to extend its thanks to the many individuals who have given heir time to complete surveys, attend review events and submit responses to the consultation. Thanks also to our colleagues at the IDeA for their enormous hard work in bringing this together against very short time restraints.

The Panel looks forward to implementing these reforms to allow the Beacon Council Scheme to achieve even more in the future.

The Recommendations We have set out our recommendations for each of the ten themes in the list at Annex A. We recommend that 44 applications from 48 authorities should be awarded Beacon status. Detailed assessments of all the authorities on our shortlist announced in November 2004 are included in the Annex F, which covers each of the themes, along with a summary of the criteria used in the assessments.

Reaching these judgements was not easy. The Panel was very aware that the circumstances of individual authorities, and the environment within which they work, would lead to different levels of performance or improvement. We also considered how differences in the characteristics and circumstances of authorities might account for differences in practice within service themes. We have taken note of the need for the successful Beacons to reflect the diversity of local government and for there to be Beacons from which all in local government have the opportunity to learn. We were particularly mindful of the need to consider the challenges facing small, rural, district councils and the learning opportunities that they can offer to other similar authorities.

The Panel The Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils is an advisory Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB). The Panel is chaired by Marianne Hood, with Clive Grace acting as Deputy Chair. A further eight people make up the core membership of the Panel. In addition, 11 specialists were appointed for the duration of Round 6 – one for each theme except Affordable Housing, where two specialists operated a job-share. A full list of all Panel members and their backgrounds can be found at Annex B.

6 Declaration of Interests In line with Cabinet Office guidelines the Panel has adopted a set of principles and procedures to identify any interests of Panel members that should be declared and action to be taken in respect of such declarations. These principles and procedures are set out in Annex C. A register of members’ interests has been maintained. The interests declared and the actions taken are recorded in Annex D.

The Assessment Process Applications were received from authorities in September 2004 by e-mail. The first stage of the assessment process was for each application to be assessed by the specialist and officials from the relevant government department. Following this, a first sift report on each applicant was drawn up. Core Panel members formed scrutiny panels to ensure that applications were assessed to a consistent standard across all themes.

Government offices were invited to comment on the applications from authorities in their regions. Any user satisfaction survey evidence submitted by applicants was analysed by expert advisers (MORI) working to an ODPM contract. The advisers provided the Panel with a baseline and context against which to assess user satisfaction evidence, and provided an assessment of the robustness of the data. General performance was considered separately by officials from ODPM (see below).

The Panel met in November 2004 to consider all the available evidence and to produce a shortlist of applicants. The shortlist was published on 10 November 2004.

All authorities on the shortlist were visited by the specialist, an official from the relevant government department and an IDeA consultant. For some themes a representative from the regional government office also attended. The purpose of the visit was to investigate and clarify any issues arising from the original written application. The team produced a short report that was used by Panel members in the remaining stages of the process.

Following the visits, the shortlisted authorities met members of the Panel (theme sub-groups) in London for a presentation and discussion. These presentations took place in January. Each authority was invited to make a short presentation outlining the case for it to be awarded Beacon status. This opening statement was followed by a discussion in which Panel members were able to probe aspects of the application. Each theme sub-group made an assessment of the authorities within the theme, which was then presented to the full Panel. The membership of the theme sub-groups is set out at Annex E.

The two-day meeting of the full Panel in February 2005 was used to test the assessments made by the theme sub-groups. The Panel considered all the information contained in the original written application, the visit reports and the views of the theme sub-groups. Following discussion on each of the authorities within each theme, the Panel arrived at the unanimous recommendations set out in this report.

Service Theme Performance The decision framework used to assess applications followed the criteria set out in the Government’s Application Brochure 2004. For all themes the criteria broadly adopted the following generic model:

7 Report of the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils

Clear evidence of successful outcomes; Good levels of user/community satisfaction with services; A clear vision and strategy, for the service or function; Full consultation with relevant stakeholders about the outcomes desired; Effective partnership working; Successful actions in the service area.

Successful Beacons were expected to demonstrate excellence in each of the key criteria identified. However, it was particularly important that Beacons should demonstrate very strongly and clearly that they had delivered successful outcomes and had high or improving levels of user satisfaction.

General Performance Beacons had to demonstrate good overall performance as well as excellence in the theme that they applied for. Authorities had to demonstrate that they are generally well managed, succeeding in delivering the quality of services that local people expect and were suffering no major weaknesses in any key service areas. Authorities were not expected to be excellent across all services.

Authorities look to Beacons for examples of best practice, excellence and innovation which means that good overall performance is an important element of the scheme. It is essential that excellence in any particular service area has not been achieved at the expense of other services. Where an authority is clearly well-run across the board, it is more credible that the excellence it has achieved in particular services will have resulted from conscious and coherent management action that could be followed by other authorities.

The Beacon Council Scheme uses CPA as the main method for determining general performance. Any authority with a CPA rating of “Poor” was ineligible to apply for Beacon status on General Performance grounds. At the beginning of the process only 12 applicants did not have a CPA rating. These authorities were required to submit a cross section of information including the authority’s Best Value Performance Plan, the Audit Report on the plan and where appropriate, the District Audit Management Letter. Additional information was requested where Management Letters identified significant problems.

Following the initial sift of applications, the Panel noted areas of particular strengths and weaknesses, which were followed up on visits to, and presentations by, the short-listed authorities. The Panel looked for authorities to be able to demonstrate where necessary, that they were tackling poor performance effectively, with evidence that performance was moving in the right direction.

By the end of the process all but one of the authorities had undergone a Comprehensive Performance Assessment. No authority received a “Poor” rating.

The Panel sub-group on General Performance reviewed the evidence, particularly for the one applicant authority without a CPA rating.

8 Feedback The Panel regards feedback to applicants as a vital element of the Scheme. Feedback serves two important purposes. First, part of the Panel’s responsibility is to explain to applicants how we arrived at our recommendations. Second, we hope constructive feedback will help applicants in their continuing efforts to improve their services. Each applicant will therefore receive copies of all the assessments made at each stage of the process.

Dissemination The Panel looked for evidence that authorities had fully thought through their proposals for spreading their best practice to ensure they would, if selected as a Beacon, provide a valuable learning experience for other authorities. The Panel considered carefully the views of the IDeA on the effectiveness of each authority’s proposals, particularly looking for an applicant’s: • Focus on key messages and target audiences; • Ideas on how to share good practice with others; • Resources or expertise available to spread good practice.

No shortlisted authority failed to achieve a recommendation for Beacon status solely because of its dissemination proposals.

Reflecting the Diversity of Local Government Ministers have indicated throughout this and previous rounds that the Beacon Council Scheme should be open to all English authorities and that the final selection of Beacons should – as far as possible – provide a good spread of authorities representative of the diversity of local government. The Panel is satisfied that its final recommendations reflect this requirement.

Conclusion This Report sets out the Advisory Panel’s recommendations to Ministers on which authorities should be awarded Beacon status in Round 6 of the Scheme. We are confident that the authorities we are putting forward are providing – from those that applied – some of the best services to be found in the 10 theme areas of local government. We are certain that other authorities can benefit by learning from the Round 6 Beacons, and hope they will take the opportunities to do so, leading to better services for local people everywhere.

9 Report of the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils

ANNEX A

Table of Recommendations Theme Applicants shortlisted in Recommended for Beacon Status November

Affordable Housing Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council Basingstoke & Deane BC Derbyshire Dales District Council East Hampshire DC East Cambridgeshire District Council (J) LB of Greenwich + Fenland District Council South Hams DC + South Cambridgeshire District Council + Cambridge City Council + Huntingdonshire District Council + Cambridgeshire County Council + Forest Heath District Council + St. Edmundsbury Borough Council East Hampshire District Council Kennet District Council London Borough of Greenwich London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham Reading Borough Council South Hams District Council Southampton City Council Tynedale District Council Wealden District Council

Asset Management Ashford Borough Council Ashford BC Bournemouth Borough Council Cambridgeshire CC Cambridgeshire County Council Hertfordshire CC Carlisle City Council Leeds City Council Cheshire County council Rotherham MBC Cornwall County Council Essex County Council Hertfordshire County Council Leeds City Council Rotherham MBC Telford & Wrekin Borough Council

Effective Environmental Coventry City Council Coventry City Council Health Doncaster MBC Westminster CC London Borough of Bromley London Borough of Southwark Stoke on Trent City Council Westminster City Council

10 Theme Applicants shortlisted in Recommended for Beacon Status November

Getting Closer to Blyth Valley Borough Council Blyth Valley BC Communities Dudley MBC LB of Croydon London Borough of Croydon LB of Haringey London Borough of Haringey LB of Tower Hamlets London Borough of Tower Hamlets South Somerset DC Maidstone Borough Council Tameside MBC South Somerset District Council Wiltshire CC Stockton on Tees Borough Council Tameside MBC Westminster City Council Wiltshire County Council

Healthy Communities Cannock Chase District Council Cannock Chase DC Gateshead MBC Gateshead MBC Manchester City Council Manchester City Council Stockton on Tees Borough Council Stockton on Tees BC

Integrated Children’s Essex County Council Essex County Council Services Knowsley MBC Knowsley MBC Leicester City Council Telford &Wrekin BC London Borough of Hammersmith & West Sussex CC Fulham North Lincolnshire Council Sheffield City Council Telford & Wrekin Borough Council West Sussex County Council York City Council

Promoting Racial Bristol City Council Bristol City Council Equality Gravesham Borough Council Gravesham BC London Borough of Greenwich LB of Tower Hamlets London Borough of Lewisham London Borough of Tower Hamlets Suffolk County Council (J) + Babergh District Council Wycombe District Council

Supporting Carers Bury MBC Hertfordshire CC Gloucestershire County Council Rochdale MBC Hertfordshire County Council Sefton MBC Rochdale MBC Sunderland City Council Sefton MBC Somerset County Council Sunderland City Council Surrey County Council Tameside MBC

11 Report of the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils

Theme Applicants shortlisted in Recommended for Beacon Status November

Supporting New Bolton MBC Derwentside DC Businesses Derwentside District Council East Riding of Yorkshire Council East Riding of Yorkshire Council Medway Council London Borough of Greenwich Rotherham MBC London Borough of Southwark Medway Council Rotherham MBC

Sustainable Energy Bristol City Council Cornwall CC (J) Cornwall County Council (J) + Caradon DC + Caradon District Council + Carrick DC + Carrick District Council + Kerrier DC + Kerrier District Council + North Cornwall DC + North Cornwall District Council + Penwith DC + Penwith District Council + Restormel BC + Restormel Borough Council + Isles of Scilly Council + Isles of Scilly Council High Peak BC High Peak Borough Council Leicester City Council Leicester City Council LB of Lewisham London Borough of Havering Nottinghamshire CC London Borough of Lewisham Shropshire CC Nottinghamshire County Council Woking BC Shropshire County Council Woking Borough Council

12 ANNEX B

Panel Members

Chair

Marianne Hood (Chair) has been an Independent Advisor and Housing Consultant for the last eight years, this has included working for DETR on ‘Best Value’, for the Countryside Agency and Housing Corporation on regeneration in rural areas, and for the Chartered Institute of Housing. Clients include local authorities, Registered Social Landlords and tenants’ groups. For over 20 years she has worked with and for residents, local councillors and local government staff. She has undertaken paid and voluntary work as a Secretary of a Tenants’ Federation, a local teacher, an advice worker with Tameside Welfare Rights Unit, a support worker for the Manchester Tenants’ Federation, as the National Co-ordinator for Action for Homes and Jobs, and as Director of TPAS (Tenant Participation Advisory Service). Voluntary positions include: Chair of the National Housing Forum, Chair/Vice-Chair of Labour Housing Group, Board Member of Burnley and Padiham Community Housing and a Member of the CIH/ODPM Advisory Panel for the Innovation Into Action grant programme. (Contract expires September 2006.)

Core Members

Susan Angoy is the Founder and Managing Director since 1997 of a consultancy company that specialises in the areas of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR); small area Economic and Social Development; equalities issues and inter-sector partnership development. Major clients include: BP Company plc, North London TEC, Allied Domecq, UN Development Programme and ODPM. She has extensive local government experience and of working with local communities. She has worked as Head of the Economic Development Unit in LB Hackney and also undertook a secondment to central government to establish the Inner City Task Force in Hackney. She then spent three years as Chief Executive of Deptford City Challenge. Earlier in her career she spent four years with the Commission for Racial Equality. She has also held a wide range of non-executive appointments including on: Tower Hamlets Housing Action Trust, Homerton Hospital NHS Trust, Docklands Light Railway, and ODPM Urban Renaissance Awards Panel. (Contract expires September 2005.)

Dr Mohammed P Aslam is currently the Chief Executive of Worcestershire Racial Equality Council. He has worked in local government, the voluntary sector and higher education. He was a County councillor for nine years, during which time he was Vice Chair of the Economic Development Committee and Chair of the Youth Advisory sub committee. He has over 25 years experience working with local voluntary groups and community organisations. Dr Mohammed P Aslam has spent a considerable number of years working in local government where he led projects on community engagement and voluntary sector participation in the work of public authorities. Dr Mohammed P Aslam is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. (Contract expires September 2006.)

Angela Cornforth has been a councillor in the London Borough of Greenwich for six years. Prior to this, she was a councillor in Lewisham for eight years. She has worked on various committees, including housing, neighbourhood renewal, public services and education. She was a board member of Deptford City Challenge, and is a board member of South East London Heat and Power Plant. From 1998-2003 she was the Director of European Studies in a large secondary school, and is a school governor and OFSTED inspector. She is also an independent consultant for school improvement and the co-editor of the Quality in Education series. (Contract expires September 2006.)

13 Report of the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils

Clive Grace is the Director-General of the Audit Commission in Wales (ACiW) having been Chief Executive at Torfaen County Borough Council from1995 to 2003. Prior to that he was Director of Law and Administration at Southwark, and Head of Legal Branch at the ILEA. Before entering local government he worked as a Senior Advisor in Community Law Centres in Cardiff and London, and was a Parliamentary Policy Advisor. He is a Trustee of the SOLACE Foundation and of the Campaign for Learning, and a Member of the CIPFA Council and of the Executive of the PMPA. He served as a specialist member of the Beacon Advisory Panel in Round 3 for the theme ‘Community Legal Services’. Clive is the Deputy Chair of the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils. (Contract expires September 2005.)

Mark Greenburgh is a solicitor with national law firm Wragge & Co LLP where he heads the Local Government Team and specialises in all aspects of employment law. He is a regular contributor to the Public Sector Employment Law Journal and speaks on Local Government improvement and HR issues. He was a member of Buckinghamshire County Council from 1993- 2001, and its Conservative Leader from 1997-2000. He was the Founder Chairman of the Drugs Prevention Education for Adults project and a member of the Aylesbury Value Race Equality Council Executive Committee. Mark has written and spoken for the IDeA and the New Local Government Network. He was a member of the North Birmingham Community Health Council from 2001 to 2003 and Observer to the Birmingham and Black Country Strategic Health Authority. Mark is a vice chair of a Secondary School in Birmingham. (Contract expires September 2006.)

Olu Olasode is Chief Executive of TL First Consulting and Chair of SLFHA Housing Association. He is also Commissioner of the Social Care Commission (CSCI) and Chair of its Audit Committee. Olu further serves as a non-executive Director of Bromley NHS Primary Care Trust. Olu’s area of expertise is public service productivity, with his more recent executive roles being as CPA and Inspection Consultant with the Audit Commission and Executive Director of Resources with Mildmay Hospital. (Contract expires September 2005.)

Linda Phipps is the Chair of East Leeds Primary Care Trust in the NHS. She has a portfolio career structured around a mix of public service appointments and consultancy, with particular interests in coaching, community involvement, evaluation, health inequalities, and transport. Recently appointed as a Health Scrutiny Adviser with the Centre for Public Scrutiny, she is an independent consultant on local government improvement, who has worked with the Audit Commission, SOLACE, and IDeA, and as a CHI Reviewer. She has been a Non-Executive Director in the NHS for six years, and prior to becoming a PCT Chair, she was a NED and Vice-Chair in the Leeds Community and Mental Health Trust. She was previously Director of a charitable foundation examining key social, economic and environmental issues and also ran the Duke of York’s Community Initiative. She was an Executive Director at Kirklees MBC for two years. (Contract expires September 2006.)

Neil Wightman is a serving local government manager with Camden Housing Advice Service. He is also a partner in a training and consultancy service for housing advice providers and landlords. He has been involved in a variety of groups including, several Best Value and service review teams, an expert panel for the Law Commission considering dispute resolution, the GLA’s housing advice strategy and is currently the Chair of Camden’s Community Legal Service Partnership. He is involved with a number of youth and community issues and is a trustee board member for Kilburn Youth Service and is a member of a steering group for a local community service which provides advice to private tenants. He was also involved in two successful Beacon applications in Camden. (Contract expires September 2006.)

14 Alan Woods OBE is the Chief Executive of ENCAMS, a national charity part funded by DEFRA and other public and private sponsors and concerned with improving local environmental quality and reducing anti-social behaviour. Prior to this, he was an officer in local government, working in Wandsworth, Kingston and Westminster. He is a member of the Business Improvement District Steering Group and has represented ENCAMS on the CABE SPACE Steering Group. He is also involved with the LGA/Central Government Shared Priorities Programme. He is a member of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management and a Board member of the international Foundation of Environmental Education, which is concerned with the European Blue Flag and Eco-Schools amongst other issues. (Contract expires September 2006.)

Specialist Members

AFFORDABLE HOUSING – jobshare Jo Lavis is a qualified town planner who specialises in affordable housing. She joined the Housing Corporation in November 2003 and is currently Investment Manager for the East Midlands. Previous to this Jo was the housing lead at the Countryside Agency where she worked to build the rural dimension into relevant national policy and encourage others to address rural affordable housing needs at regional and local level. During the nine years Jo was at the Countryside Agency/Rural Development Commission her affordable housing work was variously combined with planning, social exclusion and local governance. This experience has assisted her build up a bank of knowledge on affordable housing issues and good practice.

Steve Wilcox is Professor at the Centre for Housing Policy at the University of York. He is also part time self employed and Associate Director with HacasChapmanHendy. Previously he was a Senior Research Associate at Cardiff University, and principal housing policy advisor to both the London Boroughs Association and the Chartered Institute of Housing. He edits the annual UK Housing Review, and has written reports on housing finance and housing policy issues for a wide range of UK organisations. He was a member of the Housing Sounding Boards for both Hilary Armstrong and Nick Raynsford and acted as advisor to the House of Commons Social Security Committee for their recent review of the Housing Benefit Scheme.

ASSET MANAGEMENT Robert Lee is a Chartered Surveyor and had some 30 years experience in the local government, the last ten years of which were at chief officer level with responsibility for the management of a large property estate. Robert is now a consultant with Solace Enterprises Ltd, providing interim senior management services in local government. He is Chairman of the RICS Local Government Policy Panel and, in the latter capacity, chairing a group, including representatives of ODPM, DfES, Audit Commission, CIPFA, LGA and local authority property associations, commissioned by ODPM to write new guidance for local authorities on asset management plans within the framework of the Prudential Code.

EFFECTIVE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH Ian Foulkes is the Director of Policy at the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health. Prior to this he was Head of Public Protection at the Local Government Association. His early career was spent as Environmental Health Officer in Solihull, Birmingham and as Assistant Head of Environmental Health in Cambridge. Ian was formerly the Secretary to the West Midlands Branch of CIEH; former Joint Secretary to HELA; founder of the LGA Contaminated Land Advisory Group; Member of the DCMS National Advisory Group on Licensing Reform; experience of numerous central government groups, panels and fora. 15 Report of the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils

GETTING CLOSER TO COMMUNITIES Gabriel Chanan is Director of Research and Policy at the Community Development Foundation. He has worked in teaching, educational research and community arts as well as community development. He has carried out pioneering European research on the role of local citizen organisations and has played a leading role in CDF’s advice to government on integrating community involvement into social policy. He has written influential guidance booklets for regeneration partnerships and has devised and directed innovative forms of evaluation of local community projects. He recently completed research for the Home Office on measurement of community strengths and for ODPM on community involvement in urban development.

HEALTHY COMMUNITIES Dame Yve Buckland was appointed Chair of the Health Development Agency in 2000. Prior to this she was Chair of the Health Education Authority. She is also Vice-Chair of the South Warwickshire Primary Care Trust, a trustee of the ContinYou; a director of the Pharmacy Healthcare Scheme, an Honorary Member of the Faculty of Public Health and a fellow of the Warwick Business School Institute of Public Governance. She was a member of the Modernisation Action Team on Health Inequalities set up by the Secretary of State for Health to feed into the NHS Plan 2000. She went on to become a member of the National Task Force on Inequalities and Public Health. In 2004 Yve was appointed to the Curry Commission on food and farming to provide expertise on public health issues. Dame Yve’s professional background was in local government. Between 1992 and 1999 she was Deputy Chief Executive and the City Secretary of Nottingham City Council, where among other things she led the work to create a shared vision and effective partnership between health agencies and the local authority to tackle health inequalities in Nottingham.

INTEGRATED CHILDREN’S SERVICES Ros Clayton is a self-employed adviser on education and children’s services. Currently she works mainly for the DfES on school improvement and for IDeA on integrating children’s services. Ros is Joint Chair of the Leeds Compact Partnership and also Chair of the West Leicester School Improvement Group. Prior to this she was the Director for Education and Children at Peterborough Borough Council, having responsibility for children’s social services as well as education. Ros is a qualified teacher and was appointed to the role of Director following 13 years experience as Principal of Comberton Village College, a community secondary school. Ros is a member of the National Young People’s Learning Committee (Learning & Skills Council) and was a member of the DfES School Workforce Reference Group. She has experience as a council member of the local (Cambridgeshire) Learning & Skills Council and as a board member of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Connexions Service and Chair of its Local Management Committee.

PROMOTING RACIAL EQUALITY Gerard Lemos is a partner at social researchers Lemos & Crane. He leads a team of researchers investigating social policy issues including race equality and the needs of vulnerable people. He is the author of numerous reports and books. Gerard has served on a range of working parties and task forces for British Government departments including the Treasury, the Cabinet Office and the Social Exclusion Unit amongst others. He is a Civil Service Commissioner and Deputy Chair of the British Council. He is also the Chairman of the Banking Code Standards Board, Chairman of the Notting Hill Housing Group and Chairman of the board of Akram Khan Dance Company. He is also a member of the Home Office Race Equality Advisory Panel. He was formerly an Audit Commissioner, the Chair of the Arts Council of England’s cultural diversity panel and the Vice-Chair of Homeless International. He received a CMG for services to the British Council in the Queens Birthday Honours List in 2001. 16 SUPPORTING CARERS Alison Ryan is currently the Chief Executive of the Joseph Weld & Trimar Hospice and Dorset Cancercare Trust. Until September 2004 she was the Chief Executive of the Princess Royal Trust for Carers, the largest provider of direct services to carers in the UK. She has also been a carer herself for over 20 years. Prior to this Alison was a Non-Executive Director of Somerset Partnership Mental Health and Social Care NHS Trust. From 1985 -1998 she was the Chief Executive of the Society for Horticultural Therapy (now called THRIVE). Alison is a member of the Partners Council of NICE and was previously a member of the Programme Board, School of Occupational Therapy, Coventry University and has held various executive positions with the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority.

SUPPORTING NEW BUSINESSES Martyn Robertson is the Head of Business Start-Up at Leeds Metropolitan University. Prior to this he was a Principal Lecturer there. His early career was in accountancy and he has worked for Cawood Holdings Plc, Price Waterhouse and British Rail. Martyn has an M.Sc. in Entrepreneurial Studies from the University of Stirling. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a Fellow of the Institute of Business Advisors, a member of the Market Research Society, a member of the Institute of Directors, a member of the Institute of Management and a Fellow of Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. Martyn is also the proprietor of Robertson Bell & Co., SME Business & Leisure Consultants.

SUSTAINABLE ENERGY John Chesshire is an economist and former Professorial Fellow and now Honorary Professor at Sussex University. He is an Associate Fellow, Oxford University and a Visiting Professor, City University. He is a Member of the Government’s Sustainable Energy Policy Advisory Board; Chairman, Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes; Deputy Chairman, the Government’s Fuel Poverty Advisory Group; Chairman, Warm Front (Fuel Poverty) Health Evaluation Steering Group; and Chairman, Warm Zones Evaluation Steering Group. He has been an economic and policy adviser to UK public agencies, Government departments, the TUC, several international institutions and numerous other bodies. He was an adviser on energy matters to several House of Commons Select Committees over 22 years. He is a past President of the Institute of Energy. John was appointed an OBE in the New Year Honours, 2003.

17 Report of the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils

ANNEX C

Declaration of Interests

Introduction

This annex sets out a brief description of interests to be declared by members (including the Chair) of the Panel and the action to be taken in respect of any such interests. The terms of appointment for members made clear that they should act in accordance with the Nolan principles for Standards in Public Life, avoiding situations in which their Panel duties and private interests conflict or in which there could be a perception of conflict. Compliance with these principles requires that holders of public office should declare any private interests relating to their public duties and take steps to resolve any conflict in a manner which protects the public interest.

Interests to be declared

There is a variety of possible interests. Some may be pecuniary but there will also be other interests such as those which arise from membership of particular organisations. Members should declare any personal, public or business interests which members of the public might reasonably consider could influence their judgement or conflict with their responsibilities as Panel members. Panel members should also consider whether the interests of close family members and persons living in the same household as the Panel members should be declared.

Action to be taken

A Panel member who knows or suspects that a conflict of interest will occur should write to the Chair explaining the position and should also declare any such conflict in any relevant meeting. Should a member become aware of a possible conflict during the course of a Panel meeting it should be declared orally without delay. All declarations of interest will be recorded in the minutes of the relevant meeting. The Chair will be responsible for maintenance of a register of declared interests by the Secretariat.

Members should not participate in any discussion or decision specific (i.e. relating to the relevant service theme) to an application by an authority in respect of which they have a pecuniary interest (for example in cases where a member is an employee of a firm which undertakes work for an authority in the particular area for which the authority had made an application for Beacon status). Members should declare the nature of any such interest and withdraw from the room.

When an interest is other than of a pecuniary nature, for example where a Panel member is a member or employee of an authority which has made an application, the member should consider whether participation in the discussion or determination of a matter relating to that application would suggest a real danger of bias. This should be interpreted in the sense that members might unfairly regard with favour, or disfavour, the application made by a particular authority or authorities.

18 In considering whether a real danger of bias exists in relation to a particular authority, Members should assess whether they, a close family member, a person living in the same household as the Panel member, or a firm, business or organisation with which the Panel member is connected are likely to be affected more than the generality of those affected by the decision in question.

Where a Panel member considers there is a real danger of bias the member should declare the nature of the interest and withdraw from the room.

A Panel member may identify an interest which in their view does not create a real danger of bias. However, they may also consider that a member of the public might reasonably think that the interest would influence their decisions. In such cases the member should declare the interest but may, with the agreement of the Chair, remain in the room and participate in the discussion and the decision on the matter concerned.

Dispensations

The Chair of the Panel (or, in cases when the Chair is not present and has not been consulted in advance, the Panel member who has assumed the chair of any Panel sub-group or other meeting involving Panel members) may grant dispensations allowing Panel members to speak or to participate in discussion where the interest in an authority is not so immediate that it would be wrong for such participation to take place or one of the following criteria is met:

a) the discussion concerns a considerable number of authorities which happen to include the authority or authorities in respect of which the interest has been declared; or

b) more than half the members present at any meeting would otherwise have to withdraw;

c) or the balance of the Panel would in the view of the Chair, confirmed by those members of the Panel without such an interest, be upset.

The Chair may also grant dispensation allowing Panel members to take part in decisions where their interest in an authority is not so immediate that it would be wrong for such participation to take place or one of the following criteria is met:

a) the consideration concerns a considerable number of authorities which happen to include the authority or authorities in respect of which the interest has been declared; or

b) more than half the members present at any meeting would otherwise have to withdraw; or

c) the balance of the Panel would in the view of the Chair, confirmed by those members of the Panel without such an interest, be upset.

The Chair would seek any dispensation to participate in discussion or to take part in decisions from the Deputy Chair.

19 Report of the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils

ANNEX D

Interests Declared

Panel Member Interest Declared Dispensation/Action

Core Members

Marianne Hood St Edmundsbury – worked for Haverhill To withdraw from specific discussions (Chair) Town Council, paid for by St and decisions on St Edmundsbury and Edmundsbury. Brent. Dispensation to be present for Brent – employed as a consultant. general discussion and decisions on themes and general performance.

Susan Angoy No interests to declare. N/a

Dr Mohammed P Aslam No interests to declare. N/a

Angela Cornforth Greenwich – currently serving elected To withdraw from specific discussions member. and decisions on Greenwich and Bexley – employed on an occasional Bexley. Dispensation in both cases to basis as consultant. be present for general discussion and decisions on themes and general performance.

Clive Grace Rotherham – involved with BT, who To withdraw from specific discussions work jointly with council. and decisions on Rotherham. Dispensation to be present for general discussion and decisions on themes and general performance.

Mark Greenburgh Buckinghamshire – former leader of To withdraw from specific discussions the council. and decisions on Buckinghamshire. Dispensation to be present for general discussion and decisions on themes and general performance. Gloucestershire – as part of his To withdraw from specific discussions employment at Wragge & Co has acted and decisions in all cases. Dispensation for the Education and Social Services to be present for general discussion and Departments – the scope of the decisions on themes and general instruction is relevant to the themes performance. applied for (ICS/SC/AM). Birmingham, Canterbury, Coventry, Dispensation in all cases to be present Dudley, Lincolnshire, LB Barking & for general discussion and decisions on Dagenham. LB Croydon, LB themes and general performance. Southwark, Milton Keynes, Shropshire, Somerset, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Wolverhampton, Worcestershire, Wycombe – as part of his employment at Wragge & Co Mark has provided legal advice to these authorities.

Olu Olasode No interests to declare. N/a

20 Panel Member Interest Declared Dispensation/Action

Core Members

Linda Phipps York – has provided support in Dispensation in all cases to be present improving performance management. for general discussion and decisions on Doncaster, East Riding, Leeds, North themes and general performance. Lincolnshire, Preston, Salford, Sheffield, Stockport – has carried out best value inspections in all these authorities.

Neil Wightman No interests to declare. N/a

Alan Woods Employed by ENCAMS, a charitable Dispensation in all cases to take part in body whose membership includes 66 discussion and decisions on themes of the applicant authorities. and general performance.

Specialists Interest Declared Dispensation/Action

Yve Buckland No interests to declare. N/a

Gabriel Chanan Birmingham City (Getting Closer to Dispensation to be present for general Communities) – currently in discussion discussion and decisions on themes. about organising an advisory piece of work for authority on community development. No personal pecuniary interest.

John Chesshire No interests to declare. N/a

Ros Clayton Leicester City (Asset Management/ To withdraw from specific discussions Integrated Children’s Services) – and decisions on Leicester. working on behalf of the DfES on Dispensation to be present in all cases school improvement issues in West for general discussion and decisions on Leicester. themes.

Ian Foulkes No interests to declare. N/a

Jo Lavis Derbyshire Dales (Affordable Housing) To withdraw from specific discussions – assisted authority to draft application. and decisions on Derbyshire Dales, South Hams, Wealden (both South Hams and Wealden. Affordable Housing) – previously Dispensation to be present for general employed by Countryside Agency discussion and decisions on themes. where developed their planning policies for Affordable Housing.

Robert Lee No interests to declare. N/a

Gerard Lemos No interests to declare. N/a

Martyn Robertson No interests to declare. N/a

21 Report of the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils

Specialists Interest Declared Dispensation/Action

Alison Ryan Somerset (Supporting Carers) – local To withdraw from specific discussions resident and carer. and decisions on Somerset. Previously employed by the Princess Dispensation to be present in all cases Royal Trust for Carers. A number of for general discussion and decisions on applicant authorities in the Supporting themes. Carers theme have carers’ centres which are part of the Trust’s network.

Steve Wilcox No interests to declare. N/a

22 ANNEX E

SUB-GROUPS

General Performance

Olu Olsode (Chair) Alan Woods

Dissemination

Linda Phipps (Chair) Angela Cornforth Marianne Hood Neil Wightman

Affordable Housing

Marianne Hood Jo Lavis Steve Wilcox

Asset Management

Clive Grace Robert Lee

Effective Environmental Health

Neil Wightman Ian Foulkes

Getting Closer to Communities

Susan Angoy Gabriel Chanan

Healthy Communities

Linda Phipps Dame Yve Buckland

Integrated Children’s Services

Mark Greenburgh Ros Clayton

23 Report of the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils

Promoting Racial Equality

Dr Mohammed P Aslam Gerard Lemos

Supporting Carers

Angela Cornforth Alison Ryan

Supporting New Businesses

Olu Olasode Martyn Robertson

Sustainable Energy

Alan Woods John Cheshire

24 ANNEX F

– Affordable Housing

– Asset Management

– Effective Environmental Health

– Getting Closer to Communities

– Healthy Communities

– Integrated Children’s Services

– Promoting Racial Equality

– Supporting Carers

– Supporting New Businesses

– Sustainable Energy

25 Report of the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Introduction

In many communities people are facing difficulties securing good quality housing at an affordable price. The Sustainable Communities plan launched by the Deputy Prime Minister on 5 February 2003 set out a programme of action to increase the supply of market and affordable housing. Local authorities have a crucial role to play in tackling the problem and devising solutions through their strategic housing function, their planning powers, utilising the resources over which they have control and through working with others.

There were 27 applications for this theme, of which 12 were shortlisted (Basingstoke & Deane, Derbyshire Dales, East Cambridgeshire & partners, East Hampshire, Greenwich, Hammersmith & Fulham, Kennet, Reading, Southampton, South Hams, Tynedale and Wealden).

Decision Framework

The Panel was looking for authorities to have developed and implemented effective resident consultation and involvement. They would have policies and strategies in place to secure and maintain delivery of affordable housing through a range of innovative and effective solutions, while working collaboratively with a full range of stakeholders, both inside and outside the authority.

The authorities recommended for Beacon status demonstrated real outcomes in these areas from which others could learn.

Recommended for Beacon status

Basingstoke & Deane East Hampshire Greenwich South Hams

The following paragraphs summarise the Panel’s assessment of each of the shortlisted authorities against the key criteria for the theme.

BASINGSTOKE & DEANE An excellent example of how an authority can improve the supply of affordable housing using a variety of means. Particularly noteworthy is the way that housing is embedded in a very active Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) and the close working relationships between the council and its partners, resulting in new housing developments that contribute to the three aspects of sustainable development. The housing and planning sections work well together. Policies are in place to improve provision in the rural areas, but a question hangs over the extent of rural delivery.

26 Outcomes

The visit confirmed a good record of delivery in Basingstoke with more than 40% affordable housing being achieved on section 106 sites. Changes in the management structure of the council support effective cross professional working and promotion of sustainable development. There is exemplary working with the LSP leading to a truly holistic approach to developing and supporting sustainable communities on larger scale developments. The council uses innovative ways of involving the community in strategy development and informing new development. There was clear evidence of good working relationships between housing, planning and the legal department on S106 developments. The authority have embraced the Housing Corporation’s (HC) new partnering approach and as a result have been able to lever in significant funding, including investment on windfall sites and are actively working to achieve affordable housing with nil SHG contribution. Formal and regular working with private sector landlords has increased this sector’s contribution to the supply of affordable housing.

User and Community Satisfaction

Post regeneration surveys are used to shape policy and approaches to new development and address any issues arising on the current development. There is evidence that successful approaches adopted on major regeneration schemes are being adopted more widely, including in rural areas

Vision and Strategy

The vision is clearly articulated and all the partners support its attainment. The strategy is supported by good HNA data and a broad Housing Partnership Board and ward level data on a range of social and economic indicators. Planning policies complement the housing strategy with lower rural threshold. There are very strong and effective links with the LSP and the community strategy. The council has responded positively to the withdrawal of SHG by introducing new SPG, working closely with the HC, buying land that could be developed using the ‘whole site’ approach it is piloting. Elected members are very closely involved in the development and implementation of the strategy. This has been strengthened to improve the involvement of ‘back bench’ councillors. Various training events are used to support councillor involvement in policy making and their involvement with their constituents.

Consultation

The form and extent of consultation was impressive. The council uses innovative ways to involve the community and hard to reach groups to gauge views that inform the Community and Housing Strategies. The council is committed to addressing the needs of black, minority and ethnic (BME) communities and recognised that their limited presence in the area placed an even greater emphasis on the need to work with these groups. The council takes consultation a step further by formalising the involvement of the wider community in the development of housing strategy and policy through the multi agency Housing Partnership Board. These approaches extend to rural communities, with the use of planning for real and flexibility so that consultation techniques are able to respond to rural circumstances. The involvement of older people considered to be an example of best practice by Better Government for Older People.

27 Report of the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils

Partnerships

There is very strong partnership working across the statutory, voluntary and private landlord sectors. The partnership with the LSP is exemplary, particularly on major regeneration sites. The council has recognised the importance of involving the private sector in strategy development and of improving the way in which S106 sites are brought forward and developed.

Actions

Management structures have been re-organised to support the improved delivery of affordable housing in ways that support the creation of sustainable communities and tackle social exclusion. The council has improved training and structures to support the effective and positive contributions that councillors can make to improving the supply of affordable housing. There was a clear willingness to use all areas of council responsibility to improve supply and engage the community.

EAST HAMPSHIRE East Hampshire is continually working to improve the delivery of affordable housing. This is based on strong partnership working across the council and with external partners. They have a clear vision that is carried through their housing and planning strategies. These, together with their SPG and S106 agreements are based on a good understanding of housing needs. Community engagement is strong and well supported through the Community Team and particular steps have been taken to involve the BME community, including gypsy and travellers. The authority has responded proactively and positively to the designation of much of the district as National Park and the increasing emphasis on sub-regional working.

Outcomes

There was a demonstrable very good level of delivery in rural and urban areas with realistic targets given the resources available. This is particularly remarkable given that the strategic and enabling housing department consists of two FTEs. There was strong partnership working with Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) and private developers. Good corporate structures support effective joint working between housing and planning with full member involvement. The council has few land resources but does continue to provide capital funding to support delivery. It has a dedicated private sector housing team to improve the quality and availability of privately owned and rented stock. This, along with innovative funding arrangement with one of the RSLs, has helped to improve the supply of affordable accommodation.

User and Community Satisfaction

The council assesses – and acts on assessments – of user and community satisfaction. This is particularly strong for rural investment. The principles of this approach have been used to develop and revise provision on new urban development. A further example of the use of and responding to user satisfaction surveys is the abandonment of the Lifetime homes standard, providing a saving on development costs, and using DFGs where needed following discussion with disabled users group.

28 Vision and Strategy

There is clearly a strong corporate commitment to improving the supply of affordable housing. The housing and planning strategies are jointly developed and supported by robust and frequently updated HNAs. More recently, the council has worked with adjoining authorities on sub regional HMAs, seeking to improve the provision of affordable housing through the sub-regional group.

The LSP includes a housing sub-group which feeds directly into the development of the housing strategy. In addition, the LSP picks up related housing issues through other sub-groups including the social inclusion group. A particularly strong feature is the extent to which councillors are involved so they are able to make a positive contribution to delivery. There is strong joint working between officers and councillors and this feeds into strategy development and a positive approach to site development. The strategy team is forward looking and is already taking a leading role in strategy development for the new South Downs National Park.

Consultation

The consultation arrangements are good, use innovative techniques and take place on a regular basis. Despite BME groups being a very small part of the population, the council has fully embraced the need to find ways to engage this community, in particular Gypsies and Travellers. The council is already recognised as a national exemplar for the way they involve young people. On site specific proposals there are good arrangements in place for assisting the community to become involved in the shape and form of new development including the use of Planning for Real and use of Parish Plans and Market Town Health Checks.

