2003/2004

Leisure Baseline Assessment Council

INSIDE THIS REPORT

PAGES 3-13

Summary Report • Introduction • Caerphilly County Borough Council leisure services • Summary conclusions • Recommendations • Main findings • Examples of interest

PAGES 14-15

Appendices • Documents reviewed • Action Plan

Reference: 545A2004 - Final

Authors: John Herniman Huw Rees

Date: July 2004 2003/2004

Status of our reports to the Council

Our reports are prepared in the context of the Statement of Responsibilities of Auditors and Audited Bodies issued by the Audit Commission. Reports are prepared by appointed auditors and addressed to members or officers. They are prepared for the sole use of the audited body, and no responsibility is taken by auditors to any director/member or officer in their individual capacity, or to any third party.

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Introduction

1. As part of the Programme for Improvement (WPI), the Audit Commission in Wales (ACiW) carried out a joint risk assessment with each local authority in early 2003. The outcome of this was to identify issues for local authorities that would need to be addressed either as part of their Improvement Plan or through a programme of work in the Regulatory Plan. 2. A number of risks were identified within Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Leisure Services and as a result we allocated some time in the Regulatory Plan to undertake an assessment of the service to support the improvement plan and inform future risk assessment. 3. The objective of the assessment is to: • clarify the risks, and their causes, in relation to the Authority’s Leisure Services activities; • provide an overview of service delivery strengths and weaknesses; and • give an indication of where further action can focus. 4. The scope of the ‘Leisure Baseline Assessment’ is intended to cover leisure and recreation services, including sports development. The range of services provided by local authorities under the definition of ‘leisure’ can be wide and varied due to the discretionary nature of services. As a consequence, the assessment was tailored to the needs of Caerphilly County Borough Council. Caerphilly County Borough Council leisure services

5. Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Leisure Services is part of the Lifelong Learning and Leisure Division of the Council’s Education and Leisure Directorate. The Service comprises ten leisure facilities (seven of which are joint use), and a Sports and Health Development Team of twelve officers. The Council also provides outdoor facilities in the form of skateboard parks and multi-use games areas (MUGAs) for young people. 6. The County Borough is well catered for in terms of leisure facilities. The Sports Council for Wales’ facilities planning model only highlighted the need for one additional sports hall in the Caerphilly basin area. This has now been accounted for with the development of facilities at St Cenydd School. 7. The net cost of providing the Service was £2.68 million in 2002/2003. The direct services element of the budget (3 of the 10 leisure centres) was reduced by some £100,000 in 1999/2000. In addition the contract price has not kept pace with increases in some fixed costs (eg, labour costs) over the last four years. The service asserts that as a consequence, this particular part of the service has accumulated a deficit of £185,000 which was written off by the Council in 2002/2003. However, taken as a whole (ie, all 10 leisure centres) the service has reported year on year surpluses. 8. The net cost per swim/visit to Caerphilly’s leisure centres was £1.87 in 2002/2003. This compares well with the rest of Wales being in the lowest quartile. Performance has improved year on year as Exhibit 1 demonstrates1.

1 CIPFA – Leisure and Recreation statistics Leisure Baseline Assessment – 2003/2004 Caerphilly County Borough Council – Page 3 of 15 2003/2004 SUMMARY REPORT

EXHIBIT 1

Caerphilly County Borough Council Net cost per swim/visit (£'s)

3.00 2.50 2.00 1.50 1.00 0.50 0.00 1999/00 2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 2.60 2.55 2.05 1.87

Summary conclusions

9. The Service has a clear focus on performance with strong management and a commercial awareness. This is supported by a participation agenda that is making contributions to the health, social inclusion and development aims of the Council. As a result the Service has managed to increase participation whilst also reducing costs. 10. Customers are satisfied with the Service and a quality scheme and customer care procedures ensure that the Service is customer focused. 11. Leisure buildings are generally well presented and welcoming, and the Service copes well with the day to day upkeep of its facilities. However, a maintenance backlog means that additional funds are needed to more significantly upgrade some facilities. 12. The Service has identified where it needs to improve, but the improvements are dependent on finding some additional capital and revenue funding. It is unclear at present where this additional funding will come from. Recommendations

13. Consolidate existing plans and strategies into an updated overarching strategy for the Service to provide a clear long-term direction for all aspects of the Service. 14. Complete the work undertaken on asset management to produce an asset management plan that ensures that refurbishment/renewal policies are in place and that revenue funding is secured to maintain both existing and new facilities. 15. Ensure that social inclusion and health based outcomes are embedded into the performance management system to enable managers to successfully balance priorities. 16. Complete disability access audits at all sites and ensure that a plan is put in place to meet the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act.

