-.. North Lanarkshire Council Joint Working Group Report Social Development March 1995 SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT NETWORKS (including voluntary sector partnerships) A. SECTIOhT1: SERVICE PROFILE SECTION 2: ISSUES FOR NORTH LANARKSHIRE SHADOW AUTHORITY SECTION 3: EARLY DECISIONS REQUTRED BY SHADOWAUTHORITY APPENDICES: A FULL SET OF APPENDICES IS SUPPLIED WITH THE OFFICERS WORKING GROUP REPORT B. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: REPORT BY DISTRICT OFFICERS 1 4 SECTION 1- SERVICE PROFILE 1. Introduction Since the mid-seventies Local Authorities within North Lanarkshire have committed their staff and resources to the struggle against poverty and deprivation. Through a series of policies, the Councils have attempted to: - Reduce deprivation and disadvantage and their effects; and - Work with local communities in a partnership within which power and decision mahgare shared. 2. Strathclyde Regional Council The Regional Council’s Social Strategy is a major part of a package of Council policies in addressing the key issues of poverty, unemployment, health. The ‘Social Strategy for the Nineties’ pack details the issues, Council’s policies and plans for action for each of the follou.ing strategc issues:- Community Empowerment Transport Regeneration of areas of urban deprivation Community Safety Rural Deprivation Community Care Povem Children Jobs Access and Training Young People Education Equality of Opportunity Elderly People Health The Social Strategy recognises the need to address issues in both urban and rural areas. The Council are currently reviewing their priority areas in light of the Scottish Office Urban Programme Review. 2 5 A list of the most deprived and isolated rural areas in North Lanarkshire is contained in Appendix 1(see Working Group Report). A key indicator of poverty is the level of school pupils receiving free school meals or uptake of school clothing grants. In North Lanarkshire the average is 43 % for Free School Meals and 32 % School Clothing Grants. Details of the percentage of school pupils receiving the above in each school within North Lanarkshire are contained in Appendix 2 District Councils District Councils recognise the importance of social issues and through service departments address strategic concerns. Departments such as Housing and Planning are key players in progressing social initiatives and Urban Programme Units are central to addressing social deprivation. Monklands District Council Monklands District Council provides an example of social policy through the development of an Anti - Deprivation Strategy. The Council has developed policies designed to help alleviate problems through its strategies on health and fitness, anti- crime and community safety and arts and cultural activities. In developing these policies and in supporting the initiatives of other agencies the Council seeks to improve the quality of life for residents witfirn the district. Through the Anti- Deprivation Strategy the Council seeks to offer a comprehensive and co-ordinated programme of anti deprivation measures which will reduce significantly unemployment rates, raise employment related skills levels and enhance the quality of life for residents, particularly those in vulnerable sections of society. The general objectives of the strategy include: To identify and address services and support mechanisms for unemployed and low income residents to address training, employment and self employment needs; To ensure that the Council’s Economic Development Strategy addresses the needs of unemployed and low income residents; - 3 6 To improve living conditions within the District and ensure that appropriate and affordable accommodation is available to meet recognised housing need. To enhance the quality of life for unemployed and low income residents by providing and supporting access to social and cultural services and activities. To build and develop within a strategy framework those anti poverty measures currently in place and to ensure that all departmental policies and services in -. the Council are developed to contribute towards anti deprivation measures wherever possible. In liaison with other agencies, to seek ways of supporting health initiatives and health related services as a means of addressing deprivation issues. The District Council has also introduced actions to address housing and community care issues from a social policy perspective. Policy Measures The Councils have successfully developed networks across departments and with the private and voluntary sectors through a range of policy measures. These include: A. Strathclyde Regional Council -The development of central units (based in Strathclyde House servicing the whole region or divisional) B. Strathclyde Regional Council - Establishment of Local Committees C. Development of local liaison and consultative mechanisms D. Urban Programme E. Formal funding partnerships on strategic issues F. Support to voluntary organisations G. Contribution of deparunents towards Social Development Networks 4 7 A. The Development of Central Units - SRC (based within Strathclyde House or servicing Lanark Division only) The Chief Executive’s Department Social Strategy Section provides services to all areas within the region. The staff are based within the following units: a) (i) Policy Research and Information Group (ii) The Partnership Office b) Employment & Redundancy Support Unit - for Lanark Division a) (i) Policy Research and Information Group This unit is responsible for providing policy advice, research and information as well as the management and implementation of several Social Strategy programmes. The functions and services provided include: 1. Social & demographic research, information and analysis This includes Census information and analysis, the Voluntary Population Survey, deprivation analysis, production of information and analysis on poverty, health and housing, social trends and indicators, application of GIS to social/ demographic information and analvsis. production of statistical area profiles. 2. Resource allocation analysis Technical advice to Council and COSLA on the Client .\lethod of resource distribution, analysis of resource allocation issues within Strathclyde including production of needs indicators. 3. Social Strategy policy development and implementation (Primarily on poverty, housing, health, urban deprivation, rural deprivation and redundancy) 5 8 Development and implementation of priority area approach, Rural Challenge budget, development and monitoring of action Widm Council and with other agencies, provision of specialist advice service on these policy issues. 4. Social Strategy promotion The Communications Unit is responsible for publications, CO ordination of publicity and communications programmes, production of resource packs/ material ( poverty, community empowerment) A full list of publications is contained in Appendix 3. 5. Public information services The Group also services the computerised information nemork ‘Strathclyde Community Information Points’ (SCIP). This service has 10 terminals in North Lanarkshire based within local community centres and libraries. 6. The Group administers the following initiatives: Nth Lan. Name of Scheme Region 94/95 areas 94/95 Rural Challenge budget ~500,000 Glenboig Community Action Group %16,040 LEAP Project E2,OOO Glenboig Community Safety 2250 Social Work Department - Shotts 23 80 Shotts Family Benefits Group 321,395 CHRIS 211,913 (ii)The Parmership Office The unit is responsible for stimulating and promoting the regeneration of Strathclyde’s communities through training, local economic development initiatives and taking a lead role in land and propem development for urban regeneration. The team work closely with Local Committees and local staff developing training packages for community groups and Council staff in response to training needs identified in partnership with local community groups. Current Activities across the North Lanarkshire area are as follows: - 6 9 1. Property Development in priority areas The Social Strategy Capital Programme which targets funding to areas of need for the development of locally based projects aimed at improving employment and training opportunities. The funding is used to match European money and other finances. Projects in North Lanarkshire include: Project Project Costs SRC Conmbution Dalziel Workspace and E1.9 m E0.5m Training Centre, Motherwell Forgewood Holding E240,OOO E30,OOO WorkspaceDevelopment, Motherwell Plains Youth Enterprise N/A E8,000 Project, Monklands Plains Countryside Park N/A S7120 Training Initiative, Monklands 2. Developing and resourcing initiatives for disadvantaged young people The Strathclyde Youth Parmership provides funding support to a range of initiatives which seek to improve the employment and training opportunities of the Region’s most disadvantaged young people. Projects in North Lanarkshire area include: Cumbernauld Venture Young Scot School Leaved Care Initiative, Monklands Jumpstart, Airdrie Jumpstart, Bellshill (Workwise) Jumpstart Access Worker (Careers service) Fairbridge Trust, Shotts Monklands Youth Horizons, Coatbridge Young People developing through volunteering (CAVOC Motherwell) Expansion of Youth Training Opportunities within the Regonal Council Details of these programmes are included in Appendix 4 7 10 3. Social Strategy Training Primarily targeted at staff to raise awareness of social strategy issues and to develop collaborative training packages and the development of inter agency co-operation. 4. Training in community capacity