Ards and North Down Borough Council a G E N

ARDS AND NORTH DOWN BOROUGH COUNCIL

14 April 2021

Dear Sir/Madam

You are hereby invited to attend a meeting of the Ards and North Down Borough Corporate Committee which will be held remotely via Zoom on Tuesday, 20 April 2021 at 7.00pm.

Yours faithfully

Stephen Reid Chief Executive Ards and North Down Borough Council

A G E N D A

1. Apologies

2. Declarations of Interest

3. Service Plans 2021/2022: (a.)Corporate Communications (Report attached) (b.)Community Planning (Report attached) (c.) Finance (Report attached) (d.)Strategic Transformation and Performance (Report attached) (e.)Capital Projects (Report attached) (f.) Administration (Report attached) (g.) Human Resources (Report attached)

4. Carnegie Trust recommendations on embedding wellbeing in Northern Ireland (Report attached)

5. 100th Anniversary NI Sub Committee March 2021 (Report attached)

6. Quarterly Report on Equality and Good Relations (Section 75 of The N.I. Act 1998) 1 January 2021 - 31 March 2021 (Report attached)

7. Scheme of Allowances of Councillors (Report attached)

8. Request to light up council buildings from the Northern Ireland Endometriosis Support Group (Report attached)

9. Request to light up council buildings from Fairtrade (Report attached)

10. Request to light up council buildings from Brain Injury Matters (Report attached)

11. Request to place a banner in Comber Square (Report attached)

12. Correspondence from NILGA – Annual Investment and Delivery Programme 2021/22 (Report attached)

13. Responses to Notice of Motion: (a) NOM 130 – Recognising the efforts of Student Nurses (Report attached)

14. Any other notified business: Portavo Reservoir Update (Report attached)

ITEMS 15 – 20 ***IN CONFIDENCE***

15. Learning and Development Strategy and Plan for 2021/22 (Report attached)

16. Open space between Ambleside Drive/Windermere Drive, Bangor – Land Acquisition (Report attached)

17. Blair Mayne Road South – land disposal (Report attached)

18. Donaghadee Car Park Project (Report attached)

19. Royal Mail VAT – Group Litigation Order (Report attached)

20. Corporate Plan 2020-2024 (Report attached)

21. Notices of Motion

21.1 Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor Cooper and Councillor T Smith

This council opposes convicted terrorists being on the Policing Board and will write to the Justice Minister to urge her to seek legal guidance on excluding all convicted terrorists from the board to prevent any further lack of confidence in the application of the rule of law.

21.2 Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor Cooper and Councillor T Smith

This council objects to the appointment of Paul Kavanagh, a convicted terrorist to the education board and will write to Minister Weir to not only demand his removal, but prevent anyone with a terrorist conviction from ever being appointed to the board in future.

21.3 Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor Cooper and Councillor T Smith

This Council will write to the Finance minister to request a breakdown of all grant applications and budget proposals from all ministers and the subsequent allocations in consideration of and adherence to section 75 legislative requirements.

21.4 Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor Cooper and Councillor T Smith

This council abhors the imposition of all EU regulations and will write to the Executive Office and insist upon the removal of all internal UK barriers in relation to the free movement of pets and Guide Dog puppies, due to the Irish Sea Border.

21.5 Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor Cooper and Councillor T Smith

That this Council recognises the hugely significant and historic centenary of Northern Ireland, and writes to all Unionist ministers in the N.I. Executive office asking why they have (a) agreed to a budget which includes substantial provision for the funding of the Irish Language Act and all out-workings deriving from it; and (b), why there is no provision whatsoever for any funds to be released from Stormont to councils who wish to celebrate and commemorate N.I.’s centenary.

21.6 Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor Boyle

This Council acknowledges the prevalence and impact of violence against women and girls locally, and throughout the world, resulting in the loss of lives, implications for the health and wellbeing of survivors, discrimination and the violation of human rights.

It notes that at present there is so specific strategy in the North on the eradication of violence against women and girls, noting that we are the only part of these islands without such a strategy and calls on the Justice Minister, supported by the Joint First Ministers to bring forward a strategy to eliminate violence against women and girls as a matter of urgency.

This Council agrees to consider developing a financial support fund for women’s groups across our Borough and declares its commitment to making our area a safe place for everyone and acknowledges that women should feel safe in public places everywhere.

21.7 Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor Boyle

This Council recognises the vital role that paid maternity leave and paternity leave plays in helping parents find the right balance between commitments at home and at work; Notes that the current provision for full-time paid maternity leave of 12 weeks is one of the lowest of both the European Union and the OECD. That our own Council’s policy falls short of what expectant parents and their children across Europe benefit from.

The council calls on an immediate review of our own maternity paid leave policy and calls on the council to write to the Minister for Economy to overhaul current maternity paid leave and paternity legislation which is among the lowest in Europe.

21.8 Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor T Smith and Councillor Cooper

On the 8th of December 2020 all MLAs, with the exception of Jim Allister and Jim Wells, voted through 45 EU directives and regulations in order to ensure our legislation aligned with the despised Northern Ireland Protocol.

This Council condemns this action completely and sees it as nothing other than implementing the NI Protocol. We are not surprised that those parties that called for the rigorous implementation of the Protocol voted these measures through, but we are distressed that Unionist politicians joined with the Protocol proponents in this way.

The people of Ards and North Down are entitled to know where their MLAs stand on the issue – are they implementers or opponents of the Northern Ireland Protocol? Therefore, This Council will write to the Unionist MLAs of Ards and North Down - Harry Harvey, Michelle McIlveen, Peter Weir, Mike Nesbitt, Alex Easton, Gordon Dunne and Alan Chambers asking them if they will give a clear commitment to work to bring an immediate end to the NI Protocol.

We also ask them to set out what steps they are willing to take to ensure the Protocol is scrapped and to declare whether or not they will again vote through EU directives or regulations in order to align our laws with the hated NI Protocol.

21.9 Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor Egan

This Council asks officers to bring back a report detailing information on council participating in the Stonewall Diversity Champion employer’s programme.

21.10 Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor Cooper and Councillor T Smith

That this Council deplores the refusal of the Stormont authorities to permit a stone sculpture to mark the Northern Ireland centenary to be placed at the seat of government; instructs the Chief Executive to convey our dismay to the Speaker of the Assembly and call for reversal of the decision so that due respect can be shown to those who value our constitutional position as a part of the United Kingdom; and that this council will commemorate NI’s centenary with installations of stones depicting the map of Northern Ireland and 100 years celebrated and inscribed at Comber Square, Ards Conway Square and Bangor Castle and will write to all other councils to follow our example.

MEMBERSHIP OF CORPORATE SERVICES COMMITTEE (16 Members) Alderman Keery Councillor Dunlop Alderman Gibson (Vice-Chairman) Councillor Egan Alderman Girvan Councillor Greer Alderman Irvine Councillor Gilmour Alderman McIlveen Councillor Mathison Councillor Blaney Councillor McKimm Councillor Chambers (Chairman) Councillor T Smith Councillor Cooper Councillor P Smith

Unclassified

ITEM 3

Ards and North Down Borough Council

Report Classification Unclassified

Council/Committee Corporate Services Committee

Date of Meeting 20 April 2021

Responsible Director Director of Organisational Development and Administration and Director of Finance and Performance

Responsible Head of various Service

Date of Report 12 April 2021

File Reference

Legislation

Section 75 Compliant Yes ☒ No ☐ Other ☐ If other, please add comment below:

Subject Organisational Development and Administration and Finance and Performance Annual Service Plans 2021 - 2022

Attachments a - g Service Plans

Service Plans are produced by each Service in accordance with the Council’s Performance Management policy.

Plans are intended to:

• Encourage compliance with the new legal, audit and operational context • Provide focus on direction • Facilitate alignment between Corporate, Service and Individual plans and activities • Motivate and develop staff • Promote performance improvement, encourage innovation and share good practice • Encourage transparency of performance outcomes • Better enable us to recognise success and address underperformance.

Page 1 of 2

Unclassified

Draft Service Plans for 2021/22 for the Organisational Development and Administration Directorate, the Finance and Performance Directorate and the Chief Executive’s office are attached. The plans have been developed to align with the objectives of: The Big Plan for Ards and North Down 2017- 2032; the draft Corporate Plan 2020-24 and aid with the finalisation of the draft Annual Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) for 2021-22. The agreement of the plans will also aid toward achievement of the Council’s performance improvement duties under the Local Government Act (NI) 2014.

The Service Plans highlight where the services contribute to the Corporate Plan and, where this is the case, set out the objectives of the services for the 2021/22 year. They further identify the key performance indicators used to illustrate the level of achievement of each objective, and the targets that the Services will try to attain along with key actions required to do so.

The plans have been developed in conjunction with staff, officers and management and consultation with key stakeholders where relevant.

The plans are based on the agreed budget. It should be noted that, should there be significant changes in-year (e.g. due to Council decisions, budget revisions or changes to the PIP) the plans may need to be revised.

The Committee will be provided with updated reports on performance against the agreed plans.

RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that the attached plans are adopted.

Page 2 of 2

Corporate Communications Service Plan

1 April 2021 – 31 March 2022

Head of Service signature

Date 23/03/2021

Peer Review signature

Date 02/04/2021

Director signature

Date 02/04/2021

CONTENTS

1. Introduction ...... 3 2. How does our Service contribute to community planning outcomes and PEOPLE priorities? ...... 6 3. Key activities for 2021/2022 ...... 7 4. Risks ...... 13 5. Resources ...... 14 6. Monitoring and Review ...... 14 7. Conclusions ...... 14 8. Appendices ...... 16

1. Introduction

Name of Corporate Communications Service Included Communications and Multi-media Service Units Directorate Chief Executive’s Section

Purpose of The Corporate Communication Service aims to: Service ‘Protect and enhance the Council’s reputation by both challenging negative perceptions and promoting Council activities through effective engagement and communication.’

The key functional areas of the Service are: • corporate marketing/communications strategy • brand identity management • PR and media relations • digital marketing including website and social media management • arts and heritage marketing • stakeholder engagement and consultation • employee/internal communication • graphic design and multi-media services • technical event support

The Service comprises nine staff and sits within the Chief Executive’s Office.

Under the Local Government Act 1972 councils have a statutory duty to share necessary information with stakeholders and under the 2014 Act, with the addition of community planning, to consult and engage in an effective manner.

Key Our key customers are other Council Services – who are essentially our clients. customers/ The level of support required varies but requests often outstrip available stakeholders resources and/or channels. In 2021/22 priority customers have been identified as and their CLT (key corporate initiative); Regeneration; Waste and Recycling; Democratic needs Services (civic events); and Business/ Community (recovery initiatives).

Our key stakeholders include: • All employees • Elected Members/politicians • Media/social media influencers • Key comms partners (local and regional) • AND Residents • AND Businesses • AND Arts/Heritage Sector

More detailed analysis is in Appendix 1.

Context, Context: Corporate Communications was designated a ‘critical service’ during challenges & the COVID-19 pandemic. The volume of work delivered by the communications

key team during the lockdown period, continuing through recovery and in preparation assumptions for further waves has been, and continues to be, significant.

The pandemic has increased our reliance on digital communication and increased our audiences on social media channels and websites. The Service must adapt and innovate to grasp the opportunities and overcome the challenges this presents.

The pandemic has significantly increased the amount of partner support activity we deliver. This will have to be carefully managed moving forward as more business-as-usual activity comes on stream, although the Council is very committed to developing both local and regional partnerships.

A full PESTLE analysis is included in Appendix 2.

Specific challenges/areas of focus include:

1. Balancing customer demand (internal) against resources. The breadth of work delivered across the Council is ever increasing. Resources within the communications service have remained the same since 2016. Prioritisation is required – especially with increases in partnership working.

2. Resourcing an increase in earned media coverage. With pressure on budgets, there is a requirement for more earned vs paid for media. Earned media requires significant resources for relationship building/creative writing and design. Prioritisation against corporate outcomes is required.

3. Supporting the digitisation agenda. Via social media and web development the Service already contributes to the Council’s digital presence, however, resident feedback is seeking more online access.

4. Promoting better communications planning. Educating all service areas to the benefits of involving communications at the start of projects to enable appropriate resources to be allocated and to better manage reputational risk.

5. Developing innovative engagement opportunities. Genuine engagement that will allow key stakeholders to become more involved in shaping how the Council works for the Borough continues to be a priority.

6. Formalising working relationships between comms and marketing. A significant challenge is the ongoing tension between a centralised communications function and decentralised marketing functions. There is a need for better integration and more consistent processes.

Assumptions: One of the Council’s agreed transformation projects is to achieve better integration between communications and marketing. This will require considering new models of working and possible further centralisation. In the development of this plan, it is assumed that service areas with decentralised marketing functions will continue to budget for and plan marketing activity as usual and that any changes to ways of working will be progressed during the 2021/22 year and reflected in 2022/23 service plans.

Not all communications/marketing budgets are centralised. The assumption has to been made that, where appropriate, individual services have made sufficient

budget provision for Corporate Communications to deliver their proposed campaigns/activities. Reflection on During the pandemic all communications resources were focused on COVID-19 previous related work/messaging. Business as usual activities were stopped for most of performance the period from March to July and were impacted further with restrictions – successes introduced in late December 2020. and lessons learned However, the pandemic related work completed (Summary in Appendix 3) very effectively contributed to core communications objectives such as building Council reputation, growing our social media presence and developing effective partnerships. As such successes in delivering on the overall service vision have been significant over the past year despite the challenges of the pandemic. As a result of this dramatic change of focus it has not been possible to progress some planned activities e.g. developing an employee reward and recognition scheme and such activity will be reprioritised in 2021-22. The pandemic has opened up opportunities for the Communications Service in terms of internal engagement (via the new text alert service) and in terms of external engagement (due to the increase in residents using social media as their preferred platform for communicating with the Council). We will also build on these in 2021-22. Our most recent formal feedback from residents (2019) demonstrates good progress is being made against our core purpose - to protect and enhance the Council’s reputation.

• 94% satisfaction with the Council website (ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk) • 76% satisfied with how the Council keeps residents informed about the services and benefits it provides • 74% found it easy to get information on Council services or initiatives • 69% were satisfied with the level of engagement the Council offers • 66% rated the reputation of the Council as either excellent or good The next resident satisfaction survey will be undertaken in May 2021. Reviews were undertaken with some internal clients post the delivery of major projects. Feedback was, in the main, very positive in relation to the breadth of support provided, quality of the work – including innovative solutions offered – and the ability of the team to deliver to tight deadlines. A common theme was that the Communications Service acted as a ‘critical friend’ providing both support and challenge to operational managers. There is a direct correlation between effective working relations with internal teams and satisfaction levels i.e. where the Communications Service is involved from the beginning with a project, we can provide a more comprehensive and effective service. It is intended to continue undertaking reviews with internal customers in 2021/22.

2. How does our Service contribute to community planning outcomes and PEOPLE priorities?

The Corporate Communications Service can be expected to have a direct impact on the following:

Community PEOPLE Planning priority Outcome Excellence: We will work to be a high performing organisation, ALL innovating and partnering to make a sustainable, positive difference for our Borough.

PEOPLE Objective 2020-24 Service Objective 202/22

Growing: Growing: • Developing our customer service • Providing excellent communications, marketing and including supporting online/mobile multi-media services in support of our PEOPLE service offering priorities and recovery plans • Improving resident engagement • Delivering transparent communication and effective engagement with residents (and other key stakeholders) to support our corporate plan. • Enhancing our approach to audience development/marketing of cultural offering in AND

Better: Better: • Focusing our policies, practices and • Developing, in consultation with internal systems on our priorities, customer stakeholders, a comms prioritisation process that service, agile working and a culture of aligns resources with our PEOPLE priorities continued performance improvement • Exploring opportunities to deliver more direct • Pursuing digital transformation marketing in support of our PEOPLE priorities • Adopting recognised models such as • Delivering on Our People Plan promises in support Customer Service Excellence and of our IIP accreditation Investors in People • Reviewing the Council’s approach to advertising to • Adopting a more commercial approach both identify savings internally and commercial • Investing in talent through continued opportunities externally learning and development

Together: Together: • Reviewing our service models including • Maintaining a healthy team environment including opportunities for greater use of through regular team meetings, service workshops, partnerships across the Council and planning and Pride in Performance conversations beyond • Providing opportunities for non-centralised • Planning our services collaboratively marketing staff to work together and share best each year, aligned to the Corporate practice Plan • Actively contributing to regional communications networks including Belfast Region City Deal/Cabinet Office Communications Network

3. Key activities for 2021/2022

SERVICE: Corporate Communications Community Plan Outcome: ALL Corporate Plan PEOPLE priority(ies): Excellence: We will work to be a high performing organisation, innovating and partnering to make a sustainable, positive difference for our Borough. Council KPI(s): % Resident satisfaction % Staff reporting ANDBC is a great place to work Service Objective: Protect and enhance the Council’s reputation through effective engagement and communication. What difference will it make? More effective use, more understanding and more support for Council services and investments Underpinning strategies: Our People Plan Internal Communication Framework External communications Strategy (in development)

Business as Usual activities we will deliver in 2021/2022 (actions) Due Date Lead Officer(s) Who do we need to help us? (Internal/External partners) • Undertake regular planning meetings with all Council services to ensure communications Ongoing CCO/MMO Internal Clients needs are met/maximised • Identify opportunities for integrated communication through issue-led rather than service-led Ongoing CCM Internal Clients campaigns • Work in partnership with key stakeholders to maximise positive PR for key investment projects, Ongoing CCM External partners namely Queen’s Parade and Bangor Waterfront • Maintain a healthy working environment including effective planning, engagement and Ongoing CCM CC Team communication, teamworking, celebrating success etc • Continue to deliver innovative communications in support of employees working with social Ongoing CCM/CA-I OD Team distancing restrictions to build engagement, wellbeing and morale. • Support managers to communicate better with their teams by providing relevant training, Ongoing CCM HOST/SUMs channels and content • Build positive reputation through the effective use of corporate and service-specific social Ongoing CCO/CA-D Internal/ Key media channels comms partners • Support the effective management of service-specific digital platforms to maintain effective Ongoing CCM Mktg staff communication to key customer groups

• Deliver a robust proactive/reactive media relations service for all directorates in line with agreed Ongoing CA-E Internal Clients corporate priorities • Strive to promote Arts and Heritage activity while respecting COVID-19 restrictions Ongoing AMA Arts/Heritage • Continue to support service-specific marketing campaigns Ongoing CCO Mktg Staff • Maintain corporate contracts for event support that offer consistent quality and costs Ongoing MMO/MMT Contracts users • Promote guidelines on the use of corporate brand(s) to ensure all services provided are Ongoing MMO/GD SUMs recognisable as being delivered/funded by Council • Monitor and provide challenge on print requests in line with Council’s commitment to Ongoing MMO SUMs environmental sustainability

Service Development / Improvement

Which of the Who do we need What service development/improvement specified Rationale Due Lead to help us? will we undertake in 2021/2022? aspects will this Date Officer(s) (Internal/External improve? partners) • Deliver a small sample resident Service Quality/ This survey provides a comprehensive insight into Sept CCM/CCO CLT/HoS satisfaction survey services + a Availability resident’s overall satisfaction with the Council’s 21 series of focus groups/panels. performance and the results will help with identifying areas for improvement and service planning in 2022/23 • Developing, in consultation with Service Quality/ Marcomms resources and channels are limited. July CCM CLT/HoS internal stakeholders, a comms Efficiency With the formal launch of the Council’s new 21 prioritisation process that aligns corporate plan in April, it is timely to consider a resources with our PEOPLE prioritisation process for marcomms activity so that priorities. delivery is better aligned to core priorities. • Developing proposals for more Strategic Residents/stakeholders are increasingly looking for Dec CCM CLT/HoS innovative and effective methods of Effectiveness opportunities to engage and ‘have their say’ on 21 consultation and engagement with decisions the Council makes about services and residents. investments. This will make it easier for people to contribute on an ongoing basis. • Reviewing the Council’s approach to Efficiency Communications was reviewed and centralised in Mar CCM Relevant HoS + marketing to identify whether a 2015; marketing is currently a hybrid model that has 22 HR/Finance centralised or decentralised approach not been reviewed during the lifespan of the new is more efficient and effective for Council. Staff and budget allocation for marketing meeting corporate objectives. activity to be assessed to determine if a centralised approach can provide more impact and efficiencies. • Reviewing the Council’s approach to Efficiency During the pandemic Council suspended all but Mar CCM HoS advertising to both identify savings essential advertising. Moving forward we want to 22 internally and commercial review advertising spend for efficiencies and to opportunities externally. consider opportunities for advertising on Council assets where appropriate.

SPECIFIED ASPECTS OF IMPROVEMENT What will this improve? Definition is key to linking the community plan, and the ongoing processes that underpin it, with a council’s improvement processes. The Department would expect Strategic Effectiveness that a council’s strategic community planning outcomes and objectives should be central to that council’s improvement activity and clearly contribute to the strategic effectiveness aspect. Service Quality all relate to service provision by aiming to meet the needs of citizens and ensuring fair ease of access to the most suitable services that meet their needs. Clearly, all of these objectives can be demonstrated individually or collectively. Fairness can also be demonstrated by exercising non-service functions in Service Availability ways which reduce disadvantage and improve social well-being, for instance by improving citizens’ access to information or by addressing inequalities experienced by Section 75 groups. Fairness When carrying out its functions or providing services, a council may demonstrate improvement when it operates in a way that contributes towards the Sustainability sustainability of its area, as required under the Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2006 and the associated Northern Ireland Executive Sustainable Development Strategy. on-going efficiency may also be shown if fewer resources are utilised while maintaining provision of substantially similar Efficiency or better services. Should a council choose to alter the manner by which a service is provided and in so doing it uses fewer resources or more integrated services, it will not only be demonstrating efficiency, but may demonstrate improved sustainability as well Any changes to service design and delivery methods that are intended to yield improvement under any other aspect, and are reasonably likely to do so. This Innovation allows councils to make changes which may not have tangible effects within the same reporting year, but are likely to in subsequent years, and still count them as improvements.