Partnerships

The visit confirmed the strength of the partnership working between the council and its preferred RSLs, the voluntary sector and the Primary Care Trust (PCT). It was shown that these have had positive outcomes levering in development finance, improved working with the private development sector and innovative funding such as the Millennium Homes project with the PCT. During the visit the council demonstrated that work is progressing with the Ministry of Defence on bringing forward affordable housing as an element of creating a new sustainable community on a significant site. In recognition of the need to work across boundaries, the council is now actively involved in a number of emerging sub-regional partnerships. Of particular interest is the Hampshire rural affordable housing partnership, which is responding to the need to ensure that rural housing remains an attractive investment for HC and its partners, and that rural needs do not become lost in the sub- regional HM definitions. A housing summit to improve dialogue with the private sector was well received and the sector have asked for this to be repeated.

Actions

There is increased delivery of affordable housing that will be taken forward through a jointly developed Housing Delivery Action Plan. The council has an excellent record of delivery on rural exception sites. It has responded positively to changes in government policy by continuation of capital funding after the withdrawal of LA SHG, using other resources and working with private sector landlords to improve the supply. Corporate mechanisms are in place that support very close links between planning, housing and community departments. This has improved the supply and quality of affordable housing developments.

29 Report of the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils

GREENWICH The scale and range of the new affordable housing schemes being developed, and performance against all criteria, were impressive. However, there were some minor concerns about lack of child orientated play spaces in high density Riverside developments, and limited arrangements agreed for London wide nominations to schemes funded as a regional priority by the Housing Corporation.

Outcomes

The site visits and discussions confirmed the impressive scale and range of new affordable housing schemes, both recently achieved and planned in the years ahead. There is a clear willingness to innovate and strong evidence that lessons learned are applied elsewhere. There is also evidence of longer term thinking in how best to secure affordable housing in perpetuity. However, the private sector high-density riverside schemes are predominantly targeted on households without young children. While there is a clear market for this accommodation, the insertion of affordable housing, and especially for families with children, within such schemes is inherently problematic. Greenwich have worked hard at reconciling those issues, and are aware of the need to develop complementary plans, that give a greater priority to the needs of families with children, elsewhere in the borough.

User and Community Satisfaction

An explicit range of user satisfaction processes are clearly identified and distinct from consultation arrangements. There is a clear recognition of the ‘stigma’ attached to affordable housing by the wider community. Clear attempts have been made in relation to the Royal Arsenal site to tackle this proactively (with partners) and to sell the benefits of mixed communities.

Vision and Strategy

A clear vision and strategy based on a strong evidence base. There are good links to regional and sub-regional plans. While the Beacon application has focused on the new riverside developments of private and affordable housing, the council does have a comprehensive range of housing policies related to affordable housing, including effective use of the private rented sector through leasing and rent deposit schemes. Housing strategy has, however, yet to secure fit for purpose status and there is the need to take forward strategic plans for the development of schemes and policies elsewhere in the borough to improve provision of affordable housing for families with children.

Consultation

A clear commitment to – and understanding of – the benefit of wide-ranging and innovative approaches to consultation, at strategic, locality and scheme level.

Partnerships

Site visits helped to demonstrate excellent partnership working, both sub-regional and local, with private landlords and developers as well as RSLs and voluntary sector. There is a need to ensure that the major riverside developments in Greenwich do benefit the sub region, rather than just Greenwich, particularly in terms of the nomination arrangements for affordable housing that must reflect the substantial level of Housing Corporation funding provided, that could not have been justified solely in terms of the needs for affordable housing in Greenwich.

30 Actions

Strong links between housing and planning within the council at both member and officer levels. There is also clear evidence provided of the success of attempts to engage developers & RSLs early in relation to s106, and wider planning discussions regarding affordable housing. In the future planning conditions are to be introduced to prevent new resident groups from closing down children’s play areas. The council needs to monitor demand and allocations of intermediate housing schemes to ensure they meet priority needs. It also needs to develop plans and policies to improve the supply of more family orientated affordable housing elsewhere in the borough.

SOUTH HAMS The visit and supplementary information confirmed the impression of clear planning and housing policies to secure affordable housing since 2002, and provided a helpful context as to the rationale behind the change since then. There are well-researched plans still in process of development, and good sub regional links and consultation with all stakeholders, including the private sector. There has been good progress since overturning the pre-2002 planning policy that prioritised environmental protection.

Outcomes

Investment in new housing association schemes totalled £5.6 million over the years 1999/2000 to 2002/03, largely derived from the ‘useable’ Large Scale Voluntary Transfer (LSVT) receipt. In all, a £13 million fund was set aside from the LSVT receipt for affordable housing; some of this is still ‘in the bank’ for future use. The total net receipt from the LSVT was some £30 million, but of that £19 million was required in the first instance to be set aside against General Fund capital debt. Only some £10 million (25% of the gross receipt) was immediately ‘useable’. The council has also contributed sites from its own limited land bank to support affordable housing schemes. £1.5 million was used specifically to buy temporary accommodation for homeless households following the stock transfer.

User and Community Satisfaction

Extensive consultation is undertaken to provide resident feedback and help to develop support for policies. The visit provided additional evidence of customer satisfaction surveys undertaken as “post completion critical reviews” of schemes. In addition user satisfaction surveys are undertaken six months after tenants have moved into new dwellings.

Vision and Strategy

Clear evidence based strategies, linking housing, planning and economic development. There is also strong sub-regional links, especially with Plymouth in relation to the Sherford housing site. This site had initially been strongly opposed by the council, who – on the basis of the evidence of need supplied through the Housing Needs Survey – have since become actively engaged with the proposed site. There are a range of policy initiatives including a leasing scheme, in part targeted on improving second homes on condition that they are leased to the council for 10 years. The housing strategy in the process of being updated to secure fit for purpose status.

31 Report of the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils

Consultation

Wide ranging consultation exercises, involving all stakeholders, including private developers, and residents, have been undertaken at both the strategic and site specific levels.

Partnerships

Partnerships have been established at both sub regional and local levels, and involve private developers as well as RSLs. There are strong links between housing and planning within the council at both member and officer levels.

Actions

There is a detailed programme of actions to review and develop existing policies. The council is exploring innovative approaches, including grant free intermediate housing. Concerns had been raised about the lack of clear statement of proportion of affordable housing required through the planning process – all green field sites promoted through the Local Plan will have to meet target of at least two-thirds affordable housing. The council has adopted Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Guidance requiring 50% of affordable housing on windfall sites. It has spent 50% of its capital programme on housing following stock transfer. Since 1999 11 section 106 agreements have provided 235 affordable homes in the district.

Not Recommended for Beacon status

Derbyshire Dales East Cambridgeshire jointly with Cambridge City, Cambridgeshire, Fenland, Forest Heath, Huntingdonshire, South Cambridgeshire and St. Edmundsbury Hammersmith & Fulham Kennet Reading Southampton Tynedale Wealden

While not recommended for Beacon status there were nonetheless considerable merits in the affordable housing policies and practices of all the short listed authorities. In particular it was noted that while they had yet to achieve the outcomes that would have secured Beacon status, the innovative planning policies developed by Derbyshire Dales, Tynedale and Wealden districts may be of considerable interest for other rural authorities.

DERBYSHIRE DALES The council provided clear and detailed evidence based strategies and policies, as well as clear actions to confront issues. There have been recent improvements to strategy and affordable planning targets. There is a good comprehensive range of housing and planning policies related to affordable housing, and clear evidence of effective cross departmental working. However, outputs still fall well short of total needs, and it is only in the last year that affordable housing has become a top priority for the council. More could have been done in the preceding years. The council is however strong on both consultation and partnerships, although more limited on user satisfaction.

32 Outcomes

There are clear planning policies, with 45% affordable housing planning targets now established. However, some schemes in the pipeline are still delivering a far more limited proportion of affordable housing (including one major scheme with just 10% affordable housing – although it does also provide a new road and river bridge to take traffic away from the small town centre). There is a focus on developing market town brownfield sites in recognition of National Park restrictions. The council provides good support for private sector schemes (grants/rent deposits), and a comprehensive range of housing policies for affordable housing, as well as planning and development policies.

User and Community Satisfaction

The council engages parish councils in support of local schemes, and monitors satisfaction on grants. Post completion user satisfaction surveys have been recently introduced by housing associations and some issues also get picked up through needs surveys. User monitoring has only recently been introduced for new affordable housing schemes. The council needs to ensure that results of monitoring are used effectively in planning future schemes and services.

Vision and Strategy

An evidence based strategy that covers a good range of policies and initiatives. The housing strategy has been developed since failure to achieve fit for purpose rating. The housing strategy is now being developed jointly with High Peaks District Council by joint staff team. There is a wide range of integrated planning and housing policies to deal with affordable housing; this is indicative of good joint working within the council. The council needs to continue making progress towards achieving fit for status rating for the joint housing strategy with High Peaks District Council.

Consultation

The council uses wide-ranging consultation both at strategy and scheme level. There were positive views on consultation by partners, who were very supportive of the council’s application. Parish level needs surveys and consultation exercises are undertaken to gain support for local schemes.

Partnerships

Partners include private developers as well as RSLs and other key stakeholders. There has been a positive evaluation of partnerships by the IDeA. Programmes and actions are area based rather than institutionally based. The council works well with the national park, and also has well developed joint working with High Peaks District Council, including joint officers.

Actions

There is a very clear identification of a wide range of issues needing to be tackled, and the actions that have been taken. Now that affordable housing has been adopted as top priority by the council, together with their more robust planning policies, the council is well placed to improve its delivery of new affordable housing in the coming years. Although it contributed limited funds for affordable housing from the stock transfer, the council does continue to fund new affordable housing (drawing on second homes council tax monies), despite the abolition of LASHG. In addition, over the two years 2004/06 it is also providing sites for 103 new homes at below market values. 33 Report of the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils

EAST CAMBRIDGESHIRE & PARTNERS The presentation and visit confirmed that this is a very strong sub-regional partnership with a good level of delivery of affordable housing across most of the constituent partner authorities. The partnership has been in existence for a number of years and its maturity supports sub-regional working which is embedded in the culture and working practices of officers and members. There is clear evidence of innovation and good practice that is shared, and of working together to produce and use a joint housing strategy based on a sub-regional housing market assessment.

Outcomes

The output is good and rapidly improving, rising from 101 units 2003 to an expected 672 in 2005/06. The partnership acknowledge that this still falls short of the levels of need experienced in the sub-region. There is well-developed cross boundary working, particularly on strategic sites. This is backed by strong political commitment to affordable housing and to sub-regional working. To secure this the sub-region has clear established mechanisms to secure local political ‘buy in’ to sub- regional strategies and approach. The sub-regional structures allow for member authorities to innovate and share good practice. They have embraced their status as a growth area and the concept of sustainable communities.

User and Community Satisfaction

Assessing user and community satisfaction is part of the on-going development of major sites, such as Cambourne. This is further enhanced by the use of Impact assessments. Bury St Edmunds take the lead on this and others have learned from their experience. There may be a need to strengthen and embed the experience of assessing user and community satisfaction into the processes that inform the development of the sub-regional strategy.

Vision and Strategy

There is a clear vision and the drive to improve the supply of affordable housing to meet the needs of the existing and rapidly expanding population of the sub-region. There is a good sub-regional housing strategy supported by sub-regional HMA data and developed with input from planners and RSLs through an affordable housing group. Particularly noteworthy is the formal process that exists for securing local and political ‘buy-in’. This ensures that the sub-regional strategy is adopted and implemented at a local level. Flowing from the over-arching strategy a number of related sub- regional strategies have been adopted including supported housing, homelessness and older persons’ strategies. Each of the constituent LSPs have adopted improving the provision of affordable housing as a key priority. Through the activity of the partnership, Cambridgeshire County LSP are now looking to define a LPSA target for delivery of affordable housing.

Consultation

There is evidence of effective consultation at a local level including with key stakeholders, difficult to reach groups and local politicians. At a sub-regional level there is very active and close engagement of RSLs and the private sector in the development of the sub-regional strategy. The sub- regional strategy appears to be the preserve of officers. It would be helpful to establish mechanisms whereby residents of the sub-region have an opportunity to be involved in its development.

34 Partnerships

The visit demonstrated very strong partnerships between the constituent authorities. This has been given a stronger focus by the establishment of ‘Horizons’, a Special Development Vehicle that includes the key stakeholders. The sub-regional partnership is supported by funding by the constituent authorities and working at this level across professional boundaries is embedded into job plans of operational staff. There is good partnership working with the private sector through the Cambridge Land owners group (CLOG) and the Private developer Forum. This provides a forum to provide joint training and seminars, facilitated discussion that informs procedure and joint commissioning of research.

Actions

The nuts and bolts of delivery are in place and being used effectively across the sub-region. The sub- regional group has been in existence for a number of years and has established patterns of working and mechanisms for securing political buy in. The sub-regional group has provided a ‘voice’ for the constituent authorities in the development of the RSS and RHS. They have embraced their status as a growth area and are striving through joint working and consistent planning policies to develop new sustainable communities. In response to limited funding they are exploiting the extent to which they can achieve affordable housing at nil grant. They are considering adopting a LPSA on number of units built without public grant. By working as a sub-region they have been able to attract funding that has become available as a result of schemes slipping elsewhere in the region. They continue to develop a sub-regional pipeline of new development in line with the new approach being adopted by the Housing Corporation.

In terms of the nuts and bolts of delivery they are not particularly innovative but the effectiveness of the sub-regional working is to be applauded. The designation of Cambridgeshire as a ‘growth area’ accentuates the need for sub-regional operation and provides resources that support its work.

HAMMERSMITH & FULHAM The council demonstrated an excellent rate of delivering a range of affordable housing. Using innovative planning mechanisms, corporate working and a broad range of funding it has supported the development of schemes that contribute to creating sustainable neighbourhoods. However, it is not clear that all schemes are well designed or effectively targeted, and consultations and partnerships are clearly expected to conform to members expectations.

Outcomes

The council has a good record of delivery. It makes maximum use of the planning system, including an innovative policy for securing sites solely for affordable housing. It draws on robust information on the housing market and housing needs information. It provides housing to meet a range of needs in the affordable housing sector. Investment in affordable housing is complemented by action that brings social, economic and environmental benefits. While the council made only a small contribution towards funding affordable housing through LASHG (£3 million since 1999/00), it has made a greater contribution through the provision of local authority sites at below market value, including sites becoming available following school closures. Altogether sites for 618 affordable housing dwellings have been made available since 1999/00.

35 Report of the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils

A number of schemes, and plans for future schemes, are of exceptional quality. The council needs to ensure that all schemes are well designed. It also needs to ensure intermediate housing schemes are effectively targeted, and avoid tokenism (ie the small number of home ownership dwellings to be sold at 70% of market value in perpetuity at Imperial Wharf, that are currently valued at £350,000).

User and Community Satisfaction

The initial application focused on user and community involvement in consultation rather than measures levels of satisfaction. However, RSLs are expected to undertake customer satisfaction surveys within one year of development, and surveys of existing residents within the council sector, and focus groups with residents set up during the planning of new schemes are also used to capture evidence on tenants satisfaction with their accommodation. The council was able to provide a schedule of design changes that have been identified from the assessment of these various forms of user satisfaction. There is a need to extend user satisfaction measures across provision of all housing policies and services related to affordable housing, and ensure that design issues identified through user satisfaction measures are incorporation in future scheme designs.

Vision and Strategy

The vision embeds the provision of affordable housing into the need to provide a mix of housing that serves the needs of all the community. The Community and Housing strategies are mutually supportive. There is political support for the vision and action proposed in the strategy. This supports corporate working, particularly across housing and planning departments. These strategies and policies are based on robust and up to date information on housing needs. Sub-regional working and strategies have been adopted in response to the new regional arrangements for allocating SHG. Progress against objectives and targets is regularly monitored and informs the development of the housing and housing related strategies. The housing strategy has fit for purpose status. There is a need to monitor effective priority demand for intermediate housing from all the income range groups at which it is targeted, and ensure this is reflected in future policies on the appropriate mix of social and intermediate forms of affordable housing in future plans and developments.

Consultation

A number of techniques are used to consult a range of stakeholders, including residents, on strategy and specific schemes and projects. Consultation on the housing strategy is used to ascertain views on a number of related issues that are used to inform other relevant council strategies. This re- enforces the corporate approach to meeting housing needs and creating sustainable neighbourhoods. The council needs to ensure the effectiveness of consultation policies and procedures are supported by the style of political leadership.

Partnerships

The LSP plays a key role in bringing together major stakeholders and gaining political backing to actions taken. Key partners are involved through the range of specialist group partnerships, that operate at the local and sub-regional level. The council needs to ensure that the activities of the wide range of partnership groups are co-ordinated, and that they support effective joint working practices. It needs to structure processes to manage conflicts of interest with developers in order to achieve results and minimize unproductive confrontations.

36 Actions

The actions adopted have a proven delivery record. They draw on a range of planning and funding mechanisms to secure affordable housing. The improved provision of a range of affordable housing has been secured through innovative ways of working with the private sector and bringing empty properties back into use. Monitoring results of action taken informs development of future strategies. The benefits of sub-regional working have been recognized. There is a need to monitor effectiveness of policies on intermediate housing and build on the lessons from successes and failures of previous schemes.

KENNET Kennet are a good performing local authority and are taking some interesting steps that are improving the supply of affordable housing. These need to be seen in the context of a restrained land supply because of AoNB designation over much of the area and limited resources. The authority demonstrates a willingness to innovate and strives for continual improvement. However, it is not clear whether the authority are maximising all the opportunities that are open, particularly in relation to working with private developers.

Outcomes

A good record of delivery based on good HNA information. There is a recognition of, and participation in, sub-regional groups that impact on the district. It uses a range of mechanisms to increase the supply of affordable housing including using its own land and resources, new development using section 106, empty homes and the private rented sector. A particularly noteworthy approach is the use of Choice based Lettings to make the most effective use of existing stock. This is being expanded to take on Low Cost Home Ownership properties

Vision and Strategy

There is a strong corporate commitment to the delivery of affordable housing and the housing strategy is supported with a robust HNA and information being collected through participation in two sub-regional partnerships. Leadership for taking this work forward is provided by the Chief Executive who is involved in monitoring progress at bi-monthly meetings. Planning policy does respond to the need to improve the supply of affordable housing with different thresholds applying across the authority, including a one for one policy in settlements with a population of less than 3,000. There has been a re-organisation of council departments which will improve corporate working between housing and planning departments. However, this is not mirrored in the political structures.

Consultation

The community is being involved with the SCI providing a ‘handle’ for widening and strengthening involvement in the development of policy. There is also a requirement in development briefs for developers to involve the public in the design of new developments. The development of the strategy is supported by a number of other cross professional for a including private landlords. The council highlighted the work they are doing with the PCTs so that housing becomes part of the public health agenda. However, there is a need for more to be done to engage difficult to reach groups in the development of strategy.

37 Report of the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils

Partnerships

The visit demonstrated strong links with the major RSLs, and the voluntary sector. Kennet are involved in two sub-regional groups in recognition of the increasing emphasis on this level of working by the Regional Housing Board. The presentation confirmed that partnership working with the private development sector needs to be improved at strategic level and through earlier dialogue on section 106 developments. There may be a need to rationalise the number of RSLs that the council work with, particularly with the increasing concentration of funding into the Housing Corporation’s partner RSLs.

Actions

A housing strategy that is well informed by up to date housing needs and market information. Locally relevant thresholds are in place for negotiating affordable housing. There is a safeguarding of the supply of existing social housing by gaining rural designation under the Right to Buy (RTB) legislation. The council demonstrated a willingness to innovate and has developed successful approaches, for example, the Choice based lettings approach, and the adaptation of a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) on the MoD site. The council is looking for mechanisms to increase supply of capital finance – although concerns have been raised by the ODPM.

READING There is a clear commitment and substantial achievements in Reading. The council has had robust affordable housing planning policies in place for some time, and programmes to provide shared ownership and key worker as well as social rents housing. There is substantial council funding for new RSL schemes which continues despite the abolition of LA SHG, together with provision of council land at nil/negligible cost. The council has given limited emphasis to the related areas of housing policy. The effective impact of the new 50% affordable housing targets on delivery is not yet clear. Reading is good on consultations and partnerships, but work is needed to ensure they are maintained. The council also needs to develop use of user satisfaction (rather than consultation) measures.

Outcomes

Substantive achievements have been derived both from robust affordable housing planning policy and substantial council funding (around £3.6 pa since 1999/00) for new RSL schemes and inputs of council land at nil or negligible values. Council funding has continued despite the abolition of LASHG. There is limited references to other policies (ie deposits guarantee scheme) outside of development of new affordable housing. There is a need to ensure that there is a continuing effective priority demand for the intermediate housing now being generated (based on applications and allocations rather than the initial needs survey evidence). The council needs to monitor and review the new 50% affordable housing targets in terms of their viability, and any impact on the level of private sector development schemes.

38 User and Community Satisfaction

Established council surveys on residents views on housing and related issues, and RSL partners conduct their own resident satisfaction surveys. The council surveys need to clearly measure user satisfaction with services, as well as identifying the issues that residents consider to be important

Vision and Strategy

A well evidenced housing strategy based on a detailed housing needs and aspirations study, that examined households aspirations for intermediate as well as social housing. The fit for purpose housing strategy is linked to the wider long term corporate vision for Reading. It includes clear sub sets of strategy for affordable key worker and supported housing. There is limited emphasis on related affordable housing policies. It is not clear how the experience of securing applicants for intermediate housing schemes fits with findings of housing needs and aspirations study. There is a suggestion that key worker housing should be extended for private sector as well as public sector employees.

Consultation

There are regular consultations and surveys of resident’s views and private sector bodies on individual schemes as well as broader strategies. The council needs to ensure that effective consultation arrangements continue to be applied, and do not fall off following the completion of major consultations such as the ‘2020’ exercise.

Partnerships

The housing strategy partnership board includes residents and private sector providers as well as RSL and other public sector bodies. There are specific RSL partnership and links to regional and sub regional bodies. The council has developed good working relationships with developers, but it needs to work to maintain these in the context of the new 50% affordable housing targets (subject to a scheme by scheme financial appraisal).

Actions

Following a 2001 survey the council has introduced more robust affordable housing planning targets. The 50% affordable housing targets come with a presumption against SHG. The council has continued to fund new RSL schemes despite the abolition of LA SHG. It is aware of the limited provision of family housing in city centre schemes. It is prepared to take commuted sums or accept ‘surrogate’ sites to secure houses rather than flats, and will accept reduced numbers to secure larger units. The council are also making available 2 bedroom flats in new schemes for existing elderly tenants that release family size houses with gardens in the councils existing stock. The council needs to present a more balanced and integrated range of housing and planning policies related to affordable housing.

39 Report of the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils

SOUTHAMPTON The visit, supplementary information and presentation confirmed that the local authority has considerable ability to work with a range of partners to bring forward affordable housing on difficult sites in a way that contributes to sustainable development. However, the corporate structures that support the provision of affordable housing do not appear to be particularly strong.

Outcomes

The site visits to developments demonstrated excellent partnership working with RSLs, private developers and the local community. A willingness to innovate is strong and there is evidence that the lessons learnt are applied elsewhere. The council is actively involved in bringing empty homes back into use and there is evidence of effective partnership working with private landlords. However, the partnership with the private development sector is less well developed. This has improved since the appointment of a dedicated section 106 officer but tangible outcomes from this appointment were not yet apparent. Planning policy and corporate arrangements between housing and planning departments need to be developed further through formal processes.

User and Community Satisfaction

The visit demonstrated high levels of satisfaction among partners and residents with the way the council worked with them and the developments that come forward. Resident satisfaction/impact assessments are undertaken on all new developments.

Vision and Strategy

There is a clear vision of the need to improve the supply of affordable housing which is seen as the ‘cornerstone’ to the city’s well being. The housing strategy is well informed by Housing Market information and the linkages with the LSP are very well developed. The LSP is responsible for developing and helping to deliver a four year affordable housing delivery plan. The council has embraced sub-regional working and this is feeding into their housing strategy. Planning policy needs to be reviewed on a regular basis so that it is maximising the opportunities presented by changes in national guidance and Southampton’s housing and land markets.

Consultation

There are some excellent examples of community involvement in site specific consultation and examples of how different departments within the authority and externally (PCT) bring their programmes to bear through new development. The presentation provided additional information on the authority’s approach to ‘hard to reach’groups and how they are being involved in the development of strategy and the design of specific schemes. These techniques are undertaken in partnership with the RSLs and provide a means of tackling other aspects that lead to social exclusion such as lack of literacy skills. Through a Housing Corporation Community Training and Empowerment grant the council is addressing the historically low levels of involvement among the BME communities of the city. The currently informal arrangements for engaging and consulting councillors, across all parties, need to be developed and formalised.

40 Partnerships

There are strong partnerships between the RSLs and the council. Particularly noteworthy is the tripartite approach based on joint procurement on the Chapel site. Links with health, education and the community are strong. Drawing on the strength of their partnership working, the principles of sustainable development are well embedded in working practices so that its delivery has become mainstream activity. However, it is not clear what drives this process.

Actions

There are some outstanding examples of good practice in producing very high quality affordable housing on difficult city sites.

TYNEDALE This is a dynamic authority that through corporate and political commitment has increased the supply of affordable housing. It was able to demonstrate very close working between housing and planning teams at strategic and site specific level and effective partnerships with the social and private development sectors. Core to its involvement in housing is the objective of creating sustainable communities and the site visits demonstrated how its approach is delivering sustainable development. Through the evidence it provided and discussions during the visit it showed that it was an innovating and learning organisation with a willingness and experience of sharing the lessons it has learnt with others. It has successfully levered in Housing Corporation funding and is securing some provision without any SHG.

Outcomes

From a very low start the authority has significantly increased delivery of a range of affordable housing. The numbers are still relatively small, but this is a reflection of the development context of the area. New planning policies and structural arrangements are in place to continue this upward trend including a target that has been achieved of 40% affordable housing on new housing developments. The authority’s corporate and political arrangements allow for questioning and continual improvement of practice. Through the same arrangements and partnership working it places affordable housing at the heart of its policies for creating sustainable communities.

User and Community Satisfaction

The authority has used the results of Best Value surveys and wider consultation on the community strategy to inform and change the priority given to affordable housing. It also illustrated high levels of satisfaction with the housing service. Discussion with partners confirmed the positive feedback given to the council on its approach to developing policy and delivery. There may be more scope for making greater use of the results of impact assessments of new schemes to develop approaches to new development.

41 Report of the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils

Vision and Strategy

The vision is well articulated and shared by key stakeholders. This includes politicians who have demonstrated a commitment to improving supply in the face of the need to make budget savings and opposition to development on specific sites. Providing affordable housing is embedded in the corporate working of the authority with very strong links between the housing and planning departments at strategic and on site specific levels. The strategy is well supported by evidence of needs, complemented by detailed village surveys and an understanding of the housing market. Particularly noteworthy are the advances and innovative steps that have been taken in planning policy. This includes changes in the thresholds and quotas, a radical affordable housing only on greenfield sites and better use of the rural exceptions policy. Recognition is given to the need to provide staffing resources to support the implementation of the strategy. This includes the appointment of a housing and strategy officer and funding for the Rural Housing Enabler.

Consultation

Consultation, particularly with the 52 parish and town councils is good. This is re-enforced by consulting with the Local Community Partnerships, specialist surveys to consult with ‘hard to reach groups’ and the use of technology to reach the more remote communities. There is a need to develop more direct contact and techniques to support residents from all parts of the district to participate in the development of the strategy. These approaches should make particular efforts to engage hard to reach groups.

Partnerships

Feedback from the partners was of a very positive relationship with the council. It is considered to be open, innovative and supportive. These views were common to the voluntary, RSL and private landlord representatives, the RHE and representative from the Regional Housing Board. A Planning Forum has been set up to improve dialogue between the local authority, land agents, RSLs and private developers. This has helped foster a consensual approach to new development and speeded up negotiations and delivery of affordable housing.

Actions

The council has re-structured to improve the delivery of affordable housing. The council has made innovative use of the planning system in response to the particular constraints on development. Reading has been involved in the development of regional strategy to secure land and funding support for provision of affordable housing. An Affordable Housing Task Group has been set up by the LSP with the role in assisting delivery of affordable housing shared by all members. There is a recognition of the role of affordable housing in creating sustainable communities through section 106 negotiations, research into key worker housing, working with PCT, the economic development department and local employers.

WEALDEN The council has achieved modest outputs to date. However, it has recently adopted robust and innovative planning policies to increase the supply of affordable housing. The council is now well placed to increase the supply of affordable housing. Wealden is very strong on consultation and the effective engagement of parishes in support of policies. However, there is still a clear shortfall between outputs and identified needs. 42 Outcomes

A good range of housing policies and schemes (RSL, leasing, rent deposits etc) and the recent adoption of more rigorous and innovative planning policy. However, outputs to date are relatively modest. The strength of this application is in the planning policies and related consultation practices that are now in place and have great potential for the future, rather than outcomes to date. The process of working with local parishes is now well established, supported with very localised needs studies, and this both identifies potential sites and gains local support for affordable housing schemes.

User and Community Satisfaction

A good range of user satisfaction measures are in place, in addition to responses from consultation. There is modest overall satisfaction levels rate with council services.

Vision and Strategy

Strong evidence based strategy with fit for purpose status. A more robust and innovative planning policy for affordable housing has recently been introduced backed up by detailed local needs studies and work with parishes. The council has an innovative approach to planning based on draft revisions to PPG3 to identify sites specifically for affordable housing within local plans, rather than just as exception sites. The newly issued PPG3 will now support the innovative approach they have developed.

Consultation

There is a wide range of consultation exercises at strategic and parish levels. These include consultation with private sector agencies as well as RSLs and other groups. An award winning councillor-resident consultation exercise in 2002 has been used as a case study by the IDeA. There is the need to examine the potential to involve private sector agencies in partnerships for mixed tenure schemes.

Partnerships

There is a good range of partnerships with parishes, RSLs and tenants, plus sub regional links. Outputs to date have been modest, and although the Homes for our people (HOPE) policy has identified sites for 200 units of affordable housing it is too early to be clear about whether the funding for these developments will be forthcoming, and thus how far the new planning policies will succeed in increasing the level of annual supply of affordable housing towards target levels.

Actions

More robust broader planning policies have been introduced, with a 30% target affordable housing and 20% target for smaller dwellings. There is an innovative approach to planning centres on the further development and implementation of their ‘Sites of Social Diversity’ and parish level ‘HOPE’. Wealden has now set a target to develop 240 affordable homes a year over the next five years, of which 200 will be on ‘HOPE’ sites. There are also active policies to target under-occupation as part of development plans.

43 Report of the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils

ASSET MANAGEMENT

Introduction

Local authorities’ assets are used to deliver many of the services that are most valued by their communities. The type of assets held ranges from those most visible to their communities such as schools, libraries and community centres to less obvious holdings such as farms and investment properties. Alongside people, finance and information, property plays a key role in delivering better services. The role of property in the drive to improve services underpins the need for excellence in asset management.

There were 31 applications for this theme, of which 11 were shortlisted (Ashford, Bournemouth, Cambridgeshire, Carlisle, Cheshire, Cornwall, Essex, Hertfordshire, Leeds, Rotherham and Telford &Wrekin).

Decision Framework

The Panel was looking for evidence that authorities had a high level framework for property management and had integrated asset management with other services within the context of a business management approach.

Beacons will be at the forefront in using asset management systems and processes to support the delivery of strategic objectives, improve customer services and increase cost efficiency.

The authorities recommended for Beacon status demonstrated real outcomes in these areas from which others could learn.

Recommended for Beacon status

Ashford Cambridgeshire Hertfordshire Leeds Rotherham

The following paragraphs summarise the Panel’s assessment of each of the shortlisted authorities against the key criteria for the theme.

ASHFORD The council’s enthusiasm and commitment to asset management, as an essential tool in its strategic management framework, shone through at all stages – application, visit and presentation. The assessment processes confirmed this was matched by its competencies in this field and in the council’s achievements. Substantial planned growth for the area is planned in the coming years. The evident high level of cross-organisational working in asset management indicates the council is well placed to tackle the property implications of those future challenges.

44 Outcomes

The council’s outstanding approach to asset management is well evidenced by its achievements across the spectrum of its activities. Backlog maintenance has been substantially reduced, a critical approach is maintained on surplus assets to generate capital receipts for re-investment, good links have been made to the council’s Section 106 activities (Section 106 Town and Country Planning Act 1990), a major review of its offices has been completed along with adoption of flexible working and health and safety, access, energy and sustainability strategies are all in place or at an advanced level of development.

User and Community Satisfaction

The council monitors quantitative and qualitative data on levels of satisfaction and has a structured methodology for post-project evaluation. The council may wish to consider how, through its consultation activities, it can further improve measurement of satisfaction levels.

Vision and Strategy

Asset management is clearly linked to the Community Strategy and the council’s corporate and financial planning, as well as to the strategic management of its services and activities. This is evidenced thoroughly, not only in formal documentation, but in how the council works at officer and member level in practice.

Consultation

The council commitment to consultation is evidenced in how it went about a number of recent projects, including the new Bowls Centre and a decision to proceed with renovation of its Stour Leisure Centre.

Partnerships

Partnership is necessarily an intrinsic part of the council’s tools, in seeking to “stretch (its) capacity to achieve a lot” for the benefit of the local community. Illustrations include: the formation of Ashford’s Future to help meet the challenges of planned substantial growth for the area; use of trusts in the management of its leisure centres; and the development of Sk8Side, a “one stop shop” youth facility provided and managed in partnership with the County Council and Connexions.

Actions

The council keeps its Asset Plan up-to-date, producing its latest edition in December 2004 during the assessment process. This succinctly sets out the council’s asset management strategy and key property plans, processes and policies, including option appraisal, shared use of property and a new section on energy management.

45 Report of the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils

CAMBRIDGESHIRE The council evidences an outstanding proficient and professional approach to the use of asset management in supporting continuous improvement in the delivery of its services and in its partnership working with other organisations. There is high-level corporate cross-organisational commitment to and involvement in asset management, at both member and officer level. The application is particularly strong in the hugely beneficial use the council is making of its on-going asset review process and in the quality and value for money being achieved in capital projects.

Outcomes

Supporting continuous improvement in the delivery of its services forms the central driving force for the council’s asset management and links to corporate and service strategic management are well evidenced. Whilst Prudential Code freedoms have not yet been used, the council is preparing a strategy to 2016 to meet the challenges of proposals for major growth in the County to add to its existing medium term investment gap analysis. Strict disciplines in the formulation, prioritisation and management of the council’s capital programme are in place and that, together with its extensive commitment to an on-going geographic area review programme, supports a conclusion that the council’s property assets provide best value for money. Strategies are in place for health and safety, energy and sustainability and are well illustrated by recently completed highly impressive new buildings.

User and Community Satisfaction

The council received Charter Marks in respect of its County Farms and Maintenance Services and property services performance is continuously monitored, along with a disciplined approach to post project reviews and involving staff, frontline services users, partners and local residents.

Vision and Strategy

High corporate priority to asset management and to its contribution to the corporate vision for the council is evidenced by the involvement of the Leader of the Council as Portfolio member for Resources and the involvement of senior representatives in the Strategic Property and Procurement Group. The strength of the council’s integrated approach to asset management is well evidenced, both in its practices as well as documentation and including: “Cambridgeshire – the Next Four Years”, Corporate Asset Plan 2002–2007, Capital Strategy 2002–2007, Corporate Property Strategy 2004–2009. These set out a clear strategic approach centred around effectiveness, modernisation and sustainability and evidence the tying in of corporate and service strategic planning.

Consultation

The council uses a variety of consultation activities to inform its asset management activities, including links to the council’s “Citizens Panel”, work with partners and other public bodies, contractors and staff in both a general asset management context as well as at project levels.

46 Partnerships

A well established and mature approach to partnership working on a wide front is evidenced: for example, working with the South Cambridgeshire Primary Care Trust (PCT) to provide a new joint public services project at Cambourne, a co-location and integration of PCT staff and social services adult teams in 2004 and a strategic design partnership with Mouchel Property Services in respect of design services for the council.

Actions

The council keeps its asset strategy under review and maintains an extensive set of documents, covering asset strategy and property plans. These set out a clear strategic framework for the management of the council’s assets in a five year rolling time frame. This is underpinned by processes for effective asset planning at service levels. Performance management processes are well established with clear targets in key areas and effective processes for regular monitoring and reporting of progress. The council has built up an extensive range of key property data, through its on-going geographic area reviews and which is now accessible widely within the council via its intranet. This database provides critical support for informed investment decisions and continuous improvement in value for money of its property assets and in the delivery of the council’s services to the community.

HERTFORDSHIRE The council’s corporate commitment, enthusiasm and impressive levels of achievement in asset management evidenced strongly thorough embedding of a strategic approach throughout the organisation. The application offers many areas of best practice, including not least corporate working, performance management and partnership working.

Outcomes

The management of property assets is clearly very strongly and demonstrably linked to corporate and service delivery improvement – backed up on the visit by presentations in respect specifically of libraries, schools and adult care services. The council uses a wide range of solutions in the pursuit of better property procurement and in the provision of the professional services upon which it relies – and the performance of which is diligently measured and monitored. The council is not using the Prudential Code freedoms but is nonetheless adopting a thoroughly strategic approach to ensure prudence in its investment programme (3 years), adoption of good professional practice and thorough optional appraisal and prioritisation disciplines. As to the “hygiene” factors (ie, Health & Safety, accessibility, environmental issues and sustainability in general), these are intrinsically integrated into the council’s overall approach and integrated into the property level. The council has reduced maintenance backlog on its non-school estate but, following an improved condition survey of half its school estate, overall backlog has recently increased. Best use of the council’s estate features fundamentally, and which is fostered by an aggressive rolling five year programme of generation of £30m per annum capital receipts from surplus property – and upon which the council relies for re-investment in the improvement of its retained estate.

47 Report of the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils

User and Community Satisfaction

The council provided considerable evidence on how service satisfaction is measured and used to inform asset planning using the example of the Library Service where satisfaction measures are commendable. The council’s ‘comments database,’ is an example of an effective way of analysing customer feedback on a regular basis. In addition, the council targets and measures improvement in user satisfaction with the provision of property services.

Vision and Strategy

The council’s “Property Plan 2004 onwards” succinctly spells out a vision and three key objectives in the management of its estate, together with key actions by which it plans to pursue those. In “Property Performance Report 2004”, its strategy is set out in more detail and which outlines the links between the council’s corporate and service strategies and asset management. An extensive and impressive set of tables and performance reports follows. There is clear evidence that asset management is strongly orientated to achieving the corporate vision for its services, that property is treated as a corporate resource, that asset management has a high priority and that there is a high level of member and cross-organisational involvement. The Council plans to revisit how it expresses its asset management strategy.

Consultation

The council makes extensive use of innovative tools used to benchmark, monitor and manage end user satisfaction (Key Improvement Tool (KIT) and Customer Alignment Tool (CAT)). These processes aim to take some of the subjectivity out of user satisfaction scores. The fact that the KIT questionnaire is online, making it unique to the council, means that clients can give continuous feedback and changes can be made as necessary.

Partnerships

The council detailed various examples of partnership working with PCTs, determined by both service factors (e.g. Trinity Centre and reprovision of Western House hospital) and asset management considerations (e.g. Hatfield and other PCTs in the county had underused assets and the council formed partnerships with them to achieve service objectives). The council provided evidence of partnership with districts stemming in provision of key worker housing.

Actions

The council provided considerable evidence of the thoroughness of the embedding of asset and property management and of the strong links between those activities and corporate and service goals. A particular strength of this application is the council’s extensive asset data and performance management framework. Strict disciplines are in place for option appraisal and investment programme prioritisation.

48 LEEDS The council has clearly made a big commitment to using asset management to further its corporate and service objectives. Its work on corporate asset management is sophisticated and well-resourced. The council believes asset management is one of its big success stories and which is playing a key role in making Leeds a successful regional centre. This is evidenced in the achievements the council demonstrates and backed by demonstrably very high competencies in its overall strategic asset management and delivery capabilities.