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Main findings

Policy framework

Conclusion

17. There is a strategic fit between the service aims and values detailed in the Service’s performance plan and the Directorate of Education and Leisure Development Plan 2002-2005 - ‘The Learning Community’. 18. There is a well developed understanding amongst staff and managers of how the Service contributes to the aims of the Directorate and of the Council as a whole, but some competing priorities sometimes make the strategic direction unclear. 19. There is a need to consolidate existing plans and strategies into an updated overarching strategy for the Service to provide a clear long-term direction.

Detailed findings

20. A clearly articulated strategy is central to successfully delivering services that are focused on community needs. A clear purpose, priority and recognition of how leisure and recreation contribute to the Council’s health, social and environmental objectives can enable leisure and recreation services to be prioritised according to strategic objectives. 21. The Council has as two of its priorities: “To work with our partners to reduce levels of long-term illness among local people and promote safe and healthy lifestyles and living environments for local people.” and “To work closely with the Local Health Board to ensure that high quality health and social care services and facilities are available to local people and that they are provided locally wherever possible.” 22. The Service sees these priorities as its main focus and has several strategic planning documents in place to support it. There is a sports development strategy, a health development strategy and the Leisure Services annual performance plan. The document that is intended to sit above these is 'Building Healthy Communities', a five year strategic plan for Leisure and Lifelong Learning. However, this needs to be updated to reflect the above mentioned plans that have emerged since its inception. This will create a single strategy document that brings all the aspects of Leisure Services together and provides a long-term strategic direction for the Service. 23. Although there is a well developed understanding amongst staff and managers of how the Service contributes to the aims of the Directorate and of the Council as a whole, there can sometimes be some confusion over competing commercial and participation priorities. This issue can be addressed through the long-term strategy and its link through to business planning targets.

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Providing opportunities and meeting needs

Conclusion

24. Participation at the Council’s leisure facilities has significantly increased in recent years as a result of investments in the Service and more outreach and development work. 25. There is active targeting of opportunities in areas of deprivation, particularly through sports and health development initiatives and healthy living centres. 26. There is good partnership working evident through the Healthy Living Partnership, Schools Sports Association, and Community Partnerships.

Detailed findings

27. In 2002/2003 the number of visits to swimming pools and sports centres per head of population in the County Borough was about the average for Wales as a whole. The Service has worked hard to improve performance and has succeeded in considerably increasing attendances as shown in the chart below2.

EXHIBIT 2

Caerphilly County Borough Council Visits to swimming pools and sports centres per head of population

10 8.35 8.40 8 6.99 5.72 6.01 6 4 2 0 1999/2000 2000/2001 2001/2002 2002/2003 Wales av. 2002/2003

28. This increase is all the more impressive given the low overall participation rates for any physical activity in the County Borough. In the Sports Council for Wales’ participation survey 2002, Caerphilly had the lowest percentage of adults (36%) who had participated in any activity over the previous four weeks. This compared poorly with a Welsh average of 57%. 29. The increase in usage of local authority facilities may be attributed to investment in the Service (three new gyms, refurbishment of two existing gyms and two new dance studios) and to an increase in sports development activity. This increase is to be commended, however, participation rates in the north of the County Borough are still causing concern, and the Service is concentrating some targeted initiatives in that area.