Service activities being stopped / changed:

What service / activities will we be Reason for stopping / Savings Impact on Impact on the Public Impact on stopping / changing in 2021/2022 changing activity Performance staffing N/A

Performance Measures:

Performance Measures Is the Reporting 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 (should include those for the Business as measure frequency Actual Actual Actual Actual Actual To date Usual and Service Improvement actions Statutory, outlined above and relevant measures from Corporate, Community, Corporate and Statutory) Existing or New? % attendance C Quarterly N/A 93% 94% 99% 94% 100% 95% Time invested staff development (in days) E Bi-annual N/A 61 63 55 58 20 55 % resident awareness of Council services E Annual N/A N/A N/A 76% 76% 76% 78% % satisfaction with Council website E Annual N/A 79% 83% 94% 94% 94% 95% % increase engagement with social media E Bi-annual N/A 7% 7% 9% 9% 7% 10% % staff receiving briefings C Quarterly N/A N/A 65% 72% 85% 95% 100% Pride in Performance Conversations E Annual N/A 100% 100% 89% 100% - 95% % services PR Planning E Annual N/A 60% 66% 65% 80% 85% 90% % multi-media service delivered to times E Bi-annual N/A N/A 90% 90% 95% 90% 95% % Resident satisfaction with engagement E Annual N/A N/A N/A 69% 75% 75% 78% % Resident satisfaction with comms E Annual N/A N/A N/A 76% 80% 80% 82% % Employee satisfaction with engagement E Bi-annual N/A N/A N/A 72% 85% 81% 85% % Employees consider Council ‘Great E Annual N/A N/A N/A N/A 71% 71% 75% place to work’ % Client Satisfaction E Annual N/A N/A N/A N/A 87% 87% 90% % spend against budget C Quarterly N/A 99% 99% 98% 96% 97.5% 95% Net cost per head of population C Annual N/A N/A N/A % reduction in adverting spend N Annual N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 2%

4. Risks

Gross Residual Risk Risk Risk Status Current Further Action Action Risk Ref: Risk Description controls Tolerate / Required Due by Owner I L R I L R Action Lack of information/ engagement Planning Development of 1 from internal clients, impacts 5 3 15 meetings/ 2 3 6 Tolerate prioritisation July 21 CJ team’s ability to deliver service Training/ framework Review of Lack of coordination of Informal working comms/mktg 2 comms/marketing functions leading 4 5 20 relationships/ 2 2 4 Tolerate March 22 CJ arrangements to missed opportunities/duplication update meetings cross Council Agree protocols Communication environment for identifying Continue to operates 24/7; Council does not. and responding monitor and 3 Difficult for comms staff to get 5 4 20 3 4 12 Tolerate Ongoing CJ to identified identify lines to information out of hours – resulting critical issues out take in advance in reputational damage of hours Proactive media Failure to manage media relations Continue to 4 relationships effectively leading to 5 2 10 management at 5 1 5 Tolerate Ongoing CJ monitor reputational damage a local and regional level Elected member communications conflicting with corporate Members Continue to 5 communications leading to 3 4 12 3 3 9 Tolerate Ongoing CJ extranet monitor reputational damage and confused messaging Insufficient resource to meet client Planning demands at times leading to Continue to 6 5 2 10 meetings/prioritis 3 1 3 Tolerate Ongoing CJ missed opportunities for proactive monitor ation PR.

5. Resources

Are all actions resourced within the current (2021/22) budget plan? Yes Please see assumptions above. Not all marcomms budgets are centralised. It has to be assumed that individual service areas have budgeted for activities they want to undertake.

Will additional resources be required? Potentially see Section B

Section A: Delivery against the core objectives outlined can be achieved with existing financial (revenue budget) and staff resources.

Section B: It should be noted that large scale investment projects such as Queen’s Parade and Bangor Waterfront require significant and growing resource (comms/ engagement/ stakeholder management/ consultation). Additional support may be required beyond that available internally to deliver on some elements of the communications. This may be via short-term contacts for staff or the use of external agencies. Staff: Current staffing: 8.69 FTEs No changes through budget process Additional resources may be considered for delivery on key capital projects.

Financial: Budget for Corporate Communication for 2021/22 is £485,000. If the required additional resources are NOT available, please state: What is the likely impact on performance? Unable to deliver on the communications requirement of two major capital schemes resulting in lack of public buy-in and risk to funding/ investment.

What is the likely impact on the public? Unable to deliver on the communications requirement of two major capital schemes resulting in lack of public buy-in and risk to funding/ investment. What is the likely impact on staffing? Existing staff resource does not have capacity to deliver to the demands of these capital schemes.

6. Monitoring and Review In adherence with corporate requirements, including quarterly reporting to Committee. Performance will also be discussed at manager meetings and team briefings.

7. Conclusions The Communication Service in Ards and North Down is a busy and productive team, providing support to all service areas.

As an essential service during the COVID-19 Pandemic, the team delivered a hugely significant body of work in support of staff, residents, members and partners under very challenging conditions. Efforts will be made to build on the successes achieved during this period.

This plan provides focus for the service during the 2021/22 financial year.

Many activities can be considered ‘business as usual’ but they are critical to delivering on the Service’s core objective of enhancing and protecting the Council’s reputation. The team will endeavour to bring an innovation and creative approach to the delivery against all these objectives.

A critical success factor in 2021/22 will be prioritisation of communications messaging and resources in line with the new Corporate Plan. Getting this right will secure benefits for the Service, the wider Council and key stakeholders.

The plan recognises the importance of building on, and enhancing, existing good working relations with all service units to ensure effective information sharing both across the organisation and to external stakeholders.

8. Appendices

Appendix 1: Customers/Stakeholders and their needs

Customers Needs

Our key customers Require corporate communication support of service activity/ are Council campaigns. Volume of support required varies. Key areas of Services – who are activity in 2021-22 will include: essentially our ▪ CLT/Chief Executive: Promoting corporate initiatives. clients. Outworking of the 2020-24 Corporate Plan. Explaining the benefits of the Transformation Programme. Support for Belfast Region City Deal and Queen’s Parade. ▪ Regeneration: Comms and engagement for the Bangor Waterfront Redevelopment. ▪ Waste and Recycling: Ongoing borough-wide behaviour change campaign to help reach regional recycling targets. ▪ Democratic Services: Year-long programme of support to the Mayor, two Freedom of the Boroughs. ▪ Community/ Business: initiatives to assist with recovery from COVID-19. All employees Require timely and relevant information that enables them to do their jobs effectively. Also engagement opportunities so they can contribute improvement ideas and remain connected to wider organisation. This is particularly important during the current ongoing period of remote working/ socially distanced working.

Elected Require access to timely and relevant information that enables Members/politicians them to engage with constituents/partners and to explain Council decisions.

Media/social media Require answers to queries and insights into Council decisions. A influencers steady flow of stories tailored to their interest.

Key comms The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly increased the number of partners regional partners seeking to use Council communications channels to share public messaging. As Council seeks more partnership working opportunities at a local and regional level, the need for better communications networks is heightened.

AND Residents Access to service information and opportunities for engagement

AND Businesses Access to information on grants/support/advice; especially around recovery from COVID-19.

AND Arts/Heritage Access to information on grants/support/advise/events; especially Sector around recovery from COVID-19.

Appendix 2: PESTLE Analysis

Political Economic • Yet to achieve fully integrated or ‘one • Efficiency –trying to do more with less Borough’ identity politically or corporately resources • Increased negativity towards local politics • Failure across internal services to • Lack of understanding of the plan/budget for communications service/service pressures making difficult element of their service plans to manage work requests • Perception (incorrect) than digital/social • NI Public Sector Comms Forum helping media is a ‘no cost’ to establish new standards and • View that resources spent on procedures comms/marketing better spent on front- • More regional/ partnership working line services, especially coming out of providing additional profile opportunities COVID pandemic

Social Technological • Growth in audience on all Council social • Pandemic has accelerated remote media and web platforms working, which is helpful in meeting • Increasing expectation of 24/7 and multi- increasing expectation of 24/7 media based comms; in particular around communications customer care issues • Needs to be used to support new ways • Increasing need for more flexibility in of consulting work patterns to be able to respond • Need to engage more effectively with • Increasingly older local population but digital influencers necessity to engage with youth – • No coordinated approach across extremes of the comms channels Council • Desire for more openness and transparency in Council activities

Legal Environmental • Code of conduct • Silo thinking continues cross Council • Increasing ethical standards around limiting shared learning, duplicating transparency and openness effort/mixed messages to customers • Emergency planning – logging • Tension between corporate procedures (scrutiny) communications and decentralised • Copyright marketing functions • Increasing need for stronger governance • Pressure on service from demands of around on-line communications internal customers

Appendix 3: COVID-19 Impact on Service Delivery and Performance

Corporate Communications was designated a ‘critical service’ at the Emergency Council meeting on 20 March 2020, which marked the start of the COVID-19 lockdown period. The team then stopped all ‘business as normal’ activity and prioritised delivery against the pre- agreed objectives from the Council’s Business Continuity Plan. There are: 1. Providing information and reassurance to employees and responding to questions 2. Providing information to residents and responding to queries 3. Providing updates to Elected Members 4. Working with, and supporting, key partners 5. The role of good communication in any emergency situation cannot be underestimated. It works to inform and reassure, helps to connect people and provides an opportunity for dialogue on key issues. With the limitations on people’s opportunities for social interaction during this emergency, digital communication became even more critical than usual. The volume of work delivery by the communication team during, in particular, the first lockdown period, but continuing through recovery and in preparation for further waves has been, and continues to be, significant. Much of this has been delivered to very tight deadlines, in circumstances where not all the information needed is available, without access to our full range of communication channels and with competing pressures from various audiences. Key highlights of the activity delivered under each of the agreed objectives are listed below. This covers the period from 20 March to 31 August 2020.

Providing information and reassurance to employees and responding to questions

20 weekly edition of the staff newsletter ‘NEWS AND INFO’ (now being produced fortnightly) sharing safety and wellbeing messaging, staff stories, etc.

10 CE Updates on key decisions e.g. budgets/ furlough, etc.

Coronavirus updates – 6 info briefs for line managers and 8 all staff briefs.

Coronavirus email set up as a vehicle for staff to send queries or concerns about the pandemic to and get a quick/individual response.

Introduction of a text alert service – a facility whereby messages can be pushed out to all staff who have shared their mobile phone number with the Council.

Created an online ‘Employee Portal’ for furloughed staff to help them to keep connected to the organisation while not actively working.

Organised weekly (now fortnightly) COVID HOST meetings and 3 COVID SUM Forums.

A staff survey undertaken in August demonstrated the success of this communication with 78% of respondents rating the Council’s communications during the pandemic as ‘good’ or ‘very good’.

Providing information to residents and responding to queries

Given the circumstances of the pandemic and the directive to ‘stay at home’ digital communication saw a huge surge throughout lockdown.

Social Media Between 20 March and the end of July, the Communications Service:

Generated 620 posts across the three main corporate social media channels – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter

This is an average of 36 posts per week, approx. 5 posts per day, with ongoing monitoring of public comments and engagement on these, as appropriate (under normal circumstances we post 3 times per day)

Primary messaging concerned Council service provision

Also proactively support external agencies in communication of public health and safety information e.g. PHA, PSNI etc.

Ran substantial online campaigns, including celebrating VE Day and the NHS’ birthday.

Managed a significant increase in direct messaging (Facebook) - approximately 550 customer service messages received and processed. Saw a 25% increase in the number of people using this contact medium.

Responses to this public information service provided were very positive and resulted in a 11% increase in followers on Council channels over the 4-month period. Engagement levels also increased dramatically; at their peak levels were 400% higher than usual.

Website A special COVID-19 section was creating on the .gov website providing full details of how key Council services were working and sharing regional safety messages. During the lockdown period this was being updated 2-3 times per day as information changed very regularly. Between 20 March and the end of July, this section had over 78,000 views; with the top performing pages as outlined below:

Main COVID-19 Update page 53,459

Directory of Services 13,764

Covid Community Engagement 3,553

Waste – COVID Specific 2,793

Media relations Media enquiries slowed in the initial lockdown period as media outlets focused on health stories; however the focus returned to local councils after a couple of weeks around issues including waste management, burials services and closures of parks/open spaces. The closure of the Spectator and Chronicle group of newspapers for several weeks also had an impact locally. Between 20 March and the end of July, the Communications Service:

Responded to 70 media enquiries

Issued 20 press releases

Recorded 6 radio interview

Facilitated media attendance at virtual Council and Committee meetings

Feedback on the Service’s performance was requested from key partner journalist and is summarised below.

Belfast Live The team is very good, very personable and very prompt. Light years ahead of some others in terms of transparency and speed of response.

Bangor FM While we haven’t done as much as we ordinarily would have – obviously because a lot of events were cancelled - what we did was very useful. The interviews that were facilitated were on a range of very relevant COVID topics.

Spectator/ We have no complaints at all...and reporters will complain very quickly Chronicle if there’s something to complain about.

Providing updates to Elected Members Between 20 March and the end of August, 65 email briefs were issued to Elected Members, which provided dashboard statistics, updates on Council services, key public messaging and links to relevant partners’ COVID information. At a time when many were cut off from their usual sources of information these briefs provided a useful and succinct overview of activity across the Council and impacts on the wider Borough.

Working with, and supporting, key partners Via effective use of social media, the Council very actively supported the work of a number of key partners by sharing and promoting their messaging.

These included: ▪ NI Direct ▪ PHA ▪ South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust ▪ PSNI ▪ Community groups that received COVID-19 funding

Further work was done directly with the Executive Information Service and SEHSCT on youth messaging and the NHS birthday thank you campaign respectively. Feedback from both was very positive and is helping to build strong relationships that will be very helpful moving forward and particularly if further waves occur.

Comms Team, We wanted to thank you for all your work on the NHS Birthday SEHSCT campaign in AND. We got some great feedback from staff and senior management. It’s very much appreciated.

EIS Many thanks to the team for the very positive and timely responses on our queries and requests.

Community Planning Service Delivery Plan 1 April 2021 – 31 March 2022

Head of Service signature Patricia Mackey Date 25/02/2021

Peer Review signature

Stephen Addy Date 25/03/2021

Director signature Stephen Reid

Date Click or tap to enter a date.

CONTENTS

1. Introduction ...... 4 2. How does our Service contribute to community planning outcomes and PEOPLE priorities? ...... 7 3. Key activities for 2021/2022 ...... 8 4. Risks ...... 9 5. Resources ...... 17 6. Monitoring and Review ...... 18 7. Conclusions ...... 18 8. Appendices ...... 18

1. Introduction

Name of Community Planning Service Service Included Community Planning Service Units Directorate Chief Executives Purpose of The Local Government Act (NI) 2014 requires Ards and North Down Service Borough Council to initiate, maintain, facilitate and participate in community planning for our district. The Council is the lead partner and is required to put in place a process where we work with bodies (both named statutory and non-statutory) to develop and implement a shared vision for promoting well-being, increasing community cohesion and improving the quality of life of our citizens.

The Community Planning Service works across the whole of the borough and on a range of issues that often fall outside the remit of the Council. The Service is responsible for working with Community Planning Partners, support organisations, government departments and all Council directorates to ensure the community plan is embraced, implemented and reported on in accordance with the legislation.

The Community Planning Service: • facilitates and manages the community planning process including putting in place appropriate governance structures. • ensures that the commitments set out in the Council’s equality scheme are applied in the development and implementation, monitoring and review of the community plan. • works collaboratively with our statutory community planning partners and identifies support partners to implement the community plan and monitor its’ impact • collates and manages a statistical evidence base to inform the community planning process and to support other council services. • monitors the whole population impact of community planning via an agreed suite of indicators and the production of Performance Update Reports. • facilitates partners being able to collaborate with each other to implement and report on shared activities. where the community planning process adds value • ensures that community involvement and engagement is an integral part of the full community planning process.

The purpose and priority of the Community Planning Service is to work with both internal and external partners to progress the aspirations and commitments made within the Big Plan for Ards and North Down 2017- 2032

Key Strategic Community Planning Partnership Members customers/ Responsible for the development of the Big Plan and its implementation. stakeholders Need to be provided with information on progress to enable them to make and their decisions on budgets and resources within their own organisations. In needs 2021-22 will meet three times a year

Priority Issues Workstream Groups A review of how these groups operate was meant to have been completed in 2020-21 but was delayed due to Covid-19. Actions to be taken forward under each of the Big Plan priority issues will be co-ordinated where appropriate via workstream groups.

3rd Sector Community Planning Forum Members Meets twice a year, members also at attend Workstream Groups and Chairperson is a member of the Strategic Community Planning Partner

Council Services Communication about the Big Plan and information on how the outcomes and delivery plans should be integrated within their own service areas. Statistical information, data collection and analysis

Elected Members Communication about the Big Plan and awareness of the needs of constituents and how the Delivery Plans should improve the wellbeing of everybody within their Ards and North Down constituency

Department for Communities The Department is the primary sponsor of the legislation governing community planning and the service will have to adhere to any future guidance or performance reporting requirements

AND Residents Engagement and ensuring the Big Plan and its implementation are reflective of their needs. Once a year we aim to undertake a concentrated engagement activity. During 2020-21 we piloted a Big Conversation Panel engagement tool to receive feedback on a number of issues. Context, Implementation of the Big Plan, published March 2016, is overseen by challenges & Ards and North Down’s Strategic Community Planning Partnership key (SCPP), with its own Partnership Agreement, operating outside the remit of assumptions the Council. The Partnership Agreement establishes that all members of the Partnership are equal and that the Big Plan is a collaborative document with shared responsibility for delivery.

Ards and North Down Borough Council must demonstrate how and where our services and programmes contribute to the achievement of the outcomes within the Big Plan. The development of a new Corporate Plan for Ards and North Down has provided closer links to the Big Plan, with the outcomes and vision echoed across both documents.

There is a statutory link between the Community Plan and the Local Development Plan (LDP). This means during the development of the LDP,

consideration must be given to how the LDP will help the Big Plan achieve its five outcomes.

The Big Plan for Ards and North Down should link to the Northern Ireland Executive’s Programme for Government. Both plans have been developed using outcomes and indicators.

Partnership resources and commitment will continue to be a challenge, as will the pressures on the limited resources of the Community Planning Service. Considerable work is still needed on the identification of available data as well as agreements on how to deal with the emerging ‘data development agenda’.

Reflection on Measurable achievements from previous service planning cycles: previous performance 2016/17 – Publication of the Big Plan for Ards and North Down – successes and lessons 2017/18 – Endorsement of three delivery plans containing actions to learned implement the Big Plan and progress towards its five aspirational outcomes 2018/19 – Turning the Curve reports and Performance Scorecards written for all delivery plan actions and database and Performance Update Report templates set up to monitor the effectiveness of community planning delivery 2019/20 – Publication of the first Statement of Progress and initiation of a review progress to make community planning more tangible

2020/21 – Covid-19 Pandemic Actions and activities planned to have taken place during 2020-21 were severely curtailed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Community planning Service quickly moved from delivering against the aspirations of the Big Plan to co-ordinating the Council’s Community Support Plan and delivery 15,000 food parcels to people who found themselves vulnerable. The Service also established the Community Covid Recovery Steering Group to co-ordinate ongoing efforts by Council colleagues and other Community Planning Partners to identify need and put in place services to mitigate against long-term social damage caused by the pandemic.

2. How does our Service contribute to community planning outcomes and PEOPLE priorities?

Ards and North Down Borough Council’s Corporate Plan 2020-24 is under development at the time of writing this service plan. The Community Plan (The Big Plan for Ards and North Down) is a high level, outcomes focused, document that sits a level above the Council’s Corporate Plan. The Council’s new Corporate Plan has been written to better align with Big Plan and it mirrors both the vision and outcomes of the Big Plan. The PEOPLE priorities suggested in the draft plan explain how the Council’s statutory functions and wider remit help contribute to the aspirations for the borough as set out in the Big Plan.

The link between the Big Plan Outcomes and the PEOPLE Priorities is explained in the table below:

PEOPLE Big Plan Outcome Our focus for 2021/2022 Priorities All people in Ards and North (Big Plan Priority Workstreams) Down … Prosperity Outcome 4: Benefit from a P7 – Better jobs and skills prosperous economy P8 – Economic inequalities Environment Outcome 5: Feel pride from P9 – Sustainability having access to a well-managed P10 – Valuing our environment sustainable environment Opportunity Outcome 1: Fulfil their lifelong P1 – Resilience, democracy and potential empowerment P2 – Infrastructure and the public estate Pride Outcome 3: Live in communities P5 – Welcoming to everyone where they are respected, are P6 – Vulnerable people safe and feel secure Life Outcome 2: Enjoy good health P3 – Emotional health and wellbeing and wellbeing P4 – Whole system approach to obesity Excellence The is an enabling priority Engagement, communication and monitoring of progress

The overarching, cross-cutting ambition of the Big Plan is to have empowered, resilient individuals and communities; to reduce inequality; to promote good relations and sustainability; and to improve the accessibility of all public services.