Outcomes

The presentations and documentation provided, especially the Corporate Plan 2002 – 2005, Council Plan 2004/05 and its combined Capital Strategy and Asset Management Plan 2004, evidence clear and strong links between corporate and service goals and objectives and the council’s asset management strategies. The council has made significant progress on the reduction of its maintenance backlog, is using a range of innovative approaches in asset management and is working widely in partnership with other agencies and bodies. Leeds is active in consideration of sustainability issues, winning a Carbon Trust award for 2003/04. The council is exploiting use of the Prudential Code freedoms (£29m unsupported borrowing in 2004/05), as well as Private Finance Initiative (PFI) and Public Private Partnerships.

User and Community Satisfaction

The council presented good evidence of the use of levels of satisfaction in its asset management, for example as obtained in involvement and engagement with communities and post project reviews. This is supported by a link, in the Capital Strategy (CS) and Asset Management Plan (AMP), that access to certain capital financing is dependent upon criteria including results of stakeholder and user feedback.

Vision and Strategy

A clear corporate approach is evidenced – the Executive Board (Asset Management portfolio holder is the executive member for customer services), Asset Management Group and Asset Management Working Group are designed to ensure the council reaches decisions on assets corporately at executive, senior officer and service manager levels. The Asset Management Working Group is charged with overseeing production of departmental asset management plans – these are linked to service improvement plans, with a 5 year planning horizon. The AMP makes explicit links to a range of other plans – the corporate plan and council plan and service plans. The CS & AMP reports on key issues arising from each service asset plan and considers the strategic asset and financial implications stemming from those in a long term context (to 2011).

Consultation

The council’s structured approach to consultation is well evidenced, involving a range of consultees through a variety of techniques, for example:

49 Report of the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils

• Renewal Areas – the council conducted area-wide consultation exercises to determine community priorities. In the Beeston Hill and Holbeck Neighbourhood Renewal Area, local residents were consulted through workshop events, touring exhibitions & visits to schools. The exercise informed the land use framework, for example, assessing community support for the establishment of a student village, gauging views on partial demolition of back-to-back housing.

• Case studies: Eastleigh Library, Otley Civic Centre – consultation (telephone surveys) informed the preferred outcome.

Partnerships

The council’s AMP sets out its general approach to partnership and which is well evidenced in its work in practice. The council’s involvement, as a shareholder, in the LIFT company, its work towards achieving a student village and work with the private sector, through PFI and PPP schemes, all provide good illustrations.

Actions

The combined CS and AMP provides a good analysis of overall asset performance and goes on to take a long term view of key areas for change within a long term context (to 2011) and to consider options for meeting those challenges, including major initiatives on the generation of capital receipts. This document is kept up to date within a formal process, along with service AMPs. The Library service provides good evidence of how asset management is embedded at service levels and informs the Corporate CS and AMP and there is a clear set of performance indicators to inform asset management. The council’s option appraisal process and its recent development is explained in the CS and AMP. This is used, alongside a matrix of criteria linked to the council’s corporate priorities, to prioritise investment projects. Criteria and their weighting has been agreed by the executive board.

ROTHERHAM The council exhibits outstanding commitment to and abilities in asset management in support of its corporate and service goals and objectives. Impressive results are being achieved and, with evidence of substantial development of asset management over the past few years, the council is clearly well placed to ensure its assets support its ambitious targets for the future, and not least in terms of its important work in regeneration.

Outcomes

Through outstanding use of asset management, the council is ensuring its assets make full contribution to its corporate and service objectives and evidenced not least in: • how the council is seeking to meet the challenges of its ambitious regeneration plans for the Borough;

• remodelling and replacement of 17 schools through PFI; and • a programme of replacement of existing offices and provision of “One-Stop-Shops”.

50 Asset management is tightly linked to financial planning and the council evidences good practice in option appraisal and investment prioritisation processes, important to support its imminent use of Prudential Code freedoms in respect of modernisation proposals for adult services. The council closely monitors condition, suitability and other aspects of the performance of its estate to support continuous improvement in the value the council obtains from its assets.

User and Community Satisfaction

Monitoring of levels of satisfaction is an integral part of the council’s asset management. Evidence provided included feedback from surveys of staff and other stakeholders about a range of issues and including: within the council’s partnership arrangement with BT, flexible working; space utilisation; disability; Social Services; leisure and management of the council’s commercial estate. The council provided evidence linking results of levels of satisfaction with its asset management activities.

Vision and Strategy

The application is particularly strong in demonstrating integration of asset management with the council’s corporate and service strategic framework as evidenced in the involvement of members and senior officers across the Council and in supporting documentation. Strong links are clearly in place to make the best use of the council’s assets, linking delivery of the council’s services with regeneration, social inclusion and the council’s general planning policies. A Property Board, a sub- group of the Cabinet, has full autonomy on matters of acquisitions and disposals, acting on information provided by the Asset Management group.

Consultation

The council’s Asset Plan sets out clearly its consultation framework. This aims to ensure consultation involves a range of consultees and that it is co-ordinated across the organisation with corporate and service activities. The council has plans to build on the results of consultation, refine their regular consultation programmes and expand and develop interactive stakeholder links, working jointly with BT through a joint venture company, RBT (Connect) Ltd.

Partnerships

The council’s asset management activities place high importance on working in range of partnership, including: Yorkshire Forward; BT; Objective 1 partners and the Rotherham Partnership. In addition, the council has established strategic partnerships for the procurement of certain professional services and construction. An officer team co-ordinates partnership activities to ensure best use of additional funding, such as Single Regeneration Budget (SRB), Neighbourhood Renewal, etc.

Actions

The council maintains effective asset management plans, supported by appropriate mechanisms for linking that with corporate and service strategic planning. Impressive asset information systems and databases have been established which are used to support the development of corporate and service strategies and supporting asset management activities. Links between asset management and financial planning are crucial, given particularly the council’s ambitious regeneration objectives: the council is moving towards taking a long term strategic planning horizon on the use of resources to ensure a sound basis for the proposed imminent use of Prudential Code freedoms.

51 Report of the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils

Not Recommended for Beacon status

Bournemouth Carlisle Cheshire Cornwall Essex Telford & Wrekin

BOURNEMOUTH The council demonstrates the benefits of growing corporate commitment and integration of asset management with its strategic management framework and good cross-organisational working in pursuit of high standards in support of its corporate and service goals and objectives. Through PFI, PPP and the use of Prudential Code freedoms, along with a focus on the generation of capital receipts from the sale of surplus property, the council is adept at levering additional funding for new investment.

Outcomes

The Council has undertaken some impressive projects evidencing the linking of corporate and service goals as illustrated by the new central library (provided through PFI), Register Office, Bournemouth International Centre (BIC), seafront investment and Pavilion. It is using the Prudential Code freedoms and additionally is targeting a high level of capital receipts to supplement its investment programme and to drive asset efficiency and effectiveness. Backlog maintenance stands at about £20m: whilst that is not reducing, additional maintenance funding had been provided in recent years and the council plans an estate rationalisation as part of its continuing strategy. Corporate commitment is evidenced to energy efficiency, sustainability, disability access and asbestos.

User and Community Satisfaction

The combined Corporate Strategy and Corporate Asset Management Plan provide an extensive summary of consultation feedback from users to inform asset management planning. The authority also uses broader stakeholder consultations, along with Best Value service review findings and the Citizens panel data. A Customer Services Manager has been appointed to develop a Customer Access Strategy, to develop further the authority’s interface with customers. It would be helpful to explore ways in which feedback on levels of satisfaction could better inform more directly asset management strategy.

Vision and Strategy

Asset management is supported by a corporate property group and involves representations from all directorates. This group is making progress towards mainstreaming asset management philosophies, important, in particular, in embedding the concept of corporate ownership of property. There would appear to be a need for a greater level of integration of asset management into the strategic corporate management framework of the council.

52 Consultation

Appendix A of the Council’s CS CAMP provides a consultation summary. This table details areas of consultation, the key stakeholders, feedback, implications and the impact of the consultation. The authority intends to differentiate between perceptions of service delivery on one hand and assets on the other by shortly developing a pro-forma for authority buildings. Whilst processes are clearly in place, how results of those processes inform asset management needs to be clearer.

Partnerships

The council makes use of a wide range of partnership to secure projects and its CS AMP sets out a general policy in respect of partnership working, focusing on funding leverage – some excellent examples of which were illustrated during the visit and in the council’s application.

Actions

The authority has a combined CS and AMP which is kept under annual review. A comprehensive Capital Programme Application form is used to prioritise on a project by project basis. The form covers links to the corporate and community plan as well as backlog issues. This is used to inform debate rather than dictate it. Officers and portfolio holders meet to prioritise projects then make recommendations to the cabinet. Cabinet takes account of wider corporate objectives when decision making. The 2004 – 2007 CS and CAMP anticipates changes to service delivery over the next 3 years and the impact of that on the council’s assets. Areas for change are clearly defined within the plan as an annex and the CS and AMP shows how this data feeds into the capital investment decisions made by the authority. The CS and AMP also report on a range of performance indicators. The council should consider whether its asset management strategy, presently referring to some 90 objectives, would benefit from a clearer statement.

CARLISLE The council demonstrates excellent commitment to asset management, more especially in respect of the management of its substantial commercial portfolio and which reflects its over-riding objective of developing Carlisle’s regional status in general and economic development in particular. The council too has received national recognition for its achievements in employment creation in partnership with the private sector. The council is without doubt using its assets for the maximum benefit of the local community and is working to further develop the integration of its operational assets into its overall asset management strategy.

Outcomes

The council’s Corporate Plan places emphasis on developing the City’s regional status in general and on economic development in particular. An unusually high proportion of the council’s assets (£85m of a total of £110m) are non-operational. The links between corporate strategy and the management of those assets are well developed and managed. Leisure facilities have been leased to trusts in pursuit of improved service performance, whilst a strict approach is taken to the release of surplus property and generation of capital receipts and which, together with a high level of financial reserves, has to date obviated the need to consider use of Prudential Code freedoms. Backlog maintenance is low in relation to the size of the estate and all accessibility issues have been resolved across the whole estate. Links between asset management and services, whilst relating to a smaller part of the council’s estate, need to be further developed, along with energy and environmental strategies. 53 Report of the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils

User and Community Satisfaction

The council makes good use of measures of satisfaction, as illustrated in the management of their commercial portfolio and in the decision-making processes leading to the establishment of trusts to operate their leisure facilities. The greater use of qualitative and quantitative data on levels of satisfaction, and how that impacts on asset management, should be explored – in terms of both assets and management services.

Vision and Strategy

Asset management has a high corporate profile as evidenced by senior cross-party member support and involvement. A Development Advisory Group, chaired by the Executive Director and attended by the Leader of the Council and portfolio holders, oversees asset management activities. It is not clear that all assets are regarded as “corporately owned”; the council should review the benefits of closer integration of the management of its non-operational and operational assets and a broader role for the Asset Management Officer Group, sitting under the Development Advisory Group, so as to support the inter-play between the two parts of the estate.

Consultation

The council undertakes considerable consultation activities which are used to inform asset management, more especially in relation to its non-operational estate. This was well illustrated in the current review of its economic development assets.

Partnerships

The council demonstrates a high level of effective partnership working, especially with the private sector in relation to non-operational assets and has received national recognition for its achievements in so doing, for example, Kingsmoor Industrial Estate, undertaken to replace lost employment on the closing of the former RAF facility. Through partnership in respect of its town centre retail development, major improvements in retail services have been achieved for Carlisle.

Actions

The council keeps its Asset Plan under annual review and has recently invested in new asset data software, in furtherance of previous Best Value and Audit Commission inspection recommendations. Whilst this has yet to come fully into operation, that will clearly provide better support to the development of asset strategy and investment planning. Asset planning at service level needs to be strengthened, not necessarily extending to establishing service asset plans, but at least a higher level of support to ensure operational assets both better support service delivery as well the pursuit of cross-organisational links.

CHESHIRE The strong corporate commitment to asset management, as an integrated part of the council’s pursuit of excellence, is well evidenced in this application. The council has a clear vision for the management of its assets to support its corporate and service goals and objectives and demonstrates high levels of achievement in its property work. Further development of the council’s asset performance management will provide a key impetus for the future.

54 Outcomes

Backed by a clear corporate commitment to excellence, asset management is providing impressive support to continuous improvement across a wide range of the council’s corporate and service activities, as evidenced by the new buildings at Kinsmead School and Knutsford Library and the Social Services programme of improved facilities for older people. Further, the council evidences major capabilities in development of new approaches to energy management in particular and environmental sustainability in general. Use of Prudential Code freedoms is being considered on an “invest to save” basis, given reduced opportunities for the generation of capital receipts from disposal of surplus property. The council also has an established track record on better use of office space and adoption of flexible working practices. The level of backlog maintenance is high and the Council’s strategy for dealing with that is unclear. Secondly, developing the use of suitability and other data would improve the council’s questioning of value for money from its estate and supporting its objective of “optimum” sizing.

User and Community Satisfaction

Evidence indicates the council has a structured approach to assessing levels of satisfaction and is achieving good results, for example, in respect of its county farms, school governors, services to the elderly and libraries. Data relied upon tended to appear anecdotal: greater use of quantitative data could support greater clarity of issues and conclusions.

Vision and Strategy

Asset management has a clear corporate priority, at elected member and chief officer levels, and is well linked to corporate and service strategic planning. The council explained that it is facing some fundamental challenges, with falling birth rates and an increasing elderly population. This will have fundamental implications for its services and, consequentially, its assets. Whilst aware of the issues, the council needs to reflect these longer term issues more thoroughly in its medium term asset planning.

Consultation

Consultation forms an important part of the council’s tools and to which asset management issues are linked. Arising from the Best Value Review of asset management, steps are in place to review consultation processes and practices.

Partnerships

A number of good examples evidenced the value the council places on partnership initiatives to make effective use of its assets, for example: • the successful partnership between the council and the building contractors in the building of Kingsmead Primary School – the council stressed how this had been an innovative partnership as the contractor was appointed at the very beginning of the project enabling them to be fully involved from the start;

• working with Macclesfield District Council to create ‘Learning Zones’ in schools.

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The council’s model framework for sharing property shows a strategic approach to co-location and which has been used to promote co-location of Health and Social worker teams.

Actions

The council’s asset management strategies are mainly set out in a combined “Capital Strategy and Corporate Asset Management Plan 2002”. In addition it has developed strategies for the management of its offices and county farms. Asset management at service levels is integrated with service plans. Option appraisals form an integral part of a structured approach to programme formulation. The council has a programme of investment in data and its management that will provide vital support to the continued development of asset management in general and asset performance management in particular.

CORNWALL The council clearly gives asset management a high priority and presented their case with enthusiasm and openness. Asset management is clearly linked to their corporate strategy and the council is working well to orientate asset management more towards achieving service outcomes. The council has an on-going programme of area-level reviews and which includes gauging levels of satisfaction. The council has developed a novel model for assessing quantitative property performance, taking service and property perspectives. However, the council’s asset strategy would benefit from a greater focus on the medium and longer term.

Outcomes

The council recognises the link between modernisation of services and asset management and evidences that asset management is well tied to corporate strategy. As a tool to support this, and the better tackling of backlog maintenance, the council has developed an innovative “Quantitative Property Assessment” model which measures assets from property and service perspectives, and which it uses to support its investment prioritisation process. The council is active in exploring and using new initiatives in sustainability and environment as evidenced in the newly completed “Classroom of the future” at Camborne, where the visit took place. The council also has an established track record in successful PFI projects, in respect of schools and fire stations. The council’s elderly homes have been leased to and are operated by a trust. Energy strategy is also well developed.

User and Community Satisfaction

The council acknowledges that its recording of levels of satisfaction in the past was not consistently good but nonetheless clearly is alive to feedback and uses that to inform asset management. The council has adopted new processes for option appraisal and post project evaluation to strengthen measurement of satisfaction levels.

Vision and Strategy

Corporate commitment to asset management is well evidenced and integration of asset management with other resources is supported by being under a single member portfolio holder responsible for the development of strategy in these areas. The council is undertaking a study of the council’s activities with a 25 year horizon. This valuable exercise will in due course provide a vital perspective to better inform the council’s asset management strategy. 56 Consultation

Whilst the council may not have consistently good measures of satisfaction levels, it is clearly committed to learning from consultation and undertakes a range of consultation activities, such as in the course of area reviews. For example, a review of services and assets in the Lizard involved an intensive process of consultation with the community and which is being developed for application in other areas of the County. Consultation with service managers and other stakeholders is undertaken at service and project levels.

Partnerships

The council states a clear intent to use its assets creatively and to be opportunistic whenever partnership will lead to improvements. Examples provided included: working with the Tate Gallery; Central Cornwall PCT and PFI working variously in respect of schools, Fire, Police and Emergency Planning.

Actions

The council’s AMP is kept under review and linked to service asset issues through annual and regular review processes. Committee reports are required to include consideration of any property implications arising. The council’s long established cyclical review work ensures that use of assets is monitored over time with services and property service performance is monitored. Option appraisal processes are in place, with investment prioritisation relying on a consensual ordinal approach. It is suggested that greater clarity about asset management strategy and property work arising in a medium term perspective would be beneficial.

ESSEX The council demonstrates excellent commitment to and ability in asset management and which it is using well to contribute to the organisation’s success. There are particular strengths in project and programme delivery disciplines. However, the current somewhat “top-down” approach to asset management needs to be balanced by further development of links between asset management and services’ strategic management and further development of asset performance measurement.

Outcomes

The council evidences impressive achievements through improved asset management and the development and use of innovative techniques in project procurement and partnership working. Good processes are in place for the investment prioritisation, option appraisal and programme monitoring.

User and Community Satisfaction

Good monitoring of property services is evidenced. The council is developing “Design Quality Indicators” in pursuit of continuous improvement in satisfaction levels achieved in new projects. Post-project monitoring to high standards is also practiced. Inquiry needs to extend rather more into a wider range of asset management issues, along with a greater use of a quantitative approach.

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Vision and Strategy

Strong priority to property as a corporate resource and high-level elected member involvement are well evidenced. Asset management is well linked to corporate strategy and financial planning in particular. The council’s approach has a somewhat “top-down” emphasis. With recent significant changes at senior management level, asset management is being developed to balance that with stronger links to services’ goals and objectives.

Consultation

Feedback from consultation activities, undertaken corporately and by services, is clearly used purposefully in support of asset management. Increased integration of asset management issues into corporate and service consultation activities would offer potential benefits for the better informing of the development of asset management.

Partnerships

Whilst the council’s focus is necessarily much on its extensive property work, it is using partnership approaches in large measure, for example, its PFI projects, the “Thames Gateway” partnership, and work with other local authorities to develop e-standards.

Actions

Asset management is clearly becoming more deeply embedded with the development of service asset plans. The recent introduction of an improved “Capital Investment Decision Making Tool” is supporting higher quality capital formulation and prioritisation. The council’s Asset Plan 2002 needs to be updated from the former “process” focus to one more addressing “outcomes” to help drive the continuing development of the council’s asset management. Given the proposed levels of growth for the County, that process would benefit by taking a long term perspective in order to ensure some fundamental challenges were addressed together with further development of asset performance management

TELFORD & WREKIN The council evidences a high level of enthusiasm and commitment to excellence in general and to asset management in particular. Excellent asset data systems are being developed which are being used to good advantage to develop the council’s asset management strategy and property work in support of its goals and objectives, for example, in the challenge of renewal of “New Town” infrastructure.

Outcomes

The council expresses a commitment to good use of asset management to support pursuit of its corporate and service goals and objectives. This was backed up by a visit to Oakengates, comprising a redevelopment of a former foodstore and the council’s adjoining Theatre to provide a renovated theatre, library and children’s service facility. The council is embarking on the use of Prudential Code freedoms to support its capital programme and has an energy management strategy, illustrated on the visit by the wood fuelled heating installed at Oakengates. Maintenance backlog has been reduced from £36m in 2003 to £32m in 2004 with a now centrally managed budget. Data about its

58 assets that the council is collecting, and its intentions to bring Social Services in to that same framework, will in due course enable the council to take a sound view of value for money from their estate. An office accommodation strategy has been commissioned as part of a Scrutiny Review of the council’s land and property holdings.

User and Community Satisfaction

The council monitors levels of satisfaction in respect of construction projects and the management of its commercial estate. Additionally, asset management has been informed by consultation undertaken in 2002 to support a Best Value Review of construction procurement processes. The council has explained how these processes have informed asset management.

Vision and Strategy

The council states a high priority to asset management and property, with high level “champions” and member involvement. Regular update meetings are held with the portfolio member for assets and property management and good use is being made of the council’s scrutiny function to secure the release surplus assets. In the council’s Asset Management Plan 2002, the AMP Summary 2004 and Capital Strategy documentation provided, its medium term asset plans are not clear, for example, in terms of the “design life” of ” New Town” infrastructure. Greater clarity would strengthen the perception of integration of asset management with overall strategic resources management.

Consultation

The CPA report 2002 stated: “It is evident that the council’s priorities have been determined only after extensive consultation both with the community and with the customers of the council’s services. The council clearly places great emphasis on the needs and requirements of its customers”. The council’s corporate consultation activities have been used to inform asset management. More specifically, at asset management level, the council has developed its approach to measuring asset suitability in consultation with services and undertakes a regular programme of consultation with its commercial tenants. Consultation with schools is focussed on roadshows.

Partnerships

The council places partnership working high on its agenda. In asset management terms, examples include: working with Telford Football Club; working with a parish council and Shropshire Wildlife Trust in the purchase of a local landmark; a PFI project in respect of a school and community facility and a joint venture with the Old Hall School Trust in respect of a regeneration project.

Actions

The council maintains a suite of documentation outlining its asset strategy. This is supported by the recent development of systems, linked to Geographical Information Systems, for the good use of its asset database to support the development of service strategies and asset implications in particular and the development of asset performance management in general. Option appraisal and investment prioritisation processes are in place. The council’s corporate asset management strategy would benefit from being rolled forward from the previous “process” format to one more “outcomes” orientated. Additionally, the council is working to bring Social Services assets into the corporate asset management framework.

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EFFECTIVE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH

Introduction

The relationship between environment and health is a complex one. People do not simply expect their environment not to damage their health; they increasingly expect social and environmental policies to actively promote their health and well-being. The environmental health functions of a local authority are therefore focused on people.

There were 20 applications for this theme, of which 6 were shortlisted (Bromley, Coventry, Doncaster, Southwark, Stoke on Trent and Westminster).

Decision Framework

The Panel was looking for applicants that clearly demonstrated the positive impact of its environmental health activities on local citizens. A Beacon, in addition to demonstrating excellence, would not be failing in any area of environmental health provision. Beacons would have clear policies, strategies and resources for ensuring that all statutory duties were properly undertaken.

This was clearly a challenging theme. Applicants struggled to demonstrate both excellence and innovation across the entire environmental health agenda. However, it was clear that there was much good work going on. The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health will look to share these lessons.

The authorities recommended for Beacon status demonstrated real outcomes in these areas from which others could learn.

Recommended for Beacon status

Coventry Westminster

The following paragraphs summarise the Panel’s assessment of each of the shortlisted authorities against the key criteria for the theme.

COVENTRY A busy service, in an authority that has experienced corporate performance problems in the recent past. There is a good level of corporate support for the service and it is seen as an internal ‘Beacon’ by the Chief Executive. The service demonstrates good performance across the range of environmental health services and uses local and national data to support the determination of outcomes. There has been particularly good work in promoting health amongst minority groups and in working with the automobile industry on a long-term basis to implement environmental management systems, thereby reducing pollution. The development of comprehensive advisory services, especially in environmental management, is innovative and the lessons learned in achieving an appropriate balance between proactive and reactive operations are.

60 WESTMINSTER From the application form to the final presentation this was an excellent focused bid, demonstrating both excellence and innovation whilst achieving good performance in all areas of environmental health. The authority had clearly understood the brief and could demonstrate fulfilment of the theme criteria across the whole range of environmental health. Of particular note were the Category A food project and the Violence in Retail Premises project, both of which demonstrated a sound methodology based on clear problem identification, analysis of existing performance, design of an appropriate intervention, specification of outcomes and full evaluation. This simple yet effective methodology is transferable to any authority irrespective of size. Diversifying the range of work has helped recruitment and retention of staff. The council overall has been named as the Local Government Chronicle’s Council of the Year and this culture of excellence is clearly benefiting the environmental health service.

Not Recommended for Beacon status

Bromley Doncaster Southwark Stoke on Trent

BROMLEY There is a good level of corporate support for the service and its past experience is being used to re-engage the drive for improvement across the council as a whole. The service is offering the range and level of service to be expected of an authority of this size, and there are pockets of performance that shine above the rest, for example, collaborative work with the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) on slips and trips. Bromley have put health at the heart of their EH service. The use of quality management systems at the heart of the service, as well as the customer service improvement programme, has maintained the authority’s drive towards high standards. However, although a robust framework, the total quality management theory has been used by the EH service at Bromley now for around ten years.

However, overall, although the service is good it does not demonstrate fulfilment of the theme criteria, nor satisfy the ‘innovative or excellent’ test of the Beacon Council Scheme overall.

DONCASTER A large metropolitan borough, this bid highlighted the situation that there is much good work going on in environmental health. However the scope for innovation and excellence is severely limited as a result of prescriptive central government targets and under-resourcing. The project to control illegal motorcycle noise was interesting and had clearly addressed a local need; however it has already been the subject of extensive dissemination amongst interested authorities. The work on waste is also impressive, but unfortunately falls outside the scope of the bid. Overall the service is delivering as it would be expected to do given the size and character of the borough.

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This is clearly an authority emerging corporately from a difficult period, but the bid did not demonstrate fulfilment of the theme criteria nor satisfy the ‘innovation and excellence’ test of the Beacon Council Scheme.

SOUTHWARK The main strength of this bid related to the role of the ‘work-life balance’ programme in addressing the recruitment and retention crisis in environmental health. In other respects the service was operating a standard level and range of service as would be expected of an authority of this size and character. The work-life balance programme, although making a significant improvement to the recruitment, retention and quality of life for staff, is a corporate initiative not exclusively developed or amended for use in an environmental health setting. The authority as a whole is recognized for this management tool and has shared the learning gained via the IDEA.

The authority has commenced a promising project to address issues of business sustainability and compliance in the Peckham area and this has been formulated with due consideration to the outcomes to be expected. However as it is only in the planning stage it was not possible to consider it in detail with regard to this theme.

A busy service with much good work being undertaken, but one which does not satisfy the criteria of the theme nor pass the ‘innovative or excellent’ test of the Beacon Council Scheme overall.

STOKE ON TRENT A very tightly defined bid focusing on dog control and noise. The dog control project involving Ollie was the closest to true innovation of all those reviewed by the assessment team. However, whilst the noise project was clearly developed in response to local needs, there remain some questions over the role of the private sector firm undertaking some of the duties which an authority has a statutory duty to perform and whether this role would be questioned if a case were ever to be taken to court. Little detail was presented in the application or was capable of being elicited during the visit or the presentation as to the performance of the rest of the service. However the Panel was aware of a very recent re-organisation that had taken place.

Whilst there is much that could be learned by other authorities with regard to the setting up and running of the dog control project, the bid failed to demonstrate achievement of the theme criteria overall.

62 GETTING CLOSER TO COMMUNITIES

Introduction

Authorities getting closer to communities, and enabling communities both to do more amongst themselves and to help to shape public services, is at the heart of the debate about how to strengthen communities, build civil renewal, reform public services, regenerate disadvantaged areas and invigorate local governance. A dynamic relationship between authorities and communities requires that, on the one hand, authorities deliver services in an effective and integrate way at local level, and on the other that they support the development of the communities’ own role

There were 27 applications for this theme, of which 11 were shortlisted (Blyth Valley, Croydon, Dudley, Haringey, Maidstone, South Somerset, Stockton on Tees, Tameside, Tower Hamlets, Westminster and Wiltshire).

Decision Framework

The Panel was looking for a display of creative interaction between the different and complementary roles of the authority and its communities. Successful applicants would have a strategy for invigorating communities’ efforts to add their own characteristic forms of productivity and value to local society. There would also be widely devolved structures and participatory opportunities.

The authorities recommended for Beacon status demonstrated real outcomes in these areas from which others could learn.

Recommended for Beacon status

Blyth Valley Croydon Haringey South Somerset Tameside Tower Hamlets Wiltshire

The following paragraphs summarise the Panel’s assessment of each of the shortlisted authorities against the key criteria for the theme.

BLYTH VALLEY Blyth Valley has achieved a remarkable turn-around of conditions and morale since the mid 1990s. The council outlined a new direction to become a ‘community based council’. This new approach, based very much on the idea of the needs of local people shaping services, has entailed the adoption of a systematic approach to understanding and bringing about complex community change. This has involved the authority investing a significant proportion of its limited resources in community development. The authority’s approach is based on the fundamental recognition that the community it serves is a major complementary resource and that investing in the voluntary and community sector provides excellent value for money by generating greater capacity of the community both to solve its own problems and to draw in extra resources.

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Outcomes

The substantial investment in community development has resulted in a doubling of the number of Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) organisations over ten years. At the same time the danger of Blyth becoming a stigmatised area after industrial decline and emergence of major social problems has been averted, evidenced by demand for new housing and consequent investment by property companies, bringing further money into the area and the use by the Council of the Section 106 (Town and Country Planning Act 1990) housing receipts for further community amenities. The growth in the VCS has also enabled it to bring in an extra £6.5m from external sources – and develop an exceptionally integrated and outward-looking strategy.

User and Community Satisfaction

There are a variety of channels through which the authority-community interchange takes place. These are of either a ‘structural’ nature (for example, community assemblies, overview and scrutiny arrangements, work of the Community, Regeneration and Culture Unit and the network of community centres) or a ‘service provision’ nature (for example, processes and procedures relating to housing, streetcare etc). These provide well-used and effective avenues through which the two way local authority–community relationship has developed.

Vision and Strategy

The vision outlined and pursued through the authority’s ‘community based’approach is championed and clearly driven by strong political and managerial leadership. There is significant emphasis on the importance of the authority taking a ‘whole system’ approach to achieving change within its internal processes and procedures. For example, corporate and service strategies/policies are aligned to community development goals and key staff are trained in the principles of community development.

Consultation

The council recognises that consultation is only a means to an end. Its consultation strategy is, along with its community development strategy, communication strategy, modern service delivery strategy and scrutiny practice, is seen as a sub-set of the authority’s over-arching ‘community engagement strategy’. This effective approach to consultation is reinforced by the joint approach it takes with its Local Strategic Partnership (LSP), with the partners seeing consultation as a ‘shared intelligence- gathering’ process. The authority’s Young Persons Survey is an example of action in response to its recognition of the need to ensure that it was satisfactorily recording, and acting on, the needs of all groups in its communities.

Partnerships

The ‘community based council’ approach, emphasising the partnership between the authority and its communities, is clearly highlighted in the council’s internal structures and processes. The establishment of the ‘Community, Regeneration and Culture Unit’ and the associated training and development of personnel, has had a positive impact on collaboration amongst the council’s service units as well as with the community. The council uses its strategic leadership role to engage a wide range of partners, especially through the LSP, to develop solutions and pool resources to address a variety of social, economic and environmental problems.

64 Actions

In its aim to get closer to its communities the council has carried out a wide range of strategic and practical actions based on a clear assessment of needs, learning and applying lessons from elsewhere as appropriate. Of particular relevance has been the decision to develop a significant community development staff resource, largely paid for from external sources, and the provision of capital and revenue resources for a ‘hub and spoke’ network of 25 community centres, at least one in each ward, as a focus for the community development process. The combined effect of these actions has been central in helping the authority to pursue a two pronged approach – the authority itself at its corporate centre creating strong and effective links with its communities; top down, and by helping the community to make greater links with the authority and others; bottom up.

CROYDON Croydon’s approach to getting closer to communities places a high value on a well-organised and extensively supported VCS. The VCS in turn places a high value on building up the smaller, more resident-based groups and facilitating their involvement in neighbourhood partnerships. There is thus a virtuous circle of support and influence. Neighbourhood partnerships are more vigorous in the two Neighbourhood Renewal areas than elsewhere but the model of involvement is applied across the borough. There is clear Member as well as officer commitment, with a lead cabinet member for equalities and partnerships. In addition, the VCS, led by a very creative lead umbrella group, brings in a further £2.5m from external sources. A VCS BME forum facilitates the involvement of minority communities in all aspects of development and communication.

Outcomes

The council supports the VCS across the borough very substantially – around £10m in addition to external sources – and this is further amplified by provision of premises and officer support. Practical achievements of the Fieldway partnership (the most deprived of the Borough’s wards) included the establishment of the nearby Cybercafe, where for a nominal charge local residents had supported access to ITC learning; improvement in job opportunities through improved transport links; and the spread of a general sense that the communities’ voices are being heard by the various authorities.

User and Community Satisfaction

The lead cabinet member for equalities and partnerships stressed a major change in the culture of the council. Community members, front-line workers, council officers and members also gave a feeling of joint vision and co-operation. Residents were given plenty of space to speak. Clear satisfaction with support, change and achievement was expressed by community representatives in Fieldway and by members of the borough-wide BME forum.

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Vision and Strategy

Clear progress has been made with a wide diversity of organisations and further action is in place. The absence of dedicated budgets for the neighbourhood partnerships is counterbalanced by the exceptional resources being deployed across the VCS and the exceptionally proactive developmental role being played by the leading umbrella body, Croydon Voluntary Action (CVA), with the support and complementary action of the council. The council’s communications strategy includes assisting people to access activities within their own communities, thus building social capital; and transmitting positive events to the press to change the image of stigmatised areas. Community investment policy in housing helps community centre committees to make better use of their premises.

Consultation

The VCS networks are the main vehicle for consultation. Croydon Voluntary Action plays a substantial role, partly on behalf of the council, in mobilising, communicating with and supporting the contribution of the VCS across the borough, including running the Community Empowerment Network (CEN). The council is the principle funder of CVA and works closely with it to support the VCS role. The forum of 30 plus BME organisations (out of 100 known in the borough) elects its own representative on the LSP and runs five thematic groups to shadow the five priority Neighbourhood Renewal issues. BME organisations also take part in mainstream VCS activity.

Partnerships

Fieldway had been the most stigmatised and isolated estate in the Borough. Council housing allocation policies now emphasise choice, with a more sophisticated understanding of the relationship between turnover, choice and community involvement. Fieldway comprises 8000 properties, half now privately owned (through right to buy), and now has the leading partnership, with strong community involvement. The whole borough is covered by 10 partnerships. The model here, in contrast to many other councils, seems to be that the partnership is essentially a residents’ group with no specific allocated resources, but which communicates with agencies, rather than a partnership of agencies and residents into which a resource is committed as a means of empowerment and learning.

Actions

It was acknowledged that residents ‘close to the action’ were more aware of the major changes going on than some other residents, but networking was increasing. Community development workers had been allocated to help this process and the development of the neighbourhood action plan. Other community workers were deployed around the borough via various departments, particularly housing. There did not appear to be an overall co-ordination of community development workers but the council is creating an increasing number of community work posts for different departmental reasons and has asked CVA to produce an overall training programme.

66 HARINGEY Haringey’s success in getting closer to its communities is manifest in a climate of creative cooperation between council, community and other partners. Its achievements were especially impressive considering the problems of the borough, with a huge proportion of transitory population (50% a year over large parts of the eastern areas) and the lack of a long tradition of community involvement from previous council regimes.

There is clearly a very diverse and active VCS, much of which has evidently grown up without a comprehensive infrastructure to support the sector. The recently established lead umbrella group, HAVCO, has 800 organisations on its books and makes special efforts to ensure that newly emergent groups can get into the networks and access support.

Outcomes

A major site of progress was the Seven Sisters area, where the community had formerly been, and to some extent still was, very fragmented. However, the recent Healthy Living Centre, The Laurels, had provided a physical forum for resident involvement. A wide variety both of active residents and front line workers were making creative use of the centre. Examples included: a photography exhibition on the locality through eyes of young people; a homeless hostel manager who had set up a credit union; an osteopath, who links personal therapy with the community setting; a support worker for people suffering from drug abuse; an advisory service for asylum seekers and others; a scheme for supporting people who had difficulty accessing GPs; a trading association which had negotiated with the police to create a safer trading environment and local atmosphere following a major crime incident; a project helping refugees and asylum seekers around health.

User and Community Satisfaction

There was a strong impression of satisfaction with recent developments from a wide swathe of VCS organisations. The council demonstrated enormously varied activity involving and partly emanating from the local community.

Vision and Strategy

Neighbourhood Management is clearly a driving force in this borough. It is apparent that the council is pursuing a many-sided strategy to enable the long-term residents to take a steadily increasing responsibility for managing the problems of the whole area including coping with the transitory population and stabilising it where possible. A variety of initiatives are specifically directed to the transitory population, for example a forum for people in temporary accommodation, investment in ground-level community development, a landlords’ forum and much work with communities of interest. Co-operation between council departments manifests an underlying understanding of the way the different ‘silo’ issues affect each other and the way the building of trust with residents affects the outcomes of the specialist agencies as well as the general atmosphere. The vision is to make Haringey a destination of choice rather than somewhere that vulnerable people find themselves. Improving school attainment is recognised to be a key factor in holding on to young families. White Hart Lane school, which had come to serve a Turkish population, teaches science in Turkish in the early years whilst pupils are learning English, then converting into English – an experiment originally lambasted by the traditionalist press but which has brought a huge improvement in results.

67 Report of the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils

Consultation

Residents in the western areas tend to be more assertive and bring up, via the area assemblies and other channels, problems associated with prosperity, such as the traffic on the North Circular road. An aim of much of the regeneration work in the eastern areas was to enable people to be as assertive and articulate as those in the west. The VCS was an important channel for consultation but until recently Haringey had lacked an overall VCS umbrella group. There is clearly an ongoing difficulty in getting sufficient response from the large transitory sections of population and from some of the absentee landlords, but effort and creativity is being put into overcoming this so far as possible. The council draws on a pool of 100 language interpreters. In a one-stop-shop in a very diverse neighbourhood up to 15 languages are on tap for people dropping in. A Landlords’ Forum is used to negotiate with landlords to make their properties available on secure three to four year lets rather than bed and breakfast use, so that tenants do not feel they are liable to have to move out at short notice.

Partnerships

Successful police actions / partnerships are a response to quality of life issues raised at neighbourhood assemblies. Complementary initiatives from the community included the Peace Alliance, a direct response to community wishes that had led to similar initiatives elsewhere in the country. Violent crime in the borough was down 20%.

Actions

Areas of action include the ‘friends of the parks’ groups; physical improvements in housing renewal areas; a new Learning Centre; a Sure Start project in the White Hart Lane area; and an EU project on tackling social exclusion. Other work had been done with Spurs ‘Football in the Community’ programme. In Bruce Grove, major regeneration work was taking place involving local businesses. In council-owned areas key properties had been turned into community spaces. For example, in Kenneth Roberts House, one of the few high rise blocks, the former boiler house had been turned into a community space where the local youth forum had mobilised 60 to 70 young people to help run a programme of activities and social enterprise. In the Northumberland Park ward was a centre reclaimed with Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) money from a row of unlettable shops and an underground car park. This was now an excellent neighbourhood renewal centre.

SOUTH SOMERSET South Somerset Council displays an impressive momentum in getting closer to communities. It is successfully supporting a wide variety of local projects which involve and benefit residents, and there is a sense of good organisation and positive energy. There is a continuum between delivery of amenities for communities and supporting communities to plan their own future. A small establishment of District community development staff maintains a network which has drawn in other front-line staff from within the District and from other districts in the county. A number of staff in other disciplines have also been trained as ‘interact facilitators’, to facilitate participative community meetings.