2 NAWPI 9.3 Leisure Baseline Assessment – 2003/2004 Caerphilly County Borough Council – Page 6 of 15 2003/2004 SUMMARY REPORT

30. Whilst investment in facilities is reaping benefits of increased participation, this has been based on the ability to pay back internal council loans. The Service is aware of the need to develop a balance of commercially led and social inclusion led investment in order to work towards equality of opportunity across the Borough. The significant investment in Heolddu Leisure Centre (£500,000) is an example of a bid for funds based on need in an area of deprivation rather than on the ability to pay back. Similar bids have been worked up for and Cefn Forest. 31. With the aid of external funding the Sports Development Team has grown to 12 officers with the Council only contributing a third of the total cost of £300,000. The Sports Development Strategy that the team work to focuses on four priorities: • young people; • school sport; • coach development; and • healthy communities. 32. These priorities are consistent with both the Welsh Assembly Government’s Strategy ‘Climbing Higher’, and the strategic objectives of the Sports Council for Wales. 33. Leisure centre managers have responded to the Sports Development Strategy positively and actively try to promote the four priorities through centre programming. Understandably there are sometimes tensions between competing commercial and participation priorities. However, on the whole, it is felt by both sports development officers and centre managers that there is a good working relationship. A clear example of this is the recent development of a lettings policy that gives priority booking to girls’ sports clubs. 34. The Service is actively addressing community health and wellbeing through a GP exercise referral scheme and by introducing healthy lifestyle activities. The Local Health Board has funded a Referral to Exercise Co-ordinator with the Council funding three part-time specialists to deliver the GP referral scheme and cardiac rehabilitation courses. 35. The GP referral scheme is now well established having been developed using a national quality assurance framework. It centres around five practices in Caerphilly with two in and one in Newbridge, and has proved to be successful and popular. There is currently a waiting list to get onto courses. The scheme is now ready for expansion to other areas of the County Borough, but its coverage is constrained by the number of staff and the funding available. In addition, funding for the Co-ordinator ran out in April 2004, and the Council have submitted an application to the Local Health Board for continuation funding. 36. The Service has also received New Opportunities Funding for Healthy Living Centres in , , and . The Healthy Living Centre (HLC) Initiative is a five year project which encourages local people to be aware of their own lifestyles and to take more responsibility for their own health improvement. These HLCs deliver health related projects in partnership with: • Caerphilly County Borough Council; • Caerphilly Local Action Drug and Alcohol Team; • Caerphilly Local Health Board; • Caerphilly Surestart; • Community Dental Service;

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• Community Health Promotion Service; • Groundwork Caerphilly; • Association of Voluntary Organisations; • Gwent Community Health Council; • Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust; and • . 37. The Council has embarked on a programme of improving youth provision with a strategy of providing one indoor and three major outdoor skateboard parks with ‘pocket parks’ across the Borough. This followed a full scale facilities audit across the Borough and resulted in the strategy to provide alternative leisure activities targeted at youth. Two of the three skateboard parks have now opened, and in addition 14 new MUGAs are being installed. The Welsh Assembly Government has provided grants totalling more than £1 million for new outdoor equipment. One of the first schemes built using this money was a new MUGA in Lansbury Park, Caerphilly. Other areas that have benefited from new equipment include Rhymney, Abertysswg, , , Deri, , , Cefn , , Tiryberth, , Pontllanfraith, Trinant, Markham, Risca, Caerphilly, and the . 38. These youth facilities are aimed at providing alternative activities and at reducing youth nuisance and anti-social behaviour. There is some evidence of success with the police documenting an 83% reduction in anti-social behaviour in the first year after a MUGA was introduced in Aberbargoed. 39. The siting of these skateboard parks and MUGAs has been subject to consultations with Community Partnerships and the Lansbury Park project has been a good example of how partnership working has led to a development that meets a strategic need and that has the ownership and involvement of the community. The £250,000 scheme attracted funding from the Police, a Housing Association, the Welsh Assembly Government and Europe through Objective One. There was extensive consultation with the community over the type of facilities and their location resulting in the provision of a MUGA, children’s play area, a skateboard park, bmx dirt track and a wetland habitat funded by the Groundwork Trust. Consultees included the Police, the Housing Association, Community Groups, the Community Council, the Community Centre and the Council’s Housing Manager. 40. However it has not always been possible to follow the Lansbury Park model of partnership and community engagement. The strategy of provision has often been skewed by the availability of external funding. With 19 Communities First wards and sub-wards, substantial funding has become available (£137,000 in 2001/2002 and £907,000 in 2002/2003). This money needed to be spent within a short period of time, and consequently there was insufficient time to properly consider the implications on a county-wide strategy of provision, or to consult as widely as officers would have liked. 41. Of particular concern are the revenue implications of the facilities that have been constructed. Little consideration has been given to this issue and no funding has been made available for upkeep of the MUGAs or for their management, promotion and programming. The revenue budget of £240,000 pa for playground management and maintenance is not sufficient for the upkeep of new MUGAs, and a growth bid for an additional £50,000 has been submitted.