3. Key activities for 2021/2022

SERVICE: Community Planning Service Community Plan Outcome: Outcome 4 – All people in Ards and North Down benefit from a prosperous economy Corporate Plan PEOPLE priority: PROSPERITY – we will create the conditions for businesses to start, sustain and grow and provide opportunities for employment Council KPI(s): Service Objective: To facilitate collaborative partnerships that achieve better outcomes for identified issues using a community planning approach. What difference will it make? Underpinning strategies: The Big Plan for Ards and North Down 2017-2032 Business as Usual activities we will deliver in 2021/2022 (actions) Due Date Lead Officer(s) Who do we need to help us? (Internal/External partners) Facilitate collaboration of community planning partners by providing opportunities for them to meet 1 per quarter CP Manager CP Partners Create Performance Scorecards for each Big Plan Priority 2 per six months D&A Analyst CP Partners Publish Performance Update Reports for each Big Plan Outcome 1 per six months CP Manager CP Partners

Performance Measures: Performance Measures Is the measure Reporting 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 Statutory, frequency Actual Actual Actual Actual Actual To date Corporate, Existing or New? Facilitate 4 partner meetings Existing Quarterly - - 4 4 4 0 (Covid) 4 P7 - Performance Scorecard Existing 6 months - - - - 2 0 (Covid) 2 P8 – Performance Scorecard Existing 6 months - - - - 2 0 (Covid) 2 Outcome 4 Performance Existing 6 months - - - - 2 0 (Covid) 2 Update Report1

1 Please note this is the same (single) performance report produced twice a year for the SCPP with information on all five Big Plan Outcomes

Performance Measures: Performance Measures Is the measure Reporting 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 Statutory, frequency Actual Actual Actual Actual Actual To date Corporate, Existing or New? Facilitate 4 partner meetings Existing Quarterly - - 4 4 4 0 (Covid) 4 P9 - Performance Existing 6 months - - - - 2 0 (Covid) 2 Scorecard P10 – Performance Existing 6 months - - - - 2 0 (Covid) 2 Scorecard Outcome 5 Performance Existing 6 months - - - - 2 0 (Covid) 2 Update Report2

2 Please note this is the same (single) performance report produced twice a year for the SCPP with information on all five Big Plan Outcomes

Performance Measures: Performance Measures Is the measure Reporting 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 Statutory, frequency Actual Actual Actual Actual Actual To date Corporate, Existing or New? Facilitate 4 partner meetings Existing Quarterly - - 4 4 4 0 (Covid) 4 P1 - Performance Existing 6 months - - - - 2 0 (Covid) 2 Scorecard P2 – Performance Existing 6 months - - - - 2 0 (Covid) 2 Scorecard Outcome 1 Performance Existing 6 months - - - - 2 0 (Covid) 2 Update Report3

3 Please note this is the same (single) performance report produced twice a year for the SCPP with information on all five Big Plan Outcomes

SERVICE: Community Planning Service Community Plan Outcome: Outcome 5 – All people in Ards and North Down feel pride from accessing a well-managed sustainable environment Corporate Plan PEOPLE priority: PRIDE – We will work in partnership with our communities Council KPI(s): Service Objective: To facilitate collaborative partnerships that achieve better outcomes for identified issues using a community planning approach. What difference will it make? Underpinning strategies: The Big Plan for Ards and North Down 2017-2032 Business as Usual activities we will deliver in 2021/2022 (actions) Due Date Lead Officer(s) Who do we need to help us? (Internal/External partners) Facilitate collaboration of community planning partners by providing opportunities for them to meet 1 per quarter CP Manager CP Partners Create Performance Scorecards for each Big Plan Priority 2 per six months D&A Analyst CP Partners Publish Performance Update Reports for each Big Plan Outcome 1 per six months CP Manager CP Partners

Performance Measures: Performance Measures Is the measure Reporting 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 Statutory, frequency Actual Actual Actual Actual Actual To date Corporate, Existing or New? Facilitate 4 partner meetings Existing Quarterly - - 4 4 4 0 (Covid) 4 P5 - Performance Scorecard Existing 6 months - - - - 2 0 (Covid) 2 P6 – Performance Scorecard Existing 6 months - - - - 2 0 (Covid) 2 Outcome 3 Performance Existing 6 months - - - - 2 0 (Covid) 2 Update Report4

4 Please note this is the same (single) performance report produced twice a year for the SCPP with information on all five Big Plan Outcomes

SERVICE: Community Planning Service Community Plan Outcome: Outcome 5 – All people in Ards and North Down feel pride from accessing a well-managed sustainable environment Corporate Plan PEOPLE priority: LIFE– We will support the physical and mental wellbeing of our residents through access to services, facilities and partnerships Council KPI(s): Service Objective: To facilitate collaborative partnerships that achieve better outcomes for identified issues using a community planning approach. What difference will it make? Underpinning strategies: The Big Plan for Ards and North Down 2017-2032 Business as Usual activities we will deliver in 2021/2022 (actions) Due Date Lead Officer(s) Who do we need to help us? (Internal/External partners) Facilitate collaboration of community planning partners by providing opportunities for them to meet 1 per quarter CP Manager CP Partners Create Performance Scorecards for each Big Plan Priority 2 per six months D&A Analyst CP Partners Publish Performance Update Reports for each Big Plan Outcome 1 per six months CP Manager CP Partners

Performance Measures: Performance Measures Is the measure Reporting 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 Statutory, frequency Actual Actual Actual Actual Actual To date Corporate, Existing or New? Facilitate 4 partner meetings Existing Quarterly - - 4 4 4 0 (Covid) 4 P3 - Performance Scorecard Existing 6 months - - - - 2 0 (Covid) 2 P4 – Performance Scorecard Existing 6 months - - - - 2 0 (Covid) 2 Outcome 2 Performance Existing 6 months - - - - 2 0 (Covid) 2 Update Report5

5 Please note this is the same (single) performance report produced twice a year for the SCPP with information on all five Big Plan Outcomes

SERVICE: Community Planning Service Community Plan Outcome: Outcome 5 – All people in Ards and North Down feel pride from accessing a well-managed sustainable environment Corporate Plan PEOPLE priority: EXCELLENCE– This requires us to be innovative and partner with other to make sustainable choices Council KPI(s): Service Objective: To facilitate collaborative partnerships that achieve better outcomes for identified issues using a community planning approach. What difference will it make? Underpinning strategies: The Big Plan for Ards and North Down 2017-2032 Business as Usual activities we will deliver in 2021/2022 (actions) Due Date Lead Officer(s) Who do we need to help us? (Internal/External partners) We Will inform people about the impact of community planning via the production of the 4 months CP Officer CP Partners Community Planning Service’s Engage Newsletter Facilitate meeting of the Strategic Community Planning Partnership 4 Months CP Manager CP Partners Provide secretariate support for the 3rd sector Community Planning Forum 6 months CP Officer CP Partners Produce a Performance Scorecard for the SCPP which will include additional performance 6 months D&E Analyst CP Partners information on the number of Partners submitting Performance Returns Publish the results of the legislative review under the tile of the Big Plan – Our Big Priorities March 2022 CP Manager CP Partners Publish an updated Assessment of Wellbeing (formally called statistical baseline) March 2022 D&E Analyst CP Partners Produce an updated Statement of Progress for DfC Nov 2021 CP Manager CP Partners Review the effectiveness of the Big Conversation Panel Sept 2021 CP Manager CP Partners

Performance Measures: Performance Measures Is the measure Reporting 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 Statutory, frequency Actual Actual Actual Actual Actual To date Corporate, Existing or New? Engage newsletter Existing 4 months 3 3 3 2 3 SCPP Meetings Existing 4 months 4 2 2 2 3 3rd Sector Forum Meetings Existing 6 months 3 2 2 2 Big Conversation Panel New 1 a year 2 TBD6 Performance Scorecard Existing 6 months 2 0(Covid) 2 for SCPP Publication of Big Plan : New (one off) Once 0(Covid) Our Big Priorities Submission of Statement Statutory Every 2 1 0 1 of Progress years Publication of New Every 2 - - 1 - - 0(Covid) 1 Assessment of Wellbeing year % spend against budget Existing Quarterly 90.16% 91.6% 95% % staff attendance Existing Quarterly 87.4% 100 95% % staff reporting regular Existing Quarterly 0(Covid) receipt of team briefings Pride in Performance Existing Once 0(Covid) Conversations

6 A review of the Big Conversation Panel will take place to determine if it is an effective method of engaging with the public

4. Risks

Gross Residual Risk Status Risk Risk Notes to Risk Further Action Action Due explain Ref: Current controls Risk Owner Description Required by rationale for Tolerate / I L R I L R scoring, etc. Action

1 Failure to 5 4 20 Promotion and accessibility 4 2 8 Action Consult with March 2022 Community engage of the Big Plan for Ards and communities on the Planning communities North Down and the Big Big Plan priorities Manager in the delivery Conversation – online and identified via the of the hardcopy review community plan

2 Failure to 5 4 20 Formalised structure of 5 2 10 Action Publication of March 2022 Community secure buy-in Partnership to ensure the Performance Update Planning from correct people engage at the Reports for each Big Manager Statutory correct level Plan Outcome and Community Partnership Planning Scorecard. Increase Partners meetings from 2 to 3 per annum.

3 Failure to 5 3 15 Facilitation of community 4 2 8 Action Relevant officers March 2022 Community secure buy-in planning professional participating in groups Planning from Council workshop and inclusion in delivering the priority Manager department other working groups. issues. Link Big Plan Communication via intranet Performance Returns to Council’s internal performance management software

Gross Residual Risk Status Risk Risk Notes to Risk Further Action Action Due explain Ref: Current controls Risk Owner Description Required by rationale for Tolerate / I L R I L R scoring, etc. Action

4 Failure to 5 4 20 Not all data needed to 5 3 15 Action Development of March 2022 Community Risk will need gather assess performance is Performance Returns Planning reassessed if we adequate collected. The Big Plan has Manager don’t appoint a data to a large data development data analyst measure the agenda success of the Big Plan

5 Failure to 5 3 15 Information and training 5 2 10 Action Regular updates and March 2022 Community adequately provided to CLT and HOST inclusion of HOST Planning resource and inclusion in community and relevant service Manager changes to planning progression managers in delivery service groups to agree delivery the actions and service community changes required plan may require

6 Failure to 5 2 10 Delivery plans have been 4 1 4 Action Publication of Big March 2022 Community deliver a agreed and contain actions Plan Part II with a Planning Community to implement the aspirations more focused list of Manager Plan of the Big Plan. Performance priorities Update Report template has been developed 7 Interruption to 5 4 20 Established Covid-19 3 4 12 Action Report to Council’s March 2022 Community The impact from service Community Recovery Strategic Covid-19 Planning a second wave caused by Steering Group to co- Recovery Group Manager is unknown but Covid-19 ordinate the activities of can be relevant community planning considered likely working groups

5. Resources

Are all actions resourced within the current (2021/22) budget plan? Yes No

Will additional resources be required? Yes No (If no please comment in Section A below how the actions will be funded, ie Staff Resources, Equipment, Revenue Budget, Capital Budget.) (If yes please detail additional resources in Section B below.)

Section A: Actions are all based on staffing levels of service

The service is supported by the following officers: 1 full-time Community Planning Manager 1 full-time Community Planning Officer 1 full-time Community Planning Data and Evidence Analyst

Section B: Staff:

Financial:

Other:

If the required additional resources are NOT available, please state: What is the likely impact on performance?

What is the likely impact on the public?

What is the likely impact on staffing?

6. Monitoring and Review The Community Planning governance structure is responsible for ensuring the delivery of the Community Plan is completed on time and that appropriate indicators are used to measure the ability of the Plan to ‘turn the curve’ and deliver the desired outcomes.

Regular meeting of the Strategic Community Planning Partnership and the various delivery groups will also monitor the delivery of the Community Plan.

The original service plan for 2020-21 focused on transforming the effectiveness of the monitoring and reporting arrangements. The interruption to the service caused by Covid-19 and the vacant Data Analyst post meant that this was not possible During 2020-21. Many of these actions have transferred to the 2021-22 Service Plan.

7. Conclusions Highlights will include: - Production of an Assessment of Wellbeing - Production of Our Big Priorities – Part II of the Big Plan - Performance Scorecards

8. Appendices None

FINANCE SERVICE

1 April 2021 – 31 March 2022

Head of Service signature

Date 09/04/2021

Peer Review signature Clare McGill

Date 09/04/2021

Director signature

Date 12/04/2021

CONTENTS

1. Introduction ...... 4 2. How does our Service contribute to community planning outcomes and PEOPLE priorities? ...... 6 3. Key activities for 2021/2022 ...... 7 4. Risks ...... 12 5. Resources ...... 16 6. Monitoring and Review ...... 17 7. Conclusions ...... 17 8. Appendices ...... 17

1. Introduction

Name of Finance Service Service Included Corporate Accounting & Employee Payments Service Units Performance Accounting & Income Collection Capital Accounting & Supplier Payments

Directorate Finance and Performance

Purpose of The role of the Finance Service is to support all other Council services by Service delivering efficient and effective stewardship of Council funds by providing leadership and excellence in strategic and operational financial matters.

Fulfilling this role will result in high quality financial services that are compliant with legislation and good practice and that facilitate the Council achieving its corporate objectives.

Key Our key customers are Council Services, including CLT, HoST and SUMs. Other customers/ key stakeholders include Elected Members, staff, external customers, suppliers stakeholders and our residents. and their needs Strategic needs include a need for a financial strategy, strategic financial information and advice and a proportionate internal financial control environment.

Operational needs include the needs to pay staff, collect debts, pay suppliers and provide accurate, timely financial management information and advice.

Context, 1. Covid-19 restrictions and the work at home arrangements will continue to challenges & provide challenges to operations of the service. Once staff return to the office key the challenge will be to maintain the paperless processes, video- assumptions conferencing and other digital progress made during the pandemic. 2. Capacity to develop skills in the use of spreadsheets, particularly for data analysis and modern reporting techniques, and to draft a new suite of finance policies. 3. The following assumptions have been made in the formulation of this plan: a. An appropriate level of NI Executive financial support will be received in relation to lost services and rates income. b. Home working arrangements will continue for the initial part of the financial year. c. The first wave of the new integrated Human Resources and Employee Payments software will go live in the first quarter of the year. d. The Strategic Transformation Programme will gain momentum in the first half of the financial year, which will inform the estimates process for 2022/23. Reflection on Performance year to date has been significantly affected by the Covid-19 previous pandemic. performance • The Service continues to achieve all key statutory deadlines with regard to – successes budgeting and financial reporting. and lessons • The Service’s performance in 2020/21 to date has been positive. The learned percentage of supplier paid within 30 days increased to 99% in quarter 3, the highest of all Northern Ireland district councils. Collection of centrally

managed debts on the other hand is at its lowest in six years due to the economic effects of the pandemic. Employee payments continue to have high accuracy levels, although the management of furlough has brought challenges in this regard. Significant progress has been made with the implementation of the new integrated Human Resources and Employee Payments software, with expected go live dates in May 2021. • Workloads have increased in the accounting functions during the year as the budgets required re-setting; in addition employee payments needed to implement processes to access the CJRS and come to terms with business as usual working from home; supplier payments needed to implement a new working from home paperless invoice approval process. • Despite good past performance particularly with regard to ‘business as usual’ activities, there is concern that the resourcing levels will continue to inhibit future value added improvements and responsiveness to demands from across the organisation. This risks inhibiting realisation of improvements to greater collaborative working. This can also be seen with the difficulty in completing a number of service improvement work streams particularly around policy development and income collection processes. • This Service will adopt an Outcomes Based Accountability approach used in the (draft) Corporate Plan 2020-24 and will align with the direction of the Corporate Plan.

2. How does our Service contribute to community planning outcomes and PEOPLE priorities?

The Finance Service can be expected to have a direct impact on the following:

Community Planning PEOPLE Our focus for 2021/2022 Outcome priority All Outcomes Excellence: To enable us To comply with statutory financial to deliver the first five of obligations our PEOPLE priorities we

must be an effective, To provide high quality and timely efficient and forward- service thinking organisation. Excellence requires us to be innovative and partner To effectively engage with our with others to make customers in order to improve service sustainable choices that delivery make a positive difference to everyone who has a stake in the To promote the Council’s ‘Digital by Default’ policy Ards and North Down area.

3. Key activities for 2021/2022

SERVICE: Finance Community Plan Outcome: Supporting All Outcomes Corporate Plan PEOPLE priority(ies): Excellence Council KPI(s): - Service Objective: To comply with statutory financial obligations What difference will it make? Demonstrate good financial governance engendering confidence in the Council Underpinning strategies: - Business as Usual activities we will deliver in 2021/2022 (actions) Due Date Lead Officer(s) Who do we need to help us? (Internal/Exter nal partners) Produce financial statements for audit within the statutory timetable 30 June Corp Acct All Services Publish audited financial statements within the statutory timetable 30 September Corp Acct All Services Set budgets and district rates within the statutory timetable 15 February Perf Acct All Services Set affordable borrowing limit within the statutory timetable 31 March Cap Acct All Services

SERVICE: Finance Community Plan Outcome: Supporting All Outcomes Corporate Plan PEOPLE priority(ies): Excellence Council KPI(s): % of suppliers paid within 30 calendar days of receipt Service Objective: To provide high quality and timely service What difference will it make? Ensure competent and engaged staff engendering confidence in the Service Allow internal and external customers to plan effectively Creating efficiencies and improving value for money Underpinning strategies: -

Business as Usual activities we will deliver in 2021/2022 (actions) Due Date Lead Officer(s) Who do we need to help us? (Internal/External partners) Pay Employees Paid accurately & on time Ongoing Corp Acct All Services Collect invoiced debts within 30 days Ongoing Perf Acct - Pay suppliers within 30 calendar days of receipt Ongoing Cap Acct All Services Issue revenue budget reports in a timely fashion Ongoing Perf Acct - Complete control account reconciliations in a timely fashion Ongoing Corp Acct - Invest time in team briefing, training, development and performance conversations Ongoing Head of Organisational Finance Development Attain ‘Satisfactory’ classification on Internal Audit Reports 31 March 2022 Head of - Finance Receive an unqualified external audit opinion 30 September Head of All Services 2022 Finance

Service Development / Improvement

Which of the Who do we need to What service development/improvement specified Rationale Lead help us? Due Date will we undertake in 2021/2022? aspects will Officer(s) (Internal/External this partners) improve? Digitise Employee Payment Efficiency Completion of long-term project to July Corp Acct Human Processes integrate Human Resource, 2021 Resources & Employee Payments, Expenses, Organisational Time and Attendance systems to Development and reduce data redundancy, digitise Strategic systems, improve efficiency and Transformation management information. and Performance Services

Which of the Who do we need to What service development/improvement specified Rationale Lead help us? Due Date will we undertake in 2021/2022? aspects will Officer(s) (Internal/External this partners) improve? Investigate feasibility of centralising Efficiency Integration and harmonisation of March Perf Acct Leisure and Leisure and Amenities invoicing and credit control processes 2022 Amenities credit control Service Introduce Capital Budget Reporting Service Currently there is only capital budget March Cap Acct - Availability reporting for projects on the capital 2022 project portfolio Develop Finance Policies Efficiency Standardise current practice March Head of HoST 2022 Finance

Conduct a Customer Satisfaction Service Identify areas for development March Head of CLT, HoST and Survey Quality 2022 Finance SUMs

SPECIFIED ASPECTS OF IMPROVEMENT What will this improve? Definition is key to linking the community plan, and the ongoing processes that underpin it, with a council’s improvement processes. The Department would Strategic Effectiveness expect that a council’s strategic community planning outcomes and objectives should be central to that council’s improvement activity and clearly contribute to the strategic effectiveness aspect. Service Quality all relate to service provision by aiming to meet the needs of citizens and ensuring fair ease of access to the most suitable services that meet their needs. Clearly, all of these objectives can be demonstrated individually or collectively. Fairness can also be demonstrated by exercising non-service Service Availability functions in ways which reduce disadvantage and improve social well-being, for instance by improving citizens’ access to information or by addressing inequalities experienced by Section 75 groups. Fairness When carrying out its functions or providing services, a council may demonstrate improvement when it operates in a way that contributes towards Sustainability the sustainability of its area, as required under the Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2006 and the associated Northern Ireland Executive Sustainable Development Strategy. Oon-going efficiency may also be shown if fewer resources are utilised while maintaining provision of Efficiency substantially similar or better services. Should a council choose to alter the manner by which a service is provided and in so doing it uses fewer resources or more integrated services, it will not only be demonstrating efficiency, but may demonstrate improved sustainability as well

SPECIFIED ASPECTS OF IMPROVEMENT What will this improve? Definition any changes to service design and delivery methods that are intended to yield improvement under any other aspect and are reasonably likely to do Innovation so. This allows councils to make changes which may not have tangible effects within the same reporting year, but are likely to in subsequent years, and still count them as improvements.

Service activities being stopped / changed:

What service / activities will we Reason for stopping / Savings Impact on Impact on the Public Impact on be stopping / changing in changing activity Performance staffing 2021/2022 Large scale manual keying of Move to new integrated HR At least £20,000 Reduce None Reduction of Employee Payment and Employee Payment processing time at least 0.67 Information System FTE

Performance Measures:

Performance Measures Is the Reporting 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 (should include those for the measure frequency Actual Actual Actual Actual Actual To date Business as Usual and Service Statutory, Improvement actions outlined Corporate, above and relevant measures Existing or from Community, Corporate and New? Statutory) % of statutory deadlines met Existing Qtly 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% % employees paid Existing Qtly - - - 99.9% 99.7% 99.6% 100% accurately & on time % debtors payments Existing Qtly - 77% 66% 72% 74% 42% 75% received within 30 days % of suppliers paid within 30 Existing Qtly 63% 82% 81% 89% 93% 94% 95% calendar days of receipt Average days to issue Existing Qtly - 19 13 9 9 41 9 revenue budget reports

Performance Measures Is the Reporting 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 (should include those for the measure frequency Actual Actual Actual Actual Actual To date Business as Usual and Service Statutory, Improvement actions outlined Corporate, above and relevant measures Existing or from Community, Corporate and New? Statutory) Average days to complete Existing Qtly - - - - 24 5 9 control reconciliations % Staff Attendance Existing Qtly - 92% 84% 94% 97% 98% 95% % Spend against budget Existing Qtly - 93% 97% 91% 96% 99% 95% % staff reporting regular Existing Qtly - - - 87% 71% - 100% receipt of team briefings Pride in Performance Existing Annually - 95% Conversations (at end of Q2)

4. Risks

Ref: Risk Description Gross Current controls Residual Risk Further Action Action Due Risk Risk Risk Status Required by Owner I L R I L R Tolerate / Action

1. Misuse of Accounting 4 5 20 • Recruitment of staff with 2 2 4 Action • Review user March 2022 Head of Systems leads to mis- integrity processing Finance statement of financial • Passwords and file records • Limited restriction of user maintenance processing rights rights • Robust hierarchy of management and supervision

2. Failure of key financial 5 5 25 • Recruitment of staff with 3 2 6 Action • Development March 2022 Head of controls leads to errors integrity of procedures Finance and/or fraudulent activity • Segregation of duties manuals • Finance review and • Finance authorisation of payments induction for • Master Audit Report reviews appropriate • Budgetary control process staff • Bank reconciliations • Totalmobile • Participating in NFI training for • Duplicate Invoices Report users reviewed before each suppliers’ payment run. • Correction logs in place. • Revised Supplier Payments Guidance emphasised the importance of maintaining internal controls 3. Council does not maintain 5 5 25 • Projected revenue out-turn 4 2 8 Action • Introduction of March 2022 Head of adequate financial and Balance Sheet capital budget Finance reserves leads to financial forecasting included in reporting instability Estimates reports

Ref: Risk Description Gross Current controls Residual Risk Further Action Action Due Risk Risk Risk Status Required by Owner I L R I L R Tolerate / Action

• Benchmarking with other NI councils • Chief Executive statement on adequacy of reserves at estimates • Budgetary control reports Review at end of year • Medium-Term Financial Strategy (including guiding principle on building up the General Fund balance) approved. • Additional Support received for some losses from the NI Executive and HM Treasury

4. Inadequate disaster 4 3 12 • Business Technology back- 3 1 3 Action • Finalise March 2022 Capital recovery procedures lead ups Business Accounta to inability to process • Use of Signal as a back-up Impact nt and transactions processing location Assessments Corporate • Systems redesigned to • Go live with May 2022 Accounta operate in home working cloud-based nt environment payroll software • Agreement of Home working Policy 5. Failure to maintain 5 3 15 • Employment of skilled staff 5 1 5 Action • Establish March 2022 Capital adequate working capital • Contract with Treasury mechanism Accounta and security of Treasury Management Advisors for HoS to nt deposits leads to • Maintain register of report significant loss of reserves investments significant cash flows as

Ref: Risk Description Gross Current controls Residual Risk Further Action Action Due Risk Risk Risk Status Required by Owner I L R I L R Tolerate / Action

• Adhere to Treasury early as Management Strategy possible. Statement • Keep under regular review the short-term cash flow projections • Keeping up to date with market changes – treasury management advisors

6 Failure to plan for smooth 4 5 20 • Council expectations 4 2 8 Action • Continue to February Head of modest district rate • Medium Term Financial embed the 2022 Finance increases Strategy use of • Medium Term Financial Plan business cases in Council decision making (addressing issues such as funding opportunities, VAT recovery and use of risk registers)

7 Failure to properly 5 3 15 • Project management system 4 4 16 Action • Use of parallel May 2021 Head of implement new integrated set up runs to test Finance HR & Employee Payments • Consultation with key accuracy of and system (Core2) stakeholders data Corporate • Communicating with staff • Project to be Accounta through Team Brief adequately nt resourced

Ref: Risk Description Gross Current controls Residual Risk Further Action Action Due Risk Risk Risk Status Required by Owner I L R I L R Tolerate / Action

• Online training of Key Staff by provided by software vendor • Access to legacy systems • User Acceptance testing complete

8 Over-reliance on key 4 4 16 • Four qualified accountants 4 3 12 Action • Review March 2022 Head of individuals employed, each supported by staffing Finance assistant accountants structure to enhance resilience

5. Resources

Are all actions resourced within the current (2021/22) budget plan? Yes ☐ No ☒

Will additional resources be required? Yes ☒ No ☐ (If no please comment in Section A below how the actions will be funded, ie Staff Resources, Equipment, Revenue Budget, Capital Budget.) (If yes please detail additional resources in Section B below.)