68 The council sees the VCS as a key partner having a complementary role to its own. The VCS role is facilitated by the District Council of Voluntary Service (CVS), which uses the District support to lever in resources from the county and other external sources and which trains others in the VCS to do this for themselves. The CVS adds that the work of its national organisation in helping to change attitudes at high levels had been a great help when trying to do the equivalent at local level. There are believed to be 750 VCS groups and organisations across the District, two thirds of them benefiting in some way directly or indirectly from council support. Five towns benefit from the Market and Coastal Town Initiative (MCTI), and community planning takes place at a number of levels. Some 20 parishes have individual parish plans. In other cases parishes are incorporated into town plans.

Outcomes

There has been change and decline in the market towns over recent decades. Despite this, the council has achieved an increase in voting turnout and, according to a recent survey, 70% of people over 25 are doing some form of volunteering. There has been success in drawing in funding for community involvement projects from external schemes: as well as the MCTI funding, 22 parishes were participating in Countryside Agency initiative. A recently established Healthy Living centre hosted 65 community groups in the last year, half of these meeting here weekly. There was a quarterly user group meeting and any group could put items on the agenda, and it largely worked as an information exchange. In another example, a new village hall had been established; the council had been ‘the constant thread’ in an eight year struggle to replace an inadequate old hall. Another example was a ‘Learning Voices’ group set up to help women who were isolated at home.

User and Community Satisfaction

On the visit we gained an impression of strong satisfaction from the combined exhibition, presentations and videos, where we were also able to talk individually to many frontline workers and representatives of partnerships. There was a strong feeling of interaction between staff and community activists, several front-line staff being former activists, and an extremely good atmosphere amongst the variety of stakeholders. There was a mass of interesting displays, talking heads videos including community members, and very concentrated presentations. The involvement culture seemed very cohesive, possibly made easier by not having a very diverse population (BME just over 1%).

Vision and Strategy

Rural, especially farming, industry is in decline. The average wage is well below the national average. Access deprivation is a key issue in rural areas – people unable to access things that are taken for granted in towns. These issues had pushed the council towards greater involvement from 20 years ago onwards. The council claimed convincingly that ‘getting closer to communities is in our DNA – the council is designed to get close to the community’.

69 Report of the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils

Consultation

The council had supported a CVS survey of VCS which identified over 700 groups in South Somerset, 500 of which the council were supporting in some way either directly or indirectly. The survey also found that 70% of people over 25 were doing some volunteering. However, this survey did not appear to be well known to all partners and key staff, suggesting that the information is not used systematically.

Partnerships

South Somerset is a very widely spread district, divided into areas under area committees covering about 40,000 people each. The council developed their area-based structure before it was government policy to do so – they claim they influenced that policy. The area committees have real powers and a budget. The area Chairs sit on the District executive committee, and all District elected members attend parish meetings. Every councillor produces an annual report on her/ his own actions. It is not clear however that the VCS as a sector (as distinct from local residents) is well represented or has the infrastructure across the district that would enable it to be.

Actions

South Somerset is one of four districts in the county. It has established productive links with county services and networks. The council initiated regular meeting of community workers of several types from across the county: a community initiatives team doing social enterprise, regeneration officers and community development officers. They also organised four-day training for other frontline workers in how to hold community meetings and reflect on them. Action has been taken to assist the traveller community: there were problems with suitable sites; jobs; and health. A community worker had been recruited to ‘see things through their eyes’, assess barriers to accessing services and overcome problems, involving the traveller community directly in the dialogue. There was previously no race equality council in South Somerset. The council nurtured an embryonic one despite a climate of denial from some quarters, and it is now established and supports in particular Portuguese and Polish communities.

TAMESIDE Tameside’s approach to getting closer to communities displays a strong sense of innovation built on solid roots, and integration between different contributing elements. A wide and varied VCS grew up organically over several generations amongst this largely stable population, but had no systematic mechanisms for dialogue and cooperation with the council until the last few years when a VCS infrastructure was laid down. The modernisation developments of the past five years were clearly valued by members and officers alike, and there is a huge variety of productive activity by the community with council support. Members play a pivotal role as intermediaries between residents, who still largely reflected the strongly-knit communities forged in the industrial period, and the machinery of the council, with its complex network of partnerships.

70 Outcomes

The role of the VCS as a partner on numerous issues had clearly been strengthened over the past three years by the institution of the Council of Voluntary Service. The CEN is run on transparently accountable lines, with formal elections for the community representative positions on the LSP, with ‘community chest’ funding decisions made by panels of local residents, and with support provided to 15 thematic and neighbourhood networks. With a database already of some 800 member organisations this recently established CVS had clearly picked up on a substantial sector with roots going back many years, if not decades, before modernisation but which had never before been given a voice and support in a co-ordinated way, though an important role had been, and continued to be, played by the 30-year-old Volunteer Bureau.

User and Community Satisfaction

An example of numerous community groups, residents from the Hattersley area praised the difference that the recent neighbourhood network had made in boosting the effects of their and their neighbours’ longstanding activism. Elsewhere, the support given by the arts/ culture section to the Diwali festival had enabled people both within and outside the host community to enjoy it, and contributed to positive growth of community cohesion. In other examples, new sports facilities had been put in place by the council on the basis of handing day to day management over to tenants’ and residents’ associations – a pooling of different types of resources that requires a considerable level of trust and cooperation.

Vision and Strategy

Tameside is an interesting example where vision is clearly rooted in a historical perspective going back long before the current period, and emerging from a population that has largely been stable despite the major industrial changes of the last generation and a number of incoming communities, but which has also been able take on board substantial changes and developments in the past five years. Regarding the general atmosphere of co-operation and ‘co-production’, a local business leader spoke of ‘amazing changes – more achieved in the last five years than in the previous 40’.

Consultation

The establishment of the LSP had been based on a six month consultation period eliciting responses from 6000 residents. The role of ‘Scrutiny’ councillors was linked to advisers from the community who volunteered to carry out this role for a period of two years. The CVS had extensive networks and a transparent system of electing representatives to the LSP, and more extensive consultation was taking place through the District Assemblies.

71 Report of the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils

Partnerships

The LSP was evidently working well as a central co-ordinating mechanism for the eight District Assemblies where the practical action of community involvement was happening, each covering about 25-30,000 people and commanding a devolved budget of up to around £1.5m, sufficient for the Councillors to respond directly and effectively to the ‘doorstep’ issues that came through the Assembly. There was evidently successful partnership working not only at the formal decision- making level, but also in ground-level co-operation between street representatives who were active in the alley-gating and resident movement, and police and street wardens. Another example was the use of arts and cultural policy to promote interfaith celebration and community cohesion. BME communities in Tameside are small – around 4% – but there is strong interfaith activity.

Actions

A particularly impressive area of bottom-up fieldwork by the council was the community development work in the Ashton regeneration area. Basic community work had elicited a widespread demand for alley-gating at a time when this was a new and unknown option. Implementation involved getting the consent of every resident in the relevant block of terrace housing, hence the enthusiasts in each block were supported in mobilising their neighbours, and the establishment of the gates had multiple outcomes, not only in dramatically reducing crime in these vulnerable areas but in creating new safe areas for play and leisure in the protected spaces, and building social capital through the process. This was associated with increased resident interaction, increased volunteering, for example, as ‘Homewatch’ and street champions keeping an eye on local conditions and as first aid trainees, and the establishment of five residents’ associations where there had been none before.

TOWER HAMLETS Tower Hamlets has no single natural focal point, it is a huge chunk of city between two affluent areas, with tremendous diversity and rate of change. There have been major achievements in getting closer to the community in a locality which presents enormous challenge. In this entirely Neighbourhood Renewal borough the focus on floor targets is very strong. There has been a major ‘turn towards the community’ over the past three years, with investment in strengthening of the VCS and intensive dialogue with the very extensive BME communities in the borough.

Outcomes

Examples of achievements in specific areas included (i) Safer neighbourhoods teams; (ii) Health: drop in doctor waiting times. In the aftermath of 9/11, the council and Muslim community worked closely together on reassurance. The newly established Moslem Centre, run by the Council of Mosques which comprises 32 of the 34 mosques in the borough, is used for both worship for the Moslem community and social projects for all communities. The council provided the land / improved car parking availability and gave a key grant, though most of the money was raised directly by the community – an amazing amount of money raised in one of the poorest communities in the UK. Some parts are designated for women only and there are culturally sensitive women only projects. 20,000 people came to the opening exhibition of Islamic artefacts. The centre has 20 workers, some funded by Objective 2 EU money. Sure Start and other projects are beginning to use it. All community groups can use it for a reasonable fee.

72 An example of a social project: there had formerly been a large number of drugs agencies in the area for historical reasons but all ‘white’, and not much used by the incoming BME communities who were unwilling to admit they were involved in this problem. The Muslim community then set up an organisation called NAFAS, an Arabic word meaning friendship, to reassure people and to change the profile of the drugs agencies and get them used when necessary.

User and Community Satisfaction

On the visit we were taken to two community venues, a new Muslim Centre and a major Youth centre, where presentations were made by leading VCS officers. There have been major advances over the last three years in the VCS and local residents coming to see the public sector as being productive and entering into genuine partnership, overcoming the old ‘us and them’ culture.

Vision and Strategy

Tower Hamlets has a long tradition of citizenship innovation. It had the first headquarters of the Salvation Army, the settlement movement started here with Toynbee Hall and more recently the Institute of Community Studies. Currently there is an incredibly fast rate of economic change. The working population, currently about 100,000 is expected to go up to 500,000 in the next few years – with a probable gentrification effect. The existing population is extremely culturally diverse and dynamic after a series of waves of migration. The Bengali community is currently prominent but many others are also present. The majority of children in schools now are Bangladeshi. There is also new influx from former soviet countries.

There is now extraordinary diversity, with strongly growing faith based networks, and danger of polarisation. Ten years ago there was the first right wing extremist Councillor, but the situation had been massively turned around towards acceptance of diversity since then. There was continuing transformation, including huge innovation in the VCS. The community will become increasingly multi-cultural: the Tower Hamlets experience is of value as a ‘laboratory’ of globalisation. The Somali community is newly emerging, and the Bangladeshi community is passing on its experience of adaptation. The partnership structure is pulling together what previously was a very fragmented population.

Consultation

VCS networks and communications are an important vehicle for consultation. The CEN has moved to an electoral system for the voluntary sector representatives, validated by the Electoral Reform Society. The CVS/CEN has a database of about 1500 VCOs. The council use numerous consultation vehicles; the Partnerships produce a bulletin; they also used the very well read local paper, East End Life, which has a regular section on the Partnerships. There has been a very good response from young people to the consultation on a young people’s plan. This had a big impact on improvement on services. It also led to continuing involvement of young people in dialogue with service providers, overcoming an initial climate of cynicism.

73 Report of the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils

Partnerships

The council started the partnerships for community planning in 2000 – there had been no track record of partnerships before that. The Community Plan and the LSP are ‘joined at the hip’. The LSP sometimes drives it, sometimes blocks it. There is a strategic group, five thematic Community Plan Action Groups (CPAGs) and eight Local Area Partnerships (LAPs) which are based on two or three contiguous wards. Each LAP has a steering group and elected Chair and is partially autonomous. Each LAPs gets a budget of £500,000. The LAP action plans however are linked firmly into the community plan as a whole. There is a triangular decision making structure – the CPAGs, the LAPs and the Strategic Groups of the LSP. The LAPs are seen as local problem-solving and residents’ concerns forums, which transmit proposal to CPAGs, which are dominated by services delivers. The £500,000 is not to be spent wholly autonomously: ideas from the community are mediated by the other parts of the triangle. There is a constructive tension around the triangle: but the system generates a sense of local ownership.

Actions

A percentage of neighbourhood renewal money is used to match fund CEN money for Capacity Building. Part of the context is the ending of SRB – they had an SRB project in every round – the VCS is losing a large number of workers because of this (national trend). Tower Hamlets is also an EU Objective 2 area. The CEN is looking at how to help community organisations sustain themselves. The local authority started planning four years ago for dwindling of SRB by attempting to put VCS organisations on an equal footing in bidding to deliver services, for example, services for the elderly.

WILTSHIRE Wiltshire made a corporate decision in 1998 to establish a closer relationship with its local communities and to play a more dynamic role in their development. This became the county community strategy. The existing structures presented dilemmas: there were 272 parishes; the four district councils were variable in their approach to getting closer to communities (though there is an LSP in each district as well as for the county); and the main urban area, Swindon, became a Unitary council with little involvement in county affairs. The county determined to be the main driver on community involvement despite its geographical spread, and has spread this ethos through its local employees such as teachers, community librarians and staff appointed to support community involvement. There is a cross-department ‘listening to communities’ group, and the lifelong education service takes a particularly strong role. The solution adopted was to establish community areas, based on natural communities and historical research, mostly clustered around market towns, and to set in motion a community strategy for each area. Responding to priorities arising from widespread consultation the community strategy as a whole is called ‘A county fit for children’, to emphasise the orientation to the future. Twenty community areas were set up, each covering a population of plus or minus 20,000 people, and each provided with a community involvement support officer. These have proved to work very well as sites for community planning, involving the districts, the parishes and primarily the county services themselves. About half the community areas are now yielding a rich crop of local involvement activities, with positive indications of improvement in most of the remaining areas.

74 The county seems to be well on the way to overcoming the combined difficulties of geographical scale, district authorities who are variable in relation to getting closer to communities, and the separateness of the County’s major urban area, by having created a mechanism for reaching down a level where large numbers of people and community groups can participate.

Outcomes

Examples of the impact of community planning are: the Malmesbury plan, covering the town and 18 parishes. Issues about traffic and schools issues in Malmesbury elicited a substantial response and resulted in planning changes that left the community feeling more satisfied and empowered. Another vigorous area is Tidworth, a barracks town where the army had formerly promoted community involvement and which had benefited from an SRB scheme. A third example (which we visited) is Calne, one of the most advanced and vibrant of the 20 community areas. Calne and surrounding area had suffered severely from the closure a generation ago of the dominant local industry. The new community planning process, together with the building in the town centre of a splendid new community library, had played a major role in reviving morale and involvement which was now beginning to show through in a revived local economy. The role of the part time community planning officers (in effect community development workers) in each of the 20 areas has clearly been effective, and is complemented by county support to the four district Councils of Voluntary Service and 500 known community and voluntary organisations. Details of VCS groups and organisations are held at District and local community area level – there does not appear to be a county overview of the state of the VCS as a whole.

User and Community Satisfaction

There is widespread evidence of community satisfaction at the changes brought in by the community area planning system, with variations across the county as each area has its own momentum. The customer satisfaction level is claimed to have been raised by16%, against the national trend.

Vision and Strategy

The County leads strongly on community involvement, giving direct support to the 20 ‘community areas’, which mobilise or build on town, parish and district input. The adult education service takes a leading role and libraries are strongly involved. The county has a strong role and has created a mechanism which involves the districts but is not held back by their variable pace.

Consultation

The authority has made itself ‘permeable’ to the VCS by regular meetings between VCS representatives, officers and senior councillors before each council meeting. The County has also made good use of technology to give communities more voice by offering all community groups their own website linked to the authority’s site, and by using video to encourage citizens to record their own vox pops. Vibrant networks have been created at community area level around cultural activities, ICT initiatives like ‘E-Pewsey’ and activities with young people. Wiltshire Youth Assembly is well supported by the County, and has developed an effective mechanism for feeding in the ideas of young people to the authority. Representatives on the visit assured us that their members were from across all social strata and diverse communities. The ways in which communities are being consulted about waste minimisation and local transport plans appeared to be at an earlier stage of community involvement in the sense that they were mainly about informing the public rather than yet having found ways to involve them actively in co-operation and contributing to decision-making. 75 Report of the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils

Partnerships

Instituting the community planning framework at the level of about 15 – 20,000 people based on market towns and surrounding areas has, with the particular configuration and history of this county, worked well, accommodating district, town and parish level structures without being held back by their variable speed of development. Parish councillors have gradually adapted positively to this constructive challenge.

Actions

Varied forms of action are in train, principally continuing to build up community involvement in the community areas that have so far been slower to take advantage of it. Examples from the more advanced areas are being disseminated to others areas, and networking between the community support officers in the twenty areas, community librarians and frontline staff from other authorities is used to continually amplify involvement around the county.

Not Recommended for Beacon status

Dudley Maidstone Stockton on Tees Westminster

DUDLEY Dudley is an area which historically depended on heavy industry, now declined, though there is now a vibrant retail sector. Dudley displays a change towards a participative local culture which is highly advanced in some fields, especially education and youth, but is at an earlier stage in terms of making a deep impact in other areas such as neighbourhood management. Some areas of activity are too early in their life to yet have decisive results. Highly skilled leadership in the VCS is much relied on, and supported, by the council.

Outcomes

Impressive examples were given of achievement mainly in the areas of education and youth. A community-led Saturday school for Moslem young people attracted 250 every Saturday and was successfully closing the attainment gap. A local primary school was using palmtops to promote learning in and out of school, with great benefits in educational attainment. North Dudley area committee had just agreed to provide skateboard provision in partnership with local young people. With support from the Education and Youth service a committee of young people had been elected and campaigned successfully, raising £26,000 towards the establishment of a new youth centre in Sedgeley, which was now run with extensive participation by young people themselves. There were no complaints from residents – they preferred to see young people using the centre than having them on the streets. Since it had opened police said anti-social behaviour in the area had dropped dramatically.

76 User and Community Satisfaction

The Tenants’ Federation affirmed that patch working had improved local conditions. The Federation ‘couldn’t operate without council support’. On the visit there was clearly satisfaction from young people but it was difficult to get an overall impression of levels of satisfaction amongst local residents.

Vision and Strategy

A strong vision of a participative council especially on youth and education issues, on training, on interfaith issues and on VCS networking. Some 40+ frontline workers from different departments had been trained in disseminating visioning techniques – an initial cohort of 600 people has been through the process and the technique is in the process of broadening out to larger sections of the population. Cultural change in the local authority has been led by Neighbourhood Renewal and the LSP. A vigorous jobs partnership focuses on creating local jobs for local people, and channelling people towards these jobs through both specific and life skills training.

Consultation

Consultation was clearly assisted by a very well organised VCS infrastructure. The CVS, itself 30 years old, has 500 groups in membership, and estimates the existence of 800 across the Borough. The CVS has a clear profile of its sector on different types of count, reporting 25,000 volunteers, 35,000 carers and £50m-worth of VCS activity. The CVS and associated CEN play a strong role, with council support, in ‘joining up the sector’, supporting thematic networks and partnerships on children and young people, elderly, drugs action, action for disabled people and carers and interfaith work. Representation from each of these networks gets fed in to the LSP through a transparent process. Establishing a local Compact has played an important part in this, and the CVS is part of a national Compact working group. The LSP holds an annual feedback conference and all Directorates have Community Engagement policies. Establishment of a wide consultation database is being initiated.

Partnerships

There is a well-developed and vigorous LSP, with both geographical and thematic partnerships. Community representatives are present in theme partnerships and young people are represented on Area Committees. Five Area Committees cover the whole of Dudley and there are four new neighbourhood management teams for selected areas, with a team leader in each area. Partnerships are underpinned by a strong Compact between public agencies and the VCS, and there is an innovative ‘universal service level agreement’ between the council and the VCS. The CVS runs a programme of action for disabled people and their carers, negotiating support from officers of all departments. The Housing department helps to control people with drug habits and the Urban Environment section works closely with Friends of the Parks groups. Neighbourhood partnerships are based on pre-existing SRB boards. However, it is not clear how thoroughly these partnerships reach the bulk of local residents. There are clear steps of inclusiveness towards the 8% BME communities. The Community Empowerment Network is called Dosti, a word meaning ‘friendship’ in many Asian languages. Dosti is made up of 18 networks including Dudley Muslims Association. The ‘Pride of Dudley’ project is organised around a mosque and learning centre for all communities, to overcome unfamiliarity and misunderstanding.

77 Report of the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils

Actions

Young people are seen as managers of youth centres, in line with Ofsted recommendations. They are also represented in the UK Youth Parliament, and young people’s responses to consultation have gone up dramatically. Good relationships have been established with the two Primary Care Trusts operating in the area, with co-operation on a health equalities strategy. Council community workers are helping with the quit smoking campaign and education about alcohol in schools. A planned new health centre will be the first major new community facility in the Brierley Hill regeneration area. There is a community capacity building group of twelve people co-ordinated by community education, and an embryonic approach to joint community development work across partnerships, but it is not yet clear how much community development is taking place through different departments and agencies and how much synergy might be created by a more co-ordinated approach.

MAIDSTONE Maidstone Council has had an open door for approaches from residents for 20 years but in the last three has taken new proactive steps towards getting closer to its communities. Key channels for achieving this include: heightening democratic and civic engagement; making maximum use of the scrutiny system; instituting a youth forum; and holding a rolling ‘big debate’ about residents’ priorities, resulting in very well attended public meetings. Multi-Agency Partnerships (MAPs) have been set up and three year funding agreements have been initiated with Voluntary and Community organisations. In the rural areas (which contain about a third of the 140,000 population, 90,000 being in Maidstone itself) most parishes now have parish plans. There is a strong sense of widespread effort to involve the community in Maidstone but a less clear picture of the extent of the community’s own forms of organisation and involvement. VCS infrastructure is limited to a well- respected Volunteer Bureau and some outreach from a CVS in an adjoining district. Some aspects of the new policies are too early in their development to furnish clear results at this time but the general momentum is undoubtedly beneficial.

Outcomes

The council sees itself as achieving high levels of community outcome despite the inevitably low level of funding they receive. £165,000 has been devolved from the central budget to the control of individual councillors to work within their wards, £3,000 per year per member, of whom there are 55. There is also £500,000 to spend jointly, which will become £750,000 shortly, and County councillors have a £10,000 budget. There is evidently a very active interface between the council and people working at the frontline in the community, including known VCS groups, but it is not always clear what the subsidiary levels of involvement regarding the general population are. There is a considerable reliance on the VCS. The database held by the Volunteer Bureau (VB) containing about 170 organisations is the most systematic overview of the VCS, but there are estimated to be as many other groups and organisations. The VB would like to develop a more comprehensive picture of the sector. A number of faith groups are known (the BME population is about 3%) and there is a Roma group and a gypsy museum not far away – Maidstone have recently taken back management of two gypsy sites from Kent County Council. There is no CVS in the borough itself; the nearest one is in Ashford, which does a one day a week outreach into the borough.

78 User and Community Satisfaction

A varied and interesting picture emerged from the visit when groups described how the council had helped them. A mediation group said they had started in 1989 to help resolve neighbourhood conflicts. They received financial help from the council and were consulted and valued. Another contributor described how the ‘Homestart’ group had come about as a result of community demands: ‘Originally we got a lot of support from other sources...the link with the council has now hugely changed – it is proactive and responsive’. The Mela interfaith celebration, set up by the council in 2004 and handed over to member management, had wide representation of inter-faith groups and advises the council on these issues. The Kent Association for the Disabled had moved to this borough because they were made to feel more welcome here than in their previous location. A representative of the Youth Forum described how it had carried out a project to alleviate young people hanging around. The council had helped them to do a survey. There was an 11 member cabinet youth forum originally drawn only from grammar schools but now more inclusive. Lots of parishes were now asking for help in setting up their own youth forums, and there was a small budget to assist this.

Vision and Strategy

There has evidently been a major shift in the council’s culture over the last three years towards much greater participation, with particular concentration on deprived wards within Maidstone town itself, but also with attention to the very different nature of the rural parishes. Youth provision is a high priority, and the council has generally made itself much more visible. The overall impression gained at this stage is of vigorous movement towards getting closer to the community, with some points of clear achievement and some aspects still at a relatively early stage. More systematic and comprehensive information on, and communication with, the VCS would help deepen this process.

Consultation

A wide variety of methods is used for consultation including citizens’ panels, focus groups, surveys and an interactive website. 2,500 responses were received to the last budget consultation. ‘MAPs’ (multi-agency partnership) meetings are another important vehicle, each bringing together up to 30 service providers with residents’ committees and the VCS. ‘Megamap’ brings all the MAPs together, and results are fed into the LSP. Part of the visit was held in a recently established Healthy Living Centre, formerly a launderette, serving an area of about 6000 people, and being an example of the focal point of a MAP. This MAP had 13 member organisations, including the Tenants’ and Residents’ Association, which met here four times a year. The VCS was strongly represented and held the chair. Faith groups were separately represented. 22 further new groups had formed around this centre.

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Partnerships

The MAPS are a major partnership vehicle. These are described as having emerged from the community, supported by frontline workers. MAPS are targeted on non-parished urban areas and on areas of deprivation. They work through focus groups, including one for the VCS, a transport and a BME group. Schools are also represented on the MAPS groups and there is good liaison with Kent County Council via the youth and community service. There is a service level agreement with the Citizens Advice Bureau. The Primary Care Trust (PCT) is a key partner. The ‘Maidstone model’ of involvement illustrated in the Healthy Living Centre is being promoted by the PCT to an adjacent borough. There is a ‘Concurrent functions’ scheme with parishes: the majority of parishes have established community plans this year. The council’s housing stock was transferred last year to a housing association and attempts are being made to involve the association in partnership initiatives.

Actions

The council invests £100,000 in community development workers. A very successful interfaith event was the Mela festival, which attracted 20,000 people. An interfaith conference led to Jewish, Christian, and Muslim agreement to mutual visits and that led on to joint activities like football. The Council is developing indicators for safer and stronger communities – the first draft has gone to GOSE. An example of how tensions were handled was Park Wood, a disadvantaged area with vandalism. The community had wanted punitive action against young people held responsible. The council took a more reconciliatory approach, holding dialogue with them and establishing that they would have a positive attitude toward setting up a youth club. The PCT was drawn in and found volunteers. Kent youth and community division have trained them and the local church hosts the employment of a youth worker.

STOCKTON ON TEES Stockton on Tees has put in place extensive mechanisms for consulting its communities and adjusting its services accordingly. There is a thorough ongoing emphasis on getting feedback from communities about the services provided. Twelve key voluntary sector organisations, including separate umbrella groups for the VCS, have a close relationship with the council and are relied on as intermediaries, including representing the council’s input to community development. (Other community development is led by the PCT.) These twelve key groups share a budget of £500,000. There is evidently an extensive VCS, with a substantial history of achievement. However, the way the relationship with the council is structured through the ‘top layer’ of organisations, makes it difficult to discern what interaction is taking place between the council and the sector at other levels.

Outcomes

The authority puts a lot of focus on its LSP, ‘Stockton Renaissance’. The LSP is chaired by a member of the community sector, and is strong and inclusive. Local Action Panel services are developed in partnership with residents; their main input is selecting which listed issues should be priorities rather than finding innovative solutions. The number of community groups within Stockton is increasing. However, the number of voluntary groups is declining, due to national trends in

80 declining funding. The council’s Democratic Services Unit runs elections within schools, tying in with the citizenship education curriculum. The Unit has established a day where different schools come together and pupils role-play being members of the authority, dealing with the challenges they face. It has assisted schools in establishing and developing schools councils, and arranged question times between Members and school pupils. It has also carried out “Pause for Thought”, a street consultation, aimed at allowing people to say how they would like the Borough to change. Over 50% of the board of the Neighbourhood Management Pathfinder are residents. Each board member has a “buddy”, thus allowing twice as many people to be informed of the Pathfinder’s activities.

User and Community Satisfaction

There appears to be a good relationship between service providers and residents, with levels of resident satisfaction increasing. However, the emphasis appears to be on a top-down approach, where citizens are viewed primarily as consumers of services rather than as active partners, apart from a ‘top tier’ of VCS organisations. A MORI survey has shown increased levels of resident satisfaction. The BME community has high levels of trust in the council, in fact higher than that of the community as a whole. Relationships between council tenants and the authority appear to be good.

It is not clear that the VCS and the community as a whole are aware of how to significantly influence the Borough’s wider policy making, beyond responding to questionnaires and commenting on individual services which they consume. Residents are very pleased with improvements to the condition of the urban environment.

Vision and Strategy

Stockton-on-Tees has a contrasting demographic base, split between predominantly wealthy rural areas and urban areas with a significant amount of deprivation. It is a neighbourhood management pathfinder council. The VCS is supported through twelve key organisations, and there has been continuity of capacity building over a long period. Stockton community groups and resident association (SCRAGA) supports community groups; a separate umbrella group supports voluntary organisations. 623 voluntary organisations are served by the voluntary sector umbrella group, and 540 community organisation groups by SCRAGA. The council is now going into the slightly less deprived areas where there has not been much build up, doing capacity building there, taking residents from the experienced into the inexperienced areas. Internally, the council has a programme called ‘Customer First’ designed to effect culture change throughout the organisation. This is an accreditation scheme to encourage officers to think in a community-oriented way. The programme enables the council to self-assess how it delivers services which meet the needs of residents. A public question time has been introduced at all meetings of the Cabinet and full council, to allow residents to put their views to councillors and challenge their views. Regeneration of the council’s housing stock appears to have worked very well – residents speak highly of council’s re-activeness to complaints and requests. However, it was not clear to us how far regeneration had been driven or shaped by residents themselves. The authority has worked with a number of locality-based groups, but it is not clear what will happen to these groups once they are moved from their homes to allow for regeneration or replacement of housing stock.

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Consultation

The authority consults widely and often. It has set up a Viewpoint Panel, which is demographically representative of the council’s population as a whole. Feedback to participants is made regularly. A Youth Viewpoint Panel operates similarly, but with the questionnaires tailored to the needs and wishes of the different age groups involved. A BME panel has been established to enable BME interests to be fed into the council’s policy-making. A MORI survey has praised the council’s newspaper, ‘Stockton News’, which it uses to feed back information to its residents. The council makes effective use of interactive software to establish the priorities of residents and residents’ groups. The authority demonstrates a strong working relationship with large, well-established VCS groups to whom it has devolved its community development work. However, it was less clear whether this effectively builds links with smaller groups or works to develop the capacity of new groups to engage.

Partnerships

A network of about 60 to 70 community development workers from various agencies is co-ordinated by the PCT. Area boards which emerged from SRB feed in to the LSP. Two boards have taken a lead role in town centre development. The area partnerships are chaired by elected members of the VCS. The CVS has been given responsibility for distributing funding from regimes such as European Regional Development Fund and other budgets. Through this funding the CVS has supported, for example, the establishment of a business centre for the BME community. The council supports VCS organisations both financially and by providing officer support.

The International Family Centre has been working to engage the BME in Stockton’s LSPs. It is not clear whether the authority is aware of the full extent and identity of the VCS in its area or how small or newly formed VCS groups would be able to engage successfully with the council.

Actions

The council has established a website, the Stockton Online Community Portal, providing community information. VCS groups are able to use the site to promote what they do, and the community is able to provide content for this site, for example by uploading music onto it. The website features a translation facility to ensure that it is accessible to all Stockton’s various communities. The Customer First programme motivates council officers to engage with community groups, and to view their work within the context of the community. This enables a joined-up approach to work areas which impact on the community. Local Action Plans have helped to ensure that services are tailored to different communities and the needs of different localities. The Plans are developed with the Area Partnership Boards, which include significant community membership. These Plans allow a cross- cutting approach to delivery.

The authority is developing various additional means of engaging with its community – for example, establishing a disability network. While these appear to be promising, it is not possible to assess their contribution at present.

82 WESTMINSTER Westminster has a contrasting demographic base. 33% of the population is from BME communities of whom 50% are born outside the UK. There are many high-income families but in contrast some areas of real deprivation. It is estimated that a million people travel in to work in Westminster each day, and there is considerable ‘churn’ in the resident population. There is 25% turnover of names on the electoral register every year. Westminster is in the fifth year of its civil renewal strategy and has made extensive changes to get closer to its communities. Priority is given to consulting on and researching communities’ views and then acting on them. Westminster has traditionally been strong on business planning. Community engagement is the basis of the LSP. Methods of involvement pioneered in the Church Street area were now beginning to be rolled out throughout the borough.

The council has also made especial efforts to ensure that its extremely diverse communities can all benefit from local improvements. The five themes of: civic renewal; customer first; city development; education guarantee; and city guardian drive the approach to getting closer to communities. The council places a lot of emphasis on addressing the needs of diverse communities, raising aspirations among previously excluded groups and ensuring that basic services are a priority. Westminster is very thorough in its methods for researching community factors and preferences, and has a productive working relationship with the VCS through its umbrella bodies and local initiatives. It is not clear how fully this extends to building up the capacity of smaller community groups or facilitating solutions arising from and implemented by residents themselves. The authority demonstrates a strong relationship with well-established VCS groups. Voluntary Action Westminster includes 13 sub-networks to ensure other organisations can feed into the system. Some of Westminster’s wide variety of actions to get closer to its communities are still at relatively early stages.

Outcomes

The council has a number of examples of good practice; the youth parliament and an elected youth MP have helped to build dialogue between adults and young people. Turnout at youth elections has increased greatly. Viewcast enables customers to record their experience of customer service and suggestions for service improvement are fed into the system. Neighbourhood wardens have resulted in people feeling safer and a scheme to decorate flats has improved the quality of life for local people. The council has achieved a number of awards for service excellence. A variety of initiatives are in place to engage youth, reduce crime, work in partnership across the statutory and voluntary services, and provide more effective responses to customer enquiries. Westminster demonstrates that it recognises the needs of the business community, young people and the desire of residents for a safer, cleaner environment. A number of aspects of the authority’s work in getting closer to its communities are in relatively early stages but there are plans to extend the approaches more widely.

User and Community Satisfaction

There appears to be a good relationship between service providers and residents, with levels of resident satisfaction increasing. The LSP is used to drive partnerships and get outcomes, there is a high level of engagement with the voluntary sector, the six Local Area Forums involve CVS, and the Chair of the community network sits on the LSP as an equal partner with Police, Health etc. The Area Forums, the youth engagement programme and Civic Renewal meetings provide a mechanism for the community to raise concerns and provide feedback to the council. Tenants are able to feed in their comments and complaints about service delivery. Neighbourhood managers and street wardens have detailed knowledge about their patch and provide a key contact for the community. The close links between the council and Voluntary Action Westminster provide intelligence and data on community concerns. 83 Report of the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils

Vision and Strategy

Listening to the community and providing high quality customer focussed services is driven from the top of the organisation. The council recognises the importance of effective communication, cross cutting approaches and delivering joined up services. There is culture change at all levels, to ensure community needs are known and championed. The commitment of the Leader in engaging hard to reach groups is evident and there appears to be detailed and comprehensive information about its diverse communities.

Consultation

Research has shown that 60% of residents want the council to take account of users’ preferences, 44% just want to be informed and 30% want active involvement. The authority consults widely and through a range of mechanisms. It recognises it has progressed from a low base and is committed to ensuring consultation is used to inform service design and delivery. Creation of developmental business districts is an example of engaging with particular sections of the community to ensure specific needs are considered. A combination of research and partnership working is used to deliver improvement across the range of services. This is achieved through a patch management approach, tackling small things first to give a sense that area is actively managed. This approach involves working closely with the Police, Fire Service and Youth services. The initiative is now in seven areas with plans to extend to a further 12. The VCS use the CEN to consult through their wide range of sub-networks. A gap in satisfaction between BME and white communities has been overcome. An example of neighbourhood dialogue was the setting up by the council of the Edgware Road Dialogue Group, working first separately with residents and businesses and then bringing them together and now tackling a whole range of local issues including policing. Area forums are one of the major consultative mechanisms. Young people can use them to present their own case and break down barriers. It was not clear whether there were widespread opportunities for communities to propose and implement their own solutions to problems – there was rather more focus on choosing between priorities which the council had researched.

Partnerships

The LSP plays a key role to co-ordinate and the council uses opportunities of partnership working to deliver more joined-up services. Community wardens work closely with the police, housing issues are addressed through CityWest Homes, and the neighbourhood forums provide a mechanism for local people to influence the delivery of services in their area. The VCS is now being used to deliver some projects such as running an after-school club and decorating elderly people’s homes.

Actions

Church Street was identified for regeneration, through a local area study, due to it being the most deprived ward in London. The council intends using Church Street as a test case, developing an approach to social problems which can then be rolled out to other wards. The authority is developing various additional means of engaging with its community – funding for residents’ associations, diversity training for staff and work with faith groups.

84 HEALTHY COMMUNITIES

Introduction

There are striking health inequalities between groups and areas despite national prosperity, wider opportunity and improving health over the last twenty years. The gap in life expectancy between and within local authority areas, and infant mortality between different social groups, continues to widen.

A major challenge is to break the cycle by which poor health is passed down from one generation to the next. To increase the number of people from disadvantaged groups and areas adopting healthier lifestyles and to provide a range of key services relative to need, in order to meet individuals’ needs (including needs arising from culture, religion, race and language).

In July 2003, the Government set out the strategy to meet this challenge in Tackling Health Inequalities: A Programme for Action. Local authorities have a vital role and will be leading and implementing a range of activity to promote healthier communities and reduce inequalities in health. Beacons will have identified and understood the health issues that affect their area and the causes of poor health and inequality.

There were 13 applications for this theme, of which four were shortlisted (Cannock Chase, Gateshead, Manchester, and Stockton on Tees).

Decision Framework

The Panel was looking for councils that were providing high profile community leadership for improving the health outcomes of their area and were working in close partnership with primary care trusts, other local partners and communities. Mainstream services and programmes would be supporting health improvement and tackle inequality, particularly for the most disadvantaged. Key services, such as housing and transport, would be accessible and targeted to focus on disadvantaged areas and groups. Effective use would be made of the Health Scrutiny roles.

The authorities recommended for Beacon status demonstrated real outcomes in these areas from which others could learn.

Recommended for Beacon status

Cannock Chase Gateshead Manchester Stockton on Tees

The following paragraphs summarise the Panel’s assessment of each of the shortlisted authorities against the key criteria for the theme.

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CANNOCK CHASE The Panel were unanimous in their view that this was a council who were committed to improving the health of their local communities, eager to demonstrate imaginative approaches to providing good health; and very committed to the principles of Beacon status. It was an excellent example of district council approach to health improvement. The council demonstrated enthusiasm, passion and creativity. The chief executive and the leader of the council are personally committed to improving health and tackling health inequalities.

The council and the Primary Care Trust (PCT) have a strong and practical approach to partnership working. There is a jointly appointed Director of Public Health and a Director of Partnerships. The chief executive of the PCT chairs the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP). The council has found innovative ways to create capacity among its officers to support work on health improvement. There is a rational, evidence based and systematic approach to assessing health needs, targeting resources and tracking impact.

Cannock’s learning activities calendar currently uses a good range of media, including the internet, CD ROMs, press and media briefings, twinning, work shadowing, peer support, and several conferences, in addition to the basic events of the learning exchange and open day. They place quite a high emphasis on information sharing events. They are also considering more opportunities for interactive group learning with other authorities/partners, to ensure a mixture of events promoting excellence and exploring strategies for improvement.

Outcomes

The council was able to demonstrate improvements in health over recent years. There has been a decline in cancer and circulatory disease. A range of innovative practices and programmes were demonstrated ranging from projects on the ground, such as GP referral for exercise, as well as changes to corporate processes and systems, such as using a policy led budgetary system, which prioritises health.

User and Community Satisfaction

The council was using a variety of surveys to engage residents and seek their views. The surveys had specific questions on health and for example the survey of young peoples’ views had led to some direct action in developing and extending cycleways, and other opportunities for physical activity, which were attractive to a broader range of teenagers. There were also examples of real changes in service provision for adults with mental health problems, following consultation. The responsiveness of the council, which was borne out by the testimony of its partners, was convincing.

Vision and Strategy

The council’s clear vision is that by 2015 no area of the district will fall within the top quartile of the most deprived authorities in England. Health is identified as a clear policy area within this vision and the Corporate Plan – there was demonstrable corporate commitment across the council. The council understood and were using health impact assessment. They were using data from the super output areas to help with targeting activities. The council was also using its Health Scrutiny role to develop an obesity strategy.