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42. Once the current round of installations is complete, there is an opportunity to reflect on what they contribute to the whole pattern of provision. There is a need to develop a clear strategy for youth provision based on community need and to follow this with a match against funding opportunities rather than to have provision blindly following funding. In addition there needs to be a strategy for the use and promotion of these facilities to ensure that communities can take maximum benefit. 43. The Service took part in the Welsh Assembly Government’s free swim initiative, giving free swims to children during school holidays. Whilst junior swims obviously increased during this period, adult swims halved at some leisure centres. Some behavioural problems were also experienced, and managers questioned whether the objectives and expectations of the scheme relating to children’s health and swimming development were actually met. Access and quality

Conclusion

44. Customers are satisfied with the Service and a quality scheme and customer care procedures ensure that the Service is customer focused. 45. Whilst the Service has taken a strategic and proactive approach to marketing, officers recognise that this needs to be enhanced. Improvement plans include for marketing support and investment in a ‘Leisure Card’ system to improve the Service’s ability to more effectively market and target both users and non-users. 46. Leisure buildings are generally well presented and welcoming, and the Service copes well with the day to day upkeep of its facilities. However a maintenance backlog means that additional funds are needed to more significantly upgrade some facilities. 47. Disability access audits have been carried out in conjunction with a voluntary group at four leisure facilities and some improvements made at two of them; however there is still some way to go before all buildings can be compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act.

Detailed findings

48. The Service has a customer comment system as a regular way of seeking customer views and being responsive to customer needs. Results indicate that customers are satisfied with the Service, with an average satisfaction rating of 75% being returned. In comparative terms satisfaction with Caerphilly’s leisure facilities is above average when compared with all Wales ratings3. 49. Customers are able to access booking information online and also to submit customer comments. Customers can also sign up on-line to have SMS text messages on leisure activities and events sent to them. 4 50. There is a quality framework in place for leisure facilities. It is based on the QUEST scheme and involves the use of external assessors. Quality scores are generated annually and compared across the facilities. Improvement plans are developed to ensure that quality is continually improved. The Service has also been awarded a number of quality awards including a Silver Award in the Corporate Health Standard Scheme.

3 Sports Council for Wales – Adult Participation Survey 2002. 4 QUEST – the UK quality scheme for Sport and Leisure Leisure Baseline Assessment – 2003/2004 Caerphilly County Borough Council – Page 9 of 15 2003/2004 SUMMARY REPORT

51. A pricing review has been completed and changes to pricing policy were introduced in 2002/2003. These proposals were based on increasing levels of participation and reducing the price barrier for socially excluded individuals. However the lack of a leisure card or other system for capturing customer usage patterns is inhibiting market knowledge and the effective targeting of marketing and subsidies. Feasibility work for a leisure card has been undertaken and a specification and tender drawn up. However currently there is no funding available for implementation. 52. Condition surveys have been carried out at all sites and suitability assessments submitted for collation into the Council’s Asset Management Plan. The Service is now in the process of revisiting these assessments to include mechanical and electrical works. Due to a lack of planned maintenance in the past there is now a £500,000 backlog of maintenance work. 53. However leisure facilities are generally well presented and maintenance issues do not appear to be significantly detracting from the customer experience. Reactive maintenance is devolved to site managers and there is a team of three maintenance operatives within Leisure Services. This means that managers are able to fund, prioritise and manage reactive maintenance without the need to refer to a central maintenance function. Managers consider that this results in a more responsive and cost effective service and also means that the maintenance situation is not deteriorating. 54. There is a corporate group set up to deal with Disability Discrimination Act issues. This is chaired by the Head of Lifelong Learning and Leisure. The group has a partnership arrangement with a voluntary disability access group who carry out disability audits for the Council and are also involved in prioritising access works. 55. Disability audits have been carried out at four of the ten leisure facilities and improvements to physical access have been completed at Newbridge and Heolddu Leisure Centres. Works at these four sites have been prioritised, but the service is awaiting an allocation of funds from the Capital Strategy Group to be able to complete the work. 56. The Council have improved the quality, condition and safety of its play provision. The impetus for this stemmed from a critical Health and Safety Executive report in 1996 and subsequent ROSPA5 risk assessments. The outcome has been a reduction in the number of playgrounds from over 200 to 101 that all now meet European standards. The Council has now embarked on a rolling programme to further improve safety and quality. Performance information and management