Section A: There is adequate budget within the Service to deliver this plan, however, see section B in respect of staffing.

Section B:

Staff: Additional accounting resources are required, but these are in part dependant on savings to be realised through implementation of the new integrated Human Resources and Employee Payments system. Financial: Cost Centre 2020/21 2021/22 Budget FTE Budget FTE £ £ Head of Finance 82,900 1.0 85,600 1.0 Corporate Accounting 282,000 8.0 312,100 8.0 Performance Accounting 205,000 5.1 213,300 5.1 Capital Accounting 245,600 6.2 254,100 6.2 Corporate Management 112,000 - 117,500 - Total 927,500 20.3 982,600 20.3

Other: -

If the required additional resources are NOT available, please state: What is the likely impact on performance?

What is the likely impact on the public?

What is the likely impact on staffing?

6. Monitoring and Review In adherence with corporate requirements, including quarterly reporting to Committee. Performance will also be discussed at regular manager meetings and all staff workshops. 7. Conclusions This plan provides focus for the service for the 2021/22 financial year.

8. Appendices

PESTLE Analysis

Political - Council desire for transformation of services to improve efficiency and effectiveness and release resources for other purposes.

Economic - Longer-term impact of Covid-19 pandemic communities and businesses. - Long-term decline of non-domestic tax base. - Restrictions on carrying central government funding between financial years.

Social - Potential for significant homeworking arrangements following the pandemic.

Technological - Implementation of new integrated employee payments and human resource software. - Need for new financial software and reporting package.

Legal - Non-domestic rating consultation. - Potential update of Local Government Finance Act (NI) 2011 in respect of payments to Councillors. - Breaking of statutory link between domestic and non-domestic rates. - The main statutes that the Finance Service delivers its functions under are:

o Local Government Finance Act (NI) 2011 (LGFA) o Rates (NI) Order 1977 (as amended) (RO) o Rates Regulations (NI) 1997 (RR) o Local Government (Accounts and Audit) Regulations (NI) 2015 (LGAAR) o Local Government (Capital Finance and Accounting) Regulations (NI) 2011(LGCFAR) o Local Government (Payment to Councillors) Regulations (NI) 2012) o HMRC PAYE and VAT Regulations

- There are a number of other codes with quasi-legal standing which the Council is obliged to comply with:

o CIPFA Code of Practice on Local Authority Accounting in the UK o International Financial Reporting Standards o CIPFA Prudential Code for Capital Finance o CIPFA Code of Practice on Treasury Management

- In addition, the Council must comply with requests under the Freedom of Information Act, or from the Department for Communities.

Environmental - Implications of Pathway to Sustainability initiative

SWOT Analysis

Strengths Opportunities • Knowledgeable and committed • New Employee Payments staff software systems and business • Well respected by Members processes • Good quality core services • Closer working with the Human • 10-year financial plan in place Resources and Organisational • Statutory financial accountability Development Service structures • The transformation and efficiency agenda

Weaknesses Threats • Capacity to develop use of • Configuration of office space technology to improve efficiency • Volume of work – particularly (eg. spreadsheet skills and use during Covid-19 pandemic of digital services) • Change fatigue • Still using legacy policies and procedures • Lack of common areas for staff

Strategic Transformation and Performance

1 April 2021 – 31 March 2022

Head of Service signature For Audit purposes please ensure this is signed. Date 19/04/2021

Peer Review signature Patricia Mackey Date 19/04/2021

Director signature

Date 19/04/2021

CONTENTS

1. Introduction ...... 3 2. How does our Service contribute to community planning outcomes and PEOPLE priorities? ...... 5 3. Key activities for 2021/2022 ...... 5 4. Risks ...... 10 5. Resources ...... 11 6. Monitoring and Review ...... 12 7. Conclusions ...... 12 8. Appendices ...... 12

1. Introduction

Name of Strategic Transformation and Performance Service Included Business Technology Service Units Performance Improvement Procurement Directorate Finance and Performance Purpose of Support Council services on the above functions and add value to Services to Service achieve more efficient and effective performance and be a high performing organisation.

We do this by providing support and insight to our clients and by having effective governance arrangements in place to aid compliance and enable and support continuous performance improvement of the Council.

Insight

Support Governance

Key Our key customers are other Council Services, who are effectively our Clients. customers/ Other key stakeholders include Elected Members, Northern Ireland Audit Office, stakeholders suppliers and our residents. and their needs Context, Key challenges affecting the Service include regulatory changes arising from challenges & Brexit, increasing cyber threats, the growing dependence on and opportunities key presented by technology, and a public, political, and corporate desire for assumptions transformation and efficiency. The Service will need to continually evolve to help the Council adapt to these and grasp opportunities presented. This may require resources to be reviewed in line with strategic commitments.

Challenges include legislative compliance in a changing environment, responding to technological threats, opportunities presented by cloud-based computing and mobile working, and supporting the Council to deliver performance improvement projects in the context of finite financial resources.

Reflection on The service has performed well in what has been a very challenging year and has previous seen each of the service units diversify into other work areas in response to the performance Covid-19 global pandemic. – successes and lessons As a result of the global pandemic, focus on the Council’s Transformation learned Programme was transferred to the provision of management information to CLT, HoST and DfC . The Service provided support to the implementation and set up of the Food Parcel Scheme and co-ordination of the PPE ordering process for officers. Throughout the last year the service has seen remote working for 320 staff implemented within the first 5 weeks of lockdown - with 250 connections to the council’s network established.

2. How does our Service contribute to community planning outcomes and PEOPLE priorities?

The Strategic Transformation and Performance (STaP) service supports other services in the achievement of community plan objectives.

3. Key activities for 2021/2022

SERVICE: Strategic Transformation and Performance Community Plan Outcome: STaP supports other services in the achievement of community plan objectives Corporate Plan PEOPLE priority(ies): Excellence / Prosperity Council KPI(s): % of transactions made through self-service channels % Resident Satisfaction Investors in People accreditation status No of businesses supported Service Objective: We aim to support the Council to be a high performing organisation through the provision of knowledge, skills, expertise, good practice and resource to all Council services on relevant projects, performance improvement activities, procurement and business technology What difference will it make? Through empowering and developing relevant skills across the Council to enable improvement; providing constructive challenge as a business partner; and through the identification, sharing and adoption of good practice and performance improvement opportunities we strive to improve Council services. Underpinning strategies: Draft Corporate Plan 2020-2024 Digital by Default Transformation Programme Business as Usual activities we will deliver in 2021/2022 (actions) Due Date Lead Officer(s) Who do we need to help us? (Internal/External partners) We will support organisational transformation including supporting services to design, develop and evolve Ongoing PIM Heads of Service; delivery of their services SUMs Further integrate Service Planning with budget setting process and revise approach to aid collective September 2021 PIM Heads of Service development of plans

Proactively monitor ICT backend infrastructure and security systems to ensure alignment with National Cyber Ongoing BTM Third Party Security Centre (NCSC), and internal audit guidance consultancy – Leaf, Cyphra Review the approach for service-related business technology expenditure including centralisation vs September 2021 BTM Heads of Service decentralisation, visibility /reporting and prioritisation/approvals. SME training Ongoing PM Economic Development; Businesses in the borough Develop and implement policies to comply with recent legislative developments on Modern Slavery in the Ongoing PM Supply Chain, Brexit (The Public Procurement (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit), The Trader Support Service, and Social Value in Procurement Apply best value practices, establish working groups to implement collaborative corporate tenders, Ongoing PM Heads of Service commercialisation, multi council tenders and enhance reporting of efficiencies Progress invest to save business case for efficiencies through corporate contracts Ongoing PM Heads of Service Establish, manage and report on budgets, being conscious of the need to deliver value for money for our Ongoing Head of Service SUMs ratepayers We will maintain a healthy working environment driven by PERFORM elements including effective planning, Ongoing Head of Service STaP engagement and communication, teamworking, celebrating success etc

Service Objective:

Who do we need to Which of the What service development/improvement Rationale help us? specified aspects Due Date Lead Officer(s) will we undertake in 2021/2022? (Internal/External will this improve? partners) Review operation of Service Desk to ensure • Strategic Moving the service desk from logging 31 March Business alignment with ITIL v4 best practice effectiveness incidents and requests to providing 2022 Technology guidelines. • Service Quality end-to-end support for the business Manager • Sustainability by engaging with people and • Efficiency understanding the business impact of an incident or request will improve both levels of service and customer satisfaction. Review performance management and Improving the outcomes for the 30 Performance continuous improvement framework residents of Ards and North Down is September Improvement uppermost on the Council’s agenda. 2022 Manager Reviewing the current Performance Management Framework provides

Who do we need to Which of the What service development/improvement Rationale help us? specified aspects Due Date Lead Officer(s) will we undertake in 2021/2022? (Internal/External will this improve? partners) an opportunity to fundamentally rethink our role in light of the range of challenges and opportunities that have been presented through the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting route to recovery. Review polices, processes and ways of This is an ongoing process and the Ongoing Procurement working and, as a result, update handbooks/ procurement handbook is updated as Manager guidance Regulations 2019 and review regulations change to include the Single Use Plastic ban guidance currently in most current policy updates. The the procurement handbook and support full Brexit Guidance note has now been implementation of same guidance. included and implemented but will require further modifications as the Trader Support Scheme is rolled out. The Single Use Plastic Ban guidance will be included in a Social Value in Procurement Policy which is currently being drafted.

SPECIFIED ASPECTS OF IMPROVEMENT What will this improve? Definition any changes to service design and delivery methods that are intended to yield improvement under any other aspect, and are reasonably likely to do so. This Innovation allows councils to make changes which may not have tangible effects within the same reporting year, but are likely to in subsequent years, and still count them as improvements.

Service Objective:

What service / activities will we Reason for stopping / Savings Impact on Impact on the Public Impact on be stopping / changing in changing activity Performance staffing 2021/2022 Handover of Core to HR & OD and Implementation of upgraded Allows PIU staff to N/A 80% PIO time Finance Services version of integrated HR, focus on Performance released once Employee Payments and Time role solution is fully and Attendance solution implemented

Performance Measures Is the measure Reporting 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 (should include those for the Business as Usual and Statutory, frequency Actual Actual Actual To date (Dec Target Service Improvement actions outlined above and Corporate, 2020) relevant measures from Community, Corporate and Existing or New? Statutory) % attendance Existing Quarterly 93% 95% 98% 99.7% 95% % time invested in team briefing, training, Existing Quarterly 7% 8% 4.81% 4.26% 5% development and performance conversations Date of implementation of revised annual planning Dec 2020 arrangements No. of successful procurement challenges Existing Quarterly 0 0 0 0 0 % service calls satisfactorily addressed within Existing Quarterly 97% 97% 97% 97% 97% timescales % systems and network uptime Existing Quarterly 99.9% 98% 99.9% 99% 99% No of live transformation/ efficiency projects Existing Quarterly - - - 4+ supported % Satisfactory Audit Reports Existing Quarterly 100% 100% 100% Not yet 100% available % spend against budget Existing Quarterly 91% 99% 96% 98% 100% £ procurement savings Existing Quarterly £89k £212k £271k £55k £250k % Client Satisfaction Existing Quarterly 91% 99% Not carried Not yet 95% out owing available % staff satisfaction Existing Quarterly 93% 100% to onset of Not yet 100% Covid-19 available

4. Risks

Residual Risk Gross Risk Notes to explain Risk Status Further Action Risk Ref: Risk Description Current controls Action Due by rationale for Required Owner Tolerate scoring, etc I L R I L R / Action Lack of corporate support/resistance to change Education, for performance improvement communication and initiatives and wider Use of PIDs, joint teams with user building 1 performance culture 4 3 12 inputs, rollout of PERFORM 4 2 8 Action relationships Ongoing MMcV Team Briefings, investment in staff Maintain focus on Low staff morale causing poor development, focus on positive communication and Head of 2 service performance 3 3 9 working environment 3 2 6 Action engagement Ongoing Service Non-adherence to procurement and governance requirements Review, embed and (including changes due to communicate BREXIT) leading to financial governance 3 cost, audit and public criticism 4 3 12 Governance arrangements, Audits 4 2 8 Action arrangements Ongoing DB Put program in place to remove remaining old/legacy servers running 2003/2008 and to patch other Client Machines receive monthly vulnerable client security patches. Servers on new software eg Office, AND domain receive monthly Adobe. Develop security patches. Web/E-Mail plan to address filtering and Antivirus on all recommendations Failure of ICT infrastructure or machines. Periodic Phishing tests in Cyber Security cyber-attack causing service and awareness emails sent to all Audit and 3rd part 4 failure, cost and negative PR. 5 4 20 staff 5 3 15 Action review Ongoing CW Build relationships with key clients and Lack of communication from improve processes clients impacting on Service where there are 5 e.g. re new start or leavers 2 4 8 Raise at HOST, email reminders 2 3 6 Action known issues. Ongoing CW

5. Resources Staffing: The service is comprised of 14 FTEs. Currently the Head of Service post is vacant. The structure of the service is as follows:

Head of Service

Business Performance Procurement Technology Improvement Manager Manager Manager

2 x Performance 3 x Business 1 x Procurement Improvement Technology Officer Officer Officer

2 x Business 1 x Performance 1 x Procurement Technology Improvement Assistant Technician Officer (GIS)

Budget: The proposed budget for the 2021/22 year is £1.8m

Resourcing remains largely consistent with previous years. Whilst current resourcing will support the delivery of required services, there remains a risk that resourcing levels may inhibit the realisation of Council’s aspirations across procurement effectiveness and efficiency, and harnessing technology. It may therefore be necessary to review all existing resources to deliver on the Council’s strategic transformation commitments.

Are all actions resourced within the current (2021/22) budget plan? Yes No

Will additional resources be required? Yes No See narrative above.

(If no please comment in Section A below how the actions will be funded, ie Staff Resources, Equipment, Revenue Budget, Capital Budget.) (If yes please detail additional resources in Section B below.)

Section A:

Section B: Staff:

Financial:

Other:

If the required additional resources are NOT available, please state: What is the likely impact on performance?

What is the likely impact on the public?

What is the likely impact on staffing?

6. Monitoring and Review In adherence with corporate requirements, including quarterly reporting to Committee. Performance will also be discussed at regular manager meetings and all staff workshops.

7. Conclusions This plan provides focus for the service for the 2021/22 financial year.

8. Appendices N/A

Strategic Capital Development

Service Plan 2021-2022

Head of Service signature

Date 02.11.2020

Peer Review signature

Date

Director signature Simon Christie

Date

1. Introduction ...... 3 2. How does our Service contribute to community outcomes and corporate priorities? ...... 4 3. Resources ...... 7 4. Risks ...... 8 5. Monitoring and Review ...... 10 6. Conclusions ...... 10 7. Appendices ...... 10

1. Introduction

Name of Capital Projects Unit Service Included Strategic Capital Development Service Units Directorate Finance and Performance Purpose of Support Council services on the above functions and add value to Services. Service We do this by providing support and insight to our clients and by having effective governance arrangements in place to aid compliance and enable and support directorates to deliver the capital portfolio of the Council.

Key Our key customers are other Council Services (directorates), who are effectively customers/ our Clients. Other key stakeholders include Elected Members, Northern Ireland stakeholders Audit Office, consultants, contractors, funding bodies, operators, suppliers and and their our residents. needs Context, Key challenges affecting the Service include regulatory changes arising from challenges & Brexit related to procurement. Available capital requiring project prioritisation key establishing a 10 year capital delivery plan. Draw down arrangements with assumptions funding executive Departments. The Service will need to continually evolve to help the Council adapt to these and grasp opportunities presented. It is assumed that any identified resources will be available to enable this.

Challenges include: • Available capital related to ambition • Available capital third party funding related to COVID19 • Available capital related to council financial standing due to COVID19 • Implementing governance to project delivery across directorates • Internal unit resources to match client service unit project load • Assist and lead in the council asset capital strategy

Reflection on • The Service’s performance in 2019/20 (to date) has been positive. There has previous been a wide range of capital projects progressed. performance • Despite excellent past performance, there is concern that the resourcing – successes levels may inhibit future success, in view of increasing workloads and and lessons demands from across the organisation and success in securing third party funding. This risks inhibiting realisation of Council’s aspirations across capital delivery. • Greater focus will be placed on delivery, outcomes and capital projects to assist increased performance of the Council’s capital portfolio to aid rates income with particular focus on business rates.

2. How does our Service contribute to community outcomes and corporate priorities?

Corporate Plan EXCELLENCE - We will work to be an effective and efficient priority organisation, innovating and partnering to make a sustainable, positive difference for our Borough Key indicators % Resident satisfaction % Staff reporting ANDBC is a great place to work Key supporting Estates strategy strategies What we will do 2020-24? What we will focus on 2020/21 Growing: Growing: • Develop and deliver sustainable capital • Providing excellent services in, delivery, projects. procurement, and governance to support achievement of priorities Better: • Focusing our policies, practices our project Better: priorities and performance • Develop the Strategic capital portfolio to • Investing in talent development through support organisational delivery of the mentoring and coaching staff and continued Corporate Plan learning and development • Updating policies and handbooks to ensure • Establish sound supporting information to effective governance arrangements, assist the development of business cases. including in view of BREXIT • Forecast capital requirements set again Together: programmed delivery, (financial cards) for • Reviewing our service models including all projects opportunities for greater use of partnerships • Manage projects related to third party with funders and the private sector funding release and legislation • Planning our services collaboratively each • Manage internal directorates related to year, aligned to the capital project consultants scope of service. privatisation and Corporate Plan Together: • Maintaining a healthy team environment including through regular team briefs, service workshops, collaborative planning and Pride in Performance conversations • Providing training/information on capital contracts (NEC) and • Focus procurement on quality design and for local SMC • Further integrating and streamlining governance approach with partner Services

What we will do in 20/21 – including key business as usual activities, performance improvement actions and those required to deliver on priorities Action Lead Service/Service Unit

• Implement the Project Manager handbook throughout the Capital Project Unit organisation for capital project believer and run a number of internal training presentation on its implantation • Develop templates to assist service unit ensure governance protocols are adhered to. • Develop protocols and implement the 5 case Business Case model to reflect the NICS • Provide a high level of support to service unit capital projects. • Ensure focus is on strategic capital deliver • Develop a strategy to the council capital asset strategy focusing on a number of key and or easy win projects • Establish, manage and report on budgets, being conscious of the need to deliver value for money for our ratepayers • Support and respond through CLT, HOST, CPPB and SPFG (SCRG)

What this will improve Improvement Aspect Y/N Rationale Service Effectiveness Y Capital project delivery timelines Service Quality Y Clear governance, processes and project prioritisation Efficiency Y Business Case for all Capital expenditure Innovation Y Driving and supporting innovation through Capital Performance Asset Strategy Programme

New unit so past performance statistics not available or relevant

How we will track our performance How much will 2017/18 Actual 2018/19 Actual 2019/20 2020/21 Target we do Actual to date % attendance N/A N/A N/A 95% % time invested N/A N/A N/A >=5% in team briefing, training, development and performance conversations

3. Resources

Current Proposed Comment Staffing 5 5 Carry out a review of staffing level related to the groups responsibilities, workload and council capital ambitions

Revenue £391,300 £330,100 The current (20/21) budget shown is the revised Budget budget prepared last Summer. It includes an additional amount for C19 related costs. The proposed (21/22) budget does not include this (based on a normal year). Capital £ £ budget Other e.g. accommodation needs, ICT equipment, office supplies. resource impacts Resulting Capital delivery to achieve Corporate Plan outcomes requirements Service Impact

4. Risks

Residual Risk Gross Risk Notes to explain Risk Status Further Action Risk Ref: Risk Description Current controls Action Due by rationale for Required Owner Tolerate scoring, etc I L R I L R / Action 1 External funding delays impact 4 3 12 Governance including process to 4 2 8 Action Review, embed and Ongoing AD causing project delay, with define budgets communicate particular reference to governance COVID19 arrangements. Also incorporate lessons learned. 2 Staff training budget reduced 4 3 12 Establish training need with 4 2 8 Action Establish risk of not Ongoing AD due to council financial particular reference to audit investing in staff pressures recommendations training 3 Sustainable Investment 4 3 12 Test investment decisions via 4 2 8 Action Improve Strategic Ongoing AD decisions business cases. Implement 5 case Need and model. Economic Approvability testing and profiling at an early stage. 4 Low staff morale causing poor 3 3 9 Team Briefings, investment in staff 3 2 6 Action Maintain focus on Ongoing AD service performance development, focus on positive communication and working environment engagement 5 Non-adherence to CPU project 4 3 12 Governance arrangements, Audits 4 2 8 Action Review, embed and Ongoing AD managers handbook communicate governance arrangements 6 Physical environment not fit for 2 4 8 Flexible working, hot desking 1 4 4 Tolerate Council estate wide Ongoing AD Limited purpose office needs under opportunity in review via a outline current offices business case 7 Lack of communication from 2 4 8 Raise through HOST, 2 3 6 Action Build relationships Ongoing AD Service area on their proposed with key clients projects service units and improve processes where there are known issues.