86 Consultation

The council uses a range of means for consulting with the residents and has used the Citizens Panel for specific feedback on key health issues such as drugs and alcohol. It has engaged with specific groups such as young people and people with disabilities, to help inform health improvement projects, and has been commended by the Audit Commission for their work on consultation. At the presentation the council reinforced the ways in which they feed in formation from consultation into service delivery and planning.

Partnerships

The extent of partnership working was strong and wide. Particularly impressive was the strong relationship between the council and the PCT. The Director of Public Health and the Head of Partnerships are both joint appointments and were very engaged. Business leaders as well as statutory and industry agencies are involved in the LSP. The council takes a wider determinants approach to health improvement linking health and lifestyle programmes to other social and economic regeneration policies. The Audit Commission has commended the council on its partnership working.

Actions

The council was able to demonstrate a wide range of projects and programmes and the extent to which it was focusing on disadvantaged areas and groups. Rugeley Leisure Centre was a case in point having been developed to provide services to a previously under served largely deprived area. The work which has taken place on engaging the community in arts and health and the development of the health and Arts Trail on Cannock Chase was a truly inclusive and inspiring project.

GATESHEAD Gateshead has an excellent reputation as an authority committed to tackling health inequalities through community based strategy and partnership. It is making good progress in its health inequality/improving health targets. People in Gateshead are living longer and healthier lives. The council is already a ‘Promoting Healthier Communities Shared Priority Pathfinder’ and has expressed an interest in becoming a ‘Communities for Health” pilot.

Over recent years Gateshead has seen notable improvements in the health of its population. The assessment process provided ample opportunity to meet senior executives from the authority, political leaders and a full range of partners as well as some representatives from the community and those engaged in imaginative health related projects and programmes.

There was ample evidence of a mature, comprehensive and unified partnership approach, which has already achieved external recognition. Particularly impressive was some of the very imaginative work done in mental health promotion, smoking cessation; obesity and physical activity. There is also a centre for enabling Health Improvement for training and resourcing this wider work force.

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With reference to key messages for dissemination, it would be good to see Gateshead including some lessons around the basics of creating effective joint working, as the strength of their partnership is such a strong element of their bid. Gateshead has put forward the excellent idea of holding site and study visits mainly over the summer 2005 to take advantage of good weather. They have also proposed an additional regional workshop in February, and making full use of the annual UKPHA Conference.

Outcomes

Both the bid and the range of topics covered were evidence of a wide range of imaginative local activities focused on the key health drivers in the Borough. However the direct correlation between this activity and improved base line health measures is still to be demonstrated. The council and its partners were only in the early stages of using and developing health needs assessments and equality audits as a basis for targeting health related activities.

User and Community Satisfaction

Gateshead has a comprehensive approach to researching the views of local people. We tested whether the population was optimistic with their increasingly good health status and how they made their views heard on local health matters. We were satisfied that the local Area Consultative Forums were an effective mechanism for gauging residents’ views. Consultation with specific groups, for example those with mental health problems and disabilities, leads to practical outcomes backed up by specific outcome measures.

Vision and Strategy

There is a clear and well-articulated vision and strategy. The council and its officers were clearly committed to tackling health inequalities and understood the wider determinants of health that create inequalities. While the vision is not predicated on a full systematic health needs assessment the council does undertake research and surveys to assess health needs. It also works hard on developing mainstream approaches to health through its employment, procurement and partnership activities. There is clearly member commitment and leadership on health issues, for example, the council has a total smoking ban across all its premises, including licensed ones which has resulted in lost revenues.

Consultation

A variety of formal and informal means are used to engage and involve local communities in the planning and delivery of services and there is a clear link between public engagement and the overall strategies of the council. Communities were engaged through neighbourhood management and Local Area Agreements; groups through partnership working; patient and public involvement mechanisms, and through the Overview and Scrutiny Committee; and individuals were involved in care planning and delivery and healthy lifestyle programmes. Gateshead is particularly commended for its work on providing a range of service users with more choice and control over their social services through direct payment schemes. Their work on the reconfiguration of teenage pregnancy and sexual health services was directly informed by consultation and involvement of young people. We were also satisfied that the Council had an inclusive approach to its work on health improvement finding ways to engage and involve its diverse community. We saw evidence of engagement of both the Jewish community, and Asian groups in the projects and programmes which were demonstrated during our visit.

88 Partnerships

Partnership working is clearly very strong between the Local Authority and health services (even including the Hospital Trust). Impressive too were the ways in which the voluntary and community sectors were engaged. The business sector is being engaged through regeneration activities as well as more directly. For example, the council advises IKEA on healthy employment practices. The health and Social Care Partnership has set 10 clear challenges to inform joint working emphasizing the need to engage and empower local people, provide choice, protect the vulnerable, and delivery high quality services.

Actions

There is an impressive range of health related programmes and activities covering all key priority areas for improving health. Smoking cessation targets are at 120 per cent levels; the LPSA target to reduce smoking in pregnancy has been achieved only one quarter way into the programme. There is an LPSA target for childhood obesity and a range of physical activity/healthy eating health promotion activities, including an imaginative GP referral scheme.

MANCHESTER Manchester has the lowest life expectancy of a local authority area in England. It has been making some progress against national targets to improve health, driven in part by the LPSA. It is a ‘Shared Priority Pathfinder’, helping to identify how local authorities can make a contribution to reducing health inequalities, and is making a valuable contribution to central government thinking through the Places Project, led by Lord Rooker.

The council is undoubtedly committed to partnership working to improve health. It has placed Health Improvement as a corporate priority over two decades, and in 2002 established a Joint Health Unit (JHU) with its PCTs which has a combined staffing resource worth over £350K, made up of contributions from the city councils departments and the four PCTs This Unit has been the engine of real public health capacity and action. It has a series of programmes (including a regeneration workstream) and has become a model of effective joined up action on cross-cutting issues which is being copied for other key corporate policy areas within the council. In all, combined budgets from Health Action Zone Status, Neighbourhood Renewal and Teenage Pregnancy, creates a health improvement resource of over £7M.

The council had set an LSPA target for life expectancy; statistics are showing improvement in health outcomes; improved services and programmes deriving from real health needs have been made very evident. Manchester is clearly on an improvement journey.

Manchester has proposed some interesting themed events such as an introduction to public health information sources, a national teenage pregnancy conference, and a review of lessons from the JHU, four years on. They have also allowed time for mentoring and peer support, as well as individual tailored visits. Their programme seems to provide a good balance of showcasing good practice against helping others to explore routes to improvement, and they have also allowed some time for joint work with other Beacons. In addition they have added value by providing for an inward secondment to the joint health Unit.

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Outcomes

The Joint Health Unit has within it a small team of policy analysts and statisticians co-located by the PCTs who are working at the leading edge of data analysis to identify priorities for health improvement (Citywide and at the small area level), as well as tracking the impact of interventions and trajectory analysis. The Unit is also enabling the council and its partners to develop cost benefit cases for investment in health and provide support to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee. Statistics show improvements in health outcomes.

The council is proactive on a couple of major ‘flag ship’ programmes. It is adopting a smoke-free City policy to try and improve its figures on life expectancy and smoking, and is also assessing tackling alcohol misuse as a cross cutting issue. The council, building on the success of its inequalities related LPSA is currently negotiating with government a second generation LPSA with stretching targets.

User and Community Satisfaction

In addition to its LPSA and the framework based on the national programme for action it is clear that the council had a clear understanding of health needs at sub-area level (see above). For example, we were given an insight into their work on older people – an imaginative strategy which looked at the broader health and well-being of an active ageing population in the city as well as social care needs. A basket of quality of life indicators has been established for older people underpinned by projects and programmes which cut across departments. The demographic patterns of the ageing population (including the small area and the social exclusion dimensions) were well understood. Elders had been engaged as consultants and experts in this area of work who were positive about the programme. We also tested the Council on its strategies for engaging and involving its black and minority ethnic communities on health improvement issues. They gave a good account of their approach which was borne out when we later met those working directly with these communities

Vision and Strategy

The LPSA provides the overarching strategy for improved health – this is translated into six clear Health Priorities in the Action Plan for 2004/5. The council has a Public Health Charter and other aspirational health programmes, for example, Valuing older People.

Consultation

Consultation with residents and services users was undertaken through the council (and PCT areas). In addition there was lots of evidence of client group consultation (elders, teenagers) and local area forums feeding into strategy and planning. The example used to demonstrate increasing levels of user and community satisfaction was teenage pregnancy. The work on teenage pregnancy was clearly very ‘joined up’ such that it was held to be a model of best practice in the region.

Consultees also specifically include minority ethnic groups. Partners were clearly actively consulted and engaged openly by the council in the development of strategy. Community and voluntary groups reinforced a sense that the council was open and listening.

90 Partnerships

Specific Health and Inequalities partnerships have existed for some time and the Joint Health Unit is itself a model of practical and effective partnership working.

Actions

The Joint Health Unit has arranged programmes and activities covering all the major health issues, taking a wider determinant and individual lifestyle approach.

STOCKTON ON TEES The health of Stockton residents is improving against national indicators of healthy improvement. Corporate leadership for work on Healthy Communities was very apparent both from the chief executive, the corporate director for children, education and social care. (Stockton has a top team of 3: the Chief Executive and two Corporate Directors). The director of public health (DPH) was also very much part of the team.

Stockton has already won a number of awards and national recognition for its imaginative approaches to partnership and community involvement. It is also a pilot for Local Area Agreements and has expressed interest in being Communities for Health pilot. The very locally grounded approach to tackling health inequalities was the strong theme of the council’s work on health. A good cross section of front line service providers, community groups, and voluntary agencies showcased the range of imaginative projects and programmes going on within the borough.

Stockton has produced a varied learning activities calendar that draws on their extensive previous experience of successfully sharing good practice. They have proposed some innovative ideas including producing a joint e-learning package with other Beacons, a joint open day, mentoring, shadowing and twinning (which extends beyond the Beacon year) regional events, and an end of year evaluation.

Outcomes

The PCT and local authority have good working relationships. The LSP has a major health theme. The borough targets and segments its action on health inequalities to meet priority needs. Stockton uses health equity audits to good effect and is using a range of indicators to demonstrate progress against national health targets.

User and Community Satisfaction

A number of survey and customer satisfaction methods are used to gauge views of Stockton residents. ‘Health Improvement’ was not really seen by local people as a priority over issues like drugs, crime and access. Nevertheless the council felt that it had a leadership role to play in raising expectations about health, as well as tackling health inequalities in local communities, and had developed health and well being awareness indicators to measure their impact.

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Community representatives involved in local forums and individual groups such as Sure Start mums, and those working with refugee and asylum seekers all gave a good account of council activity. Stockton’s local area management structure ensures its strategies are grounded.

Vision and Strategy

The council has a clear vision with well-articulated priorities for improving health and tackling health inequalities through its Health Improvement Partnership which brings together the key stakeholders. This is then underpinned by local action plans and monitoring mechanisms. The DPH gave an excellent account of their evidence based approach and use of tools such as health impact assessments. Stockton is able to demonstrate that it understands the needs of local people, and empowers and develops services to meet needs, and uses evidence based outcome measures.

Consultation

The Chief Executive was clear that the council’s mainstream services were responsive and reflective of consultation with local communities. Feedback from the five themes is fed systematically into planning and service delivery.

The voluntary and community groups were keen to say that the council were responsive and listened – “there was no ‘them’ and ‘us’”. Community Representatives involved in local forums and Resident’s Panels, and on the Board, are given ‘buddies’ and mentoring from the agencies to help them make an impact and hold the statutory agencies to account. Local people are also being used as community health champions to raise awareness and help develop projects and programmes. Fifteen local action plans have been developed around meaningful neighbourhoods. The council has also developed local community champions for health.

Partnerships

There were very sound partnerships between the statutory, voluntary, and community sectors. Stockton refers to this as “linking the thinking”. The Stockton Renaissance Board brings in a wider range of partners, including the private sector. Geographically based partnership working is linked to overarching cross-cutting strategies on health improvement within the borough.

Actions

Stockton’s work on health follows the National Programme for Action and nationally identified priorities. There is a range of innovative programmes and projects such as the Stockton International Family Centre, who were doing work on the sexual health and sexual education needs of refugees in Stockton on Tees; and the Inch Project, who were doing outreach and preventative work for children with/or at risk of mental health problems. Other activities include Healthy Living Centre; Healthy Schools; Exercise on prescription; Drugs; Winter Warmth etc.

The council has a particularly good and innovative approach to user engagement by taking local people round on a bus with services providers to look at key issues in their neighbourhood and to plan for real. They gave lots of evidence that explicit risk factors as well as generic health improvement strategies were part of the council’s strategy for community health.

92 INTEGRATED CHILDREN’S SERVICES

Introduction

Currently the responsibility for the delivery of children’s services is spread over a number of different agencies such as education, health, social and criminal justice services. This can lead to children coming into contact with several different agencies. While some areas have worked hard to improve co-ordination of services and to improve the experience of children and young people, there is in some cases evidence of a lack of effective co-ordination of service deliver and a poor experience by service users.

There were 20 applications for this theme, of which nine were shortlisted (Essex, Hammersmith & Fulham, Knowsley, Leicester, North Lincolnshire, Sheffield, Telford & Wrekin, West Sussex and York).

Decision Framework

The Government is not being prescriptive about how this is achieved and recognises the wealth of expertise and good practice that already exists. Local authorities have a huge role to play in establishing and sustaining integrated services. Councils need not necessarily integrate all the agencies involved in children’s services but must demonstrate a systematic approach to joining up services and the ability to deliver a coherent experience for families.

The authorities recommended for Beacon status demonstrated real outcomes in these areas from which others could learn.

Recommended for Beacon status

Essex Knowsley Telford & Wrekin West Sussex

The following paragraphs summarise the Panel’s assessment of each of the shortlisted authorities against the key criteria for the theme.

ESSEX There was impressive commitment to the agenda central to this theme from the Leader of the council and other elected members. The leadership and commitment of chief officers is outstanding and the enthusiasm of others working at both strategic and operational levels was tangible.

Essex’s significant success has been to move the agenda as far as it has in such a large and complex authority. There are so many exciting projects having an impact on the lives of young people and their families that it has been impossible here to do them all justice.

The overall impression is that Essex is working hard to tie together numbers of separate strands of development and to link its strategic planning and its local planning with its reconfiguration of services at county and delivery levels. The county has a great deal to offer other authorities in terms of its approach and its experience. 93 Report of the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils

Outcomes

The wide range of projects developing in the county was evidence of the impetus being given by the new integrated agenda. In their application Essex cited an excellent number of quantifiable outcomes and several “soft” outcomes, relating to bullying, BME groups, Nurture Groups, autism, early intervention, parenting, home-school liaison and Sure Starts etc.

User and Community Satisfaction

It is standard practice for Essex to seek user views on service quality. Of particular note were the positive comments from users of various services, the positive reports from schools of changes in parents and young children as a result of Sure Starts, and the 92% of young people surveyed who said they were satisfied with the Youth Service.

Vision and Strategy

The county was very early in appointing a Deputy Chief Executive [DCE](Learning and Social Care) whose role appears to be compliant with the Children’s Act. This puts Essex among only a few authorities with this already in place. More recently the county has built upon this early move by placing more emphasis on cross service working and better integration at the point of service delivery. There has been a significant shift towards working with partners to achieve strategic goals. There is a small “core” team which supports the DCE in crosscutting children’s issues and an arrangement of services which promotes collaboration between social care and education on school improvement and children in need agendas. The Children’s Trust is being viewed as a “hothouse for trialling ways of working”. The focus is on early intervention and prevention.

Consultation • The County Council has undertaken a range of consultations with young people, • A Governance Day • A Strategy Workshop Consultation on involving Young People and a follow up workshop which involved elected members, service providers and lead officers with young people.

• The “Its My Life” Forum.

The Children’s Fund emphasises the voice of children, young people and their families and has used interactive theatre, questionnaire, public meetings and facilitated consultations to collect views on the needs of 5-13 year olds. The Children’s Fund has also commissioned a local university to run a project training young people to be researchers. Multi-agency steering groups are a feature of the “Good Beginnings Programme” and the “MARC project”.

94 Partnerships

Essex County Council has 40 partners with a duty to cooperate under the Children’s Act. It has, therefore, done well to create the quality of partnership working which has supported the CYPSPs and the Children’s Trust. And has ensured commitment across the agencies to joint working at both the county wide and local levels. The following projects work because of the strength of partnerships which result in commitments to multi-agency working.

• Sure Starts • Family Group Conferencing • The Good Beginnings programme • The MARC Project • The Connexions U Project

At a strategic level the key agencies are working together to strengthen the planning and commissioning of children’s services through CYPSPs.

Actions

Below are some of the initiatives within Essex:

• Good Beginnings is a multi-agency programme providing early diagnosis and intervention for young children with autism and their families. The project has developed jointly agreed protocols for all agencies, which ensure they work together to plan coordinated programmes. The original pilot has now been established across the county.

• The MARC Project – the multi-agency resource centre – is jointly funded by Essex County Council and Essex Health Authority and is managed by a multi-agency steering group which includes parents. Its aim is to bring together health, education, social care and the voluntary sector to provide holistic support for children with disabilities and their families.

• The ‘U Project’ that is managed by Essex and Thurrock Connexions Partnership targets 16 year olds with the aim of increasing participation in Education and Training. It runs 16 projects throughout Essex and is funded through NOF.

• The ‘Its My Life Forum’ for children and young people who are involved with Social Care. Projects are run by and for young people with support from statutory and voluntary agencies. The Lively Trainers Programme is designed for young people to train adults in participation and children’s rights issues.

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KNOWSLEY Knowsley children’s services agencies are well ahead of most other authorities in implementing key changes in structures and practice which have already begun to transform children’s services. They are able to demonstrate evidence of improving outcomes for children and families. They are critically reflective, are learning from their own experience, are already experienced in sharing and disseminating this learning and are highly motivated to make a positive contribution to the Beacon programme. Knowsley is a Children’s Trust Pathfinder and Information Sharing and Assessment [ISA] Trailblazer.

Outcomes

There was clear evidence of substantial outcomes in Knowsley such as:

• Escape project for young people involved in anti-social behaviour and petty crime • Improved communication between all agencies and young people • Improved relationships between police and young people • Increased skills and knowledge for young people – including significant improvements in attainment in school

• Significant improvement in attendance and staying on in education or training for the most disadvantaged young people

• Children’s Strategic Plan has been recognised by the Government Office as good practice

User and Community Satisfaction

Knowsley demonstrated a positive response, and involvement, from young people and local communities to the Escape Projects. There has been an increase in the take-up of family learning. The council showed a genuine approach to working in every relevant agency that involves users in the design and development of services.

Vision and Strategy

The vision is driven by extensive and recorded consultation with young people in which young people in Knowsley said they wanted a “Dream Team” which would be “working for a brighter life for young people”. These slogans are now used to promote integrated working. Strong backing is evident from the Chief Executive [CX], elected members and all partners, including health, voluntary sector and schools. Social Services and Primary Care Trust [PCT] head offices have been co-located in new, purpose built premises since 2003, with a single Chief Executive.

Consultation

A DVD highlighting the authority’s key messages is available for staff. Consultation is intrinsic to most initiatives with users being fully involved in the planning and often the delivery. Young people are fully involved in allocating funds from the youth lottery.

96 Partnerships

There are strong strategic partnerships, particularly evidenced in the partnerships between health and the local authority. The area partnerships are already developing well. Schools are fully engaged – examples include prioritising toilet training in joint work with health visitors and improving speech and language therapy in partnership with health services.

Actions

A Carers’ Bungalow provides respite and support for young carers, including advice and on-line learning. Family Learning working with other agencies increased numbers from 40 families in 1999 to 570 by 2003. An Information Sharing and Assessment index involving Health, Social Services, Education and Connexions is being piloted with three schools. Knowsley has also received an award as best DAT in the North West. There is also a personalised learning scheme for young people who are unable to be in school, those who are ill, teenage pregnancy, vulnerable etc. There is on-line teacher contact with some groups.

TELFORD & WREKIN Telford and Wrekin children’s services agencies have begun to implement key changes in structures and practice, which have already started to transform children’s services. They demonstrate early evidence of improved outcomes for children and families. They are critically reflective, are learning from their own experience, and are already experienced in sharing and disseminating this learning. Telford and Wrekin is a Children’s Trust Pathfinder and Information Sharing and Assessment [ISA] Trailblazer.

The strength of this bid rests on the authority’s well developed multi-agency work evidenced in Information Sharing and Assessment [ISA] and Team Around the Child [TAC], its joint commissioning practice, the early years work, including particularly the Newlands Children’s Centre and Primary School Campus, and the maturity of its partnership relationships. The latter is very good, with examples from (i) the local police commander of the intrinsic partnership thinking which drives new initiatives and (ii) the midwifery service work in Sure Start which has been reconfigured and new initiatives put in place around the needs of the community.

At a strategic level, there is clear evidence of the involvement of all agencies in the integrated approach. There is strong support from the Leader and council members. A Director of Children’s Services [DCS] is in post and we saw evidence of commitment from senior officers in other council departments. Staff demonstrated clearly that there is significant commitment to working in an integrated way among frontline services, supported by their senior managers and non-executives who have signed up to change.

Telford is clearly experienced at presenting and showcasing its work for others and will make a positive contribution to the Beacon dissemination programme.

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Outcomes

An extensive list of outcomes organised against the five Children Act outcomes, is presented in “The beginning of a journey” booklet produced by the council. Some relevant outcomes listed include

• Number of school age mothers has fallen by 40% over 3 years • 58% reduction in permanent exclusions since 1998 • 34% of children looked after achieving at least 1 GCSE • Looked after children are involved in staff selection interviews • 66% of care leavers are in education, training or employment • Rate of young people re-offending reduced by 40% since 2001 • 100% of traveller children who go to nursery go on to attend primary school • 28 parents from the area have been trained and employed by Sure Start

User and Community Satisfaction

There is evidence of consultation with and involvement of children and young people.

• 55% of respondents stated that Sure Start has improved their life • 58% say that Sure Start has improved their children’s life • 44% say that Sure Start has improved their family’s lives

Vision and Strategy

Notwithstanding the decision to appoint a Director of Children’s Services, the council has taken a decision, in common with other Beacon applicants and many other services, to develop integrated services on the ground and to review and revise the operational management structures in the light of experience. School clusters aim to take collective responsibility for children in their area including managing the provision of education for children excluded from school. There is also a cultural change programme involving training and learning sets for staff at every level and work on common language – over 1,500 staff involved so far in a rolling programme.

Consultation

Parents feel they have a key influence on the development of Sure Start services and are represented on the Board and on the Advisory Group. The council has developed autism services in partnership with the Autism Society which was taken forward in a matter of weeks following consultation with parents which identified this as a significant concern. There are also plans to develop the consultation with and involvement of young people in the planning of services.

98 Partnerships

Partnership working is fully embedded in the thinking of all the key agencies. The police are more fully engaged than in most other councils, both strategically and at an operational level. There were impressive examples of police initiated joint working and timely responses by the council, e.g. the speedy development of a new domestic incidents interviewing suite. There is a Joint Commissioning Unit located in the Primary Care Trust which already functions effectively. This was originally developed for the joint commissioning of adult services by health and social services but has been developed to include children’s services and now also involves Education Services.

Actions

The council’s multi-agency working in the Team around the Child initiative has a high level of commitment and is an excellent operational model for early intervention and prevention. There is a purpose built campus combining a Sure Start and a primary school and all agencies publicly signed up to key standards in the National Service Framework.

WEST SUSSEX West Sussex is a Children’s Trust Pathfinder and Information Sharing and Assessment [ISA] Trailblazer. The Integrated Services Programme plays a key role. It can demonstrate improvements in services to children at local level by creating a single gateway and breaking down agency silos [‘creating gateways – not gate keeping’]. Joint Access Teams [JATs] are changing practice and outcomes in the county. The JAT development would be particularly interesting to other authorities as an operational and developing means of preventative multi-agency working at a local level. It reflects strong partnership working at ground level and there has obviously been strong strategic leadership and multi-agency commitment to make the pilots work in practice. It is backed up by information-sharing systems and impressive cultural change programmes with staff. At a structural and strategic level, there is strong support from the Leader of the council and the Chief Executive chairs the multi-agency Children’s Trust Board. They are supported by imaginative and talented staff who drive the vision forward.

Outcomes

West Sussex aim to affect several thousand staff from Education, Social Services, Health, the Police, Connexions, district and borough councils and workers in the private and voluntary sectors. There are 12,000 different children’s support groups or services within West Sussex, all of which will ultimately be affected by the new way of working. Previous research found that on average schools needed to make referrals for every child before effective action was taken. The JAT process has streamlined this with a single gateway and a response within two weeks. Improved handling of expensive placements are jointly managed by a multi-disciplinary panel bringing together health, education and social services budgets. Cases are decided on their merits and budget responsibility is allocated later. New protocols are being defined. The processes were taking too long and this has already speeded up decision-making.

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User and Community Satisfaction

Ten detailed case studies were used to obtain views of children and their families.

There was strong endorsement from practitioners and managers – including heads and schools staff – that the integrated working was making a positive difference to young people and families.

Vision and Strategy

The Integrated Services Programme brings together separate services for the benefit of the child. The Chief Executive chairs the Children’s Trust and the PCT Chief Executive chairs the operations group reporting to the Board. The council’s focus is on early intervention and prevention, improved multi-agency co-ordination and building services around the child. Choice and customer focus means that children and families are offered a range of local services. Families are involved from the beginning, asked what would help them and given the opportunity to feedback and to offer suggestions for improvement.

Consultation

The Children’s Trust has commissioned a project to identify levels of met and un-met need. Consultation with young people is developing through the Children’s Fund and there are youth, parent and community forums set up to support the development of the Full Service Hubs. Regular newsletters provide information and create feedback mechanisms.

Partnerships

The council has a huge number of examples of partnership working at service delivery level. The Children’s Trust involves WSCC, five PCTs, three Acute Trusts, West Sussex Health, Social Care NHS Trust, Connexions and the Police. The voluntary sector, YOT, and CAMHS are among the partners involved in JATs. There is a 100% support claimed from all 300 schools in the county that is most unusual.

Actions

A Practitioners’ Toolkit has been developed by practitioners working together in the Joint Access Teams. A lead professional is allocated to each child referred, currently 42% from schools, 18% from Social and Caring Services, with the rest spread around other services. The council provide early intervention at a stage when other provision might not have been triggered. A good back up from IRT systems allow information sharing between agencies.

Not Recommended for Beacon status

Hammersmith & Fulham Leicester North Lincolnshire Sheffield York

100 HAMMERSMITH & FULHAM This was a good application. However, the Panel considered that the work taking place towards integration in Hammersmith & Fulham was not yet as developed or coherent as that in some of the best applications in this theme. Hammersmith & Fulham have committed themselves to eradicating child poverty as a council priority and the integration of children’s services is a key part of the strategy to achieve this.

The council is taking a careful, staged approach to integrating services and the planning work appears to be progressing satisfactorily. However, although a number of joint services are operating, there is still significant work to be done if these are to become truly integrated.

Outcomes

The council has seen reductions in Youth Offending and in council final warnings and convictions. There have also been reductions in the numbers of children on the CP Register and in those remaining on the register for more than six months. Better joint services are provided to families and children through the joint family support service in the north of the borough.

User and Community Satisfaction

Families in the north of the borough who were consulted about their experience of joint working and information sharing in the field of child protection and family support expressed a high level of satisfaction. The Children’s Fund programme has been developed with an analysis of need and all agreements with providers funded by the CF include measures to increase user feedback, including children and young people. Local people consistently prioritise services to children and young people and the council has responded with the prioritisation of the integration of children’s services.

Vision and Strategy

There are good partnerships with PCT and YOS and The Children’s Trust has membership of key partners, and is chaired by the Lead member for social inclusion.

The Children’s Trust is providing the vehicle for the strategic vision and a Children’s Trust Director is in place.

Consultation

Hammersmith & Fulham has regular consultation with the parents of children with disabilities. Parents and carers using the Joint Family Support Service have been consulted about their experience of joint work and information sharing. The local voluntary organisation has received a grant from Comic Relief for a two year consultation project involving children and young people in the development of a Collaborative Care Centre combining health and social services. Looked After Children recently made a DVD expressing their views and talking about their experiences.

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Partnerships

The Trust Board has membership from several strategic partners and is served by a series of project and advisory groups. Partners are signed up to a joint commissioning strategy and the Local Voluntary Groups are well represented on the Children’s Fund Partnership.

Actions

The Children’s Fund support for services involves the voluntary and statutory agencies. The Jack Tizard Extended Special School offered a good example of co-located services, a one-stop shop and effective outreach services for children with disabilities. There are early intervention programmes to prevent crime (Early Intervention Panel and YIP), social exclusion (Behaviour support) and children becoming looked after (ASSIST). Planning for ISA and Common Assessment is in progress.

LEICESTER This was a very good application but the theme was judged not to be at as an advanced a stage in its progress in Leicester as in some of the other councils being assessed. However, Leicester has created strategic partnerships around a shared vision and a federated approach. Some very good initiatives are being developed which are making a difference to outcomes for families and children. There are not yet plans for a single lead member or for major restructuring of services within the council, but the authority is legitimately taking a bottom-up approach to ICS. Officers say that members see their role as brokering the debate, including engagement with schools; and carrying out their corporate parenting role for looked after children. Undoubtedly, Leicester has made exemplary practical progress in multi-agency work on children’s centres, behaviour, attainment of looked-after children and services for disabled children. They have established a high level federal approach, involving enthusiastic commitment from other agencies.

Outcomes

The council has specific improvements in relation to early years, in breast-feeding rates, library membership and smoking during pregnancy. CBII (The Child Behaviour Intervention Initiative) has reduced the wait for access to Clinical Psychologists and Child Psychiatrists from 131 days to between 19 and 41 days (depending on the referral route).

The council says that planning for outcomes will inform their future strategy for integration of children’s services, and they explained their outcomes mapping process in detail. Using performance indicators and proxies, they aim to map outcomes, identify gaps and thereby plan inputs.

User and Community Satisfaction

Regular and meaningful consultation with Looked after Children takes place through the Personal Education plan process as used by RALAC. The modernised Disabled Children’s Service has consulted over 300 disabled children during its existence. The consultation threw up issues about staff attitudes, youth provision and communication. The children have had an ongoing input to the development of services and satisfaction rates are now at 90%.

102 Vision and Strategy

Leicester’s strategic plan is based on outcomes. A federal structure is in place to take the strategy forward, involving partners. The aim is to raise barriers and enable integration of processes and systems, but not yet to pool budgets. An effective cultural change programme has taken place with senior members of partnership.

Consultation

The council makes a virtue of the impetus for change being bottom-up, and the power of parents driving change. Summer play schemes for children with special needs was cited as an example of parental input to service design. There is a parents’ and carers’ council and 30 networks across the city for consultation purposes. The federal partnership structure is seen as the key vehicle for consulting agencies and providers. The engagement of the staff of those agencies is being handled through a model of secondment or co-location while agencies adopt common items on integration in job descriptions.

Partnerships

The federal partnership is making some progress on joint planning and commissioning.

Actions

While planning at a strategic level on the basis of outcomes, the council has been putting in place some important actions. Examples include:

• The development which aims at 20 children’s centres across the city • CBII, a multi-agency behaviour initiative for children up to the age of 11 • RALAC, the team focussed on the attainment of looked-after children • The modernised service for disabled children • A cultural change programme for staff in all the agencies within the Federation • The Bridges system, a Joint assessment and Information Sharing system, which it is intended will be piloted in an extended school in the city.

NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE This was a very good application with some real strengths but the Panel judged that in comparison with some other authorities, there were more shortcomings in the North Lincolnshire application than in some of the best. North Lincolnshire is committed to integrating children’s services and has already developed a range of very good practice, which will be of interest to other authorities. Particular strengths are its focus on outcomes, its common assessment and referral process, its excellent relationship with schools and the close partnership it has developed between its education and children’s social services functions.

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However, the written application did not communicate easily all the strengths that the authority might have to demonstrate and, although the visit offered some exciting glimpses of the quality of work going on and raised the profile of this application in the view of the panel, the presentation left too many confusing messages on key aspects of the integration agenda at both strategic and operational levels.

Outcomes

The council has achieved an agreement with all secondary schools that no pupil will be permanently excluded. The development of an outcomes based approach to performance management is supported by an Outcomes Fest to change cultural thinking. The performance measurement and assessment system started in children’s services has become multi-agency in its application and outcomes are agreed in consultation with children.

User and Community Satisfaction

A well-developed Youth Forum gives young people a voice on key issues while the development of Participatory Appraisal elicits the views of users of preventative services. A robust user satisfaction process is in place for child protection conferences, with 92% of families expressing satisfaction. It is clear that parents are deeply involved in the development of Early Years and Children with Disabilities Services.

Vision and Strategy

A strong, mature culture of partnership working supports the integrated approaches. Shared systems and processes are established at operational levels across agencies working with children as could be seen in the use of common assessment at school level. A Children’s Board has been established with representation at Chief Executive, Members, Head of Service level from the council, the PCT, the hospital and community trusts, the police, schools, Connexions and the voluntary sector.

The Pathfinder Children’s Trust reports to the Children’s Board and is managed by its Management Group with senior representation from the Council, the PCT and Health Trusts. It specifically includes attainment as one of its priorities.

Consultation

The Preventative Strategy has been developed in consultation with all agencies and children and families. A children and young person’s version of the Preventative Strategy has also been written with a group of children. One piece of work that particularly impressed the Panel was the initial evaluation of “assessment” with 46 families. The result was described to us as “uncomfortable”. It led to the development of a new approach, involving Home School Liaison Workers making assessments in the schools and independent coordinators working across all agencies. It was recognised that there was a need to change the professional culture and this is now evident.

104 Partnerships

The council describes its partnership working as “a culture of conversation” with very little written down but strong relationships built up between service professionals at all levels. There is a strong partnership between Education and Children’s Social care within the council demonstrated in person by the real partnership style of both Heads of Service. The council has excellent relationships with its schools and this is evidenced in the LEA’s Ofsted Report.

Actions

There is a successful Common Assessment Process already in place and working well across all agencies. This was evidenced with a specially made DVD that shows a head teacher working with a Home School Liaison Worker. The Child in Need Framework provides a protocol for agencies coming together to respond to the needs identified in the Common Assessment and the process identifies a lead professional for each child.

SHEFFIELD This was a very good application with some real strengths but the Ppanel judged that in comparison with some other authorities, there were more shortcomings in the Sheffield application than in some of the best. Sheffield City Council is obviously embarked on a process towards a single Children and Young People’s Service and is working well with a wide range of strategic partners on some complex and challenging aspects of integration. There is a great deal of enthusiasm and commitment in the city for improving services to children and families and there are some good examples of pilots and new services, which have been established in partnership. The city has been keen to take the lead in some important national initiatives related to this theme, such as ISA and Children’s Trusts.

During the visit, some strong examples of current practice at an operational level were demonstrated, but it was unclear how the individual examples of good practice related to the overall vision for the city. It was clear that all key partners were engaged and that there was significant commitment across statutory and no-statutory agencies. However, some key questions about how strategic partnerships and bodies related and who or what provided the strategic lead were not resolved for the panel either on the visit or during the presentation. Similarly it proved difficult to determine how far some of the high level plans and agreements had progressed towards becoming practice. There were, therefore, difficulties in deciding whether this was more an issue about communication or the substance of things.

Sheffield is to be admired for the work it has done so far on integration. The difficult job the panel has had is to judge whether its operational and strategic development is as far advanced as some other applicants. Overall the conclusion is that the panel considers others have more coherent strengths at this time although Sheffield does have many examples of excellent practice that will be of interest to other local authorities. It is to be hoped that they will continue to share their experience and expertise even if not awarded Beacon status.

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Outcomes

Piloting “On Track” was set up in 2001 funded through Children’s Fund with the following outcomes:

• 70% “target” families report there is improvement at home and in school. • 50% reduction in target area in referrals to SS of 0-17 year olds compared to 25% city-wide. • 50% cut in numbers of 10-12 year olds involved in criminal activity (02/03) figures. • claims that it reduces bullying and intimidation.

Supervised area based summer play provision is believed to have contributed to a 30% reduction in fractures presented to the local A&E service.

User and Community Satisfaction

Children and parents were involved in setting up SNIPS. The local community confidence in On Track demonstrated in citing it as their preferred host for regeneration bids. A review of services provided by On Track supported by 1:1 interviews with parents and children.

Vision and Strategy

There is a strategic intention to establish an integrated children and young people’s service within the city council and to appoint a single Director of Children’s Services in the council by Autumn 2006. Plans are in process to produce a single children’s plan for the city. All partners are signed up to a “virtual organisation”, led by executive sponsors from Education, SS, the lead PCT and the Children’s Hospital (NHS) Trust.

Consultation

The Multi-Agency Participation Group, which reports to the CYPSP, has produced a toolkit for use across all services 0-19 to enable effective engagement of children and young people. 4 “Come and Play, Have your Say” sessions organised by the Children’s Fund this year involved hundreds of children in consultation on the integrated services agenda. The Multiple Heritage Service runs large events for children and has both Children and Parents Governance Groups that have a say in running the project. The experiences of children and young people informed the setting up of schemes to prevent the exclusion from primary schools and to involve Police in Schools.

Partnerships

The city council’s chief executive chairs monthly meetings of the 4 executive level sponsors, which include Education, Social Services, the lead PCT for children, and the Children’s Hospital (NHS) Trust. It is fairly unique to have the latter in such a partnership. Strong partnership working in the ACPC has led to an impressive structure in which a number of sub group addressing policy, procedural and practice issues. Sheffield Children and Young People’s Partnership Board membership has all the key stakeholders involved, including NHS, YOT, ACPC, Connexions, Police, Voluntary and Community Sector.

106 Actions

There is interesting work being done as an ISA Trailblazer on “SafetyNET” to develop tracking of children through contact with agencies through to outcomes. “On Track” is an excellent initiative bringing together multi-agency support to young people in need in the pilot area of the city. It appears to work well with Waltheof School and commissions universal, targeted and specialist services to meet the needs of children. The BEST teams operate on a full service model and include School Nurses, CAMHS workers, Social Services family support workers, Learning Mentors, Lead Behaviour Professionals, Police and YISP workers. A number of co-located services are already operational in the city, including BEST, a Sure Start, an Extended School, and the integrated support service for care leavers. The work of the Multiple Heritage Support Service provides an interesting model for others and SNIPS is a good example of effective, responsive service provision resulting from the involvement of parents and children.

YORK This was a very good application, which came very close to being recommended for Beacon status. However, on balance, the panel judged that York have more work to do in linking vision and operation than either Knowsley or Telford and Wrekin, and have made less progress in common assessment, providing a single gateway for individuals to coordinated multi-agency support, and in the involvement of schools, than either West Sussex, Telford and Wrekin or Knowsley. York is strong on vision, planning and strategy and on partnership working. There was good evidence of political engagement in the strategy, through a video shown at the presentation; strong links between members and their wards and schools; and systems for discharging the corporate parent role in respect of looked after children. The LA’s presentations offered ample evidence of a vision of integrated services and partnership working, in development since York became a unitary authority in 1996 and given impetus by the authority’s Children’s Trust pathfinder status. The Health Service and the Voluntary and Community Sector were fully involved in high level planning and strategy.

The service providers on hand for the “market place” of provision across the range of children’s services from the specialist to the universal gave an impressive insight into the social problems affecting young people and the implementation of strategies to address these problems. There was a good deal of joint planning and cooperative working in evidence, although less evidence of integrated working as yet.

York has clear and succinct messages for dissemination on planning, access through co-location and one-stop-shops, a common language between professionals, a single database for information sharing and assessment, and the use of consultation as a vehicle for change.

Outcomes

There was some evidence in the application and presentations, in, for example, bullying, crime, looked after children, school attendance and exclusions. The visit offered anecdotal evidence of success of a cross-agency worker getting a young person off drugs and into training, and of a children’s centre supporting a lone parent out of isolation and depression into employment.