Conclusion

57. Improvements have been made in performance management, particularly on financial controls and performance. 58. There is a need to extend performance management to include social inclusion and health based outcomes into the performance management system.

5 ROSPA – Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents Leisure Baseline Assessment – 2003/2004 Caerphilly County Borough Council – Page 10 of 15 2003/2004 SUMMARY REPORT

Detailed findings

59. The Service has made improvements in the way that it performance manages its business. There is tight financial control through regular profit and loss reporting and a focus on organisational development through a balanced scorecard approach and application of a business excellence model with the ‘Caerphilly Driver’. 60. Recent developments in performance management have created an IT based framework called CorVu that builds on the balanced scorecard approach to track a basket of performance measures. The CorVu system is in the early days of implementation, and the Council needs to ensure that it becomes fully embedded in the day to day management of the Service. 61. There is a thorough process in place for the setting of performance indicator targets. Performance is compared internally, and a formula has been developed to enable joint use centres to be compared with full-time leisure centres. 62. All Sports Development Officers have annual work plans that are updated quarterly, and each month the sports development team revisits the Sports Development Strategy to carry out a SWOT analysis on one of the four priorities. 63. All managers were involved in the drafting of the Service Performance Plan. However, some managers do not feel connected to it and feel that the Service is predominantly being driven by budget issues with no clear steer on the balance between commercial considerations and the participation agenda. Managers consider that they are judged predominantly on customer comments and financial performance. There is a need to ensure that all aspects of performance management are fully embedded in the Service. Managing improvement

Conclusion

64. The Service has thoroughly examined other delivery options for the Service, and the Council has resolved that in-house delivery is in the best interests of the Council and residents of the County Borough. 65. The Service has identified where it needs to improve, but the improvements are dependent on finding some additional capital and revenue funding. It is unclear at present where this additional funding will come from.

Detailed findings

66. The Service has undertaken a thorough options appraisal to determine whether the current in-house delivery of leisure services is still appropriate. The appraisal considered the costs and benefits of employing alternative delivery methods and also assessed the risks involved in changing from the current in-house provider. The appraisal concluded that it is in the best interests of the Council and the residents of the County Borough to continue with the in-house provider based on recent improving performance, the ability to deliver on key strategic objectives of the Council and the level of risks and start up costs associated with other options. We consider that the appraisal was robust and that the Council has made an appropriate choice of provider in the current context.

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67. The Service is seeking improvement in two ways: • through reform in the way it manages; and • through investment. 68. Three key areas for investment have been identified: • recruitment of community outreach/marketing staff; • investment in facilities to address maintenance backlog; and • a new IT management system to facilitate the introduction of a Leisure Card. 69. In order to obtain the additional funds required, the Service is seeking to ring-fence leisure centre surpluses and to pay back borrowing from the Council’s New Initiative Fund over longer periods. The Service has been successful in the past in paying back borrowing sooner than anticipated. There may also be the possibility of receiving Community Investment Programme funds from the Sports Council for Wales to refurbish facilities. 70. The Council has not yet resolved the harmonisation of terms and conditions within Leisure Services and this may mean that additional revenue funds will be required. Recent restructuring has also resulted in a degree of uncertainty amongst staff and a lowering of staff morale. However in general both managers and staff are comfortable with the improvement proposals identified by senior managers. Examples of interest

MAINTENANCE ARRANGEMENTS

Reactive maintenance is devolved to leisure centre managers and there is a team of three maintenance operatives dedicated to Leisure Services. This means that managers are able to fund, prioritise and manage reactive maintenance without the need to refer to a central maintenance function.