Residual Risk Gross Risk Notes to explain Risk Status Further Action Risk Ref: Risk Description Current controls Action Due by rationale for Required Owner Tolerate scoring, etc I L R I L R / Action 8 Failure to develop asset 5 4 20 Asset management working group to 5 3 15 Action Actively participate Ongoing AD management strategy. be set up in the working group and bring project forward. Engage with CLT on initiative Procurement model investigations

5. Monitoring and Review In adherence with corporate requirements, including quarterly reporting to Committee. Performance will also be discussed at regular manager meetings and all staff workshops.

6. Conclusions This plan provides focus for the service for the 2021/22 financial year.

7. Appendices Who are your customers and what do you know about them

Customers Profile / Interest Power Support characteristics How much does How much What is this our work and influence does stakeholder’s our plans impact this current view of upon this stakeholder our work and stakeholder and have over the our plans? vice versa? success or (Supporter, (Low, Medium or failure of our Neutral or High) work and our Critic) plans? (Low, Medium or High) CLT Chief Executive High High Supporter and Directors HOST Heads of Service, High High Supporter typically with responsibility for a Service comprised of a broad range of functions Service Unit Managers, High Medium Supporter Managers typically with responsibility for specific functional unit All staff The entire High Low Supporter ANDBC staffing population Elected 40 Aldermen and High High Supporter Members Councillors NIAO Northern Ireland Low/Medium Medium Neutral Audit Office Residents All residents Medium Low Neutral and the wider public Businesses All businesses in Medium Low Neutral ANDBC

2.2 What are your customers’ needs/demand levels

Customers Needs / demands from the service CLT Supporting compliance Enabling performance improvement and strategic capital development. HOST Supporting Services Enabling performance improvement

Service Unit Supporting Services Managers Enabling performance improvement

All staff Supporting compliance Communication Transfer of knowledge Enabling performance improvement Elected Members Supporting compliance Enabling performance improvement NIAO Supporting compliance Enabling performance improvement Residents and the Supporting compliance wider public Providing value for money Communication Enabling performance improvement Businesses Providing skills and opportunities to bid for services/supplies Wider public sector Applications for grant aid and evidencing of same Policy input and delivery Partnership on policy and delivery to improve services and efficiency

ADMINISTRATION

1 April 2021 – 31 March 2022

Head of Service signature

Date 13/04/2021

Peer Review signature

Date 13/04/2021

Director signature For Audit purposes please ensure this is signed. Date 13/04/2021

CONTENTS

1. Introduction ...... 4 2. How does our Service contribute to community planning outcomes and PEOPLE priorities? ...... 8 3. Key activities for 2021/2022 ...... 9 4. Risks ...... 18 5. Resources ...... 24 6. Monitoring and Review ...... 25 7. Conclusions ...... 25 8. Appendices ...... 25

1. Introduction

Name of Administration Service Included Compliance Service Units Customer Services Democratic Services Risk Directorate Organisational Development and Administration Purpose of Service To provide key administrative, risk management and statutory compliance functions.

Key External: Residents and visitors, customers, service users, ratepayers, customers/ businesses, tenants, franchisees, contactors and public/private partnerships, stakeholders Central Government, OFMDFM (Civil Contingencies Branch), SCEP, Statutory and their Agencies (e.g. Transport NI, NI Water, NIHE, PSNI, NIFRS, NIEA, DARAD, needs Rivers Agency), Utility Providers (e.g. NIE Networks), Crown Estate Commissioners, Voluntary Sector , Community Sector, Community Groups, Special Interest Groups, Oversight bodies (e.g. HSE, ICO, Equality Commission), Other Councils in Northern Ireland, Schools, Charities, Churches, Sports Clubs, Youth Clubs, Funeral Directors, The Coroner’s Office, Immigration Authority

Internal: The Mayor, The Council, Committees, Elected Members, Senior Management, Council Staff

Professional advisors: Insurance Brokers and Insurers, Solicitors, Estate Agents, LPS Valuers, General Register Office, Local Government Staff Commission, Northern Ireland Audit Office

Context, Context: This plan strives to reflect the outcome approach of the Community challenges & Plan and is relevant to the Council’s Performance Improvement Plan, key particularly Performance Plan Improvement Objective 2: assumptions • Deliver high quality customer focussed services • Engage, communicate and listen to our residents and customers It should be noted at this time that this Service Plan will be delivered in the context of COVID Regulations. Best efforts will be made to ensure that planning will take regulations into consideration but where possible business as usual will be the aim.

Political: This service area responds to many requests from political representatives and ensures that any matters are dealt with in compliance with Council Policies. Economic: The service area ensures that the programme of activity has allocated budget and ensures due diligence in terms of spending of this budget. Social: The Council’s ratepayers are the core audience for what this service area delivers.

Technological: The service area relies on many aspects of technology. It is always looking at ways to improve efficiencies and modernise the service to make it more user friendly and accessible to all. Legal: The service area works within the legislative context at all times, ensuring that Council is compliant. Environmental: The service area leads the sustainability agenda ensuring that consideration for sustainable practices is made in all aspects of corporate activity.

Challenges: Challenges include legislative compliance, economic, social, technological and political factors in a changing environment, responding to threats and opportunities presented, and supporting the Council to deliver services in the context of finite financial resources.

Strengths: The strength of this Service is that it has the opportunity to reach across and work with all service area in Council. Weaknesses: The weakness of this Service is that often other Services feel that the work is the team’s responsibility as opposed to each Service having obligations and ownership with Administration as a key support. Others perceive ownership sits in Administration. Opportunities: The opportunities that are available to this Service are endless, it is simply a matter of the Council prioritising what they wish to do. Threats: The threats to this service are lack of buy-in from other service areas as they see the responsibility as being corporate.

Assumptions: That the service can go back to ‘normal’ post pandemic.

Reflection on Reflect on prior year and year to date previous performance Reflect on – successes • Key successes and lessons learned • Key Learning (Identify any objectives, KPIs or actions that you are not taking forward to this year and why e.g. achieved, shift in focus or have a better version of it etc. If it was achieved state what difference it made.) The performance of the Administration Section was measured in its 2020-21 Service Plan and subsequently revised plan and also in the Council’s more high- level Performance Improvement Plan.

Key Successes

Compliance based activities continued throughout year despite restrictions in place. Some of the timelines were not met but this was for issues beyond the team’s control due to the pandemic, like staff shortages to respond to queries.

Despite the mode of delivery of Council meetings completely changing from ‘in person’ to virtual, 100% of Agendas went out 5 days in advance of all Committee and Council meetings.

The Information Management (Compliance) Section did not meet its target of responding to 100% of requests for information under the FOI Act 2000 and Environmental Information Regulations 2014 within the statutory timeframe. This small section received and processed 452 number requests in Q1-Q3 of 2020-

2021. 84% of these were responded to within the timeframe, with the primary reason for the delay being resources directed away from both information rights/other staff work during COVID-19 which made processing and getting information difficult. The average response time was 12 working days. By year end response time should be reduced again. This should be deemed a success given the circumstances.

The Council retained the EMS accreditation this year and the plan is to expand the framework to all Council buildings with a view to accreditation in future years.

Emergency planning response protocol has been in a live state since the start of the year. The response has been nothing short of astounding from staff at all levels. An emergency test activation was carried out and the Duty Director responded in accordance with the plan.

Four Corporate Health and Safety meetings were held this year with input from directorate Health and Safety meetings which is critical to ensuring that best practice is adhered to and any issues are raised in a timely manner to ensure that they can be resolved effectively.

The Council adopted the Roadmap to Sustainability at Council in March 2021. This is a major step for the Council showing their continued and aspirational commitment to sustainability throughout all services within the Council.

Key Lessons This year has seen a number of KPIs not realised. This however should not be seen as a failure but we should take the learning from the speed at which tasks have had to be modified and in some cases redesigned in light of the pandemic.

Examples of this are that services have had to rethink how they provide good customer service when ‘in person’ interactions have not been possible. Although we believe that there will always be an element of personal touch the shift towards digital provision of services is achievable in many cases e.g. Internal Incident Reporting, Teams Meetings for some internal and external interactions. The updated Customer Service Excellence Strategy and Action Plan will reflect these changes.

Whilst initial scoping work was undertaken to pilot a paperless filing system, the formal pilot did not take place this year. Having said this, the Council saw a shift in processing of information during the enforced working from home arrangements. Many employees claim that they have printed little or no paperwork since making the change to a home setting. Whilst it is appreciated that many functions still have a requirement for hard copy originals, many sections are looking at how to design this out going forward. Work must still be undertaken to formally pilot a service to see if this can be formalised where it is possible to be truly paperless.

A budget has now been secured to procure and introduce integrated Health and Safety and Risk/Claims Management system over the next 2 years. The specification of this is being currently drawn up and once implemented the efficiencies will be seen with immediate effect.

The Equality Action Plan consultation was delayed and the Council continued to deliver under the existing EAP and will do so until the final EAP is agreed by the

Council at the end of the consultation period. This was amended and ratified at Council in March 2021 subject to being screened.

The review of the Lands Policy has commenced but will not be completed for year end, new target date September 2021.

2. How does our Service contribute to community planning outcomes and PEOPLE priorities?

The Administration Service can be expected to have a direct impact on the following:

Community Planning PEOPLE Our focus for 2021/2022 Outcome priority Outcome 5: All people in Environment: To enable all The roadmap to sustainability has Ards and North Down people in AND to feel pride from now been approved and this will feel pride as they have having access to a well- carve the way forward in all access to a well- managed sustainable aspects of council activity including managed sustainable environment we will provide a services that are in-house. environment clean, attractive, environmentally responsible place Outcome 3: All people in Pride: To enable all people in The Equality Action Plan has now Ards and North Down AND to live in communities been approved and clearly lays out live in communities where they are respected, are the commitment that the Council where they are safe and feel secure we will work have made to ensuring this is all its respected, are safe and in partnership with our activities and services. feel secure. communities. Excellence: To enable us to The way that the Council does deliver the first five of our business in terms of both in-house PEOPLE priorities we must be and public facing services is an effective, efficient and developing, taking into forward-thinking organisation. consideration sustainable practices Excellence requires us to be in every aspect. innovative and partner with others to make sustainable choices that make a positive difference to everyone who has a stake in the AND area.

3. Key activities for 2021/2022

3. Key activities for 2021/2022 cont’d

SERVICE: Compliance Community Plan Outcome: Outcome 5: All people in Ards and North Down feel pride as they have access to a well-managed sustainable environment Corporate Plan PEOPLE priority(ies): Environment: To enable all people in AND to feel pride from having access to a well-managed sustainable environment we will provide a clean, attractive, environmentally responsible place Council KPI(s): Environment accreditations Service Objective: What difference will it make? The roadmap to sustainability has now been approved and this will carve the way forward in all aspects of council activity including services that are in-house. Underpinning strategies: Roadmap to Sustainability Business as Usual activities we will deliver in 2021/2022 (actions) Due Date Lead Officer(s) Who do we need to help us? (Internal/External partners) Monitor the Roadmap to Sustainability March 2022 Compliance Internal Manager Prioritise 5 potential Public Rights of Way (PROW) and assert at least 1 per year March 2022 Compliance Internal/External Manager

SERVICE: Compliance Community Plan Outcome: Outcome 3: All people in Ards and North Down live in communities where they are respected, are safe and feel secure. Corporate Plan PEOPLE priority(ies): Pride To enable all people in AND to live in communities where they are respected, are safe and feel secure we will work in partnership with our communities. Council KPI(s): n/a Service Objective: What difference will it make? The Equality Action Plan has now been approved and clearly lays out the commitment that the Council have made to ensuring this is all its activities and services. Underpinning strategies: Equality Scheme Business as Usual activities we will deliver in 2021/2022 (actions) Due Date Lead Officer(s) Who do we need to help us? (Internal/External partners) Deliver 5-year Equality Action Plan March 2022 Compliance Internal/External Manager

SERVICE: Customer Service /Compliance/Democratic Services/Risk Management Community Plan Outcome: Corporate Plan PEOPLE priority(ies): Excellence: To enable us to deliver the first five of our PEOPLE priorities we must be an effective, efficient and forward-thinking organisation. Excellence requires us to be innovative and partner with others to make sustainable choices that make a positive difference to everyone who has a stake in the AND area. Council KPI(s): n/a Service Objective: What difference will it make? The way that the Council does business in terms of both in-house and public facing services is developing, taking into consideration sustainable practices in every aspect. Underpinning strategies: Risk Management Strategy Business as Usual activities we will deliver in 2021/2022 (actions) Due Date Lead Officer(s) Who do we need to help us? (Internal/External partners) Update and Publish Customer Service Excellence Strategy and Action Plan for March 2022 Customer Internal 2020-2024 Services Manager All agendas circulated within 5-day notice period March 2022 Democratic Internal Services Manager FOI/EIR Information response times in compliance with legislation March 2022 Compliance Internal Manager Train all CLT/HOST in emergency planning response protocol March 2022 Risk Manager Internal Hold 4 Corporate Health and Safety meetings – with input from directorate Health March 2022 Compliance Internal and Safety meetings Manager Have 2 emergency planning test activations March 2022 Risk Manager Internal Hold 2 Emergency Planning Implementation Group meetings March 2022 Risk Manager Internal

Service Development / Improvement

Which of the Who do we need to What service development/improvement specified Rationale help us? Due Date Lead Officer(s) will we undertake in 2021/2022? aspects will (Internal/External this improve? partners) Pilot paperless filing for new files in Service Quality To improve effective and efficient March Customer Internal/External 2 Service Areas Efficiency management of this function in a 2022 Services sustainable way. Manager Procure and introduce integrated Efficiency To improve effective and efficient March Compliance Internal/External Health and Safety and Risk/Claims management of these functions. 2022 Manager Management system EMS – Retain accreditation and Sustainability To demonstrate commitment to March Compliance Internal expand framework to all Council sustainable practices throughout all 2022 Manager buildings with a view to accreditation Council activities. in future years Review Lands Policy Strategic To refine the policy to include many September Compliance Internal Effectiveness issues that have arisen since 2022 Manager Efficiency previous version and improve effective and efficient management of this function. Develop Claims Management Policy Efficiency To set out the timeframe and March Risk Manager Internal processes for investigation and 2022 completion of insurance claims.

SPECIFIED ASPECTS OF IMPROVEMENT What will this improve? Definition Fairness When carrying out its functions or providing services, a council may demonstrate improvement when it operates in a way that contributes towards the Sustainability sustainability of its area, as required under the Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2006 and the associated Northern Ireland Executive Sustainable Development Strategy. on-going efficiency may also be shown if fewer resources are utilised while maintaining provision of substantially similar Efficiency or better services. Should a council choose to alter the manner by which a service is provided and in so doing it uses fewer resources or more integrated services, it will not only be demonstrating efficiency, but may demonstrate improved sustainability as well any changes to service design and delivery methods that are intended to yield improvement under any other aspect, and are reasonably likely to do so. This Innovation allows councils to make changes which may not have tangible effects within the same reporting year, but are likely to in subsequent years, and still count them as improvements.

Service activities being stopped / changed:

What service / activities will we Reason for stopping / Savings Impact on Impact on the Public Impact on be stopping / changing in changing activity Performance staffing 2021/2022 Assess 3 Customer Service There are other ways to £300 None None None Elements using Mystery monitor satisfaction Shopper Confer 1 Freedom of the Due to the pandemic and £20,000 None Little, lack of a Some in Borough knock-on effect this cannot celebratory event terms of happen in 2021/22 to partake in workload involved in the organisation

Performance Measures:

Update Customer Service Existing Annual n/a 100% n/a n/a n/a 50% 100% Excellence Strategy and Action Plan Pilot paperless filing for new Existing Annual n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 25% 100% files in 2 Service Areas All agendas circulated within Existing Annual n/a n/a 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 5-day notice period Prioritise 5 potential Public Existing Annual n/a n/a n/a n/a 100% 0% 100% Rights of Way (PROW) and assert at least 1 per year Procure and introduce Existing Annual n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 0% 100% integrated Health and Safety and Risk/Claims Management system EMS – Retain accreditation Existing Annual n/a n/a 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% and expand framework to all Council buildings with a view to accreditation in future years FOI/EIR Information Statutory Annual n/a n/a 93% 96% 99% 84% 100% response times in compliance with legislation

Train all CLT/HOST in Existing Annual n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 100% emergency planning response protocol Hold 4 Corporate Health Existing Annual n/a 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% and Safety meetings – with input from directorate Health and Safety meetings Have 2 emergency planning Existing Annual n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 100% 100% test activations Hold 2 EPIG meetings New Annual Deliver 5-year Equality Statutory Annual n/a n/a n/a n/a 75% 100% 100% Action Plan Monitor the Roadmap to Corporate Annual n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 100% 100% Sustainability Review Lands Policy Existing Annual n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 0% 100% Develop Claims New Annual n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 100% Management Policy % Staff Attendance Corporate Quarterly n/a 98.45% % Spend against budget Corporate Quarterly n/a 90.5% % staff reporting regular Corporate Quarterly n/a 100% 100% 100% 100% 0% 100% receipt of team briefings Pride in Performance Corporate Annually n/a 92% 0% 100% Conversations

4. Risks

Gross Residual Risk Status Risk Risk Notes to Risk Further Action Action Due explain Ref: Current controls Risk Owner Description Required by rationale for Tolerate / I L R I L R scoring, etc. Action

• ANDBC First Steps • Train staff Document regularly • Development of Lack of reviewed and updated. support that could adequate • Implemented a new be used to and integrated Emergency encourage a effective Plan (including culture of business Business Continuity volunteer civil continuity, Plan) contingency support disaster • Southern Emergency recovery Preparedness Group • Identify and and established address inhibitors emergency to staff • Trained staff planning 1 engagement in CR4 5 3 • Emergency Planning 3 3 9 Action processes 5 civil contingency Officer in post leading to response. • Emergency Planning inability of • Continue to carry Implementation Group the Council out EP / BC established (internal) Risk Manager/ to deliver on Activation • Multi-agency responses Risk its core Exercises and and debrief sessions Ownership functions if systems testing following severe does not go an • Lobbying for weather incidents below SUM emergency appropriate these RRs • Insurance cover in event legislation and Business place for main risks occurs clarity with regard Performance • Regular Desktop EP to the role of March 2021 Manager Exercises carried out Council in

Gross Residual Risk Status Risk Risk Notes to Risk Further Action Action Due explain Ref: Current controls Risk Owner Description Required by rationale for Tolerate / I L R I L R scoring, etc. Action

• Elected Member emergency training provided response and • Provision of sandbag recovery. containers by Rivers • Establish if there Agency at two sites in are lessons from Ards Peninsula other national • EMT and Control Room disasters that set up complete may be useful to • Resilience Direct ANDBC’s resources and guidance planning and and JESIP toolkits capital projects • Business Continuity • Establishment of strategy and policy in a Safety Advisory place Group (SAG) for Major Events

Failure to • Ongoing corporate and effectively service level and communications via consistently traditional channels and engage with online residents, • Internal and External service 1 CR5 4 3 Screening Panels users and 2 • Development and • Complaints Procedure partners introduction of and Customer Care leading to Customer Service Standards inability to Excellence meet • Use of CRMS (TeCare) Strategy and Customer expectation in some sections action plan Services TASCOMI s and 3 3 9 Action Manager

Gross Residual Risk Status Risk Risk Notes to Risk Further Action Action Due explain Ref: Current controls Risk Owner Description Required by rationale for Tolerate / I L R I L R scoring, etc. Action

reputational • Positive Behaviour damage Training in provided to staff • Elected Members’ Charter

Development and introduction of Customer Service Excellence Strategy and action plan Failure to • Corporate H&S Policy protect the and Procedures in place health, with specific plans were safety and required welfare of • Rolling Training employees programme and others • External - Occupational affected by health and welfare the provision in place, Council's including Health 2 CR6 undertaking 5 4 Surveillance where 0 s, leading to need identified. death or • Internal - Wellbeing injury or Group poor well- • H&S Monitoring, being and including inspections resulting in and audits. • Training claims • Incident reporting and programme to against the investigation reflect current Council and • Events Risk priorities Compliance significant Management (SAG) 4 2 8 Action Manager

Gross Residual Risk Status Risk Risk Notes to Risk Further Action Action Due explain Ref: Current controls Risk Owner Description Required by rationale for Tolerate / I L R I L R scoring, etc. Action

reputational • Corporate & Directorate damage to H&S Committees. the Council. • Complimentary policies and procedures and review, eg HR&D, Corporate Risk Strategy and Customer care standards • Drugs and Alcohol at Work policy implemented and training provided to 594 employees including 130 managers. • Lone Working Policy developed • Contractor competency assessments at procurement stage

Failure to • Schemes of Delegation comply with • Code of Conduct – statutory Officers and Members obligations 1 • Report template CR7 and good 4 4 6 protocol practice • Policies and procedures leading to reviewed financial penalties

Gross Residual Risk Status Risk Risk Notes to Risk Further Action Action Due explain Ref: Current controls Risk Owner Description Required by rationale for Tolerate / I L R I L R scoring, etc. Action

and • Strategies and action damage to plans to meet statutory the obligations Council's • Equality and Disability reputation. Action Plans • GDPR Officer Appointed • Information Assets Register compiled • GDPR statements developed according applicable to service needs • Agreed protocols for responding to requests for information under the FOIA, DPA or EIR • Policy on land and property, including strategy for Disposal of Surplus assets • Internal assurance processes • Equality and Disability Training delivered across Council • Estimates and Financial reporting deadlines met EDRMS Project Initiation Document complete

Gross Residual Risk Status Risk Risk Notes to Risk Further Action Action Due explain Ref: Current controls Risk Owner Description Required by rationale for Tolerate / I L R I L R scoring, etc. Action

5. Resources

Are all actions resourced within the current (2021/22) budget plan? Yes x No

Will additional resources be required? Yes No x (If no please comment in Section A below how the actions will be funded, ie Staff Resources, Equipment, Revenue Budget, Capital Budget.) (If yes please detail additional resources in Section B below.)

Section A: Existing Budgets

Section B: Staff: No changes, however if major transformation projects go ahead they will require additional resources for which business cases will be made.