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User and Community Satisfaction

The application notes the surveys and other mechanisms in place; and elected members act as a conduit by means of their strong links with services and users. In addition, the Panel saw testaments live and on film of a parent’s and a teenager’s satisfaction with the services they received, via involvement in service design and a positive counsellor relationship respectively; a disabled young person finding fulfilment through artwork; and “Tom’s story”, of successful handling of disaffection by means of good information transfer and involvement of appropriate agencies.

Vision and Strategy

The high level planning framework, with the Children’s Trust Board providing the vision, agreeing the priorities and coordinating the planning of the PCT and other partners as well as the LA, is a real strength. The Chief Executive said that the partnership was more concerned with processes than structures, and that the council would not therefore be rushing in to the appointment of a Director of Children’s Services and lead member, but these were expected to be in place by September 2005 or April 2006 (well within the deadline of 2008).

Consultation

Consultation with partners is excellent, through the Children’s Trust Board, the “planning bookcase” and the partners having jointly written the Preventative Strategy.

There was evidence of users being involved in design of services, for example the involvement of parents in the Sure Starts, the involvement of young people in the design of youth centres, and the consultation with pupils to determine action to reduce bullying. The council has adopted “Hear by Right”.

Partnerships

York has a proven record, and the partners are involved in strategic and service planning. For example, the VCS are full partners and take the lead on some services. Shared foundation partnerships link schools and the VCS in providing for under fives.

The North York Youth Enquiry Service is a vehicle for partnership between the council, PCT, Connexions and CAMHS in offering counselling to 16-25 year olds on a variety of topics including sexual health, teenage pregnancy and youth homelessness.

Actions

The council’s Preventative Strategy includes a database to enable information on current concerns about children, and the identities of key workers, to be made available to agencies that register new concerns. Further development of information sharing and assessment awaits DfES guidance. Shared foundation partnerships, extended schools and children’s centres are under development, with new builds and co-location of services.

108 PROMOTING RACIAL EQUALITY

Introduction

Britain has a long tradition of successful migration and integration that has brought, and continues to bring, real economic and social benefits. The great diversity within and between all ethnic groups is a source of strength. Ensuring that people are able to access the same opportunities and life chances and knowing that their public services will treat them equally irrespective of ethnicity or faith are essential principles of our diverse society.

There were 10 applications for this theme, of which seven were shortlisted (Bristol, Gravesham, Greenwich, Lewisham, Suffolk with Babergh, Tower Hamlets and Wycombe).

Decision Framework

The Panel was looking for authorities with a clear overarching vision of race equality and good relations between different racial and faith communities. Beacons should identify how they were using consultation and community engagement strategies to create and build ownership of the approach to tackling inequalities and ensure good relations.

Applicants had to demonstrate that they had successful multi-agency partnerships that properly reflect the communities they serve and that they have in place monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to ensure that they are constantly learning and refining their strategy.

The authorities recommended for Beacon status demonstrated real outcomes in these areas from which others could learn.

Recommended for Beacon status

Bristol Gravesham Tower Hamlets

The following paragraphs summarise the Panel’s assessment of each of the shortlisted authorities against the key criteria for the theme.

BRISTOL Bristol is recommended as a Beacon on the strength of its solid strategic planning and engagement with communities, and for its success in turning around its performance in racial equality.

Bristol has identified and implemented plans to tackle specific issues such as under-representation, educational attainment equalities gaps and racial harassment, and has mainstreamed many of its actions. The council has also effectively mainstreamed equalities across the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP), which the council has ensured is fully representative of Black, Minority and Ethnic (BME) groups. The council provides specific services for minority communities such as Travellers and refugees and ensures that these communities are consulted on strategies, plans and services. Bristol has engaged with the community cohesion agenda and has applied the relevant performance indicators to measure improvements.

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Outcomes

A range of processes are in place to encourage, support and take action on reported hate crimes and racial harassment. Both preventative strategies and victim support are built in to the majority of service areas. The scope and application of the council’s information management systems for reporting racial crimes is particularly impressive. The council is following a rational approach to improving the experiences of BME service users, looking at the causes of discrimination and disadvantage, being accountable to partners such as the local Race Equality Council (REC), and implementing sustained programmes of action to tackle ingrained problems. Where Bristol has been less impressive is in its presentation of actual improvements for its BME communities; many of its initiatives, apart from hate crime arrangements, being at early stages. However, there is a willingness within the council to self-challenge and to use detailed performance information and planning systems to plot changes.

User and Community Satisfaction

An annual employee survey shows there is relatively low satisfaction among BME employees and that they suffer greater discrimination in the workplace and are less satisfied with the action taken. Some very detailed user satisfaction and needs information is available on housing, education and lifelong learning. The picture painted is one of considerable effort towards the process of understanding the needs of BME communities, but also one where the results are often stark.

Vision and Strategy

Bristol has ensured that the community strategy includes strong commitments to equality and social cohesion. They have taken significant steps to ensure mainstreaming of the equalities perspective across the Partnership. Bristol has set out its vision for community cohesion and how it will achieve cohesion using other strategies and plans.

There is strong political and corporate leadership on race equality, evidenced by a commitment across many of the council’s service to monitoring and improving performance for BME groups. Almost all of Bristol’s race equality work has been informed by research, consultation and partnership, and its trajectory of improvement is evident. The council is welcoming of challenge by its partners and has made efforts to engage with communities in meaningful dialogue over both practical issues (for example, regeneration and racial harassment) and cultural debate on issues such as the city’s historic connection to the slave trade and the problems of disaffection and distrust among BME communities, which the current leadership is working hard to turn around.

Consultation

The council has promoted dialogue, understanding and respect within and between its service users and communities through a range of heavily supported cultural events, such as Black History Month, Refugee Week, and Holocaust Memorial Day. There is a wealth of data on users’ experiences of education, housing needs, employment within the council, community cohesion, and the media. Action plans have stemmed from these consultations. A particularly strong outcome of consultation has been the Joint Declaration (see below).

110 Partnerships

The Joint Declaration on Racial Equality involves some 19 local and regional public institutions including the council, Government Office, Ministry of Defence, the University, a local television station and newspaper, and the Trade Union Congress. It states that each signatory is committed to developing detailed action plans to address the recommendations of the Macpherson Report and to work through local partnerships to tackle discrimination, disadvantage and harassment.

There are positive relationships on issues such as refugee integration, racial harassment and community cohesion (owned by the LSP). Issues common to asylum seekers and refugees are dealt with systematically through their initial welcome, to the interface with health services and reporting facilities for racial harassment.

Actions

The council has taken action to encourage BME participation on both civic and political levels (for example through the councillor shadowing scheme). There is evidence of improved BME participation in decision making, both in terms of consultation (for example, the BME housing needs survey) and in practice (for example, the St Paul’s and Easton regeneration areas). The council realises there is still much work to do to empower those communities living in the outer city area, who face multiple deprivation.

The council is unusual in that it funds an independent BME infrastructure organisation, the Black Development Agency. This has been particularly effective at increasing participation among BME groups in the regeneration agenda across the city, and there is tangible evidence of the results of this.

The council has produced a number of strategies, including the Gypsy and Traveller Strategy, Departmental Action Plan on Asylum Seekers and Refugees, a Community Cohesion Framework and Action Plan, and various reports and research to support particular interventions.

GRAVESHAM Gravesham is an extremely positive example of what can be done as a District Council in promoting racial equality.

There is evidence of improved well-being and community relations within and between the District’s BME communities, and of a commitment to reflecting racial equality in the council’s policies and services. The council is perhaps weaker than others on corporate race equality and strategy, yet the enthusiasm of those involved in the work from across the council seemed to be a reflection of an ability to take BME issues seriously in a local context and with limited service level responses, and adopt a modern approach to community relations.

Gravesham benefits from an extremely strong Voluntary and Community Sector and partnerships with the North West Kent REC and Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley Primary Care Trust (PCT), and Presentation Housing Association, delivering impressive client-centred health and housing services.

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Perhaps the most striking testament to Gravesham’s racial equality and community cohesion is that an imposing Sikh Gurdwara is being built on a site surrounded by housing in an area that contains a large proportion of non-Sikh households. This development seems to have been handled with sensitivity and imagination, with the council responding to the needs of both the Sikh and non-Sikh communities in the process.

Outcomes

A range of projects are delivering improved outcomes for the Sikh, Muslim and other minority communities. There appears to be an energy and commitment to racial equality, which has been crystallised by cultural celebrations and good community relations. The Ethnic Health and Social Care Forum is particularly effective. A town centre resource and advice facility has increased the take-up of various health and social services within BME communities.

The District has been successful at increasing reporting of hate crime and dealing with cases through a multi agency group. Extended family homes are being provided for the increasing numbers of BME families who require this type of provision. The council has also raised awareness of how to access affordable housing as the majority of the area’s BME communities live in privately owned or rented accommodation.

User and Community Satisfaction

There were no significant differences in user / community satisfaction across ethnic groups. General satisfaction with the council was fairly low at 44%, but without any racial characteristics.

There have been some significant service developments including regeneration of local areas, provision of residential care for elderly BME residents, outreach work in health and social care with BME communities, and facilities for community events, including a very successful annual multicultural festival.

Vision and Strategy

The council has implemented a policy screening procedure to assess the impact of its policies on race equality, with tangible results. The council’s community cohesion work is well publicised and made real by events such as the Big Day Out, which enjoyed tremendous success.

As one of the Thames Gateway’s growth areas, the local agenda for Gravesham is dominated by massive regeneration and development programmes. Dartford and Gravesham’s Community Strategy covers commitments in health, housing, community safety and cultural services and includes references to both minority ethnic and faith communities.

Consultation

The Local Development Framework and Local Development Scheme have a statement of community involvement, with material in community languages. A survey of BME housing needs revealed a need for more extended family homes, which is now being met through new buildings and allocations policy. In the council’s procurement strategy, it is stated that contractors working on the development and renovation of housing must meet certain diversity requirements.

112 During the development of a new Sikh Gurdwara there has been extensive consultation with local communities and despite early tensions, the project is moving smoothly towards its completion.

Partnerships

The council has built successful partnerships with the local REC, the PCT, businesses and voluntary and community groups. Gravesham’s work with the PCT and Kent County Council around the provision of social and health care outreach has been excellent. A new community health facility and hospital is being built in Gravesend and the plans for multi-agency usage reflect the council’s partnership approach to social and health issues. The council has also worked closely with the Sikh community in the development of a major new Gurdwara in Gravesend and has ensured a smooth planning and consultation process.

Actions

Gravesham has taken action to improve equalities using genuine consultation and leadership though a substantial proportion of the outcomes were achieved by the partnerships and other agencies within the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS). This is not to undermine the role of the council, which appears very proactive. It is aware of gaps in its provision and in outcomes, although these have not all been set out clearly, and has made service improvements and supported initiatives to address them. Gravesham has included in its actions those serving a range of minority communities including Travellers, Chinese and Muslim communities as well as its larger Sikh community.

TOWER HAMLETS Tower Hamlets is a council committed to equality and community cohesion, providing culturally sensitive services and ensuring that all parts of the community are engaged. A range of serious and challenging issues are also being tackled successfully by partnerships with faith communities and the voluntary and community sector. This is backed up by strong political leadership on key issues and broad community engagement through a range of innovative VCS initiatives.

The progress Tower Hamlets has made towards racial equality within key services such as education, employment and social services is outstanding. The council appears committed to mainstream and build on good practice and has provided evidence that it would be an active and influential Beacon for this theme.

Outcomes

Equalities and community cohesion are central to the council’s policies and strategies. Culturally sensitive services are developed not only with the area’s principle BME community (Bengali), but with others such as Chinese, Somali and Afro-Caribbean. Real outcomes have been achieved around crime (a drop in 5% overall and by 50% among young people during the summer of 2003) resulting from the outstanding contribution of youth inclusion projects. The high standards of racial incident reporting, home and day care, and translation services are being further improved.

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Specific schemes have been set up to tackle health problems prevalent in some of the Borough’s ethnic communities. Services are provided by teams that are representative of the communities they serve. Educational attainment of BME pupils has improved dramatically over the past 3 years. This has been linked with initiatives involving increases in teachers and support staff numbers from BME communities and incentives for bilingual assistants to continue to study and work in the Borough. Take up of council services by BME communities has also dramatically increased. The council has reached level 4 of the equalities standard. Council workforce representation, involvement in training and percentage of top earners from BME backgrounds continue to rise to meet high aspirations.

User and Community Satisfaction

There is evidence of increased satisfaction within BME communities with social services, library services and leisure services.

Vision and Strategy

The council has a strong leadership which is driven to achieve improvements for all communities, including those newly arriving. Equality and social cohesion permeate almost all of what the council does.

The Community Plan sets out the strategic objectives of the Tower Hamlets Partnership. Equalities are built into all of their activities as part of service planning and monitoring. Priorities include protecting vulnerable children, reducing poverty, improving educational attainment and increasing participation in leisure and cultural activities.

Consultation

The council uses its popular free weekly newspaper to communicate and consult with the people of Tower Hamlets, and promotes many of its services in the paper.

Evidence of the council’s consultation process was provided by the following:

• Promotions, using the free newspaper and other media, to increase benefit take-up and foster- carers from the BME communities;

• Council recruitment, increasing BME representation in the council and in schools dramatically; • A welcome pack for new arrivals.

Partnerships

Many council services are delivered through the VCS and the council is keen to build capacity in this area. It has established important partnerships with faith communities including the East London Mosque and Racial Harassment Inter Agency Forum.The Tower Hamlets Interfaith Forum is particularly productive, and has undertaken activities to spread understanding of the faiths and to encourage community cohesion through interfaith work. An innovative recycling project has improved recycling rates dramatically by taking a fresh approach to how people are engaged with this issue.

114 Actions

The council has used its partnerships and community cohesion pathfinder status to deliver a range of projects to deliver enhanced services for residents and improved cohesion between them. Particularly, the council has worked with faith communities, young people in care, and the small but stable Gypsy and Travelling community. Key achievements include the creation of the new London Muslim Centre and work within schools to improve educational attainment, build community cohesion, deal with racism and increase school attendance. The council is working closely with Mosques on several of these issues. As a result, Tower Hamlets is the fourth most improved Local Educational Authority (LEA) for primary attendance.

Details of BME development schemes provide evidence that positive action has been taken to narrow representation gaps in the workforce, particularly at senior management and graduate level. Sport and culture are playing an increasing role in bringing communities together and celebrating diversity.

Not Recommended for Beacon status

Greenwich Lewisham Suffolk with Babergh Wycombe

GREENWICH Greenwich has focused on closing inequalities in the labour market and tackling harassment. There was some impressive partnership working leading to a range of initiatives being sustained by the private and public sectors. The council has commissioned an independent review of its work on equalities and has based much work around the report’s findings.

There were good outcomes in some areas, evidenced by needs-driven actions and strategic processes but Greenwich presented a patchy and un-coordinated picture of performance in some key service areas such as social services. Other areas of relative weakness were consultation and user satisfaction, for which evidence of the council planning, listening to communities and making a difference, was less strong.

Outcomes

Greenwich demonstrated a commitment to achieving greater BME satisfaction with housing and improvements in educational attainment among BME groups. Also important were the council’s achievements in reducing reported racist incidents, an outcome achieved in part through the council’s work with vulnerable disadvantaged communities with high levels of ASB. Processes are also in place to mainstream and impact-assess racial equality through the council’s strategic functions and partnerships.

Specific work has been done to narrow other equality gaps within and between different communities but the council was unable to provide a coherent and convincing picture of performance in social services and satisfaction levels with this and other services.

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User and Community Satisfaction

The council presented examples of its engagement with residents based on a needs driven approach to equality and participation in services. The council has reached level 2 of the CRE Equality Standard and have clearly enhanced BME satisfaction in some areas.

There was general parity, albeit at relatively low levels, between white and BME groups in satisfaction with council services, with more disappointing performance on the racial harassment service and satisfaction of council staff. These gaps have been acknowledged by the council. There was relatively little information provided relating to satisfaction levels, and no relevant Best Value Performance Indicators (BVPIs), which would have been available.

Vision and Strategy

Equality runs through the council’s processes and is reflected by the representation of BME staff at all levels and the prominence given to social inclusion and justice within the council’s overall strategy. It has identified its specific priorities relating to racial equality and has engaged the relevant partners to deliver on its objectives. The council has recently undergone an independent review of race equality work (‘Righting the Wrongs of Racism’) and has developed suitable actions in response to it, including working with disadvantaged white youth to improve aspirations and reduce vulnerability to influences of racism.

Greenwich did not present as an authority with clear and accountable leadership in racial equality despite having successful partnerships with key agencies in the Borough. This was probably due to a rather uncoordinated approach to presenting key information relating to core services and user satisfaction, as it appeared that the information was fragmented and failed to paint a coherent picture of the council’s priorities and strategy.

Consultation

Consultation has been made obligatory for all race equality impact assessments and for major changes to existing policies and service functions. The independent review of race equality work (see previous section) used focus groups and interviews, including using community groups and agencies, to identify and address racism and unmet needs.

While the council’s internal processes are open and accountable to scrutiny, it is less clear how it operates routine consultation with communities on its services and policies. The examples of consultation were often those that the council did not initiate and the impression given was not one of proactivity in this area.

Partnerships

A Hate Crime Task Group has been responsible for several quality outcomes in both reporting facilities and preventative and remedial intervention. The council has been involved in partnerships and projects that have successfully brought organisations and communities together to celebrate the Borough’s diversity and tackle issues such as self-esteem, harassment and participation.

116 Greenwich is working with a skills and recruitment agency to improve employment opportunities for BME residents and offer work experience to those interested in pursuing roles in the local public sector.

A solid procurement strategy involving the private sector is also in place. Their work in partnership with schools, Charlton Athletic Football Club and a VCS organisation preparing people for and helping them find employment was particularly impressive.

Actions

Greenwich aims to provide culturally sensitive services and has provided evidence of its achievement in this area, improving uptake of services across and within a range of BME groups. It has set up specific interventions to encourage uptake in areas of mental health and social care. The Fostering and Library services have both achieved increased uptake from BME groups through targeted support for new clients. Targeted business advice has been offered to local BME businesses and a significant proportion of people being placed in jobs by an (award-winning) local labour initiative have been from BME communities. A Grants programme has also helped those farthest from the labour market access a range of programmes and opportunities, including those in ‘hard to reach’ groups. Greenwich has also introduced a range of actions to ensure its workforce is representative, including using an external recruitment consultancy to conduct searches for BME applicants to apply for senior positions and a trainee scheme to assist Black and Asian staff in acquiring social work qualifications. Work has been done with Asylum seekers and refugees, Somali pupils and Travellers around integration and educational attainment in schools.

There appeared to be a lack of focus on improving performance on key indicators of social services.

LEWISHAM Lewisham has developed strong internal equality policies and has achieved high levels of BME satisfaction in several areas. There is a commitment from the council’s political leadership to champion race equality and make it central to the council’s ambitions.

Lewisham has a strong voluntary and community sector and its local REC is providing strategic direction and challenge to the council on key issues such as those in which performance improvement is most necessary. It also accepts it needs to continue to strive to improve performance and outcomes in this area, evidenced by its willingness to be an Audit commission pilot area.

Outcomes

Lewisham has achieved a representative workforce and has systematic employment policies to ensure racial equality. Of its work serving local communities it is most noted for its neighbourhood Wardens scheme, which has gained national accreditation and is being rolled out more widely within the Borough. The council appears to have a good reputation among BME communities, evidenced by satisfaction levels in many service areas being the same as or higher than among the non-BME community. The VCS is delivering a host of high quality services to BME communities, notably to those with mental health problems (by ISIS, and Vietnamese Mental Health Services) and to support those who are underachieving in schools (notable through the Mandiani Project).

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There is improved Black Caribbean pupils’ attainment of 5+ A*-C Grades at GCSE by 13% since 2001, but there remain gaps in educational achievement across the Borough which have yet to be satisfactorily tackled.

User and Community Satisfaction

The council has closed gaps in user satisfaction in the area of housing and in general satisfaction with the council. It uses a range of methods to find out views of residents, including surveys, Citizens’ Panel and focus groups. Annual Residents Survey shows similar rates of satisfaction between BME and white residents (64%). BME groups have higher rate of satisfaction with nursery, primary and secondary education.

Ethnicity recording across social services has been criticised by the Social Services Inspectorate and the council is working to address this.

Vision and Strategy

The council has an Equalities Impact Assessment procedure which is also incorporated into Best Value Reviews and budgetary decisions. This has received praise from the Audit Commission. The council is particularly active around celebrating diversity and has one of the capital’s most vibrant and popular Black History Month programmes.

The Borough has a Young Mayor and this role is active in addressing some of the young BME communities’ most pressing issues, such as Stop and Search. An oversight group has been set up to challenge and inform police practices in this area to improve community relations.

Audit Commission endorsed Lewisham’s strategic approach in its 2004 report Journey to Race Equality.

Consultation

The council has consulted on its Parks and Open Spaces policy and found a low response rate by BME communities. As a result it held a BME consultation event, following which the views of BME residents were taken on board in an effort to open up the Borough’s parks to all communities. The council also works through a range of partners to reach out to those in BME and faith communities, in order to support the delivery of services and plan community-based initiatives.

Partnerships

The council has a strong partnership with the Voluntary and Community Sector, which provide a majority of BME services in the area, and the newly formed Race Equality Action Lewisham (the REC).

Lewisham has jointly produced the South East London Housing Strategy, with other councils and stakeholders, to improve their understanding of the needs of different communities and inform strategic direction. There are also successful partnership arrangements for dealing with over- representation of black people in the mental health system, for religious education, and for procurement.

118 Actions

A range of actions, largely but not exclusively aimed towards the largest BME community in the Borough, the Black Caribbean community, are in place. The council has historically focussed on its own employment procedures but is starting to support wider racial equality objectives, recognising the causes, links between, and solutions to many of the predominant issues facing BME communities in the area.

Its excellent Neighbourhood Wardens scheme has allowed the council to forge good relationships with residents in some of its most challenged estates and is steadily promoting cohesion between communities there.

A range of initiatives to tackle health, education and community development (including regeneration) have been set up and appear at this stage to be achieving successes.

The council has yet to achieve similar successes in the areas of social services.

SUFFOLK WITH BABERGH Suffolk demonstrates clear leadership and commitment to equalities, evidenced by the council’s work on tackling hate crime and harassment, particularly in schools and social housing, which is Babergh’s particular contribution, and its commitment to mainstreaming equalities through its service planning and review structures, consultation and impact assessments. Partnerships are addressing a range of BME issues and have developed a sensitive, needs driven approach to service delivery. The council appears to have a detailed knowledge of its diverse communities and has credible evidence to suggest that user satisfaction in key areas is high. Suffolk with Babergh are doing well by the standards of similar rural authorities but they fall short of the Beacon standard overall. For example, they do not undertake specific user satisfaction surveys and is only at level one of CRE equalities standard for local authorities.

Outcomes

A range of outcomes includes particular achievements in tackling racism in schools and engaging with the significant Travelling community. The council has ensured that its services and communications are appropriate and relevant to BME communities and has instigated processes such as Race Equality Impact Assessment that influence key decisions and policies. Through a wide array of partnerships, the council has ensured that services are sensitive to cultural differences and that provision gaps can be identified and remedied.

User and Community Satisfaction

The council does not undertake specific user satisfaction surveys. However, 92% of BME tenants were satisfied with the service, an improvement of 15% over the past three years. Satisfaction with opportunities for participation for BME tenants was 70%. Specific conferences, programmes and initiatives have achieved high levels of satisfaction although there is evidence that service uptake is low in some areas. The council has taken steps to increase uptake in areas identified as under- represented by BME communities. There is strong BME recognition of council and private landlords’ commitment to tackling racial harassment in housing.

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Vision and Strategy

Both the council’s Executive and its Members have been active in promoting racial equality and have championed some of the area’s high profile initiatives such as A Gypsy’s Wish. The Community Plans for both Suffolk and Babergh reflect commitments to social inclusion.

Consultation

The council has good knowledge about its communities and has made significant efforts to engage in consultation in an intelligent and systematic fashion. Examples of consultation include the Traveller Strategy, Equality and Diversity Policy and LEA draft guidance. The Community Strategy consultation has uncovered some interesting perceptions of community cohesion although these have not yet been sown into any plans for action.

Partnerships The council is active in a wide range of partnerships, including the Local Strategic Partnerships, in the two constituent areas, and these have contributed to the provision of services, many of which are now delivered by external agencies.

Actions

Suffolk’s actions have impacted positively on mainstreaming of equalities and provision of support for a range of initiatives. Emphasis has been placed on access to employment, interpreting services, reducing hate crime and racial harassment in schools, and improving educational attainment. References to structure and process, and rather too many acronyms, obscure some of the council’s key achievements, particularly in areas of social care, community safety and education and skills.

WYCOMBE The council demonstrates good practice in promoting racial equality through its own policies and processes, and has achieved a Level 4 Equality Standard for Local Government. There is evidence of BME satisfaction with services and a reasonable level of community cohesion. There also appears to be effective partnerships between the District, the County, and other local agencies including the REC, the police and the VCS. The council demonstrated needs based service provision to BME communities, consultation on key issues and thoroughness in its own internal equalities work. The application fell a little short of Beacon status on account that overall outcomes and tangible benefits to Black and Minority Ethnic communities were not always apparent. The council’s capacity for making real and measurable improvements for its communities is however strong.

Outcomes

Wycombe’s partnerships with the REC, the Voluntary and Community Sector and other agencies including the Police, have enabled it to be challenged and invigorated in its race equality work. The District has improved representation of BME communities in its own workforce and political leadership.

120 User and Community Satisfaction

Overall, satisfaction rates from BME residents broadly mirror those from the general population. The council has detailed evaluation processes in place to gauge satisfaction through consultation. It has closed the gap in satisfaction with housing management services from some 20% to some 3.5% in 2 years (both are over 90%). The council has employed a specialist worker to identify groups at risk of social exclusion and to develop responses through the council that address the issues identified.

Vision and Strategy

The council’s strengths lie in its organisational capacity as employer and community leader. As a District, there was limited evidence available of wider service delivery objectives, but the council has clearly listened to the needs of its BME communities and is committed to providing for them. The community cohesion Route Map is evidence of open and responsive working on an issue with multiple and complex impacts in the District, and there is evidence that there is resilience to tension within the community, promoted by the council’s work with the REC, youth council, and others, following potential flashpoint events.

Consultation

Evidence of Community Needs Appraisals being carried out and impacting positively on service users’ experiences. (The African Caribbean community had recently had such an appraisal and services are now being improved in response). There is also significant interfaith work, and good contact and relations with faith communities such that the council is confident of the communities’ resilience in the event of community tensions.

The council also works closely with local faith groups to discover new ways to meet their needs and has worked to develop an Islamic centre that has been designed to accommodate local non-Muslims and bring the community together.

Partnerships

The council demonstrated real partnership working with Buckinghamshire County Council, Thames Valley Police, the Wycombe Race Equality Council and the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP). Work with the Police has enhanced community resilience to tensions (evidenced by work on the appeal following a murder in the black community). The council has worked with the local media to promote positive messages about community issues, and the community cohesion Route Map is owned by the LSP.

The local LSP is mentioned in the context of ensuring that BME ideas influence the direction of the community strategy. It is less clear, however, what impact has been achieved through the LSP on equalities or community cohesion issues.

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Actions

The council is committed to promoting race equality through its own strategic and operational roles. Race equality impact assessments are carried out on all services on a rolling programme, and are scrutinised by a strategic equalities group and external representatives. This group advises Business Units on promoting race equality in their plans and activities and negotiates targets for service managers within these Units. The council’s RES actions are linked to managers’ PRP.

Where the council can add value to Buckinghamshire County Council controlled services such as social care, it appears to making a positive impact, evidenced by work with young carers, those with drug problems, and hard to reach communities. Without its intervention service delivery targets would probably suffer greatly.

122 SUPPORTING CARERS

Introduction

The 2001 census shows that of the 5.2 million people providing informal care in England and Wales, just over 1 million provide over 50 hours of care per week. This is a large number of people providing significant levels of care and enabling people to live longer in the community, which is what over three quarters of people say they want.

Studies suggest that caring is likely to be associated with inequalities in mental and emotional health including fatigue and physical health problems, which can result in social exclusion. Carers providing substantial amounts of care are statistically more likely to be working part-time or be out of work. With appropriate support, carers are less likely to become marginalized while they care for someone and will be more able to return to work when their caring role ceases.

There were 22 applications for this theme, of which 9 were shortlisted (Bury, Gloucestershire, Hertfordshire, Rochdale, Sefton, Somerset, Sunderland, Surrey and Tameside).

Decision Framework

The Panel was looking for the authorities to take a strategic approach to developing services that reflect local carer and national priorities. To be able to demonstrate that their services promote independence and choice for carers and those they care for.

The authorities recommended for Beacon status demonstrated real outcomes in these areas from which others could learn.

Recommended for Beacon status

Hertfordshire Rochdale Sefton Sunderland

The following paragraphs summarise the Panel’s assessment of each of the shortlisted authorities against the key criteria for the theme.

HERTFORDSHIRE Hertfordshire’s carers services have been developing over the last 11 years. The council provides an extremely well organised, sophisticated and dynamic approach to its services based on a belief in a multi-agency approach. The depth and variety of projects and services gives many opportunities for finding and supporting carers. Hertfordshire believes in valuing carers as co-workers, partner organisations as equals and that services should be flexible, universal, innovative, directly accessible and that prevention of crisis is as important as supporting carers who are in difficulties.

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Outcomes

Hertfordshire has various means of identifying carers such as:

• GPs – PCTs set targets for carer identification • Links with money advice service • Carer awareness training of all frontline staff • Specific campaigns in BEM community groups

and the main service strands are:

• Direct Payments • Flexible breaks and respite care • Carers in Herts (Vol. sector providing raft of services; employs 40+ staff) • Counselling and emotional support and nurture • Large Carers in Employment projects linked to national and European initiatives • Young carers work • Mental health carers project teams

Carewise is the council’s own very flexible working policy and also works to support carers employed by the NHS. Herts is linked to the EU funded ACE project. Carers involved in recruitment, induction and training of workers – helping to improve recruitment and retention of social care workers.

User and Community Satisfaction

The council evidenced stratified approach to obtaining satisfaction levels. Many methods were adopted including fora, questionnaires, leaflets, local and county events and facilitated events. ‘Having your Say’ is a service by service user satisfaction survey which collects data on all parts of Carers support. Scores are routinely 85% satisfaction and above. As a result of feedback from carers Herts has made changes to many services.

Vision and Strategy

The council has a comprehensive Carers Strategy supported by a Multi-Agency Strategy group incorporating all their partners. There are over 10 strategy sub groups – all multi-agency and all with facilitated carers input (over 500 carers contributed). Hert’s strategy reaches well beyond the council, and promotes carers identification, valuing and support, wherever the carer ‘hits the system first’. The council puts the individual carers’ needs first. Assessments and service provision have to be around the carer’s own life choices so the values of listening, being flexible and non-judgmental are paramount.

124 Consultation

The council recognises the danger of using a narrow group of carers for consultation and are actively seeking to expand and refresh the group of those who contribute. They are active in empowering carers and facilitating consultation events. The voluntary sector is run by carers and ensures that decision makers are accountable to the wider group. Have Your Say allows carers to chose to contribute their views without attending events or being part of a group. Herts pay particular care through their BEM workers for finding and consulting with their BEM communities through dedicated workers.

Partnerships

The council is committed to partnership working because they believe that only in that way can they have a service which is robust enough to cope with increasing numbers, is accessible to all, and reflects the fact that caring has an impact on all parts of a carers life. There are impressive links with both the NHS and the voluntary sector. Joint strategic planning and service delivery and monitoring is a reality in Hertfordshire.

PCT and Social Service funding for the Carers in Hertfordshire organisation is co-ordinated into one budget on a rolling three-year contract. This greatly simplifies administration and allows for sustained strategic planning. As a result this one organisation reaches over 4000 carers on a budget of some £700,000+ annually and continues to grow.

Actions

All front line workers in the council and partner agencies are trained in carer awareness and the fact that cares are valued co-workers. The Carers employed by the council have strong and flexibly supportive services to help them mange care and work. They are proud of the support they are given. The flexibility of the Direct Payments scheme, where carers determine what small investment would best help them values and empower carers.

ROCHDALE Rochdale’s carers service has been created largely in the last 3 years. The Panel were greatly impressed by the strength of the commitment to the carers movement from the Chief Executive, Councillors, and MP and by the programme to release power from the council into the hands of the carers themselves as the service matured. This valuing of carers was reflected in the physical infrastructure provided, the quality of the carer support workers and the readiness of carers to take the lead in presenting the Council’s case. The panel thought this was a remarkable example of positive development in a short period. The service was supporting larger numbers of carers than many longer established services and does so in a very socially inclusive way.

Outcomes

Rochdale has various mean of identifying carers such as:

• mailing to all households • specific events such as Men’s Health days – especially in the BEM communities

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• pharmacists and town centre shops • pay slip campaigns • Mental health services • Benefits advice workers

and the main service strands are:

• Carers Resource – carers centre currently controlled by the Council but being moved into being a carer run and controlled Social Enterprise running: training for employment and personal development, a raft of counselling, advocacy and social support services, special groups/services for male carers and BEM carers but also many mixed social events, outreach beyond the town centre and benefits advice

• Strong independent Young Carers service integrated into youth services but working alongside the Carers Resource

• Carers training professionals • Very flexible direct payments • Respite care and short breaks

Rochdale’s BEM work is particularly strong. While it provides culturally/language sensitive services it also works inclusively and there are many cross-cultural events for carers to enjoy. Carers spoke very warmly about the cross-cultural ‘Ready Steady Cook’ evenings and parties to celebrate Eid, Christmas and Diwali.

User and Community Satisfaction

Rochdale provided evidence of SCI satisfaction measures and a multi method approach to getting feedback on services. This includes forms and questionnaires, word searches, surveys, facilitated community events and also externally commissioned research. Results are that Rochdale is thought to be doing well and that it has shown very great improvements in the last 2/3 years. One of the aims of giving the Carers Resource independence is to provide a greater transparency, and facilitate feedback while ensuring that all carers have an equal voice.

Vision and Strategy

Rochdale has individual strategies for different client groups, all including carers. It also has a Strategy for Consultation on Community Care, which is sophisticated and comprehensive. Consultants are working with the Carers Resource to create a Strategy for the new Social Enterprise. The council aims to delegate delivery of services to those closest to the communities served and does so on the basis of equal partnership. There was evidence that the council’s strategy was strongly influenced by those for whom it was working; the Carers seemed to be in the driving seat.

126 Consultation

Rochdale uses ‘Have Your Say’ campaigns using home visits, community meetings and the Carers Resource for consultation. The Resource will be commissioned to ensure there is equal representation of all types of carers when seeking views. There is a consultation strategy, which lays down rules for engaging and empowering carers. There have also been Fora for specific issues such as gathering feedback on Respite care. The very strong BEM programme ensures that carers issues are brought up in small community meetings. These allow carers not normally in touch with services to identify the barriers they face and from the Resource and the Council to respond sensitively to removing them.

Partnerships

Relationships with the voluntary sector are very positive as they are with the NHS, and with the employers with whom carers seeking employment are placed. Voluntary sector funding is stable and based on long term relationships and funding The NHS have joint strategies and scrutiny, covering older people and mental health working through Local Implementation Teams. The NHS funds a PALs officer working at the Carers Resource. There are strong links with education for young carers and a Families Partnership of agencies supporting Parent Carers.

Actions

There is a carers’ Champions Group, which helps to promulgate the strategy throughout public services. The Carers message is broadcast on local radio through adult learners week and on local Asian radio. Staff employed by the council are alerted on payslips to the existence of the service and to their rights as carers, set out in a flexible working policy, for flexible working. They are also invited to events at the Carers Resource. Carers are involved increasingly in the recruitment of social care staff.

SEFTON The service in Sefton is over 10 years old. The astonishing range of services, commitment to further development and underpinning attitudes towards carers and their need to control their own lives impressed the Panel as did the very large numbers in active contact with services. Although there is no doubt that much of the innovation and development has been led by the voluntary sector, it was clear that this was done on the basis of firm and stable support from the local authority. The two worked very much in harmony, both putting carers at the core of their strategic planning and service development.

Outcomes

Sefton has various means of identifying carers such as:

• GPs and Healthy Living Centre (100% GPs have a carers’ notice board) • Fliers/posters/Carers Week events/ • Specific campaigns in BEM community groups

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• Neighbourhood work and outreach • Link workers with specific client groups teams • Links with housing department, courts, Health Visitors • Shopmobility

Main services:

• Carers centre providing information, advocacy, emotional support, training, emergency respite, help into employment, social opportunities, bereavement support, a voice for carers etc.

• Young Carers Service including Transitional group • Direct Payments • Flexible breaks scheme • Telematics research • Benefits advice • Palliative care sitting services • Carers in Employment project

The Carers Emergency Respite Team is a unique service offering instant response for when a carer faces an emergency, which would stop them being able to continue caring. Within 1 hour a pre briefed member of the team will appear and take over. Sefton is the only area investigating telematics as a means of allowing carers to juggle their responsibility with the concern for the care for person.

User and Community Satisfaction

Sefton’s services have been shaped from inception by a Carers Forum regularly refreshed and updated, which works through the structure of the Carers Compass (Kings Fund) to ensure that services provided are what carers want. There is a culture of continuous improvement in Sefton with strong links between a multitude of carer led bodies feeding back requirements. There are numerous Quality Assurance exercises showing strong satisfaction levels.

Vision and Strategy

There has been a Multi Agency Carers Strategy Group from the beginning to establish Sefton’s Carers work. This includes representatives from voluntary sector including carers themselves, health, leisure, housing and education, BEM groups and the client group consultation boards. Many Council members are carers and the Chief Executive, keeps in close personal contact with the carers services and ensures that the carer-aware message is spread throughout the council. The Multi Agency Carers Strategy group which is central to the success in Sefton extends much further than in many other

128 places. This has allowed the Sefton carers’ services to reach and support carers through many more avenues than just health, social services and housing, leisure, the courts, shop and the private sector are all involved.

Consultation

Through the policy of constant improvement, the multi agency approach and the Carers Forum, Sefton is very close to its carers. Newsletters, specific events and questionnaires are all used to generate input. The BEM communities are linked with services through dedicate workers and cross boundary work with Liverpool MBC supports the development of culturally sensitive consultation. Sefton is developing appropriate consultation methods for carers who also have learning disabilities.

Partnerships

The very strong partnership ethos in Sefton is evident throughout, The NHS are actively involved in carers identification and support throughout all areas of their work, the voluntary sector is clearly well supported and valued and talked of feeling that they work on the carers agenda at one with the council. Local education colleges and OT departments are also involved.

Actions

There is a strong Carers in Employment project in Sefton which includes the council’s own staff. Sefton has IIP and is proud of its HR standards and manages its recruitment and retention of social care staff thereby. Sefton believes that their task is to give carers the confidence and capacity to manage their lives for themselves. The astonishing flexibility and variety of services show that commitment in action. It has created a raft of support for carers of all ages and in all circumstances.

SUNDERLAND Sunderland’s service is over 10 years old. Sunderland has a strong belief in the partnership approach which pervades other sectors; the partnership working within the voluntary sector is particularly strong. A core of the council’s approach to services is ‘People First’ – one stop shops where there is open door access to services, geographically spread throughout the council. These give many opportunities for joint working and spreading carers awareness to points of service delivery.