COMMUNITY CONSULTATION

The Lansbury Park Project was a good example of involving the community in facilities planning. Consultees included the Police, the Housing Association, Community groups, the Community Council, the Community Centre and the Council’s Housing Manager (see paragraph 37).

DISABILITY ACCESS GROUP

There is a corporate group set up to deal with Disability Discrimination Act issues. This is chaired by the Head of Lifelong Learning and Leisure. The group has a partnership arrangement with a Voluntary Disability Access Group who carry out disability audits for the Council and are also involved in prioritising access works.

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OPTIONS APPRAISAL

The Service has undertaken a thorough options appraisal to determine whether the current in-house delivery of leisure services is still appropriate. The appraisal considered the costs and benefits of employing alternative delivery methods and also assessed the risks involved in changing from the current in-house provider. The appraisal concluded that it is in the best interests of the Council and the residents of the County Borough to continue with the in-house provider based on recent improving performance, the ability to deliver on key strategic objectives of the Council and the level of risks and start up costs associated with other options. We consider that the appraisal was robust and that the Council has made an appropriate choice of provider in the current context.

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

The Service has made improvements in the way that it performance manages its business. There is tight financial control through regular profit and loss reporting and a focus on organisational development through a balanced scorecard approach and application of a business excellence model with the ‘Caerphilly Driver’. Recent developments in performance management have created an IT based framework called CorVu that builds on the balanced scorecard approach to track a basket of performance measures. The CorVu system is in the early days of implementation, and the Council needs to ensure that it becomes fully embedded in the day to day management of the Service.

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APPENDIX 1

Documents reviewed

71. Before going on site and during our visit, we reviewed various documents that the Council provided for us. These included: • Corporate Improvement Plan 2003; • ‘The Learning Community’ – Directorate of Education and Leisure Development Plan 2002-2005; • Lifelong Learning and Leisure Divisional Improvement Plan 2003/2004; • Leisure Services Performance Plan 2003-2004; • ‘A Strategy for the Development of Sport in the Caerphilly County Borough’; and • various other supporting documents.

People interviewed

72. We met a range of people involved with the Service:

Name Position David Hopkins Director of Education and Leisure Councillor Phil Bevan Cabinet Member – Education and Leisure Peter Gomer Head of Lifelong Learning and Leisure Mark Lowther Principal Officer Leisure John Rawlings Business Development Manager Craig Barnhouse Health Related Exercise Coordinator John Ridgewell Business Development Manager Nigel Powell Parks Development Officer Alwyn Evans Parks Development Officer John Poyner Manager Jeff Reynolds Manager Sian Jones Manager Shaun Spooner Manager Brian Reynolds Manager Paula Kearns Manager David Phenis Sports Development Manager Focus Group Eight staff

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A P P E N D I X 2 Action Plan

Recommendation Priority Responsibility Agreed Comments Date 1 = Low 2 = Med 3 = High R1 Consolidate existing plans and strategies 2 Head of Lifelong Yes This is essential to ensure that the Service 31 December into an updated overarching strategy for Learning and Leisure works strategically towards shared corporate 2004 the Service to provide a clear long-term aims. direction for all aspects of the Service. R2 Complete the work undertaken on asset 3 Head of Lifelong Yes The Asset Management Plan will be 30 September management to produce an asset Learning and Leisure completed by September 2004. This will inform 2004 management plan that ensures that the budget process for 2005. refurbishment/renewal policies are in place and that revenue funding is secured to maintain both existing and new facilities. R3 Ensure that social inclusion and health 2 Head of Lifelong Yes The social inclusion and health indicators have Completed based outcomes are embedded into the Learning and Leisure been included in the Performance Plan for performance management system to 2004/2005. enable managers to successfully balance priorities. R4 Complete disability access audits at all 3 Head of Lifelong Yes All sites inspected by September 2004. Access 30 September sites and ensure that a plan is put in Learning and Leisure Plan will be included in the Asset Management 2004 place to meet the requirements of the Plan. Disability Discrimination Act.

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