Financial: In budget books

Other: Some of the functions within the section are statutory (e.g. compliance FOI/EIR, Democratic Services) Customers are central to the services we provide, the impact of not delivering is not an option

If the required additional resources are NOT available, please state: What is the likely impact on performance? The Administration Service Area will continue to deliver its services however any major modernisation of the service will not happen.

What is the likely impact on the public? The Administration Service Area will continue to deliver its services however any major modernisation of the service will not happen.

What is the likely impact on staffing? Staff will continue to deliver the services however they will not be able to absorb any additional work in terms of major transformation or modernisation of the service should the council decide that this is the way they wish to go forward.

6. Monitoring and Review The KPIs are constantly being monitored and will be reported back at appropriate reporting frequency as determined in this Service Plan. Should the KPI targets not be met or look like they will not be met action plans will be formulated to ensure that best efforts are made to meet them in a timely manner.

7. Conclusions This service area delivers many aspects of both internal and external services. All services are extremely busy with many requirements having tight turnaround times. The team work very diligently to ensure that both statutory and non-statutory requirements are met as well as responding to a wide variety of customer service issues.

8. Appendices None

ADMINISTRATION

1 April 2021 – 31 March 2022

Head of Service signature Rosemary McCullough

Date 14 April 2021

Peer Review signature For Audit purposes please ensure this is signed. Date Click or tap to enter a date.

Director signature For Audit purposes please ensure this is signed. Date Click or tap to enter a date.

CONTENTS

1. Introduction ...... 3 2. How does our Service contribute to community planning outcomes and PEOPLE priorities? ...... 6 3. Key activities for 2021/2022 ...... 7 4. Risks ...... 19 5. Resources ...... 20 6. Monitoring and Review ...... 21 7. Conclusions ...... 21 8. Appendices ...... 21

1. Introduction

Name of Human Resources and Organisational Development Service Included Employee Resourcing Service Units Employee Development Employee Relations

Directorate Organisational Development and Administration Purpose of To provide a range of professional support, advice and training for the Council’s Service 900 employees, managers, and elected members, and to develop our organisation through our people to be the best we can be. Our goal is to support the Council to become recognised as a high performing organisation.

Key External: Residents of the Borough, Recognised Trade Union Officials, External customers/ bodies e.g. NI Audit office, Equality Commission stakeholders and their Internal: The Mayor, The Council, Committees, Elected Members, Corporate needs Leadership Team, Council Employees/Workers

Professional advisors: Solicitors, Office, Local Government Staff Commission, Northern Ireland Audit Office

Context, Context: This plan strives to reflect the outcome approach of the Community challenges & Plan and is relevant to the Council’s Performance Improvement Plan, key assumptions • Be financially responsible • Maximise the potential of our staff to deliver outcomes . To deliver high quality customer focussed services

It should be noted that this Service Plan that all services will be delivered in the context of COVID Regulations. Best efforts will be made to ensure that planning will take regulations into consideration but where possible business as usual will be the aim.

Political: This service area has a number of HR and OD policies that are agreed by Council before they are implemented within the organisation. Therefore any employee relations, resourcing or development issue is dealt with in compliance with HR and OD policies. Economic: The service area ensures that the programme of activity has allocated budget and ensures due diligence in terms of spending of this budget. Social: The Councils employees are the Core audience for what this service area delivers. However, the residents of the borough and to some extent surrounding boroughs are also affected by t service e.g. recruitment to new posts Technological: The service area relies on many aspects of technology. It is always looking at ways to improve efficiencies and modernise the service to make it more user friendly and accessible to all e.g. introduction of new software (Core

II) to align the HR and employee payments services. This will streamline services and cut down on duplication of work Legal: The service area works within the legislative context at all times, ensuring that Council are compliant. HR takes advice where appropriate on complex legal matters. Environmental: The service area complies with the sustainability agenda ensuring that consideration for the environment is made in all aspects of corporate activity.

Challenges: many challenges due to the onset of the global pandemic in March 2020 and the impact that has had on HR services. In the last year HR had to suspend many of its normal services and to focus on the well being aspects of HR to ensure our employees were kept up to date and informed of ever changing circumstances. The challenge this year will be resuming normal services and continuing to ensure the well being of our employees

Strengths: The HR and OD service has a knowledgeable and committed staff who are highly skilled and motivated. The service also has support from Elected Members, Corporate Leadership Team and the Performance Improvement and ICT teams. There are sound HR and OD policies/procedures in place and there is a good working relationship established with the Trade unions. Weaknesses: there are inconsistencies with regard to how different line managers apply council policies, an increasing number of employee relations and attendance issues, increased absenteeism and well being issues more prevalent in HR and OD staff due to increasing workload and fast moving environment Opportunities: opportunities to gain support from elected members and corporate leadership team e.g. financial support in the implementation of the Core II software system, establishing closer relationships with other services e.g. site visits, opportunity to have more team building exercises within HR and OD Threats: configuration of office staff and inability of access by some staff to top floor, overload of new strategies, policies and procedures, everchanging environment, not gaining trust and engagement from workforce.

Assumptions: That the service can go back to ‘normal’ post pandemic.

Reflection on Reflect on prior year and year to date previous performance Reflect on – successes • Key successes and lessons learned • Key Learning (Identify any objectives, KPIs or actions that you are not taking forward to this year and why e.g. achieved, shift in focus or have a better version of it etc. If it was achieved state what difference it made.) The performance of the HR and OD service was measured in its 2020-21 Service Plan and subsequently revised plan and also in the Council’s more high-level Performance Improvement Plan.

Key Successes Considerable work was carried out based on the Key Performance Indicators within the 2020-2021 Service Plan for HR and OD. The majority of Council structures have now been completed and all the main HR and OD policies are in place, some of which have been reviewed and consulted on with the Trade

Unions whilst there is a timetable in place for those policies yet to be reviewed. Harmonisation with regard to most of the terms and conditions of employment have been completed. There had been additional Key Performance Indicators identified, however, these were put on hold due to covid-19 and changing work priorities.

However, the key indicators put on hold were replaced with other priorities due to Covid-19 and the HR and OD service has been successful in being reactive and ensuring that these new priorities were carried out in a timely and efficient manner.

The HR and OD service has been successful at adapting to the ever changing environment brought about by the global pandemic including keeping up to date on new initiatives such as the Job Retention Scheme and Job Support Scheme and ensuring that staff were required to keep working, work from home, be part or full time furloughed and notification of all these changes to the payroll department.

The HR and OD service has successfully reviewed all the casual/temporary and agency staff to ensure that where work was available that first priority was given to permanent employees. The service has also had considerable success in finding redeployment opportunities for employees with no meaningful work to do as a result of Covid-19, which has led to making sure that all employees are effectively communicated with in connection with any changes to their employment contract. HR and OD have also successfully dealt with a wide range of queries in connection with the pandemic and advising on how these impact on individuals’ work and contracts of employment. The service has also been successful in negotiating with the Trade Unions on all matters to do with the impact of Covid-19 including the introduction of a Voluntary/Compulsory Redundancy Scheme. Other successes have been the introduction of an interim home working policy and the preparation of a draft formal homeworking policy for future use.

In addition to all this, the HR and OD service has continued to deal with essential employee relations/resourcing and development issues. As the year progressed the section has started to build up to providing more of its normal activities in addition to the work related to Covid-19

Key Lessons

The main lessons learnt by HR and OD in the last year are that the service must be reactive at all times to changing situations and circumstances. This has always been the case when working in this area, however, never have we experienced the need to react so quickly to change than we have had to do in the last year, since the start of the pandemic.

Lessons learnt are that HR and OD have been able to adapt to change extremely quickly. It became apparent early on that Covid 19 had a huge impact of the HR and OD service and that it was our top priority to look after the well-being of our employees. Therefore, HR and OD had to temporarily suspend a number of our normal services and focus on employee wellbeing and providing critical and ever changing advice to managers and all employees.

We have also leant how adaptable our staff can be when the need arises and

how well many staff adapted to a change in role and a change in their working conditions

2. How does our Service contribute to community planning outcomes and PEOPLE priorities?

The Human Resources and OD service can be expected to have a direct impact on the following:

Community Planning PEOPLE Our focus for 2021/2022 Outcome priority Outcome 1: All people in To work closely with local To work with Belfast Region City Ards and North Down schools and colleges in order to Deal to create a regional fulfil their lifelong advise educational facilities of apprenticeship scheme potential the wide range of jobs that are available within the Council.

Develop apprenticeship schemes with local schools and colleges Outcome 4: All people in To ensure that local people To work closely with local schools Ards and North Down know the types of jobs available and colleges to develop good benefit from a within the Council and work with working relationships prosperous economy local schools and colleges to develop apprenticeship schemes and align courses provided by colleges to posts that are available in the Council

3. Key activities for 2021/2022

SERVICE: Human Resources and Organisational Development Community Plan Outcome: Outcomes 1-5: All people in Ards and North Down feel pride as they have access to a well-managed sustainable environment Corporate Plan PEOPLE priority(ies): Performance – Be financially responsible Council KPI(s): Mandatory KPI Service Objective: Mandatory KPI What difference will it make? Underpinning strategies: Business as Usual activities we will deliver in 2021/2022 (actions) Due Date Lead Officer(s) Who do we need to help us? (Internal/External partners) Ensure that we spend the budget allocated to the HR and OD service March 2022 Head of HR Finance and OD

SERVICE: Human Resources and Organisational Development Community Plan Outcome: Outcome 1-5: Corporate Plan PEOPLE Maximise the potential of our staff to deliver outcomes priority(ies): Council KPI(s): n/a Service Objective: Invest in the workforce to ensure there is a skilled, adaptable and motivated workforce What difference will it make? Will ensure that employees have the skills/training and experience required to carry out their role to their full potential Underpinning strategies: Learning and Development Strategy Business as Usual activities we will deliver in 2021/2022 (actions) Due Date Lead Officer(s) Who do we need to help us? (Internal/External partners) Develop a Corporate Induction Programme for all new Council staff so Formal Head of HR Heads of Service/Service Unit that all staff will be able to settle in more quickly and therefore be Corporate and HR and Managers/CLT/HOST/Trade more productive Induction Draft OD Managers Unions/Elected Programme to (resourcing) Members/Corporate be developed by Communications 31 December 2021 and ready to be consulted on with trade unions at a future date Produce a ‘Reduction in Absence’ Action Plan Take action Head of HR All staff/trade unions/elected where possible and OD and members/occupational health to ensure there HR Manager consultants is a reduction in (Employee staff Relations) absenteeism and put in place an 9

Action Plan working towards a reduction in absence to be no more than 5% Ensure People Plan is delivered for year 3 % of Actions on Head of HR Performance the People Plan and OD and Improvement/Corporate for year 3 to be HR Manager Communications/Trade completed by (Development) Unions/Staff/CLT March 2022 -Thank you culture and Reward and Recognition scheme to be in place by March 2022 Roll out of OD Strategy % of staff are Head of HR CLT/Trade aware of the OD and OD and Unions/Staff/Corporate Strategy HR Manager Communications and (Development) Performance Improvement Services Ensure Pride in Performance Conversations take place throughout % of Staff Head of HR Trade Unions/HR the year Conversations and OD and staff/Corporate within HR and HR Manager Communications/Performance OD are (Development) Improvement Services completed within HR and OD Ensure monthly meetings take place with entire HR team % of team Head of HR Corporate Communications meetings to be and OD delivered on teams

Ensure there is engagement with all employees and trade unions on Ensure that staff Head of HR Performance appropriate government initiatives to tackle Covid 19 and in any plans continue to get and OD and Improvement/Corporate to return staff to the workplace appropriate HR Managers Communications/Trade communication (Resourcing) Unions/Staff/CLT in connection with any changes to their terms and conditions as a result of Covid 19 and are kept up to date with any matters relating to their employment Ensure Trade Unions are consulted with effectively with regard to any Staff are aware Head of HR CLT/Trade changes that affect employees as a result of Covid 19 i.e. return to of any new and OD and Unions/Staff/Corporate work plans/home working policies/travel to work policies/any plans/schemes HR Managers Communications and transformation plans/updates on voluntary severance etc. and Performance Improvement communicated Services with effectively and there will be support from Trade Unions on proposed way forwards on all related initiatives To introduce a regional Apprenticeship Scheme into the Council to aid Continue to work Head of HR CLT/Trade recruitment of employees into some areas whereby it has been with Belfast and OD and Unions/CLT/HOST/Local difficult to attract staff Region City Deal Manager Consultation and Negotiation to create a (Development) Forum/ regional All staff apprenticeship scheme

Continue with timetable to review all main HR and OD policies to % main HR and Head ;of HR Trade Unions/CLT/Host/Local ensure policies are fair and consistent with regard to how staff are OD policies to be and OD and Consultation and Negotiation managed reviewed with all HR and OD Forum/all staff the recognised Managers Trade Unions (forum group) – main policies for year ahead to be reviewed are Absence/Flexible working Formulation of a Formal Home Working policy Draft policy has Head of HR Trade Unions/CLT/Host been prepared, and OD and working group HR Managers from HOST to (Resourcing) look at future implications of this Review of Flexible Working Policy Draft policy Head of HR CLT/Host/Trade unions prepared, needs and OD further consultation between CLT and Host

SERVICE: Human Resources and Organisational Development Community Plan Outcome: Outcomes 1-5 Corporate Plan PEOPLE To Deliver high quality customer focussed services priority(ies): Council KPI(s): n/a Service Objective: Ensure services meet customers’ needs What difference will it make? Ensure that our customers both internal and external are provided with and efficient and effective service to enable them to be motivated, productive and successful Underpinning strategies: Recruitment and Selection procedures Business as Usual activities we will deliver in 2021/2022 (actions) Due Date Lead Officer(s) Who do we need to help us? (Internal/External partners) Ensure human resources are in place in a timely manner so that the right % of recruitment Head of HR All senior people are in the right jobs at the right place at the right time, HR are exercises and OD and managers/CLT/Trade gradually returning to carry out normal recruitment services, however, the completed within 6 HR Managers unions/Elected first priority will be to ensure that all staff without meaning work are weeks from (Resourcing) members redeployed prior to recruitment of new staff advertisement to recommended for employment

% of candidates not shortlisted to be informed within 2 weeks from date of shortlisting

% of candidates at interview to be notified within 2 weeks from date of interview

Ensure the new Core II phase 1 HR integrated attendance software is June 2021 Head of HR Finance/Performance implemented and effective and a timetable in place for other phases and all HR Improvement and and OD Core II provider Managers Ensure HR continues to be GDPR compliant % of employees Head of HR Data Compliance receiving training in and OD and Officer new policy all HR Managers Provide training on the Whistle blowing policy March 2022 Head of HR Data Compliance and OD and Officer HR Manager (Development)

Service Development / Improvement

Which of the What service specified Rationale Who do we need to help us? development/improvement will we Due Date Lead Officer(s) aspects will (Internal/External partners) undertake in 2021/2022? this improve? Develop a formal workforce Excellence To have a whole-council co- March 2022 Head of HR Heads of service/service strategy which sets out its formal ordinated approach to and OD and Unit status and objectives for workforce recruitment/ planning HR Manager Managers/CLT/Host/Trade recruitment, retention, training and (Development) unions/Elected development of staff in line with Members/Corporate the new Corporate Plan Communications To commence HR visits teams Excellence Improve understanding of One teams Head of HR CLT/HOST/All calls to various work locations issues between Managers/Staff meeting to and OD and managers/Staff and HR and OD and to improve take place Hr managers the service provided to per quarter Managers HR and OD staff to have online Excellence To ensure all HR and OD staff At least 2 Head of HR Performance Improvement Team Building/Development Days are aware of the overall development and OD and Services/ to discuss current issues and objectives of the team and to days per HR Managers facilitators/trainers future plans increase engagement within year the team.

SPECIFIED ASPECTS OF IMPROVEMENT What will this improve? Definition is key to linking the community plan, and the ongoing processes that underpin it, with a council’s improvement processes. The Department would expect Strategic Effectiveness that a council’s strategic community planning outcomes and objectives should be central to that council’s improvement activity and clearly contribute to the strategic effectiveness aspect. Service Quality all relate to service provision by aiming to meet the needs of citizens and ensuring fair ease of access to the most suitable services that meet their needs. Clearly, all of these objectives can be demonstrated individually or collectively. Fairness can also be demonstrated by exercising non-service functions in Service Availability ways which reduce disadvantage and improve social well-being, for instance by improving citizens’ access to information or by addressing inequalities experienced by Section 75 groups. Fairness When carrying out its functions or providing services, a council may demonstrate improvement when it operates in a way that contributes towards the Sustainability sustainability of its area, as required under the Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2006 and the associated Northern Ireland Executive Sustainable Development Strategy. on-going efficiency may also be shown if fewer resources are utilised while maintaining provision of substantially similar Efficiency or better services. Should a council choose to alter the manner by which a service is provided and in so doing it uses fewer resources or more integrated services, it will not only be demonstrating efficiency, but may demonstrate improved sustainability as well any changes to service design and delivery methods that are intended to yield improvement under any other aspect, and are reasonably likely to do so. This Innovation allows councils to make changes which may not have tangible effects within the same reporting year, but are likely to in subsequent years, and still count them as improvements.

Service activities being stopped / changed:

What service / activities will we be Reason for stopping / Savings Impact on Impact on the Impact on stopping / changing in 2021/2022 changing activity Performance Public staffing Training and Development The default for training and none None None None development will be to carry this service out online wherever possible Recruitment and Selection There will be a mixture of face Minimal – room None None None to face social distanced bookings interviews and interviews carried out online Disciplinary/Absence/Grievance There will be a mixture of Minimal – cost None None none meetings online and face to face of room hire meetings

Performance Measures:

Performance Measures Is the Reporting 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 (should include those for measure frequency Actual Actual Actual Actual Actual To date the Business as Usual and Statutory, Service Improvement Corporate, actions outlined above and Existing or relevant measures from New? Community, Corporate and Statutory) % Staff Attendance Corporate Quarterly n/a 95% 88.37% 92.93% 95.85% 95% % Spend against Corporate Quarterly n/a 99.9% 102.79% 97% 102% 93.2 % 95% budget % staff reporting Corporate Quarterly n/a 100% 100% 100% 100% NA 100% regular receipt of team briefings Pride in Performance Corporate Annually n/a NA NA 100% 0% 95% Conversations Days lost per Corporate Quarterly 12 12.2 10.31 14 12 employee across the Council % of actions on the Corporate Quarterly 85% 90% NA 100% People Plan for year year 3 completed for year 3 2 % of review of main corporate Quarterly 20% 55% 60% 100% HR policies

4. Risks

Gross Residual Risk Status Risk Risk Notes to Risk Further Action Action Due explain Ref: Current controls Risk Owner Description Required by rationale for Tolerate / I L R I L R scoring, etc. Action

Lack of • Continue to have systems to staff pride in identify Capability procedure performance 3 6 6 Pride in Performance 3 1 3 Tolerate Head of underperfor conversations with Service and conversations all staff mance of ongoing OD Manager staff Lack of awareness by staff of Ensure job descriptions their job are up to date 4 1 4 requirement Have regular meetings s with staff Head of Service and Service 4 1 4 Tolerate ongoing Managers Lack of awareness by Employee communications staff of 3 3 9 Head of Service IIP programme organisationa and OD l issues 3 1 3 Tolerate ongoing Manager Employee Ensure fair and consistent Head of Service and ex policies are in place which and Employee 4 3 12 employee are non discriminatory Further review Relations litigation 4 2 8 Action policies /procedures ongoing Manager Employer/Em Head of Service ployee Whistle blowing policy Whistle blowing and Employee inappropriate Employee Code of Conduct training to be rolled Relations behaviour 4 3 12 Behaviour Charter 4 1 4 Tolerate out ongoing Manager

Gross Residual Risk Status Risk Risk Notes to Risk Further Action Action Due explain Ref: Current controls Risk Owner Description Required by rationale for Tolerate / I L R I L R scoring, etc. Action

Head of Service and Employee High levels of Return to work interviews Reduction in Absence Relations sick absence 4 3 12 Absence Policy 4 2 8 Action Action Plan ongoing Manager

5. Resources

Are all actions resourced within the current (2021/22) budget plan? Yes x No

Section A: Existing Budgets

Section B: Staff: No changes, there are 2 additional temporary staff in place for the implementation of CORE II

Financial: In budget books

Other:

If the required additional resources are NOT available, please state: NA

What is the likely impact on the public? NA

What is the impact on staffing?

6. Monitoring and Review The HR and OD plan will be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that the HR and OD team are on track with regard to achieving key actions with the ultimate goal of achieving the targets set. 7. Conclusions It will be a challenging year ahead for the HR and OD team due to having to continue to deal with matters arising from Covid 19 and also resuming normal services.

8. Appendices None

Unclassified

ITEM 4

Ards and North Down Borough Council

Report Classification Unclassified

Council/Committee Corporate Services

Date of Meeting 20 April 2021

Responsible Director Chief Executive

Responsible Head of Community Planning Manager Service

Date of Report 08 March 2021

File Reference

Legislation Local Government (NI) Act 2014

Section 75 Compliant Yes ☒ No ☐ Other ☐ If other, please add comment below:

Subject Carnegie Trust recommendations on embedding wellbeing in Northern Ireland

Attachments Carnegie Trust briefing for SOLACE on embedding wellbeing in Northern Ireland

Over the past three years’ Carnegie UK Trust has been running a project focussing on how community planning can help embed wellbeing in Northern Ireland. The document in the appendix was recently presented to SOLACE NI regarding the project.

The project is supporting the three Community Planning Partnerships in Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council, Derry City & Strabane District Council and Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council to overcome challenges in implementing their Community Plan. The project will conclude with the publication of a final report in spring/summer 2021.

A summary of the recommendations for the NI Executive, Community Planning Partnerships and other organisations are highlighted in the briefing, some of the key recommendations include:

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Unclassified

Summary of recommendations for NI Executive: - To provide funding for Community Planning - NI Executive budgets should align to Programme for Government (PfG) - Regeneration, Responsibility and funding should move to local government - Outcomes based approach for PfG to move to a statutory footing - Move to a position where all public services/organisations required by law to participate in Community Planning - Increased co-ordination between PfG and Community Planning and Civil Service training scheme to include training in Community Planning - Strengthened relationships between central and local government with shared training and opportunities for secondments - NI executive to fund NISRA staff in 11 councils - NI Executive needs to learn from other regions on how to do community engagement better, example of COVID Community response. Scotland approach recommended - NI Executive should follow examples from Community Planning in relation to citizen engagement - NI Executive needs to improve how it communicates progress that is being made in the delivery of PfG

Summary of recommendations for Community Planning Partnerships: - Partners need to align their corporate plans to the community plans. - Programme of capacity building for Partnerships - Better use of locality planning and DEA approach - Better use of data from all partners for each Community Planning Partnership with a focus on improved wellbeing - Need to invest in the capacity of the Community & Voluntary sector and involve in service delivery

Summary of recommendations for Other Organisations: - NILGA should create a safe online space for all Partners to discuss challenges relating to Community Planning - NISRA to raise awareness of the data sets that are available

RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that Council endorses the recommendations made by the Carnegie UK Trust and writes to the Communities Minister accordingly.