Outcomes

Sunderland has various means of identifying carers such as:

• mailing to all households • pharmacists and town centre shops • GP initiatives and hospital discharge • mental health services

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• benefits advice workers • Action for Carers in Employment initiative with employers • council call centres

Main service strands are:

• Carers Centre running: training for employment and personal development, a selection of counselling, advocacy and social support services, special groups/services for carers of people with mental health or substance abuse problems, BEM carers and benefits advice

• Strong independent Young Carers service. Young Carers ID card. Assisted learning scheme • Carers recruiting and training professionals • Early intervention direct payments for preventative work- decided by a panel of carers • Respite care and short breaks

Sunderland’s Carers in Employment scheme is one of the leads for the European ACE programme. In an area of high unemployment this is of particular importance demonstrating to employers the relative simplicity and benefit of supporting carers they already employ and of taking on more carers, and also to carers how they can couple paid work with their caring. The latter is vital if carers are not to endure long-term poverty. The Young Carers programme is particularly strong in linking the voluntary sector, education department workers and social services in the seamless support of the child in its learning and social role. The support for the family is holistic, valuing parents as parents as well as the child in its caring role.

User and Community Satisfaction

There are strong feedback mechanisms on individual carers’ and cared for’ services and the voluntary sector commented that the council treated them as ‘critical friends’, accepting comments whether adverse or favourable. As part of the MARG (Modernising and Reform Groups) programme of reform, the council is committed to improving its social governance and formalising some of the streams of accountability and transparency with service users. The pressure to introduce both MARGs and People First came from service users and represents a major overhaul for Council thinking in response to public pressure. The system they are adopting is remarkably thorough.

Vision and Strategy

The main principle behind Sunderland’s vision is their strapline ‘Supporting Carers through Partnership’. There is a Compact setting out agreement on social and health care between all the PCTs and NHS bodies and the voluntary sector. Sunderland demonstrated their understanding that caring has an impact on all parts of a carer’s life by showing that transport, leisure, housing and education were as involved as employers, social services and health in being carer aware. There are Carers Champions throughout.

130 Consultation

The consultation with carers and their organisations is exceptionally well carried out in Sunderland. MARGs and the underpinning investment in carers briefing, training, respite and transport costs, to enable proper representation is remarkably thorough. There is a toolkit for all in Sunderland who wish to consult with carers, recognising that different people need to be approached in different ways.

Partnerships

The council excels in this area not only in the partnerships it supports itself but in those between other organisations which it has nurtured. Thus there are very strong, respected stable and well- funded relationships between it and individual voluntary carers organisations. The council provides free training on its own courses for volunteers and also commissions training from the Carers Centre. Carers are also commissioned to develop the information packs, which will be used to tell others about Carers Assessments and other services.

Actions

The council has a very person centred approach to carers services. This makes it hard to point at individual remarkable innovative services. What is remarkable is that Carers are so strongly woven through all of the council’s processes – the MARGs, People First, all departments, economic and social planning. Whereas some carers service are very good – but very dependant on a few very dynamic people – in Sunderland the carers service and many partnerships which sustain it seems truly part of the warp and weft of all council work. It is a very stable base for growth and for stability.

Not Recommended for Beacon status

Bury Gloucestershire Somerset Surrey Tameside

BURY Bury’s carers service is over 10 years old. Bury is a very small local authority and the idea of having a carers service is well established. They have made an excellent start in providing services for both adult and young carers. The council has also been creative in finding ways of identifying carers. They had made special efforts to support the very large Jewish community in Bury with culturally appropriate services. The Panel were not convinced however that Bury had really coupled their aspirations to produce an excellent service with a willingness to put carers’ individual needs at the heart of their work. There was a distance both between the council and the carers and the council and the voluntary sector Carers’ services which limited the capacity to produce a really good experience for Bury’s carers.

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Outcomes

Bury has various means of identifying carers such as:

• Displays in town centre and leisure facilities • GPs • Hospital discharge • Recently developed BEM work; well established outreach to the Jewish community • Multimedia approach including Braille leaflets • Pensions staff • Metro newspaper

Main means of supporting carers:

• Vouchers scheme for short breaks • Small independent Carers Centre for information, nurture, social opportunities, some training, some advocacy, some emotional support

• Culturally sensitive sitting service run by the Jewish Federation • Council Carers Support officers including Learning Disabilities and BEM specialists • Carers Health Project • Carers Line phone helpline

The Young Carers service is linked to the Connexions and schools services. Young carers are given direct access telephone numbers for their support workers and enjoy recreational and counselling activities. There is no transitional service. Bury has formulated and promoted a cross border protocol for agreeing the responsibility for who supports the carer when the person they care for lives the other side of a council boundary. These carers can fall between stools and it is good that their particular needs have been recognised in this way.

User and Community Satisfaction

Bury provided evidence of a number of initiatives to get measures of satisfaction all of which were positive. Both carers and carers organisations said that they felt that the Council’s heart was in the right place but there was further to go before services matched need. An annual Consultation event is held. 30 carers attended the last one together with 32 service providers. This gave an opportunity to look at current schemes and identify gaps in services. Feedback was carefully recorded and responses given although it was not clear how much change would be made in practice.

132 Vision and Strategy

Bury has an extremely clear Strategy document and an Update ‘How well are we doing’ document both of which are widely disseminated. What is less clear however is the degree to which strategy determines the provision of resources. There is a strong feeling in Bury that services are planned around getting the most value out of money, ensuring that spend is heavily prioritised and that there is no possibility of waste, rather than it is made available flexibly for Carers or their organisations to have some control.

Consultation

There is a carers’ register, which provides the mailing list for invitations to the annual feedback recent. Some of this feedback talked about a feeling of tokenism regarding consultation and voluntary sector representatives felt that they rarely felt that their opinion was respected.

Partnerships

The partnership with the PCT is remarkably close leading to strong joint working on GP’s identification of carers, joint scrutiny and single assessments. The PCT clearly shared the council’s enthusiasm for the Carers’ agenda. As noted above however the partnership with the voluntary sector was less positive. The sector felt it was not respected, there was a grantor and grantee relationship and that monitoring requirements were very onerous.

Actions

Bury have IIP for their work life balance work and are proud of their support of the carers they employ. GPs get involved in other Carers and Employment initiatives. This is a welcome approach to a key issue and not one GPs are usually prepared to consider. Carers Champions raise the profile of carers in health, leisure and other departments.

Bury’s plans for dealing with greater demand in the future are based around their capacity of the Carers Support officers working on the ground to identify where the greatest priorities lie.

GLOUCESTERSHIRE Gloucestershire’s carers service is over 10 years old. The council feel that they have made great progress in the last few years, raising the status of carers as an issue to be addressed, and also changing their approach to voluntary sector and other partnerships. The inspiration for these improvements has been an ongoing dialogue with carers. The Panel were convinced that the opinions of carers are actively sought and their voices genuinely listened to. Before making the Beacon visit the Council consulted 40 carers as to whether they thought Beacon status was deserved. The carers encouraged the Council to go ahead with the bid. The Panel felt that there was a solid and excellent service being offered in Gloucester but that it still had some way to go. There were examples of really excellent practice but the Council did not demonstrate conclusively that they deserved overall Beacon status.

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Outcomes

Gloucestershire’s main means of identifying carers are:

• Outreach to rural areas • Outreach to BME communities • Work with schools • Proactive targeting of hidden male carers

Main means of support:

• Independent Carers Centre providing emotional support, training, advocacy, information, social events, benefits advice, help into employment

• Share with a carer – carer run and managed 24/7/365 phone helpline for sharing experiences and obtaining moral support

• Buddying scheme • Respite and short breaks • Personal development and IT training • Flexible payments scheme for alleviating difficulties • BME special services including Asian women’s group et al • Young Carers project • Carers Emergency Card

Share with a Carer puts carers in touch with others at any time of the day or night. Carers participating are trained in dealing with difficult calls and a roster arranged. Carers often find that the ability to talk to someone who really understands how they are feeling – i.e. another carer – is often key to defusing a moment of great crisis. Share with a Carer is possibly unique in being available all the time. The commitment of carers to manning this service (voluntarily) even during Christmas and other Festivals is to be highly commended.

User and Community Satisfaction

Gloucestershire clearly have an active listening relationship with carers through “Carers Have Your Say” or Carers Support Group events. It is clear that changes to strategy have resulted from this input. However, they presented little evidence on wider consultation or regular structures and opportunities for obtaining feedback on services. The Carers Centre, through which most services are provided is managed through a Board of mostly carers and has formal structures for getting feedback on its own service.

134 Vision and Strategy

In order to give a springboard for further development of the commitment to carers, Gloucester did a Best Value review of carers’ services in 2002 and the Performance Improvement Plan includes the aim that Gloucester will be a top authority for carers in 2007. The current Carers strategy is departmental but being forged into a new Multi Agency strategy from 2004/2005. The strategy aims to improve identification and support of carers and allow carers to be more influential in shaping services. The Council are creatively using the requirements of the Carers Equal Opportunities act to lever co-operation form their colleagues in leisure, housing, transport etc. To support rurally based carers, there is a commitment to investing in IT literacy and equipment so carers do not depend on being able to travel in order to acquire information.

Consultation

The council has a Service User Involvement Strategy developed on conjunction with carers which lays out ground rules for consulting with carers. Young Carers have a Strategic Planning group and a Young Carers Forum. There are also special outreach consultations with the BEM communities. While Gloucester is clearly pointing in the right direction it is probably true to say that currently only a few carers regularly input to decision making. There was little evidence of mass circulation mailings to evince views or very large events. However, the attention to social inclusiveness in an area where the BEM population is not particularly high was good to see.

Partnerships

The principle voluntary sector partner is the Carers Centre and it was an equal partnership supported by stable funding and extended beyond the Carers Centre to other specialist organisations. 2 out of the 3 PCTs have adopted carers as a central issue and the other being lobbied largely by the voluntary sector using Lottery funding; there were no SHA targets for carers identification; hospital discharge is felt not yet to be meeting carer aspirations but the mental health services were strong.

Actions

Carers are trained to help in the recruitment, induction and training of social services staff. Carers currently employed by Gloucester will get a sympathetic ear but there is some way to go before there is a properly formulated carers in employment focus within the council or beyond. There is much that is really excellent in Gloucester but the Panel thought that much of the dynamism and new thinking comes from the voluntary sector.

SOMERSET Somerset’s carers service is over 10 years old. The council has focused their work to support carers primarily through the Carer Support Workers (CSW) based in GPs practices. There is an exceptional level of commitment from Health Partners to working together with the local authority to support carers and there appears to be a long standing history of joint health and social services working in the area. The Carer Support Workers are doing excellent work to bring GPs and other health partners on board with this agenda and are reaching out to a lot of previously hidden carers through this route. It was a shame however that after 10 years of the Carers Project there were still some GPs that did not fully engage with the team and there are some concerns that the support to carers not in

135 Report of the Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils

contact with a GP (or with one of the uninterested ones) my well be missed. The Panel still had some concerns about the capacity of some voluntary sector partners to provide services and support carers in the medium and long term given the fragility of their funding being on a year on year basis, in many cases services were being provided with no funding at all. There were also some concerns expressed by carers, GPs and the voluntary sector about the availability of respite care caused by the closure of a respite care centre and other care services following an assessment.

Overall, the council is doing excellent work to support its carers and political commitment to the projects is evident. The work with Primary Care is exceptional and the council invests heavily with its health partners to provide this support. The council is committed to providing support for people with low and high level mental illness and partnerships with MIND and counselling services are sound. Feedback from some carers and professionals present indicated that the council was almost but not quite there in terms of a seamless service on the ground.

Outcomes

Somerset has various means of identifying carers such as:

• GP based Carer Support Workers • CareDirect call line • Through contacts with some voluntary sector organisations • Hospital discharge • Carers Week Events • Info in libraries and some other opportunistic venues • Mental Health Services • Presentations to Women’s Institutes, Rotary etc

The partnership working with GPs and the PCT to have the Carers Project in place was highly commendable and the real commitment shown by GPs. The work MIND are funded for to support carers of people with a mental health diagnosis combined with that of the independent counselling service demonstrates the councils commitment to providing support for people with low and high level mental illness. The CareDirect line being available 24 hours per day and the one-off crisis support within one hour are good models of responsive support.

User and Community Satisfaction

Generally Carers seemed positive about services provided to them but some carers and voluntary organisations stated they felt that community care services were not always readily available locally. Carers have been involved in the training of staff in carers issues and have also been part of selection panels for contracts being placed for home care services. Carers are also setting up and managing their own support groups.

136 Vision and Strategy

The multi-agency Carer’s Strategy Group meets quarterly and reports to the joint commissioning board. Elected members are very supportive of the carers agenda. There is strong representation from Health partners on the board but other partners such as housing, leisure and transport are not as prominent. Real vision has been shown by both health and social care through the creation of the Carers Project and the real focus placed on working in tandem with GP to identify and support carers.

The council has set up a Strategic Service Partnership with 8 home based service suppliers who each hold 5 year rolling contracts. Through this and through ensuring that good career development and progression is available the council hopes to overcome the recruitment and retention problems around social care staff that it, along with the rest of the country, has.

Consultation

Carers can feed in their views formally through the Carer Forums, informally through the Carer Support Workers and anonymously through questionnaires, evaluation forms and through the CareDirect telephone line. Carers being consulted were constantly being refreshed through use of the carers register to identify new carers for participation in consultation. Carers involved in consultation are given training and support to help them in their role. Carers are also being involved in tendering and selection for contracts for home care services and as part of the Quality Rating Scheme for all block purchases in residential and nursing homes.

Partnerships

Carer Support Worker posts in the Carers Project are joint funded posts between health and social care. The Acute and Community Health Trust partners work in partnership with the Carers Project around discharge planning and protocols and systems are in place to identify and support carers at hospital discharge. It seemed that several of the voluntary sector organisations were not funded by the council for the majority of the work they undertook to support carers and those that were funded had one year contracts which made it difficult for them to plan long term. No examples were cited of the council providing funding outside of that for specifically commissioned services such as to enable the voluntary sector partners to use their skills, expertise, and knowledge to take forward promotional and development work around supporting carers.

Actions

The council have in place a visible and comprehensive policy of supporting carers employed by the council itself and it is looking to set up support groups and networks for carers it employs. Leaflets are available to all carers working for the council. Local health partners have approached the council to work with them to develop a similar policy and level of support for their staff. The one to one counselling service; carers help lines; advice to carers about benefits, legal matters and finances; the carers newsletter; carers activities and trips; the carers sitting service; and Somerset Impact offering advice and emotional support to parent carers are all good examples of actions taken by the council and its partners to support carers.

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SURREY The carers service in Surrey is 10+ years old. Surrey believe they have made greater strides in the last 2/3 years in their recognition of the role and importance of carers. There is a corporate commitment to work to enable carers to manage the impact of caring on their own lives and be flexible in service provision. Supporting carers is one of 12 strands of the corporate strategy for the council. The raft of carers’ services in Surrey is substantial. However, most of these are carried out by the voluntary sector and there was little evidence that the council was an effective and dynamic partner of the sector. There is some way to go therefore before the council’s aspirations to put carers at the forefront of their own work reaches fruition.

Outcomes

Surrey has various main means of identifying carers such as:

• Because Carers Count’ awareness raising initiative with health/social care providers/education/housing

• Care radio (web based) • Action for carers and carers network of voluntary orgs campaigns • Links through ACE project with local employers • Community groups especially in BEM communities in North West of council

Main means of supporting carers

• Locality based independent carers organisation combined in Action for Carers umbrella providing: training, activities, emotional support, advocacy, a voice for carers in their communities, employment advice, information, peer support

• Direct Payments • Flexible short breaks scheme • Action for Carers in Employment scheme • Website – the council is one of the three which looked at the possibility of carersonline as part of ukonline

• Back Pain project • Partnership with parents • Young Carers project (independent) • Emergency Card

138 The Young Carers’project has produced a professional standard video (using actors) entirely controlled by the Young Carers themselves, to show how caring impacts on their lives. This is to be shown in schools and also, it is hoped, on the BBC.

User and Community Satisfaction

Parent carers are on the whole happy with services through the Partnership with Parents services. There is no explicit target in the 2003-2006 Joint Carers Strategy for getting better feedback from carers, presumably because it is expected that this will be channelled through the Carers organisations.

Vision and Strategy

The 2003-2006 Strategy incorporates area multi agency plans. The 5 areas into which Surrey is divided have their own voluntary agencies and most service developments are targeted through these. However, there is no overarching strategy for the sector; the council has just signed up to the Compact but currently most funding is short term and not fully costed. There is no involvement of the SHA on the carers Agenda and the PCTs are unenthusiastic apart from on specifics such as the Back Pain project.

Surrey suffers from recruitment and retention problems with social care staff, which makes the sustaining of viable services hard.

Consultation

The Young Carers project indicated a lively variety of ways for finding out what young carers wanted. Other consultation has been around specific services such as Asian Carers, or with the PwP. The carers organisations have worked with the council to develop protocols for consulting with carers.

Partnerships

No such partnership seems to exist with the PCTs although the existence of a PCT links worker is beginning to make inroads in one area. There are far better links however with the mental health services. There is a much better partnership with the voluntary sector in that they are clearly trusted to get on with most of the work on consultation, and support. However, this relationship could be better fostered if there were more overt stable funding arrangements made at all levels – not just for the umbrella – Action for Carers.

Actions

Despite the misgivings expressed above there are some notable features of carers work in Surrey – Backpain, Action for Carers in Employment, Care Radio, the Young Carers project for instance – and these could not have happened without the Council’s help.

The major initiative on Carers and employment which forms part of the European ACE project has been extremely successful and the council have been instrumental in making this so. The standards are reflected in the support given to carers employed by the county council, including payslip

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campaigns and intranet.The council are very honest about how much work they still need to do – which was very refreshing – on their relations with health, the voluntary sector the BEM communities and with their own staff.

TAMESIDE Tameside’s service is more than 10 years old. The council sees itself at the forefront of carers’ service development and in many ways their structures are exemplary. There are also some very interesting innovations. However, there did seem to be a link missing between carers real experience on the ground and the council’s aspirations. Carers talked about having to ask for services rather than having real power to change them.

Outcomes

Tameside’s main means of identifying carers are:

• GPs (31 out of 42 surgeries have carers notice boards) • Hospital wards • Outreach to community groups especially BEM • Website • Local radio

Main means of supporting carers:

• Council run carers’ centre offering information, emotional support, training and advocacy and social events

• Direct Payments • Short breaks • Formal courses at the College

Eligibility for assessments is based on the degree to which the cared for person is at risk. Preventative work is done by the carers centre which anyone can visit.

User and Community Satisfaction

In the past considerable surveying was done and the results have informed the development of carers services. More recently there are opportunities for carers who receive service to respond to the Council through hoc surveys or through the Carers Council and Carers Forums. There was no general mailing to the community however to explore community satisfaction. Carers are however involved in joint Social Service and Health Scrutiny boards and this has had considerable input to the development of, for instance, carers’ assessments.

140 Vision and Strategy

There is a Strategy for carers which is contributed to by BEM Carers, the Carers Council, Housing, the College, the NHS acute trusts, PCTs. and the Young Carers group. There is virtually no use of the voluntary sector within the carer strategy. The work is done in house and the council said they were unaware of any barriers of stigma or threat, which might stop carers approaching them for help. The council see no advantages to carers taking over control of the Carers Centre and the carers themselves are anxious that they would not be as well supported if they were independent.

Consultation

There are 1600 carers on the Carers Register, which is representative of the community. The council elect a Carers Council (16 reps), which can hold to account officers and set agendas for discussion. There are also carer reps on Joint Scrutiny and Strategy groups. The Race Equality and Diversity Team ensure that carers from BEM communities are able to contribute and these communities have their own groups, which feed into consultation. Other carers are also helped to contribute not only their views but a more representative view of carers experience.

Partnerships

While the voluntary sector is virtually absent, there are good links with Health and with the College. Tameside has ‘Investors in Carers’ -a scheme for marking the GPs who do most to identify and support carers in their caseloads. While this has tremendous potential for the future it is relatively new. However, it is an exciting idea and one, which could be, adopted elsewhere.

Actions

There is no formal policy for carers in employment in the Council although flexibility is allowed within a management structure, which encourages individual managers to take a flexible approach with all their staff. There is also no large scale general Carers in Employment Project. The Panel felt that this service had become introverted over the years and did not encourage or face challenge or outside ideas. As a result the actual service on the ground did not seem to reflect the very clear thinking that was presented. Where the service and the carer match all seemed to go very well and carers were genuinely very grateful.

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SUPPORTING NEW BUSINESSES

Introduction

Start-up businesses are important. They help create jobs, and the ‘churn’ of more effective and innovative firms replacing the less efficient ones is an important contributor to productivity growth and a competitive economy. However, research shows that the UK’s entrepreneurial performance lags behind that of the United States.

There were 15 applications for this theme, of which 7 were shortlisted (Bolton, Derwentside, East Riding, Greenwich, Medway, Rotherham and Southwark).

Decision Framework

The Panel was looking for local authorities that encourage more people to think about starting a business or to become self-employed, thus increasing the levels of entrepreneurial activity. These authorities would have effective start-ups strategies that seek to address imbalances between different social groups by providing services tailored to meet specific needs.

The authorities recommended for Beacon status demonstrated real outcomes in these areas from which others could learn.

Recommended for Beacon status

Derwentside East Riding of Yorkshire Medway Rotherham

The following paragraphs summarise the Panel’s assessment of each of the shortlisted authorities against the key criteria for the theme.

DERWENTSIDE Derwentside is a semi rural district, which has a population of 85,133 with traditionally low levels of enterprise and above average levels of deprivation. The council has made its impact over the last 20 years in terms of excellence through an improved environment, low crime, low unemployment and increased inward investment. The police were keen to impress how a safer community had contributed towards business investment and growth.

Outcomes

Derwentside identify aspirant and real entrepreneurs through a variety of actions including an EMERGE programme, positive marketing, co-ordinated services, tailored support and post start up care. The EMERGE programme offers cash incentives and a complete support package to members of the local community who wish to start a business. It aims to remove the hassle from starting a

142 business by assisting in providing support for loaning and / or securing equipment and funding certain aspects of the business start up.

User and Community Satisfaction

A good range of feedback mechanisms are used which help evaluate and monitor performance. Consultation has resulted in changed service provision to include Marketing and ICT advice, hot desking facility at Consett Business Park, business regulation advice and support.

Vision and Strategy

Derwentside has recognised the various government and regional development strategies and incorporated them into their own local plans so that a clear vision is given and an effective strategy adopted. The strategy is to create an increasingly self – reliant and robust local economy which will improve the prosperity and quality of life of residents of Derwentside. The economic development strategy supports the local authority’s corporate objectives.

Consultation

There is an interesting use of both a citizen’s panel and the tenants’compact panel to ascertain views on specific and local issues. The council is very keen to consult businesses and (every) business has an allocated case officer. The EMERGE programme, aimed at local aspirant entrepreneurs, is targeted at the existing local community and residents and is communicated to them through local advertising resulting in significant interest and a substantial number of enquiries.

Partnerships

Derwentside uses the Economic Development Forum as its main driver for change so that plans are reviewed and monitored and reflect changes in the market and community. The Enterprise Place has enabled young people to learn about entrepreneurial skills and attitudes. It has been used to encourage an enterprising culture. The council has made very good progress within schools in creating an enterprise culture (relative to neighbouring councils within the county/area and generally other authorities), by appointing schools regeneration officers whose aim is to ensure that schools are prepared to contribute skills within the local economy.

Actions

The council is committed to increasing the number of value adding business start ups, the growth and competitiveness of existing businesses and the development of skills and enterprise. Derwentside Business Centre provides support for the development of e-entrepreneurs and is the base for a dedicated website providing business support.

The council are also supporting a project to create new entrepreneurs and a more entrepreneurial workforce. The Tanfield Enterprise site, funded by the DfES and supported by the association of Secondary School Heads, the schools regeneration officer and industry days, enables schools children, from 10 to 16, to be given entrepreneurial skills and experiences via ICT media to explore business problems and opportunities.

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EAST RIDING OF YORKSHIRE This is the largest unitary authority in England by area with a mix of rural and urban areas. The area has both affluence and deprivation and insular communities who are difficult to reach. As a result it has become e enabled and has empowered its employees to deliver outcomes and assess risk. It has a well run new business operation and partnership. There are a significant number of examples of good practice within this council, which could be shared across the UK but particularly with rural councils with hard to reach communities.

Outcomes

There are significant areas and projects for commendation such as Women Returners Aspirations, 50+ programme, Phoenix Development Fund, Opportunity knocks, Procurement 123, and the Intermediate Labour Market. Funds have been committed to a number of projects and delivered by a dedicated team of six who are employed by the council on behalf of closely connected agencies. The council has obtained and established credibility for the community’s businesses and the system has been enhanced to provide any council service as well as community services including doctors and dentists.

User and Community Satisfaction

East Riding has been recognised for its business services work in achieving high standards by receiving the Customer First accreditation. The council created an early understanding of new entrepreneurs needs by using specialist advisers and the internet for sharing information, networking events and enabling video conferencing. They have regular reviews, team meetings and combine constructive criticism with positive remedial action to ensure user and community satisfaction. To show how well the council is delivering its services the Business Centres are also used as community centres.

Vision and Strategy

East Riding’s mission is to help people to create and build valued businesses. There is a corporate focus to deliver priorities right from the top i.e. senior member commitment. The strategy positively encourages an entrepreneurial culture leading to new business creation. This vision has been applied by working with all age groups but particularly young people, operating business centres, bringing in banks and advisors to assess business propositions and undertakings to ensure suitability and market opportunity. The council has adopted a neutral financing approach to supporting new business. It provides for additional capacity and capability within its budget but expects existing business support activity to be self-financing. By being creative with its funding the council has been able to deliver its supporting new business contracts on time and to budget.

Consultation

Ongoing dialogue without duplication is the stated aim of the council. There are advisor networks to support aspirant businesses or individuals. A New Horizons Network provides support and confidence to business start-ups and their employees. “Riding Around” surveys, track business, social and environmental changes. Surveys of young people, “say something”, provide valuable input into the council’s consultation strategy. The council funds its own free newspaper, the East

144 Riding News, which is delivered to every household. This paper is funded by local advertisers and start-up campaigns are also run through libraries and via the web site. All of these vehicles ensure ongoing consultation.

Partnerships

By its strategic links and in collaboration with all its local and regional partners East Riding is able to deliver the Small Business Services Action Plan. The council works in conjunction with partners to deliver a wide range of Business Link branded services. It reaches out into the community with local surgeries and out of hours counselling. By maximising external funding it can develop and deliver tailor made business support and raise the self employment agenda in schools as a real option. For income generation funding comes from a variety of sources including ESF, LSC, EQUAL, Yorkshire Forward etc.

Actions

The council run supporting events aimed at promoting running a business as a viable career option. They also support the provision of business incubation or managed workspace and or low cost start up and help new businesses understand which local authority regulations apply. The council closely supports the regional economic strategy to deliver new business support. In this regard it was awarded a Charter Mark. East Riding has managed and delivered a New Horizon Programme across the sub region. This has been used as an exemplar of best practice by the Regional Development Agency.

MEDWAY This is a very committed council who have strategy, vision, capability and capacity to deliver. The borough is a suburban area, which has suffered a significant shift and decline in its industrial base over the last 20 years. However, it does not benefit from significant funds as it is not perceived to be deprived. Major changes are taking place and public sector funds have been achieved for development of the Chatham Dockyards along with a major river crossing and private sector support for the development of some of its river frontage. Medway have recognised that they have expertise in this theme and have used their funds judicially in order to get buy in from their partners and the business community. They have developed strong links with the University of Greenwich for further development of new businesses.

Outcomes

Medway has a seamless service to support new business demonstrated by a range of outcomes, regular B2B Exhibitions, Small Business Awards, Town Centre Management, Business Directory. The council has delivered on the regeneration agenda and established wireless Broadband connection to its premises. Medway Enterprise Gateway (MEG) enables the Council to interact with the business community, aspirant entrepreneurs and new and growing businesses. It offers specialist one-to-one advice, hot desks with computers and training courses. MEG is in the centre of Chatham and was one of the first of the 20 SEEDA backed projects in the South East. MEG supports all types of new or young businesses with particular emphasis on those in the creative sector. Medway has supported the Wired Medway Programme, a portal created for the business community in Medway, aimed to boost e-business take-up and enable all Medway SMEs to benefit from new technology.

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User and Community Satisfaction

Medway is held in high esteem in the market place as a council that delivers. The council operates a challenging and critical review of its enterprise work and all stakeholders are pleased with its performance through the various satisfaction surveys and the way they link to the Medway Economic Strategy.

Vision and Strategy

The council has a very clear understanding of how its business support strategy fits into the national agenda and recognises the key players in the arena. The vision is to develop a seamless and comprehensive business support service to help new businesses in the Medway area. It aims to satisfy the needs of small businesses and deliver it in a partnership approach that avoids duplication of service. There is a recognition of the growing importance of cultural and creative industries, specialist manufacturing and e business and the council will seek to prioritise support for new businesses.

Consultation

The mechanism for the delivery of council services which focuses on neighbourhood renewal, environmental health issues, IT and communications and planning and regeneration was developed after consultation with the community consultation groups. A free collection service was introduced following consultation on improving the environment and enforcing regulation after the economic development office had discussions with the Town Centre Manager and the local business community. External agencies are commissioned to conduct monitoring and evaluation work which is then fed back to the Economic Development and Business Support Group.

Partnerships

The council’s partnerships are based on the principles of an understanding of the needs of start-ups and small businesses and a partnership approach that avoids duplication and promotes the development and survival of start up businesses in Medway. It recognises the importance of being a key and good partnership player, through its enterprise and economic development partnerships, in the delivery of the Small Business Service Action plan.

Actions

Medway has a proactive approach to encouraging business start up whilst seeking to add value to existing services without duplication. The council has 3 flagship sites providing low cost start up units, move on facilities and expertise. Medway is growing its own enterprise students by building it into the curriculum, supporting its Enterprise Gateway, providing facilities at a new campus at Chatham and specific incubation facilities for graduate entrepreneurs.

ROTHERHAM Rotherham has objective 1 status, in the top 10% most deprived areas nationally and is a diverse mix of towns and villages. The economy ranges from mining and steel to services and advanced manufacturing. Its key message is to use strategic commitment to drive the entrepreneurial vision.

146 It has flourishing out of town business parks and a growing call centre operation run by Ventura. There has been good economic performance over the last 7 years with strong inward and onward investment with high levels of business start-ups.

Outcomes

Rotherham’s managed workspaces within deprived areas have had a positive impact on the community. The business support and incubation strategy is working and its new businesses are growing. There is a stock of new businesses focusing on the region’s key clusters. Youth Enterprise is being developed and is encouraging young people to consider start-ups. The council has successful outreach models, which assist Asian Communities on a needs driven range of support and giving women the confidence to participate in the enterprise community and ultimately start businesses. It has used an imaginative approach by using innovative solutions targeted at local needs. They focus on each new business as an individual, developing targeted support packages dependent upon special needs. These break down the barriers experienced by new businesses.

User and Community Satisfaction

The council is involved in the direct provision of facilities and services for start up businesses. Customer care surveys showed that the majority would recommend the council’s business start up premises. Evaluation of feedback led to improvement of provision and the creation of a new centre to support additional businesses in another part of the borough. The high satisfaction rates are a result of a cycle of continuous improvement through Broadband, Enterprise Launch Pad, virtual office, design of facilities etc.

Vision and Strategy

The council supports new business and has challenged partners to target businesses with the potential to grow so that increased numbers of businesses register for VAT. The Regeneration plan is used to stimulate self-employment and enterprise. “By 2020 Rotherham will be a borough where everyone feels proud to live and work and where every citizen and business can realise their potential.” The council has embraced the Davies Report to encourage enterprise in the curriculum. It has worked in partnership to support entrepreneurship in local schools and businesses through the development of a CD ROM funded by the Regional Development Agency.

Consultation

Consultation with the local community and businesses ensured that there were innovative solutions at all stages of the individual’s or business’development from aspiration through pre start and early stage to growth and maturity. This included church and community leaders particularly in the Urban Renaissance consultation.

Workshops were held with providers and customers of the council’s services to ascertain how they felt the council was performing particularly in the area of supporting new business and to fill any perceived gaps.

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Partnerships

Through the Rotherham Partnership the borough has developed a local economic development partnership with links with Rotherham Chamber of Commerce and Rotherham Enterprise Agency, Business Link South Yorkshire etc. At a sub regional level it also works with the private sector, the Small Business Service, Universities and others. The council has worked internationally to support similar types of economically deprived areas that require a catalyst for change, for example within Poland and Germany.

Actions

Rotherham is supporting the provision of business incubation or managed workspace and or low cost start up. They provide pods or lock-away cubicles for use by start-ups that give individuals an opportunity to get into a ‘working ethos’ which can be very difficult when working from a garage or back bedroom. The managed workspaces and incubation units have flexible occupancy licences for small and start up businesses with easy terms for incubation to ensure easy in easy out and access to grow on space.

Not Recommended for Beacon status

Bolton Greenwich Southwark

BOLTON There is a need to define whether supporting new businesses is regeneration, business support or social or all three and to positively confirm the council’s product offering, actions and interventions at each stage. The focus has moved from too many key messages for too wide an audience to a situation where there was too much information on a specific grouping e.g. Black and Minority Ethnic group. An inclusive approach could have been adopted. At an operational level it is obvious that Bolton is delivering on the supporting new business theme.

In the partnerships it is essential to show who is driving the initiative, the lead partner and the champion for each of your stated initiatives. It was difficult to unpick who within the partnership was delivering particularly when it came to incubation. This council would benefit from strong strategic leadership and placing enterprise higher within the council structure.

Outcomes

Bolton shows high levels of delivery, bucking the national trends through enthusiastic delivery mechanisms, interventions with stated deprived communities. The EMBS (Ethnic Minority Business Service) has been recognised as a model of excellence which has both autonomy and outreach. Its autonomy is built upon culture, language and business dynamics. The council supports the Bolton Business Investment Centre and Bolton Enterprise Centre, a refurbished former mill that accommodates a range of businesses, some new, some quite mature, in supported surroundings with helpful circumstances such as Easy-In – Easy-Out contracts, rent-a-desk etc.

148 User and Community Satisfaction

Link Track carries out an independent survey of customer satisfaction to monitor client contact. Client Feedback is taken from sponsored events and training to improve performance and satisfaction levels. Data is compared across the region so that best practice can be transferred.

Vision and Strategy

The main aim of the community strategy is regenerating deprived communities. The council has been continuously involved and committed to this area for the last 23 years and has built capacity through its experience to ensure sustainability.

Bolton has sought to sustain its activity through partnership working and jointly funded applications and activities to support new, micro and growth businesses.

Consultation

The Bolton Vision Partnership is an involvement and engagement of local people and businesses, potential entrepreneurs through an interactive online service and discussion fora. Through their partnership with the local business and community they have created “Enterprise Champions,” signpost interested parties to appropriate sources of advice and encouragement. They are used to support the initiative by responding to requests such as, “I don’t know where to go can you give me a phone number?”

Partnerships

Partnerships have enabled Bolton to bid for and work closely in conjunction with the other major stakeholders, for example, the provision of support for iZone, an incubator run by Campus Ventures, Manchester University, Bolton University, the council and others. The co-location of Bolton Metro with the Chamber of Commerce and Business Link staff has enabled effective support services and contributed to high business survival rates.

Actions

As a result of European Funding, Regeneration Funds etc a wide range of support has been made available. Success in this area has enabled local interventions, full range of services, programmes and activities to be offered and delivered. Some of these are offered in the Bolton Business Investment Centre, an impressive open–plan space shared by a number of partners in the Bolton offering. There is a new DVD on the work being undertaken by Bolton and its partners in supporting new businesses.

Bolton offers tutorial sessions specifically targeted at women at all stages of their business development.

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GREENWICH This council have shown how they have engaged their community to regenerate the area over the last 20 years but have not displayed this at an excellent level. Their work to date has been good but there is considerably more to come. Impacts stated are not exceptional for a borough of this size. Greater emphasis should be placed upon new business support rather than on the big picture so that changes in the types and numbers of businesses over time, selection of cluster groupings, community development, gatekeepers and the actions to support new businesses is shown more readily.

Outcomes

The council are adding value through clear vision and strategy, the strength of their partnerships, being engaged at a detailed and operational level and by ensuring that all agencies are clear of their deliverables, objectives and services. Greenwich has achieved tangible benefits for the local economy, a decrease in unemployment rates, rise in the number of jobs, new businesses registering for VAT, and high levels of ethnic minority enterprise business engagement. The explicit links to improve the community particularly related to housing issues and the creative use of Section 106 planning agreements for neighbourhood renewal was impressive.

User and Community Satisfaction

Greenwich has regular communication with its existing businesses and its local community through the neighbourhood renewal scheme to overcome extreme deprivation in the borough and to improve its economic environment.

Vision and Strategy

Creating new business and supporting enterprise is a well established and shared priority for the borough which links into the Government’s national and regional strategy. The council has recognised the need to create an environment to succeed. It has put in place initiatives to support this area which are being applied through a big picture strategic approach to achieve the right scale of change. The council’s strategy is to enhance the environment to enable businesses to flourish by bringing together regeneration and tourism functions, co-ordinated investment, mixed developments, one stop shop and links with schools (these are extremely useful messages which the authority could provide when disseminating good practice).

Consultation

Through its shared vision Greenwich has embraced the community (residents and employees of new and existing businesses) in the Greenwich debate. The approach was to achieve best value for the community and to create an enterprise framework. Themed discussion groups with businesses around issues for tenants of council owned business premises were held. They have intervened at a local level and have developed community business support, Business Works, as a direct result of consultation with the community and the various stakeholders. As a result of the consultation, evening courses are now being run for women returning to work and other community groups.

150 Partnerships

Greenwich has a strong track record of partnership working including a business forum. Key partners include Business Works, The Chamber of Commerce, Greenwich Business Support Service, Greenwich Enterprise Board, Greenwich Local Labour and Business, Tilfen Land and Greenwich Education Business Partnership. The council has also been working in partnership with the local Chamber of Commerce, the Junior Chamber and the University to create a sustainable enterprise culture.

Actions

Greenwich has innovative mechanisms in place to support new businesses, help businesses grow and promote enterprise. Other examples of good actions are effective partnership working to deliver actions through facilitating new commercial developments, CCTV clean sweep programme, “Neighbourhood Shopping Parades, web sites and a regulatory services forum. The council has run a start up trailer into less easy to reach areas of the borough (Deptford, Eltham and Thamesmead) and held a Business Advice Fair and Breakfast briefing meetings for interested parties.

SOUTHWARK Southwark is a borough that is getting on with changing things but is not necessarily writing down everything that it is doing. It has some strong champions particularly in the area of social enterprise and in understanding its strong ethnic minority population. It is endeavouring to engage with its community but is starting from a particularly low base; one that has improved from an economically very deprived borough (9th worst) to one that is better but still deprived (16th worst). As a result it has undergone significant step change in quality of environment for businesses to start and grow. It has been reported that the borough has been described as having a flourishing small business sector.

Outcomes

There is focused business support available in Southwark. The council support the London Knowledge Innovation Centre and particular support has been provided to BME communities, women, 50+ and lone parents which has been fostered through its social enterprise programme and skills programmes. The links with the Benefits Agencies, Pensions office and other government agencies is significant in drawing members of the community into an area where individuals can enhance their personal skills; build self esteem and self respect. Southwark has also created networks for the Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) community in the provision of new business support.

User and Community Satisfaction

Surveys have been conducted for larger scale projects and for more community based projects although some quarterly surveys have been conducted to guide the provision of business support and advice. Hence findings are used to help shape policy making and delivery of some services.

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Vision and Strategy

A complete integrated response to regenerating the borough by supporting new businesses is being shaped. There needs to be a clear vision to create a healthy competitive business environment and to build an entrepreneurial culture with improved access to quality employment opportunities for residents. By supporting enterprise to tackle poverty and deprivation disadvantaged groups and clients are targeted to seek entrepreneurial talent. The council has changed its approach, attitude and focus to business by becoming more outward looking and adopting an inclusive partnership approach. Its aims are to build an entrepreneurial culture, support business and opportunities and to promote a safe high quality and accessible environment for business. It has created an Enterprise Strategy Task Force to implement its vision and has examined its management and the surrounding issues to ensure sustainability.

Consultation

There is consultation with businesses and potential entrepreneurs to deliver a supporting new business strategy. These organisations work with the Enterprise Task Force and Southwark Alliance by participating in meetings, focus groups and in specific research projects. The work of the Cross River Partnership has shown the opportunity to work across boundaries, both physical and unitary, to develop expertise and best practice. By utilising partnerships, community businesses are made fit for purpose to bid for council contracts.

Partnerships

There is an efficient use of professional and financial resources. A significant number of agencies work together to support new businesses. There are now over 90 stakeholders involved in the process. The Enterprise Task Force Group embraces the BME community, the Chamber of Commerce, business networks, Business Links and the Regional Development Agency. The Chamber of Commerce and the Cross River Partnership showed that Southwark had successful partnerships. There is a strong working partnership with the Southwark Alliance resulting in improved collaboration and overcoming duplication.

Actions

The council has worked in partnership to develop diverse activities and a comprehensive portfolio of services. It uses mainstream contracting funds alongside external funding sources to commission additional services where required. There is a framework of services that new entrepreneurs, communities and start up businesses require including comprehensive referral and signposting services; commercial and business premises are available to rent; there is an advice and guidance framework for businesses; and support exists for young people considering setting up in business.

Southwark has a Business Desk which has been developed over the last 18 months to provide a core information and referral service. This is client focused and linked to the Enterprise Task Force Group. A 24 hour open access is available to the council’s services enabling easy access to all departments.

152 SUSTAINABLE ENERGY

Introduction

The Government’s energy white paper commits the UK to putting itself on a path towards delivering

60% reductions in CO2 emissions by 2050, with ‘real progress’ by 2020. This builds on the existing domestic goal to move towards a 20% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions on 1990 levels by 2010, and its target, under the Kyoto Protocol, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5% below 1990 levels by 2008 – 2012. Energy efficiency, renewable energy and a shift towards new, low carbon vehicles and fuels will be the focus of attempts to deliver these challenging carbon reductions.

There were 25 applications for this theme, of which 9 were shortlisted (Bristol, Cornwall, Havering, High Peak, Leicester, Lewisham, Nottinghamshire, Shropshire and Woking).

Decision Framework

The Panel was looking for authorities to have taken a strategic overview of the opportunities for promoting energy efficiency, renewable energy and other low carbon technologies in their local community or economy. This overview would take account of the contribution to national and (where they exist) regional carbon reduction objectives, but would also define clear priorities based on the needs of and benefits for the local area (for example, economic opportunities, an urban or rural setting etc).

The authorities recommended for Beacon status demonstrated real outcomes in these areas from which others could learn.

Recommended for Beacon status

Cornwall jointly with Caradon, Carrick, Kerrier, North Cornwall, Penwith, Restormel and Isles of Scilly High Peak Leicester Lewisham Nottinghamshire Shropshire Woking

The following paragraphs summarise the Panel’s assessment of each of the shortlisted authorities against the key criteria for the theme.

CORNWALL AND PARTNERS An ambitious and far-reaching strategy for sustainable energy development was published by the Cornwall Sustainable Energy Partnership (CSEP) in July 2004. It was based upon very widespread consultation with many key stakeholders. This approach could well serve as a core model for other counties to adopt and adapt. A consistent theme of the bid was the need for, and the benefits to be derived from, effective partnership working. It was stressed that Cornwall is a predominantly rural economy, with Objective One funding and pockets of severe economic deprivation, a poor gas

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supply infrastructure and high fuel transport costs, and with many households facing fuel poverty in hard-to-treat homes. Cornwall does not benefit from the presence of large-scale private sector companies. Thus the role of the public sector, as a major employer and provider of services, is paramount.

Outcomes

Publication of the strategy document was the culmination of much sustained activity in which all these councils played a significant role. CSEP’s achievements have been widely recognised as path breaking. There is clear evidence of strong partnership working by the council consortium led in this bid by Cornwall County Council (CCC). The origins of the strategy came from the development of county planning guidance. The ‘Home Health’ scheme (in effect a mini Warm Zone) is making good progress especially in the Penwith and Kerrier districts; and it benefits greatly from close engagement with local Primary Care Trusts (PCTs). Progress is also being made against quite challenging renewable energy targets; and in some aspects of sustainable transport. All recent private finance initiative (PFI) projects achieve excellent BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) standard, demonstrating the focus is on general higher standards rather than showcase exemplar projects.

User and Community Satisfaction

Home Health survey results, and those for housing customers, reveal strong support and high satisfaction.

Vision and Strategy

The peripheral location and scattered rural population give rise to particular circumstances, especially low access to mains gas. There is very clear recognition of the scale of fuel poverty in the county and a determination to tackle it; and of the opportunities to develop a range of renewable energy sources. In short CSEP’s ambitious collective vision, fully endorsed by all the applicant councils, is to create a sustainable energy future for Cornwall. This aspect was at the heart of this joint bid.

Consultation

The applicant councils have worked via CSEP to engage in substantial consultation (lasting 1 year) to develop the overall strategy, which has been supported by all Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs). This is because the strategy has been rigorously challenged during the extended consultation process, leading to widespread acceptance of the final document. Several other consultation events have also been held (for example, on bio-energy and wave power options).

Partnerships

There is very strong and well documented evidence of sustained local and regional (and emerging EU) partnership working, particularly via CSEP’s task groups in the public health, business, renewable energy and education fields, and with energy suppliers. Effective partnership working was also a defining characteristic of this bid.

154 Actions

The council has been active in planning guidance on the critical role of land use planning to foster sustainable energy development. With CSEP it has commissioned the Centre for Sustainable Energy in Bristol to produce a detailed fuel poverty and energy efficiency action plan. The council and the Government have a local public service agreement covering 2003-06, in which most applicant councils are also engaged to collect adequate baseline and monitoring data, and in delivery activities for ‘Home Health’ in close association with health professionals. Individual applicant councils have also taken initiatives in the fuel poverty, renewables, energy service company (ESCO), procurement and transport fields, and in awareness raising for the domestic and business sectors. Cumulatively, a significant ‘footprint’ of activity is developing momentum. This is clearly benefiting from genuine and widespread partnership working.

HIGH PEAK The borough is the highest town in England with a relatively harsh climate; a legacy of hard-to-treat, historic, stone-built buildings; a sparse rural population poorly served by the gas network; and in an area of natural beauty. There are pockets of acute deprivation; and poor public transport provision, necessitating high car use. High Peak Borough Council (HPBC) thus faces particular problems in addressing the sustainable energy agenda. Despite these inherent ‘disadvantages’, there is much evidence of a clear commitment to deliver on this theme from all levels of the authority.

Detailed auditing of policies and activities and clear capacity building, such as securing sustainable funding for initiatives, are enhancing their ability to deliver. In the circumstances, it is a strong performer – an excellent-rated council which ‘punches above its weight’ – with a clear track record of achievement. The council was EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) accredited in 2001, retaining its accreditation since then. Within its EMAS partnership framework, the council takes responsibility for delivering its climate change, fuel poverty, energy efficiency, energy costs and air quality objectives. It believes the EMAS approach brings significant benefits that may be relevant for other authorities.

Outcomes

Great weight is placed on the value of an environmental management system that the council believes can benefit other councils. Carbon emissions from council offices and leisure centres fell by 21% in 2002/3 compared with the 1996/7 base. Asset management and council building closures and rationalisation will provide further significant savings. Demanding reduction targets are in place for electricity and gas use to 2005/6. SAP (Standard Assessment Procedure) ratings for council dwellings have risen from 42 in 1995 to 66 in 2003/4, with targets of 69 by 2005 and 75 by 2006/07. Council vehicle and staff business mileage has been cut by 7% in recent years; and a car-share scheme introduced in partnership with local businesses. The council actively hosts, and was a co- founder, of a best-practice Energy Efficiency Advice Centre (EEAC). A Community Action for Energy (CAfE) project delivered significant outcomes in energy efficiency and fuel poverty service delivery, recently extended to community groups in Derbyshire Dales. The council has ‘levered in’ £200k of funding in the last two years to support its sustainable energy activities.

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User and Community Satisfaction

An annual EMAS statement provides opportunities for the community to evaluate – and comment upon – the council’s performance, including on energy and transport issues. Via an Energy Efficiency Best Practice Programme (EEBPP) scheme, and with an environmental consultancy, the council has in the past offered free energy audits to its suppliers and contractors – an activity that received a national recognition award. There is a high satisfaction level with the local EEAC (though this also serves several adjacent authorities).

Vision and Strategy

Both the leader and chief executive stressed the council’s aims to enhance the quality of the local and global environment, whilst also securing financial and health benefits, and energy savings – clearly demonstrating senior level ‘buy in’. The chief executive has signed the Nottingham Declaration on Climate Change. The council’s corporate plan for 2004/9 includes protecting the environment as one of its key themes. This vision seeks to drive council policy, and not simply to ‘fit in’ with it. The Community Strategy has been developed by the LSP. The use of EMAS continually to test whether objectives are being met demonstrates clear determination to achieve measurable progress. The EMAS programme includes a wide range of specific energy-related objectives and targets. Service improvement plans clearly allocate responsibilities for achieving specific EMAS objectives.

Consultation

A wide array of consultative mechanisms is in place, including LSPs, a citizens’ panel and consultation with tenants. An extensive survey of private sector housing with two other local councils examined dwelling fitness, disrepair, energy efficiency, fuel poverty, and eligibility for grant assistance. There is clear evidence of good internal communication amongst HPBC councillors, officers and staff; and production of yearly statements is important in keeping everyone aware of both activity and progress.

Partnerships

There is real evidence of sustained efforts to secure effective and ‘joined up’ partnership activity, such as the Affordable Warmth steering group (including the PCT, social services and the EEAC); a business transport project steering group; a cross-service EMAS officer group; the appointment of a voluntary sector co-ordinator; and active engagement in the regional energy partnership comprising nine authorities.

Actions

Significant benefits have derived from successful participation in several Carbon Trust and Energy Saving Trust (EST) funded schemes, including a comprehensive energy audit of all the council’s major buildings and creation of an invest-to-save fund. Planning and development guidance is used to encourage adoption of sustainable energy principles in residential developments. 15% of electricity is renewable based; and the council is exploring joint procurement options for additional green electricity supplies.

156 LEICESTER The first sustainable energy action plan was published in 1990, when the council set itself a very ambitious 50% reduction target for CO2 emissions by 2025. It also set a 20% target for renewable energy by 2020. Since 1990 it can genuinely claim to have been at the forefront of much local authority activity on sustainable energy issues. It is actively engaged in several relevant local, regional, national and EU networks. There is much evidence of innovative thinking. For example, the arrangements being made to pilot the extension of metering and monitoring; and the Braunston project where electricity ‘export’ receipts from households with photovoltaic (PV) installations benefit the community by being recycled into energy efficiency measures elsewhere.

The assessment process confirmed the council’s very considerable strength in depth in this field. The council emphasised the accumulated experience at effective dissemination, which builds upon its five other Beacon awards, and its willingness to share good practice at local, regional, UK and the EU levels. There is much evidence of strong political leadership and an effective staff in this field.

Outcomes

Sustained efforts have been made across a very wide front, including modelling city-wide energy use. Performance has been independently assessed and validated annually since 1999 via EMAS. It is making real progress with a city-wide remote metering system for gas, electricity and water. These efforts have lowered operational costs, providing more resources for improved front-line service delivery. The Energy Centre is a ‘one stop shop’ with significant critical mass, incorporating the city’s energy management team, the EEAC, the Energy Agency and the Community Renewables Initiative. SAP ratings in social housing have risen from 37 in 1992 to 67 in 2003/4; and over 100,000 householders have benefited from independent energy efficiency advice. The Energy Agency has completed energy audits in over 250 local small and medium enterprises (SME). Public transport and cycling have been encouraged. The city has been very active in relevant EU, national and regional networks.

User and Community Satisfaction

A public consultation on the climate change strategy was undertaken in mid 2002, and repeated for the environment strategy. The EST has also undertaken external research to assess public opinion, attitudes, and the uptake of measures.

Vision and Strategy

Clear vision was contained in a range of strategy documents, backed up by ambitious targets in action plans and the bravery to push beyond the regulatory ‘floor’ (for example, the development of a Leicester building standard and setting a SAP 90 obligation for housing built on land released by the council). Unusually the vision extends beyond its normal areas of influence (i.e. local and regional) and there is a clear commitment to have an impact nationally and internationally. Strong evidence of high-level support and pride in their achievements is obvious. Though much has been achieved, there was clear evidence of strong commitment to do much more, and to remain at the cutting edge of best practice.

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Consultation

A public consultation on the climate change strategy was undertaken in mid 2002, and repeated for the environment strategy. A consultation document for the proposed local transport plan 2006-2011 was published in November 2004.

Partnerships

A very impressive range of local, regional and national partnership activity is well documented in the bid, and in the supporting material obtained during and after the visit.

Actions

There is a long track record of innovative and path breaking activity. Much effort has been committed to metering and monitoring given the weak analytical base of detailed energy use in buildings. The city has gained significant experience in the deployment of renewable energy technologies, including a solar rental scheme, and has secured significant external funding. It is currently exploring the ESCO approach. A new housing development (4000 dwellings) at Ashton Green, commencing in 2005, will be a low-carbon scheme; significant experience is being gained with solar PV (for example, a 30 kWp installation at the Leys leisure centre with 489 PV panels; and an innovative solar rental project); and with combined heat and power (CHP). Three CHP stations feed 14 council sites. Cavity wall insulation was completed in the council stock as early as 1994. The SAP target for council housing on present trends will be 80.5 by 2010, underpinned by a concerted energy efficiency and Decent Homes programme. The council has had its own window factory since 1998. The Energy Sense programme, launched in 1997, provides a range of joined up services to the private sector, including a free home energy survey, information pack and financial advice. These, and other practical actions, provide a solid base for learning and study tours by other councils.

LEWISHAM Lewisham has long experience in this field and has developed a comprehensive energy policy, strategies for affordable warmth, environmentally responsible procurement and climate change (the latter currently in draft). The council emphasised the critical importance of strong, consistent political leadership in the sustainable energy field. Amongst the key features of the affordable warmth strategy are the 9,000 central heating systems already installed; and over 10,000 cavity wall insulation jobs undertaken or firmly planned. The council has decided to focus on exploiting all cost-effective energy efficiency improvements first, and to explore prospects for renewables and CHP where these are seen to be cost effective or grant funded. The council has purchased all of its electricity from green sources since 2000. It played a major role in advocating that the Docklands Light Railway serve central Lewisham and is a major partner in (and host of) the SELCHP (South East London Combined Heat and Power) waste combustion facility. It has an active and well- developed green procurement approach.

Outcomes

Key outcomes include energy purchasing (green electricity, and procurement savings from regular re-tendering of all energy contracts); large-scale domestic energy efficiency and fuel poverty programmes; very extensive advice provision activity; success in securing large Energy Efficiency

158 Commitment (EEC) funding from energy suppliers; energy auditing surveys and use of remote energy management controllers; and increasing use of cleaner vehicles. Subject to audit, the SAP rating of the council stock is now 64, reflecting a big rise in recent years. The council has a commitment to maximise resources under relevant schemes (for example, Decent Homes, EEC and Warm Front (WF) – see below) and a record of successful partnership activity, especially with energy suppliers and WF managing agents. Lack of availability of green electricity in the last tender round means that 100% purchasing has fallen, temporarily, to 80%. But strenuous efforts are being made to stimulate green electricity supplies and to identify a named source (a specific wind farm) to supply the borough.

At the final presentation, in response to questions on transport policy, it was said the council’s work had resulted in a slight modal shift to public transport. This evidence was not available to the Panel at that time.

User and Community Satisfaction

The council has consulted widely on energy issues in the past two years, and further consultation is planned on the climate change strategy. Consumer satisfaction surveys are conducted following the installation of energy efficiency measures. Fuller evidence and quantification to demonstrate the degree of user and community satisfaction would have been beneficial. Some limited evidence was provided prior to the visit and during the presentation.

Vision and Strategy

The Community Strategy identifies a clear commitment to sustainable energy. The energy policy is intended to address social, economic and environmental issues by mitigating climate change through energy efficiency and renewables. Well-specified and quantitative targets were set in 2000 across a wide range of areas. These include: affordable warmth; the widespread deployment of energy efficient technology; cleaner and greener energy sources; advice and education; monitoring and targeting; energy purchasing; purchase of cleaner vehicles; and good practice partnership activity. This dense urban area provides little scope for local large-scale renewable schemes. The council is proposing a new 12+ year partnership agreement for wind power to supply a minimum of 15 GWh p/a, some 27% of the council’s total electricity supply. It is also installing PV in a local school, and has plans for wind, PV, solar hot water, and ground source heat pumps in the proposed Bellingham Community Centre.

Consultation

The internal, cross-service, energy forum meets quarterly. The affordable warmth forum also meets quarterly, and three large, local conferences have been held in 2003/04 on affordable warmth, environmental sustainability and for ‘street leaders’. All major energy initiatives are scrutinised by an environment ‘select committee’ prior to final agreement by the borough mayor and cabinet.

Partnerships

There is substantial evidence of effective partnership working via the energy forum and affordable warmth partnership; with the EST and Carbon Trust; with the Warm Front scheme manager (Eaga Partnership Ltd); with energy suppliers to secure access to substantial EEC funding; and as part of

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an EU cities’ green procurement tendering pilot. A wide range of community and voluntary groups has been used to stimulate referrals from households for energy efficiency improvements (such as Help the Aged, Scope, Gingerbread and the Royal National Institute for the Blind). The council’s energy manager participates actively in several key regional and national fora.

Actions

These include the council’s very early commitment to green electricity purchasing; a large central heating programme and other energy efficiency improvements to council properties over the past decade; the window replacement programme to meet the 2010 Decent Homes standard; extensive provision of energy advice; and a developing renewable energy programme. 10,000 packages of central heating and energy efficiency improvements have been installed in council properties since 1994 at a cost of £30m. 6,000 council properties are currently being insulated under a £1.5m Centrica ‘Here to Help’ EEC scheme, following an earlier major programme (covering some 4,000 properties) run with EDF Energy. Some 2,715 have received at least one measure under the Warm Front Scheme from Eaga Partnership Ltd, including 800 heating measures – accessing total funds of £1.7m. Warm Front benefit health checks (for those entitled to receive them) have secured an average annual increase in benefits of £1,765 per tenant in Lewisham – a very impressive figure. The council’s work is focused in its Sustainable Energy Unit, which incorporates the South East London Energy Efficiency Advice Centre. The latter provided energy advice to 18,000 homes in 2003/04. Considerable effort is directed at education, training and other out-reach events and activities – for example, the Creekside Centre, opened in 2002, which incorporates many best- practice energy efficiency concepts and educational tools, and particularly serves school groups.

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE The council has a long-established track record in sustainable energy and has received several

national energy awards. It has reduced CO2 emissions from council buildings by 25% in the past 4 years, building on earlier reductions. It has a clear strategic framework; has set specific and measurable objectives and action plans to achieve these; and has sought to integrate sustainable energy objectives into many local strategies and functions. It is particularly active in local and regional networks and partnerships. It has a good record of project delivery across a very broad field – such as building energy management, energy efficiency, green electricity, CHP, wood-fuelled boilers, transport and fleet management, and energy recovery from waste. It is an active partner in

the unique CO2 reduction PSA with all seven district and borough councils and the county police aimed at a 5k tonnes p/a reduction in CO2 [with Nottinghamshire County Council’s (NCC’S) share at 3.45 kt p/a].

The county’s heritage of coal mining and hence of coal use was emphasised and the latter is still reflected in the best value performance indicators (BVPIs). Other factors affecting BVPI performance were the focus on purchasing green electricity which provides reduced emissions but does not affect the BVPI results (based on building performance); and the explicit focus on improving performance of school buildings (not covered by the BVPI). Other emphases in presentations were: demonstrated evidence of partnership working, good corporate performance in sustainable energy but also NCC’s wider county leadership role; and the willingness to share learning from both successes and failures. Key topics covered included renewable energy, energy use in buildings, transport initiatives, waste energy recovery, and procurement.

160 Outcomes

The council’s CO2 emissions fell by 13.5% between 1991-96. The Strategic Plan (‘Building a Future’) for 2001-5 set a target for a further 25% cut in CO2 emissions on a 1998 base (following boundary changes), which was achieved in 2003. A PSA with district councils and the police in 2003 set a further carbon reduction target. It has acted as agent for large green and CHP electricity purchasing contracts; has significantly raised the energy performance of existing and new buildings; and installed woodheat boilers in schools and assisted with the wood supply chain. It is again benefiting from a £1m invest-to-save scheme, 50% financed by the Carbon Trust. Partnership working has achieved good progress in domestic energy efficiency and tackling fuel poverty. It has been very active in transport planning; and stabilised traffic growth in the Greater Nottingham conurbation.

User and Community Satisfaction

Much importance is placed on reflecting local community aspirations and actively seeking feedback to improve service delivery. Satisfaction with energy purchasing arrangements, waste disposal and heat recovery, and with transport provision is high. Considerable ‘outreach’ activity occurs via home energy surveys, sustainable energy publications, and via local advice centres.

Vision and Strategy

There is clear evidence of a strong and sustained commitment to sustainable energy and carbon management. A good performance management framework, and a set of indicators to track performance, are in place. The strategic vision is set out in the 2003 Framework Community Strategy; the Nottinghamshire Agenda 21 (NA 21) strategy, and the council’s strategic plan. Numerous other plans (for example, the joint structure, transport and waste plans) reinforce these. The 2003 Action Plan has identified and prioritised further significant activity.

Consultation

Wide consultation occurred on the community strategy, the recent strategic plan and other relevant plans such as those for structure, local transport and waste. The council established the NA 21 Forum and is hosting a major conference on climate change in the county with the Forum. Consultation on regional energy and planning guidance matters has been actively supported.

Partnerships

Well-documented evidence is provided of effective partnership activity at the national, regional and local levels. Such activity has been used to secure additional funding for energy efficiency, energy advice, carbon management, renewables, electric vehicles and sustainable energy training initiatives. There is also evidence of member involvement in all of the key energy partnership activities, demonstrating strong political support. Key links include the Local Authorities’ Energy Partnership for Nottinghamshire (LAEP), the LSP, all district LSPs and the PSA partnership.

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Actions

There is a good track record of delivery. From the 1970s, activity was based on a spend-to-save scheme but this ceased in 1995 given spending cuts. Imaginative efforts have been made to re- launch this successful approach. Key areas include sustained capital investment to improve the energy performance of buildings; the PSA partnership; creation of the first LAEP; and partnership with Newark and Sherwood District Council to establish a local European Energy Agency. Significant activity has occurred in renewables (for example, ReNU, Community Renewables Initiative and Woodheat); and in green energy procurement. Considerable emphasis has been placed on education, learning and skills training. Transport related activities have focused on reducing car use, and encouraging a modal shift to rail (for example, the Robin Hood line).

SHROPSHIRE As a rural county, Shropshire has a relatively small population focused in small market towns and in dispersed rural locations, with low or no access to mains gas and poor public transport provision. The council has developed its approach to sustainable energy since 1995. Both the bid and the site visit presentations focused upon (i) the steady reduction in carbon emissions by continuous application of good practice; (ii) the extent and effectiveness of partnership working; and (iii) the council’s novel community-based approach to take sustainable energy developments to the town and parish level. It is worth noting that the impressive Marches Energy Agency (MEA), while operating like an EST-sponsored Energy Efficiency Advice Centre, is independent and funded mainly through specific project management activity. This is perhaps unique and was a conscious decision by Shropshire County Council (SCC) and MEA.

Outcomes

SCC’s Climate Change Strategy has given it a leading role in the West Midlands region, and has done much to stimulate activity in neighbouring councils. Significant funding has been secured from the Carbon Trust and EST. The MEA is a very significant resource (making an impact locally, regionally and nationally), but operating at arms length from SCC since 1998. SCC has set a target of a 40% reduction in carbon emissions from its own buildings (net of green electricity). A 25% reduction on the 1990 base has already been achieved. Green electricity use has expanded in SCC’s own buildings and for street lighting. All electricity for SCC’s corporate buildings is now renewables based. Whilst this cuts emissions, it does not benefit BVPI, which are based on building performance. Several novel renewable technologies are being deployed. Much attention is given to transport-related issues including use of cleaner vehicles, reductions in staff travel, car sharing, greater use of bus services (or rural/parish car solutions where rural bus services prove uneconomical), cycling and walking and improving the standard of private sector vehicles (i.e. taxi fleets) utilised by the council in their service provision by ‘culling’ older vehicles. Sustainable energy issues have been introduced into the school curriculum in imaginative ways.

User and Community Satisfaction

The needs of communities, businesses and individuals have shaped the work of SCC and MEA. Consultation with the People’s Panel in 2000 identified support for renewable electricity but not at the cost of significant disamenity. This has led to a focus on less intrusive renewables. Consultations in Bishop’s Castle (for ‘BC to AD’) identified the desire for very demanding reductions (85%) in

CO2 emissions by 2050, requiring annual carbon reduction of 4% to be achieved. Surveys reveal generally high satisfaction with bus and school transport services.

162 Vision and Strategy

The LA 21 Strategy sets out an ambitious vision for sustainable energy. The council adopted a climate change strategy in 2002. This identified baseline carbon emissions and set demanding carbon reduction targets. The LSP is taking forward these principles. Sustainable development also features centrally in the council’s other major plans, strategies and planning guidance. Lacking sufficient capacity and skills to take forward activity alone, the council originally created the MEA, which is now a key strategic delivery agency partner. The Bishops Castle project is most interesting in that it covers 2,000 homes off the gas network, and has developed a mini carbon strategy for its community. The MEA and SCC are now using this project to determine if this type of localised carbon reduction approach could be replicated across Shropshire and in other similar communities elsewhere.

Consultation

The council is committed to effective consultation and engagement. Given the difficulties posed by rurality, it has developed a wide range of methods – some very innovative – to inform and engage local people. These include use of the People’s Panel; focus groups; church congregations to distribute questionnaires and to promote sustainable energy options; older people’s forums; the council’s newspaper and website; the Sustainable Development Policy Commission; and regular contact by MEA with community groups.

Partnerships

The council is commended for its extensive and effective partnership activity and policy engagement at local, regional, national and EU levels. A distinctive partnership is Congregations for a Low Carbon Future, which (with funding from the EST, the Lottery and Esmee Fairburn Trust) is reaching into communities to undertake training, energy audits of churches and vicarages, and offering information and green tariffs to parishioners. The council has also sought to use several partnerships (for example, with energy suppliers) to secure additional financial resources.

Actions

A core focus is further developing capacity, building partnerships and accumulating experience and knowledge from the deployment of a wide range of novel technologies (for example, the use of ground source heat pumps in schools and social housing and developing optimum performing mixes of Bio-diesel). Funding has been sought to undertake several feasibility studies and important general resource and biomass supply chain assessments. Key activities include procurement (for example, green electricity); transport and fleet management; raising awareness; and curriculum and other school-based programmes (for example, EcoSchools projects where 76 of the Council’s 156 schools have registered, with 40% of those registered awarded EcoSchool status).

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WOKING Woking has a sustained and committed track record and a pioneering approach on a very broad front indeed. The original Energy Efficiency Policy is now embodied in a climate change strategy, covering power, heat, water, waste disposal, and transport. The council has accumulated extensive experience with CHP/DH (district heating), fuel cell CHP, energy efficiency, solar PV, ground source heat pumps, energy services, and procurement. It operates a private wire distributed generation system unique in the UK and perhaps world. 64 sites now have DH or sustainable energy installations. The save-to-spend approach is used extensively to maintain impressive momentum. Woking is a leader and innovator in this field. It demonstrates what can be achieved by clear strategic commitment and emphasises the importance of high level support to deliver a step change in demand reduction, more efficient use of natural resources and adoption of new technologies to deliver real benefits. New technologies have been integrated into social housing, enhancing the impact of more proven measures.

Outcomes

The initial benchmark level of 1.060 MT CO2 emissions (the borough’s ‘environmental footprint’) was established in 1990. The corporate energy strategy in 1990/91 aimed at a 20% cut in energy use in 5 years (but achieved in four). The target was later raised to a 40% cut in 10 years – current achievement is a 48.6% cut in energy expenditure (i.e. via both lower prices and quantity savings) at

March 2004. A cut in CO2 emissions of 77.4% has now been achieved in Woking’s own property. The Home Energy Conservation Act (HECA) improvement target is 30%, and over 1996-2004

25.9% was already achieved. Borough-wide CO2 emissions (1990 base) fell 17.2% by March 2004. One thousand two hundred council-owned properties benefit from low heat and power charges and 3,700 residents have received free/subsidised insulation. The SAP rating for council housing is 68.5, one of the highest in England; and all but 70 council homes (where installation was declined by tenants) have gas central heating. Activities in the transport field include growing use of liquefied natural (LNG) and liquefied petroleum (LPG) gas vehicles, a staff travel plan, and licensing of taxis to ensure a ‘young’ and more efficient fleet. Together with the other initiatives in community heating, CHP (2849 kWe installed) and renewables (including 522 kWp of PV capacity), these are very impressive achievements. The underlying philosophy is based not on ‘rocket science’, but rather on many accumulated, targeted and measured small steps since 1990.

User and Community Satisfaction

Woking is the only local authority to receive a Queen’s Award for Enterprise (for its energy-related activities). Over 12,000 households have benefited from the council’s energy efficiency schemes since 1996. There are high levels of satisfaction particularly in areas such as tenants’ homes and their maintenance and repairs and clear evidence that Woking sees this as a key service delivery function rather than an ‘added extra’. The take up of measures in the private sector demonstrates clearly that these programmes are well targeted and their audience is understood.

Vision and Strategy

Woking’s political leadership has truly championed the approach to sustainable energy, resulting in ‘mainstreaming’ of this theme across different services. The key objectives are embodied in the ‘18 Themes of a Sustainable Woking’ and reinforced by the 2002 climate change strategy, which is reviewed annually. This latter document defines specific, measurable objectives; a clear action plan;

164 and monitoring and annual assessment. Woking is deliberately ambitious in seeking to develop a comprehensive climate change (rather than only a sustainable energy) strategy embracing CO2 reductions, adaptation, and promotion of sustainable development. The (very) long-term strategy is to cut 2090 CO2 emissions to 20 per cent of those in 1990. The strategy covers 8 themes: planning and regulation; energy services; waste; transport; procurement; education and promotion; natural habitat management; and adaptation. For each theme, proposed actions, time scales and reporting mechanisms are in place and reviewed (and advanced forward) regularly. Funding was ‘ring-fenced’ until 1999/2000. A distinctive mechanism replaced this approach: Thameswey Ltd (TL), a wholly- owned subsidiary of the council, active in the energy and environmental services field, and since June 2000 holding 19% of the share capital of Thameswey Energy Ltd (TEL). The latter is 81% owned by a Danish company. Together these 2 companies promote and operate an extensive range of energy activities; and TEL owns and operates all CHP and PV installations for the council. It is worthy of note that Woking’s environmental lead is a finance director, which probably stems from the core focus of tackling energy use as an efficiency issue. This has resulted in the innovative approach to finding a sustainable funding source for their wider environmental work.

Consultation

There is a thriving LA 21 initiative, fully supported by the council. There is a clear commitment to consult and involve the community in the sustainability work. The climate change strategy was informed by independent market research including with focus groups. This approach has been used in other areas (for example, zero waste proposals, wind energy). The Energy Conservation and Solar Centre (ECSC) is being used in a consultancy role to explore public attitudes to wind power.

Partnerships

Key partnerships were developed to drive forward sustainable energy investment. These include Thameswey Ltd, which in turn has established an ESCO (TEL) to offer services in Woking and to other local authorities, public bodies and the private sector; and several UK and US partners. An impressive range of public, private and voluntary sector partners is engaged to deliver agreed aims and objectives. The council actively shares its experience with others at the local, regional and national levels.

Actions

There is a long record of extensive activity, especially for energy supply. The fuel poverty strategy is still developing. ECSC has been used to train trusted community workers in energy efficiency issues to improve contacts with ‘hard to reach’ households. An innovative ‘show house’ approach has been used to engage the local ethnic community. Procurement activity seeks to ensure sustainable best practice. Good practice guidance has been prepared for planners and developers, leading to 14 ‘eco- homes’ incorporating leading-edge features for energy, water, and construction materials.

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Not Recommended for Beacon status

Bristol Havering

BRISTOL The city took an early decision to create an Energy Management Unit in 1992, since when its remit has extended – in collaboration with other departments – to a much wider focus on sustainable energy. An ambitious and comprehensive strategy and action plan for sustainable energy was recently published following extensive consultation over 10 months. This builds upon several existing action and strategy plans, for example the council’s Energy Policy, the Community and HECA strategies, and links to the Local Plan, asset management, procurement, education for sustainable development, transport etc.

Outcomes

Importantly, there is a dedicated heating and insulation budget for refurbishing council stock (of some £4m p/a in recent years). Considerable efforts have also been made, in conjunction with the impressive Centre for Sustainable Energy, in local schools with the Energy Matters project. Green sources met 7.6% of corporate electricity needs in 2002/3, with a target of 15% by 2010. The recent Climate Protection and Sustainable Energy Strategy identifies much further scope for energy efficiency, renewable generation, more sustainable transport, and waste minimisation and re-use over this decade. Bus passenger use has not increased since 2000, suggesting enhanced efforts are needed to meet sustainable energy goals in this area. There has also been a 7% modal shift on the showcase bus route into the city centre.

Given reorganisation into a unitary authority in 1996 and the lack of consistent measurements, the

council adopted a base year of 2000 (rather than 1990) to track changes in CO2 emissions and has a detailed emissions inventory and data on the wider ‘environmental footprint’ for 2000. It is thus difficult to evaluate firm outcomes at the corporate and city-wide levels since 1990. Some steady

progress has been made in reducing CO2 emissions and in improving energy efficiency in homes (the latter especially via the ‘Safe and Warm’ and ‘Warmer Lets’ schemes). In 2003/4 some 1200 homes received cavity wall insulation, and 1350 homes new/top-up loft insulation. The council has adopted its own, more demanding, HECA target of a 30% cut in city-wide domestic energy use over 1996-2006. During 1996-2003, a (fairly modest) 12.2% improvement was achieved. The SAP rating for BCC housing stock rose from 46 in 1999 to 53 in 2003 (below the England average for such dwellings). The HECA SAP target is 59 by 2007.

User and Community Satisfaction

The quality of life indicator for sustainability survey (updated in 2004 and a very impressive document) is used to track satisfaction and is a great tool for communicating progress to the community. High scores are recorded in most relevant areas.

166 Vision and Strategy

The integration of sustainable development into the management structure of the council and the focus on environmental assessment across all service delivery areas serves to ‘mainstream’ environmental efforts. This should bear considerable fruit in terms of future performance improvements. The development of the ambitious and wide-ranging Bristol Climate Protection and Sustainable Energy Strategy Action Plan 2004/06 is a further sign of sustained commitment. It identifies a large number of specific measures, time scales, key players involved, and linkages to related council policies. However, few of these are quantified.

Consultation

Effective use is made of several well-established routes to inform residents and the wider community, including part funding of the local EEAC and the Bristol Energy Action Network (BEAN).

Partnerships

The council chairs the Midwest Energy Group (MWEG), which helps shape regional energy (and water) strategies. Efforts have been made to strengthen effective internal partnership across and between council functions. The Bristol Partnership involves several sub-groups and a very wide range of partners.

Actions

The Energy Management Unit is an impressive resource within the council. It is self-funded from grant applications and internal energy budget savings. It is actively engaged in energy purchasing, renewable energy and CHP appraisal activities. It has recently won significant Local Authority Energy Financing (LAEF) scheme funding from the Carbon Trust. The council has achieved EMAS status for the Neighbourhood and Housing Services department and is committed to rolling EMAS (within an established timetable) into all other service areas. However, only modest progress is being made with green transport vehicles.

HAVERING Havering has placed sustainable energy at the centre of a range of key strategies and partnerships and has developed several corporate strategy documents. The community strategy is the overarching strategy document for the council and LSP, and includes sustainable energy principles. It will include climate change imperatives in the draft second edition. Several other strategy documents and policy frameworks (some still in draft) reinforce the broad approach. It was emphasised that Havering is cash-starved and thus focuses on effective partnership working to secure funding and to drive forward the sustainable energy agenda.

Particularly of note was the impressive new Centre of Engineering and Manufacturing Excellence, a state-of-the-art, award-winning, apprentice training centre, equipped with several renewable energy features, especially solar PV.

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Outcomes

A broad approach is being adopted to reduce CO2 emissions by 20% in 2010 on the 1990 base. CO2 emissions from corporate buildings have fallen 45% since 1994. Schools receive free energy consultancy and benefit from a rolling £50k spend-to-save fund. Wind turbines have been installed at the Ford Dagenham plant (jointly with Ford and the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham) and at a local BP garage. The take up of Warm Front, EEC and council energy efficiency grants has expanded significantly. Impressively, Havering have turned £50k pump priming from a local PSA (2003-06) on improving the average SAP across all tenures into £1m from external sources (including from Warm Front and EEC). This has been used to pull together all their domestic initiatives into ‘Rethink Energy’. The British Gas ‘Here to Help’ scheme has resulted in 90% of council homes now having cavity wall insulation, with the aim of 100% by 2006. The SAP rating of council housing stock has risen 20% to 57 in the last 3 years and the SAP across all tenures has risen from 46 to 51 over the past 2 years (but this is still below the national average). Planning guidance and requirements are used to encourage take up of sustainable energy elements in new buildings. This will be crucial for the sustainable construction of the Thames Gateway expansion. An integrated transport plan is being implemented; and company and school travel plans encouraged. Planting of 1.2m deciduous trees on Thames Chase (50% of which is in Havering)

will, when trees mature, equate to a carbon sink of some 3 MT CO2.

Energy efficiency of homes (HECA) has risen by a modest 11% to date (average national progress is 12%).

User and Community Satisfaction

Several routes are used to evaluate user and community satisfaction. The very successful annual ‘Planet Havering’ event attracts some 10,000 visitors including many schoolchildren. It has received some very positive feedback as have user satisfaction surveys on a sample of private households receiving measures as part of the council’s energy efficiency programme. The six-monthly ‘Sustainable Times’ journal has a large circulation list, as do relevant leaflets and council magazines.

Vision and Strategy

The sustainable energy vision is clearly specified in the community strategy which has five basic principles: sustainability, quality of life, social inclusion, partnership and broad horizons. A set of quantitative targets and timetables for achieving them has been published and the broader strategy continues to evolve. A significant group of linking strategies has been published, or are in preparation, covering topics such as: housing and fuel poverty; sustainable construction; corporate environmental policy; a green travel plan; local development framework; and a climate change strategy. The council emphasised that effective planning is fundamental to its approach to sustainable energy. The experience that has been built up in developing wind turbines in an urban location is already being shared with local authorities that have similar aspirations.

Consultation

The council consults on sustainable energy on a continual basis by means of ongoing discussion and specific consultative events and partnership workshops. A wide range of key stakeholders is engaged including business, community groups and other public bodies. The council takes active steps to network effectively and to share best practice.

168 Partnerships

Partnerships are seen as an important element of the work on sustainable energy, providing opportunities for discussion to share knowledge and experience. Key partnerships include the LSP, the Thames Gateway, London Environment Centre, the London Environmental Co-ordinators’ Forum, HECA – as well as internal cross-service partnerships within the council. The local PCT has been very supportive of fuel poverty initiatives (for example, with a good information pack sent out with all flu jab notices). Other key partners in the fuel poverty field include Age Concern, Pension Service, Sure Start and the Essex EEAC.

Actions

The bid clearly identifies a wide range of actions grouped under several main headings, including energy use, reduction and production; transport; planning; procurement; education and awareness; and funding and resourcing. The Frog Island Bio-MRF plant will significantly reduce waste sent to landfill when it opens in 2006/07 and will have the potential to generate energy in the future.

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