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Unclassified

ITEM 5

Ards and North Down Borough Council

Report Classification Unclassified

Council/Committee Corporate Services Committee

Date of Meeting 20 April 2021

Responsible Director Director of Organisational Development and Administration

Responsible Head of Head of Administration Service

Date of Report 13 April 2021

File Reference

Legislation

Section 75 Compliant Yes ☒ No ☐ Not Applicable ☐

Subject NI 100 Sub-Committee

Attachments Minutes of Meeting dated 18 March 2021

The minutes of the NI 100 Sub-Committee meeting dated 18 March 2021 are attached.

RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that the minutes be adopted.

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ARDS AND NORTH DOWN BOROUGH COUNCIL

A meeting of the 100th Anniversary of Northern Ireland Sub-Committee was held remotely via Zoom on Thursday 18 March 2021 at 4 pm.

PRESENT:-

Elected Members: Alderman Irvine Councillor Cummings (Mayor) Councillor Kennedy (Chairman) Councillor P Smith (4.23 pm)

In Attendance: Head of Administration (A Curtis) Arts and Heritage Manager (E Crawford) Museum Manager (H McGuicken) Democratic Services Officer (J Glasgow)

1. APOLOGIES

Apologies for inability to attend were received from the Director of Organisational Development and Administration (W Swanston), Head of Community and Culture (J Nixey), Events Manager (W Smith), Democratic Services Manager (J Wilson) and Mrs C Walker.

An apology for lateness was received from Councillor P Smith.

NOTED.

2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

The Mayor declared an interest in Item 6 - Request from Comber District Orange to Commemorate the Centenary.

3. UPDATE ON FUNDING APPLICATION

The Head of Administration provided an update advising that the Council had been unsuccessful with its funding application and expressed disappointment in that regard. She had sought further clarity on the feedback received on the application and she had been advised that it was felt that the plans had not been developed enough. Officers had felt that the application had included that detail and had outlined the focus on the principal of remembrance. The other aspect was that they did not feel the centenary park met the funding criteria as it was a new build. The Head of Administration advised that 6 out of the 9 Council’s that had applied were successful and upon reviewing the successful Councils programme she felt those were not dissimilar to what this Council had submitted. She noted that that £6m of funding applications for £1m fund. There was an appeal process however that was in respect of the decision process (not the outcome) and thought at this stage there would be no appeal submitted. Referring Members to the list of projects, the Head of

NI100 18.3.21

Administration advised that the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum had received funding which was within the borough.

The Mayor made reference to the Strangford Lough and Lecale Partnership and noted they had received substantial amount of funding and asked if possibly their focus had had an impact on the Council’s application. The Head of Administration advised that had not been alluded to.

Alderman Irvine asked the details of the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum application. The Arts and Heritage Manager stated that she could find out their plans, imagining they would have a programme of events across the four Museum sites. The Mayor added that he was aware that the Ulster Museum had submitted a separate application which was focused on industry and the creation of a separate park.

The Chairman shared the disappointment that the funding application had not been successful.

The Head of Administration reminded Members that the Council had set aside a budget for the event next year. Further to that Officers were working with the Parks section to investigate potential funding for the forestry aspect. She alluded to tree strategy that was going through the Council process currently.

Councillor Mathison stated that in respect of the centenary park had a site been identified. In respect of the tree strategy, he noted that the Woodland Trust had a programme ready for the delivery of trees and the planting.

The Head of Administration referred to the Whitespots project and noted that within that there were areas that may be suitable.

In relation to Whitespots area, the Chairman asked the space in question. The Head of Administration stated there were a number of spaces ranging in sizes that were being looked at within the overall area but nothing had progressed as yet.

The Chairman noted that Whitespots had previously not been as successful as the Council had wished in respect of the BCRD monies and felt that maybe that area may not be suitable. The Head of Administration stated that it was an area that could be explored for an appropriate location.

The Chairman noted there was attempts at Talbot Street to build a community park he wondered if that area was too small. The Head of Administration noted that land was currently not owned by the Council.

The Head of Administration stated that now the Council had been approved the budget Officers could begin work. 100 trees did not require an overly large piece of land and she was hopeful the project could be developed relatively quickly.

NOTED.

NI100 18.3.21

4. UPDATE ON LOCAL ACTIVITY/LAUNCH OF ANDBC NI100 PROGRAMME

The programme could be found at ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk/NI100

The Head of Administration advised that she could circulate a table which detailed the suggested timeline. She shared the suggested timeline which detailed activities May – December 2021 along with the regional focus. It was hoped that a launch of the exhibition in the Museum could take place in May subject to restrictions.

In terms of call for centenarians, the Chairman felt it would be appropriate for the Chairman to attend future 100th birthday celebrations.

Further discussions occurred regarding the gift for the centenarians and it was noted flowers and a mayoral visit were currently provided. The budget was limited in that regard and a certificate could be explored.

Councillor P Smith suggested exploring a tailored birthday card.

Alderman Irvine suggested a centenary coin. The Chairman was unsure if that would be a unique gift.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND on the proposal of Councillor P Smith, seconded by Councillor Mathison, that a birthday card and certificate be explored.

Councillor Kennedy was not inspired by the branding and did not feel that a lot of time and effort had gone into its generation.

Alderman Irvine referred to the community grants application process which was scheduled to take place in August and she asked if that could be brought forward to June. The Head of Administration advised that the Head of Community and Culture was mindful that a different Council grant programme was released in June and she did not wish for that to be mixed ensuring people would know there was two opportunities to apply for grants. Furthermore, the grants application needed to be designed, developed and processed through the Committee structure.

Alderman Irvine was cognisant of the main celebration which was to take place in May/June and to have funding available at that time.

Councillor P Smith referred to the branding and in context he pleased with the brand.

The Head of Administration advised that there £27k allocated to schools for the education element and a further £5k for youth and school engagement including online activity. She asked for Members views in that regard and the intention for this aspect. The area would need to be scoped externally for the development of a programme and Officers were conscious that the regional programme was all encompassing and reached every group in the education sector.

The Chairman stated that his view on school engagement locally was to work on art / poetry with a view of the pieces being exhibited, judged and a small acknowledgment for those that had participated.

NI100 18.3.21

Councillor P Smith was of the understanding that the education programme locally would supplement what was occurring from a regional perspective. That would look at the Borough’s role, reflecting on the history of the development of NI, looking forward at how the Borough could be improved from the young people’s perspective.

Councillor Mathison noted if the matter was being addressed regionally the Council should not be tied to spending the budget. He agreed with the Chairman’s idea for primary school children to produce artwork and reflections of history and hope for the future. In terms of engaging post-primary he was unsure what form that could take.

Alderman Irvine noted the work that was being worked on regionally and suggested the Council feed into that in some way. He suggested themes such as looking at the major figures for example in industry and sporting who had contributed to NI, looking towards to the future and how the young people envisaged a modern future society.

The Museum Manager wished to highlight a cavate around exhibiting artwork and noted that galleries in the Art Centre had no space available for exhibitions until 2022. That was due to having to reschedule those that had made bookings over the past year.

The Chairman questioned the obstacles in creating a gap for the exhibition of the artwork. The Museum Manager stated that an exhibition would normally last one month and to provide space that would mean taking a slot away from an exhibitor who would potentially have to wait another year for an available slot. She noted there could naturally be cancellations.

The Chairman felt given the exhibition would be a once in a 100 year event a gap for exhibiting could be created.

The Museum Manager suggested that maybe a video or online recording may be more appropriate for schools. The date of reopening for the Museums was still unknown. As a suggestion the monies could be used for a videographer who would visit the schools, interview some of the children and a video could be placed on the website.

Councillor Mathison stated with the uncertainty, he welcomed that suggestion from the Museum Manager and that there was scope to tie into learning.

In terms of process, the Head of Administration stated that Officers were keen to progress the programme and noted she would send out a revised programme for comments from the group.

NOTED.

5. UPDATE ON REGIONAL ACTIVITY

• Shared History Fund - The Mayor provided an update advising the shared history fund would facilitate at least 39 community groups across the province

NI100 18.3.21

to deliver their own programmes and that would become more evident over the next month as work progressed. • Belfast City Council would be focusing on the commemoration of King George arriving. • Education - regionally the focus was on a sustainable future ‘building back greener’. • Centenary Rose - July would see the launch of the Centenary Rose and a rose would be presented to the Queen for her own garden. • There would also be an international/inter-denominational Church Service and the form of that was being considered presently. • Plans were being put in place for a reception at Hillsborough Castle later in the year which was dependent on Covid restrictions. • There was a focus on the academics who would be undertaking a series of on-line talks and panels which was being led by Queen’s University. • Royal Mail would be marking the Centenary and creating a stamp from April – May. • Build Back Better – Invest NI were promoting this aspect in respect of inward investment. • Born in Northern Ireland – Showcasing the talents of those actors, artists, singers etc who were born in NI.

NOTED.

6. REQUEST FROM COMBER DISTRICT ORANGE TO COMMEMORATE THE CENTENARY

Councillor P Smith advised that Comber District Orange had received correspondence from their Secretary outlining a request for the planting of a tree with a plaque and 100 orange lilies in Comber Square to signify the link between the Comber, the Orange and John Andrews. He asked if the request could be facilitated. The Head of Administration agreed to process this through the use of land process once minutes were ratified if appropriate.

The Chairman asked if that request could be conveyed to the relevant Section.

The Head of Administration stated that could be processed through a use of land request.

Alderman Irvine referred to the orange lilies and asked if they could be placed across the Borough in flower beds and welcomed that theme around the Centenary during June, July and August. The Head of Administration agreed to talk to Parks and Cemeteries Manager directly to see if this was feasible.

The Chairman asked if the Council’s website would be limited to publicising its own events or would other organisations be able to contribute to the website to publicise their centenary events. The Head of Administration advised that it would the intention to advertise the Council and regional events however she would check with the Communications section. The Museum Manager outlined that she believed that the policy was that other group events were not publicised on the Council’s website as it

NI100 18.3.21 was difficult to manage however events other events organised could likely be incorporated within the Visit AND website.

The Mayor advised lily bulbs were currently being planted to allow them to bloom in time. With regards to Comber District, the Mayor declared an interest in the item. He outlined the connection with Thomas Andrews Junior, LOL 1321 and the No15 district in Comber. Back in 1921, the first banner to Thomas Andrews was unfurled in Comber along with the Goldsprings Lodge and the Lodge were keen to replicate the two banners coming together on 2nd July. The other significant date was the election date of Mr Andrews as MP on 24th April for the new NI Government. That was before he came Grand Master though there was that tangible link which Comber District Orange were keen to commemorate.

NOTED.

7. LORD CRAIGAVON BY HELEN RUNCIMAN AND CENTENNIAL COIN

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Pictures circulated for information.

As Councillor Cooper was not in attendance there was no further update on this item. The Chairman noted that there was no mention of the cost of the coins.

NOTED.

8. BANGOR ROYAL BRITISH LEGION CENTENARY 2021

The Mayor advised that it was the Centenary of the Legion this year, there was no events organised as yet. Further information would follow in that regard.

NOTED.

9. ANY OTHER BUSINESS

The Chairman asked that a letter be sent to Royal Mint asking if that had any plans to create a Centenary Coin for the Commemoration.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Alderman Irvine, seconded by Councillor Cummings, that a letter be sent in that regard once the minutes were ratified.

TERMINATION OF MEETING

The meeting terminated at 5.19 pm.

Unclassified

ITEM 6

Ards and North Down Borough Council

Report Classification Unclassified

Council/Committee Corporate Sevices Committee

Date of Meeting 20 April 2021

Responsible Director Director of Organisational Development and Administration

Responsible Head of Head of Administration Service

Date of Report 01 April 2021

File Reference EQ 33

Legislation Section 75 The Northern Ireland Act 1998; Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and Disability Discrimination (NI) Order 2006

Section 75 Compliant Yes ☒ No ☐ Other ☐ If other, please add comment below:

Subject Quarterly Report on Equality and Good Relations (Section 75 of The N.I. Act 1998) 1 January 2021 - 31 March 2021

Attachments N/A

In accordance with the Council’s Equality Scheme, a progress report is required to be submitted on a quarterly basis to the Council’s Corporate Services Committee. This ensures the Council complies with its obligations to meet its equality and good relations duties and responsibilities, as identified in Section 75 of The Northern Ireland Act 1998.

This report lists the actions of Council officers to meet the statutory duties since 1 January 2021. Due to the various restrictions placed across the province there have been no face-to-face meetings, events or trainings. However, the responsibilities and duties of the legislation are embedded within the Council and all decisions require consideration of their potential and actual impact on all Section 75 dimensions of residents, employees and visitors to the Borough.

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Unclassified

Consultative Panel on Equality and Good Relations The Equality and Good Relations External Consultative Panel (the Panel) had arranged to meet on Monday 29 March 2021 on Microsoft Teams. The agenda for this meeting included a brief talk on ensuring we look after our mental well-being, on how the Council has adapted to the needs of the community from March 2020 followed by a challenge workshop facilitated by John Kremer.

For a number of reasons attendance was very low.

It is recognised that the membership of the panel does require to be revisited to ensure there is a fair distribution of individuals and groups to represent the nine dimensions and multiple identities as many members have taken Covid as a reason to stand down from this volunteering role. It has been decided that the most appropriate way to address this is to wait until face-to-face meetings can take place and confidence grows to enable opportunities for open dialogue to take place before a recruitment process may be agreed.

It is now proposed that the Consultative panel will be put on hold and revisited in its entirety, including the constitution, membership arrangements and meeting formats when it is again possible to hold meetings in a face-to-face format. John Kremer did comment on the standard of the screening forms and the value of the format for discussion.

An Elected Member has requested the names of individual members on the Consultative Panel. This is not possible to release into the public domain as their consent within GDPR and Data Protection is for the Council to retain their details ‘only be used to communicate with members and will not be used for any other purposes’. Elected Members are invited to joint meetings at least biennially with the most recent being in February 2020 as a joint learning event in Signal Centre of Excellence.

Internal Screening Group Council officers from across the council directorates continue to screen Council policies as an integral part of the policy development process. A meeting of the Internal Screening Group took place on Wednesday 6 January 2021 on Microsoft Teams. It is considered important that this forum continues as the scrutiny and learning across the Council is beneficial in ensuring any potential adverse impact is identified at the earliest opportunity that may affect any service unit so it may be shared across all Directorates. It also gives colleagues the opportunity to keep up to date on issues that may affect them or their service area as we currently do not have the opportunity for informal discussions.

There were 9 policies considered on the agenda in January 2021 and the breadth of Council directorates in attendance encouraged discussion on each policy outcome. A further Internal Screening Group took place on Tuesday 23 March 2021 and there were 7 completed screening forms considered. At this meeting the policy outcomes are reviewed for S 75, Rural Proofing, Sustainability and Data Protection issues. Officers present were also updated on the Equality Action Plan and Disability Action Plan and reminded of their agreed responsibilities to deliver the actions for this period.

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Unclassified

Quarterly Consultations The Council has a requirement within the Equality Scheme to publish the outcome of screened policies quarterly. A quarterly report was uploaded onto the Council’s website on Wednesday 6 January 2021 and included 12 screening outcomes. The next agreed table and forms will be uploaded to the Council’s website and circulated to all consultees on Wednesday 6 April 2021. This will ensure it is not lost in the Easter holiday period. At the time of writing this report there will be seven completed screening forms to be made available on the Council website.

Equality Action Plan 2021 - 2025 The Compliance Officer (Equality and Safeguarding) has continued to report on the outstanding and completed actions in the Council’s existing Equality Action Plan. A new draft Equality Action Plan was agreed by Corporate Committee in November 2020 and was circulated for public consultation for a 12-week period closing on Friday 19 February 2021. The final document was presented to the Corporate Services Committee on 9 March 2021. At this meeting (and subsequently ratified by Council), an action regarding contextualising memorabilia was removed from the Action Plan. Following discussion, the ECNI advised that a further consultation for this specific aspect being removed would not be necessary.

The removal of these actions has been screened in accordance with the Council’s Equality Scheme commitments and advice from ECNI. The outcome will be the subject of a separate report to a future Corporate Services Committee. The Equality Action Plan 2021 – 2025 will remain on the agenda of the Internal Screening Group and will be reviewed and updated annually in the ECNI Annual Report.

Disability Forum A meeting took place using Microsoft Teams on Tuesday 12 January 2021. The agenda included an update on the Disability Action Plan 2020 – 2025, a presentation on the role of the PCSP and their actions for the incoming year, a leisure update and a presentation from the CENSUS Manager for range area and how to engage to ensure every individual’s needs are met.

All who attended found this to be a valuable meeting as many are experiencing isolation during this period of uncertainty and pleased to know the Council continue to provide advice and hold meetings.

A further meeting was held on Tuesday 9 March 2021. At this meeting issues of concern and interest were discussed and included a leisure update, the value of the Census information, awareness of the needs for those with an assistance dog in relation to Brexit and the value of the information collated in the first two Big Conversation surveys by many community partners in planning and delivering services.

The work of the Arts Section was also discussed to ensure that those artists with a disability have access to the range of grants and exhibitions in a manner that meets their needs. There are also plans to provide a bursary for an artist annually to ensure there is equity of access to the training and support offered to all involved in the Arts within the Borough.

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AccessAble

The information within this resource has been an excellent practical tool for individuals and families to learn of the availability of facilities within the borough to meet their specific needs. The depth and detail of the information has given confidence to all who use it and recommend it to other potential users.

The addition of walking routes has demonstrated how AccessAble has engaged with users’ needs and also embraced the need to encourage exercise and the opportunity to get outside no matter what an individual’s disability or impairment is. This is proving valuable particularly at this time and is used along with the public toilet, changing places and radar key information.

Disability Action Plan The Compliance Officer (Equality and Safeguarding) continues to work to deliver the Disability Action Plan (DAP). This is reported through the Internal Screening Group and Consultative Panel as well as the Disability Forum. At these meetings, any identified concerns may be added to the Plan to ensure appropriate actions are identified and undertaken in a timely manner to enable the Council to remain compliant with the relevant legislation.

Complaints During the period of this report no complaints have been received.

Community Planning The Community Planning Manager and Compliance Officer (Equality and Safeguarding) continue to work together to ensure all people in Ards and North Down Borough Council area benefit from the delivery of the Community Plan (through the Big Plan). The Big Survey was facilitated through the Disability Forum and through a meeting with Cedar Foundation. Since then, the second survey has been carried out and some of the issues raised addressed through the contacts of this group. A meeting was held with the relevant officers on Thursday 17 December 2020 to explore the Health Impact on employees and all residents and how the Council can coordinate its services and respond appropriately at this time to ensure there is no duplication of services whilst addressing the main issues of loneliness, social isolation and neglect.

Age Friendly The Age Friendly Alliance continue to circulate information, and this is passed to the relevant groups and individuals as appropriate to ensure as many individuals as possible and groups are engaged to ensure the issues of loneliness and neglect are addressed where possible.

Local Government Staff Commission Safeguarding Network A meeting was held on Zoom on Wednesday 10 March 2021. A presentation by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) gave an insight to the value of passing information on as well as the role of DBS when they receive information. The Compliance Officer has forwarded details of the programme of sessions to the

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Human Resources and Community Sections who interact with the DBS in relation to requesting Access NI Checks for employees and volunteers.

Safeguarding Although many of our frontline services are not being carried out at present, issues are identified and addressed through the new working arrangements and online conversations and telephone calls. The officer also delivered an awareness of safeguarding for children, young people and adults who may be vulnerable training session to two Tobacco Control officers on Thursday 21 January 2021. They have also drafted advice on working with children, young people and adults who may be vulnerable. This has been used to advise Council officers who are providing or supporting online activities for these groups.

A response was drafted on behalf of the Council on the Adult Protection Bill consultation which was due to close on 11 March 2021. An extension was made to all consultees until Friday 9 April 2021. The response was the subject of a report to the Corporate Services Committee on 9 March 2021.

It Takes Allsorts 2020 The fourth and final event in this the sixth year was on Thursday 14 January 2021 on Microsoft Teams. A total of 104 participants heard from Dr Eamon Phoenix who spoke on ‘The partition of Ireland and the establishment of Northern Ireland.’ The Microsoft Teams events have been well attended in comparison to previous years. It has been considered on account of the ability to attend without travelling, the topics and the ability to choose sessions rather than a half day from the working week with sessions that may not be considered relevant t attendees.

Mental Health Code of Conduct The Council’s commitment to the Mental Health Charter signed in March 2019 has continued throughout the period of this report. The actions are from a range of sections and the circulation of information and provision of support continues. The Health and Wellbeing Group are proactive in reminding all of their responsibilities through the 5 Ways to Wellbeing. The Elected Member Mental Health Champions and Councillor McKimm attended a meeting with three of the Council Lead Officers who are responsible for the Mental Health Charter and Action Plan on Friday 11 December 2020 to discuss the issues affecting employees. Following this meeting and after agreed minutes from the Corporate Services Committee of December 2020, subsequently ratified by Council was agreed that a task and finish working group of staff, managers and members would be formed.

A meeting was held with the nominated Elected Members and officers on Friday 26 March 2021 to confirm the Terms of Reference and discuss the way forward.

Access and Inclusion Grants Training DfC offered the Council a number of free places for officers to train to be access and inclusion auditors as part of the 2019/20 Access and Inclusion Programme. This enables participating Councils to have officers skilled and equipped to deliver advice and improvements to Council assets, thus removing the requirement to fund external auditors for accredited advice as required when demonstrating the need for funding

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Unclassified in individual projects. Accredited advice is an essential requirement in any future tranche of the Access Inclusion Grants Programme.

The Council identified two officers from the Assets and Property Section to avail of this opportunity.

Training Due to the Covid-19 pandemic there has been no Equality Awareness training from March 2020 to employees or Elected Members. The Compliance Officer (Equality and Safeguarding) has attended a number of online training sessions on domestic violence and self-harm to enable her to assist officers who may become aware of concerns in the Borough. She has also delivered safeguarding training through zoom to community groups through the South Eastern Trust Keeping safe initiative.

COVID-19 and workforce resilience: Results and analysis of the APSE Survey The Human Resources Manager and Compliance Officer (Equality and Safeguarding) attended the above online session on Friday 14 January 2021 exploring the results of the survey carried out in November 2020. The results were to assist in informing the Councils’ range of services and sections that have responsibility for employee health and wellbeing. The information also is useful when addressing some of the mental health enquiries and the review of the actions the Council has committed to in the mental health charter.

Local Adult Safeguarding Partnership (LASP) The Compliance Officer (Equality and Safeguarding) attended the above meeting on Thursday 10 December 2020. The agenda addressed the outstanding actions on the Action Plan and discussion on the review of the arrangements that was being undertaken following the recommendation by the Health Minister for Northern Ireland. A meeting was also attended on Thursday 18 February and included an update on the Annual Report of NIASP and the achievements of the Annual Action Plan and the priorities for 2021 – 2022 as well as the Adult Protection Bill consultation and Domestic Abuse and Civil Proceedings Bill.

SBNI (Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland) At the recent zoom meeting on Tuesday 23 February 2021, at which the Compliance Officer was present the following areas were discussed: the actions on the current annual action plan; meaningful actions for the action plan 2021–2022; relevant training required by the various partner agencies as detailed in the SBNI Training Strategy; the value of partnership working throughout the pandemic period to support families in need; the extensive mental health needs that are being identified for all ages and how these will be addressed as well as the pattern of referrals to the various agencies throughout and following each lockdown period. The PSNI and Social Services continue to respond to referrals. However, with children not at school regularly the cases of neglect and other concerns have had the potential to fall through the net. The work of all Agencies has continued through adapting to the changing situations.

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Carer’s video As the Council was unable to support the Carers events this year in June and October 2020 the Mayor, the Compliance Officer Administrator, and the Communications Officer produced a video to demonstrate the Council’s support for all carers do, and particularly during this 10-month period. The South Eastern Trust Carers Manager was delighted to receive this meaningful and sincere message and circulated to those on the Trusts carers database. It was issued at the end of January 2021 to celebrate the work of all carers.

The Inclusive Mobility and Transport Advisory Committee (IMTAC) IMTAC launched a recruitment for new members on 26 January 2021. The information was circulated to all Elected Members and members of the Disability Forum. The work of IMTAC in working to ensure there is inclusive transport across Northern Ireland is far reaching and some members of the Disability Forum have been members. Committee members serve a three-year term as well as a limited number of one-year co-options.

Over the last year IMTAC advised the Government both in its response to COVID-19 but also how we can build back better once the pandemic is over. They also have issued guidance on travel with assistance dogs post Brexit and offered advice in relation to the change in travel requirements from NI to GB and beyond for those travelling with pets and assistance dogs since the ending of the transition period. To help inform and hopefully reassure assistance dog users in Northern Ireland IMTAC have produced an information leaflet.

Council signage At the Consultative Panel in 2019 the members requested officers consider a method of enabling a broader range of residents and visitors to the Borough to read the signs across the Borough that provide tourism information. The Tourism Section agreed to this and have begun providing the information through access to QR readers. QR readers are available on most smart mobile phones and allow the user to scan the graphic which will then download the information to their phone thus enabling them to read or listen to it in a format that suits their needs. To ensure the safety in relation to swimming in the Borough and particularly in harbour areas is also accessible by a range of users the information will be made available through the use of QR apps when it is appropriate to read and upload this information. This work has been embraced by Council officers to ensure they are mainstreaming their equality and disability duties in all aspects of the responsibilities of Council.

Citizen Space Council officers including the Compliance Officer Administrator have been working to make the Council’s surveys available in Easy Read using the new software to enable the council to engage with a wider audience in a meaningful manner. This new software is available for all Council services who consult using this medium.

RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that this report is noted.

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ITEM 7

Ards and North Down Borough Council

Report Classification Unclassified

Council/Committee Corporate Services

Date of Meeting 20 April 2021

Responsible Director Director of Finance and Performance

Responsible Head of Head of Finance Service

Date of Report 16 March 2021

File Reference FIN23

Legislation Local Government (Payments to Councillors) Regulations (NI) 2019

Section 75 Compliant Yes ☐ No ☐ Not Applicable ☒

Subject Scheme of Allowances of Councillors

Attachments Scheme of Allowances (Version 9) - 2021/22

Background

Regulation 3 of the Payments to Councillors regulations requires district councils to prepare and publish a scheme of allowances payable to its Members for each year.

Scheme of Allowances

The Department for Communities have issued updated statutory guidance in respect of Payments to Councillors in Circular LG 23/2019 and rates for allowances in Circular LG 7/2021.

The maximum Basic Allowance is £15,486 (subject to review in line with the NJC 2021/22 pay award). However, Council has held the basic to be paid at the 2019 level of £15,071. Out of the maximum permitted of £76,335 (subject to review as above), the draft scheme allocates Special Responsibility Allowances (SRA) totalling £51,156 (approximately 67%). In addition, it should be noted that the Mayor will receive the maximum permitted to be allocated to any one councillor.

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The Scheme is substantially the same as version 8 (approved in June 2020), however the following changes have been made (all highlighted in the attached scheme):

• Paragraph 8.3 now includes Mayor and Deputy Mayor allowances in respect of renunciations. • Updated dependant carers rates. • Minor textual adjustments to improve clarity.

Both the scheme of allowances and the statutory guidance issued by the Department for Communities form Part 5 of the Council’s constitution and therefore need updating following approval of the new scheme.

During the coming year Members will be able use the new integrated Human Resources and Employee Payments system to submit claims through a web portal. Further information will be issued in due course, in this regard.

RECOMMENDATION

That Council approves version 9 of the Scheme of Allowances to replace the previous version 8, with effect from 1 April 2021 and updates its constitution accordingly with the new scheme.

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SCHEME OF ALLOWANCES PAYABLE TO COUNCILLORS Version 9

This Scheme is made under the Local Government (Payments to Councillors) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2019 and takes account of the statutory guidance issued by the Department for Communities set out in Circular 23/2019 (as amended).

1. Definitions

In this scheme ‘approved duty’ and committee member are as defined in Regulation 2 of the Local Government (Payments to Councillors) Regulations (NI) 2019 and Section 36 Local Government Finance Act (NI) 2011.

2. Commencement Date

This scheme of allowances shall be operational from 1 April 2020.

3. Basic Allowance

An annual basic allowance of £15,071 shall be paid to each councillor. Where applicable this will be paid pro-rata.

The basic allowance includes an element for incidental and consumable costs incurred by Councillors in their official capacity. This element is £1,061.

4. Special Responsibility Allowance

4.1 A special responsibility allowance shall be paid to those councillors who hold the special responsibilities specified in Schedule 1 (Appendix A).

4.2 The amount of allowance shall be the amount specified against that special responsibility in the Schedule. The allowance will be paid 12 equal instalments (or pro rata) over the course of the Council year.

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4.3 At any time, only one special responsibility allowance will be paid to a councillor.

5. Mayor and Deputy Mayor Allowance

5.1 Expenditure paid under Section 32 Local Government Finance Act (NI) 2011 is on a receipts basis only to cover expenses of the Mayor’s office. Council has agreed a limit for this type of expenditure of £15,000.

6. Dependents’ Carers’ Allowance

6.1 Councillors are entitled to claim a dependants’ carers’ allowance (DCA) towards reimbursement of actual reasonable costs necessarily incurred in providing care for an eligible dependant, while carrying out an approved duty.

6.2 A dependant is defined as: • a child under 16 years old; • a child 16 years old or more, where there is medical or social work evidence that full-time care is required; • an adult with a recognised physical or mental disability where there is medical or social work evidence that full-time care is required; or • an elderly relative requiring full-time care.

6.3 For the purposes of this allowance, a carer is defined as a responsible person over 16 years old who does not normally live with the councillor as part of that household; and is not a parent/guardian of the dependent child.

6.4 A specialist carer is defined as a qualified person who is needed where it is essential to have professional assistance. In these circumstances a receipt must be attached to the claim.

6.5 A dependants’ carers’ allowance shall be payable based upon actual receipted costs or at the appropriate hourly rate, whichever is the lower; up to the monthly maximum.

6.6 The rates are as follows:

Hourly Rate Maximum monthly amount Standard £8.72 £454 Specialist £17.44 £907

6.7 Councillors may claim only one DCA in respect of each occurrence of approved duty. Only one DCA is payable even if there are two or more children or dependants being cared for.

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7. Travel and Subsistence Allowances

7.1 A councillor or committee member shall be entitled to claim travel and subsistence allowances where expenditure on travelling or subsistence has been necessarily incurred in connection with an approved duty as specified in Schedule 2 (Appendix B). The amount claimed should not exceed expense incurred and when by air, boat or public transport should be at economy or 2nd class. Council will not reimburse seat reservation charges. Where a Councillor travels by taxi in preference to public transport the amount reimbursed will be limited to what would have been the cost of the equivalent public transport.

7.2 Where the council deems a hired car is necessary a councillor or committee member may be reimbursed the receipted cost of the hired car along with the applicable mileage rate.

7.3 The rates paid for travel by car must not exceed the amount that would result from using an alternative mode of transport; e.g. public transport or air fare, unless previously agreed by the council.

7.4 The rates of travel allowance for travel by private vehicle shall be as shown in the table below.

RATE TYPE OF VEHICLE (pence per mile) A pedal cycle 20.0

A motor cycle of all engine sizes 24.0

A motor car of cylinder capacity exceeding 450cc but 46.9 not exceeding 999cc 13.7* A motor car of cylinder capacity exceeding 999cc but 52.2 not exceeding 1,199cc 14.4*

65.0 A motor car of cylinder capacity exceeding 1,199cc 16.4* 45.0 Electric car 25.0#

Passenger Rate 5.0

* For mileage above 8,500 miles # For mileage above 10,000 miles

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7.5 The rates of subsistence shall be as show in the table below, which include VAT. No claims for alcohol are permitted.

PERIOD/MEAL RATES British London Isles £ £ Overnight allowance an absence involving an 100.70 122.45 overnight stay, away from the normal place of residence. This rate does not include any meal allowance.

Breakfast allowance (more than 4 hours away 11.50 11.50 from the normal place of residence or, where approved by the council, a lesser period before 11 am)

Lunch allowance (more than 4 hours away from 13.50 13.50 the normal place of residence or, where approved by the council, a lesser period including the period between 12 noon and 2pm)

Tea allowance (more than 4 hours away from the 4.70 4.70 normal place of residence or, where approved by the council, a lesser period including the period between 3pm and 6pm)

Evening meal allowance (more than 4 hours 20.95 20.95 away from the normal place of residence or, where approved by the council, a lesser period ending after 7pm)

Sub-total for meals 50.65 50.65

Total maximum rate (absence of 24 hours) 151.35 173.10

7.6 For subsistence outside the British Isles, Council will use Overseas Subsistence Rates produced by Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) as the maximum payable. These rates which can be accessed at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/scale-rate-expenses-payments- employee-travelling-outside-the-uk. The newest version is effective from 6 April 2019.

8. General

8.1 This scheme may be revoked or amended at any time.

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8.2 The amounts stated in paragraph 6 will be subject to any increase to the national living wage for ages of 25 years and over.

8.3 A Councillor may, if they wish, renounce their entitlement to basic, mayor, deputy mayor or special responsibility allowances. This should be done by writing to the Chief Executive. A councillor can subsequently withdraw the renunciation. They can also amend a renunciation (for example, to limit it to one kind of allowance only). The withdrawal or amendment cannot have retrospective effect.

8.4 In accordance with section 59(5) or section 60(1) of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014, where a Councillor is suspended from carrying out the duties, the part of basic allowance, special responsibility allowance, chairperson and vice chairperson allowance payable for the period of suspension to the councillor will be withheld.

9. Claims and Payment

9.1 Councillors are required to sign their declaration of acceptance of office before any allowances can be paid.

9.2 Payments regarding basic allowance and special responsibility allowance shall be made in instalments of one-twelfth of the amount specified in this scheme or by meeting as noted in Schedule 1.

9.3 Claims for dependants’ carers’ allowance, travelling allowance or subsistence allowance should be made, in accordance with paragraph 9.6 below, within three months on the appropriate claim form (Appendices C – F), and should be accompanied by receipts.

9.4 Tax and MOT status will be checked electronically on the Gov.uk website and Councillors must have provided a copy of their current driving licence, VC5 (vehicle registration certificate) and motor insurance certificate (covering business use) before any mileage allowances will be paid.

9.5 Councillors are required to make the following declaration on each claim for travelling and subsistence allowances:

• I have necessarily incurred expenditure on travel and subsistence for the purpose of enabling me to perform the approved duties of the Council; • I have actually paid the fares shown and all other amounts claimed are in accordance with the rates approved by the Council; • I have attached all necessary receipts in connection with travel and subsistence expenses claimed; • I have not made, and will not make, any other claim under any enactment for travel and subsistence expenses in connection with duties indicated on this form;

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• The amounts claimed are strictly in accordance with the Local Government (Payments to Councillors) Regulations (NI) 2019; • I hold a valid licence, V5C (vehicle registration certificate), and MOT certificate (if applicable) and appropriate motor insurance, which covers my vehicle being used for business purposes.

9.6 Claims should be submitted by 8th day of the month following the period of claim and may be made in the following ways: • by signed paper claim form and submitted to the Employee Payments team at Town Hall, The Castle, Bangor, BT20 4BT; • Unsigned electronic claims will be accepted provided they are submitted from either a Member’s Council email address or other email address used to send the Member’s payslip to; or • Electronically via the CoreExpense system (Members will be notified when this becomes available).

9.7 Payment will be made by BACS directly to Members’ bank accounts no later than the 25th day of each month.

10. Publication of Allowances Paid to Councillors

10.1 The Local Government Finance Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 and the Local Government (Payments to Councillors) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2019 provide for the publication of schemes of allowances payable to councillors and the associated payments. This forms part of the Council’s constitution. The Council will publish the return made to the Department for Communities and include both amounts paid to and on behalf of each Councillor.

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Appendix A

SCHEDULE 1

The following are specified as the special responsibilities in respect of which special responsibility allowances are payable and the amounts of those allowances.

Allowance Position of Responsibility £

Mayor 14,856

Deputy Mayor 7,428

Chairperson Corporate Services Committee 4,470

Chairperson Environment Committee 3,828

Chairperson Regeneration & Development Committee 3,828

Chairperson Planning Committee 5,100

Chairperson Community & Wellbeing Committee 3,828

Chairperson Audit Committee 1,284

Audit Committee members (9 members at £256 per annum) 2,304

Chairperson PCSP 1,284

ARC 21 members (3 members at £768 per annum) 2,304

Partnership Panel Representative 642

TOTAL 51,156

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Appendix B

SCHEDULE 2

Approved Duties

In accordance with Regulations, only the following are specified as the duties in respect of which basic allowance, dependents’ carers’ allowances, and travel and subsistence allowances are available:

1. attendance at a meeting of the council; 2. attendance at a meeting of a committee of the council; 3. attendance at a meeting of a sub-committee of the council; 4. attendance at a meeting of a joint committee; 5. attendance at a meeting of a sub-committee of a joint committee; or 6. the doing of anything approved by the council or anything of a class so approved, for the purpose of, or in connection with, the discharge of the functions of the council, or any of its committees or sub-committees, or as the case may be, of the joint committee or any of its sub-committees.

Examples of Approved Duties included Examples of Duties which are not under point 6* Approved* a. Event or photo-shoots for Council or i. Attendance at Committees of which where Council is a main sponsor of, for the Councillor is not a member Chair or Vice-Chair of sponsoring Committee only. (eg. Aspects Festival launch or attendance at Ards Business Awards) b. Pre-meeting briefing of Chairs and Vice- ii. Events to which Councillors have Chairs of Committees with Chief received either a personal or general Executive or Directors invitation to (with no accompanying minute) c. Group Leaders meeting with Chief iii. Mayor’s Installation Dinner / At Home Executive / Civic Receptions / Remembrance Services / Church Services d. Official opening of Council facilities iv. Consultations, workshops and public meetings organised by special interest groups e. Interview or Grant selection panels v. Other meetings with officers other than those listed under approved duties f. Commemoration events of regional or vi. Constituency Work national significance g. Training, consultations, workshops, and public meetings organised by Council h. Planning site meetings i. Any other duties for which there is a specific minute. (eg. Nominated members to NILGA conference)

* These apply to outside bodies at they apply to Council.

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Appendix B

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Appendix C

DEPENDANTS’ CARERS’ ALLOWANCE CLAIM FORM

STANDARD CARE

Date care provided:

Approved Duty covered:

Time from Time to Total hours

: Cost per hour £

Total cost: £

Name of dependant:

Relationship to Councillor:

Name of carer:

National Insurance Number:

Signature of carer:

Declaration:

I declare that the above named provided a childcare/carer service to me as detailed above, in order that I could perform the approved duty stated.

Name of claimant:

Signature of claimant:

Date of claim:

NB - One form should be completed for each instance of childcare/carer service

FOR OFFICE USE ONLY Checked By: Date:

Authorised By: Date:

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Appendix D

DEPENDANTS’ CARERS’ ALLOWANCE CLAIM FORM

SPECIALISED CARE

Date care provided:

Approved Duty covered:

Time from Time to Total hours

: Cost per hour £

Total cost: £

Name of dependant:

Relationship to Councillor:

Name of carer:

National Insurance Number:

Signature of carer:

Declaration:

I declare that the above named provided a childcare/carer service to me as detailed above, in order that I could perform the approved duty stated.

Name of claimant:

Signature of claimant:

Date of claim:

NB – One form should be completed for each instance of childcare/carer service - an original receipt from the carer must be presented with this claim form.

FOR OFFICE USE ONLY Checked By: Date: Authorised By: Date:

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Appendix E

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Appendix E

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Appendix F

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Appendix F

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ITEM 8

Ards and North Down Borough Council

Report Classification Unclassified

Council/Committee Corporate Services

Date of Meeting 20 April 2021

Responsible Director Director of Organisational Development and Administration

Responsible Head of Head of Administration Service

Date of Report 04 March 2021

File Reference LP37

Legislation

Section 75 Compliant Yes ☒ No ☐ Not Applicable ☐

Subject Request to light up Council buildings from the Northern Ireland Endometriosis Support Group

Attachments

The Council received a late request on behalf of Endometriosis Ireland to light up Council buildings yellow on Saturday 27th March in support of the World Wide Endo March which will take place virtually this year.

March is Endometriosis month and each year the charity participates in this event to raise awareness for Endometriosis sufferers which affects 1 in 10 women in Northern Ireland.

As this meets the Council’s lighting policy and did not require to be referred to Council for permission, officers proceeded with the request.

RECOMMENDATION

As this request is in accordance with the Council’s policy, it is recommended that the Council notes the request and that this is added to the Council’s annual lighting up schedule.

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ITEM 9

Ards and North Down Borough Council

Report Classification Unclassified

Council/Committee Corporate Services

Date of Meeting 20 April 2021

Responsible Director Director of Organisational Development and Administration

Responsible Head of Head of Administration Service

Date of Report 30 March 2021

File Reference LP37

Legislation

Section 75 Compliant Yes ☒ No ☐ Not Applicable ☐

Subject Request to light up Council buildings from Fairtrade for annual World Fairtrade Day

Attachments Appendix 1 - letter from All Party Group on Fairtrade

The Council has received a request from Dr.Christopher Stange, Secretariat – All Party Group on Fairtrade in Northern Ireland to light up Council buildings in Fairtrade colours to highlight and promote Fairtrade on World Fairtrade Day and to that this be added to the annual lighting up schedule (Appendix 1). World Fairtrade Day is officially marked on the 2nd Saturday of May – this year, Saturday 8th May 2021.

Ards and North Down Borough Council attained Fairtrade status in 2017 and have retained their status on every subsequent cycle. Due to the COVID 19 pandemic, it has been impossible to bring people together at a Fairtrade event or to engage in the usual community activities, so this request is to build on the achievement of becoming a Fairtrade Borough.

The current lighting up policy states that requests for the lighting up of Council buildings are deemed eligible if they are:-

• Charitable, community or other non-profit making organisations based in or with a significant connection to the Borough and which are celebrating a significant anniversary or occasion.

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RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that the Council accedes to the request and lights up Council buildings in Fairtrade colours on Saturday 8th May 2021 and that this is added to the annual lighting up schedule.

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All Party Group on FAIRTRADE www.northernirelandfairtrade.org

PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL Cllr Trevor Cummings – Mayor Ards and North Down Borough Council Town Hall The Castle Bangor BT20 4BT

24 March 2021

Dear Mayor,

RE: Request to Light Up Buildings for World FAIRTRADE Day – Saturday May 08, 2021

On behalf of the All Party Group on Fairtrade, may I extend our sentiments to The Mayor, staff and elected representatives of Ards and North Down Borough Council. As the First Citizen of the Borough and Chair to the Council, we kindly seek your assistance.

The All Party Group was officially established in 2014 with the Consulate General for St. Vincent and the Grenadines appointed as its Secretariat. The mandate is to deliver a Fairtrade regional programme to achieve Fairtrade regional status for Northern Ireland, which was achieved in 2017 and declared at a ceremony in Stormont Parliament Buildings.

All of our 11 councils in Northern Ireland have passed Fairtrade resolutions to support Fairtrade, provide Fairtrade products at meetings and work to achieve Fairtrade status for the entire council area (Borough, District or City) to include all its cities and major towns.

Nine of our 11 councils have achieved the Fairtrade status with cross-sector Fairtrade Steering Groups, of which each council has staff and elected representatives on the Committee with the task of promoting Fairtrade across the Council area. Council plays a lead administrative role to each Fairtrade Group through its statutory obligation on sustainability, United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, ethical consumerism and corporate social responsibility to achieve the Fairtrade status and maintain it through the renewal process every two years.

On this note, Ards and North Down proudly attained the Fairtrade Borough status in 2017 and has successfully renewed the accreditation every cycle. The next renewal is 21 October 2022.

1 | P a g e

Each Fairtrade Steering Group has an agreed action plan, which includes promoting and highlighting Fairtrade through holding an event either during Fairtrade Fortnight (February/March) or on World Fairtrade Day (May) annually around the Fairtrade status. Your lead council staff and Chief Executive have been copied into the request for record as they have been instrumental in playing their part for Council on Fairtrade.

However, due to the global pandemic the ability to bring people together, arrange an event, community engagement, etc has not been possible.

Therefore, as there is already a mechanism in place and to build on the great achievement of becoming a Fairtrade Borough we are asking to light up buildings in the Fairtrade certified Mark colours (or what can be done technically) on World Fairtrade Day 2021 (Saturday May 08, 2021) and have this added to the Council’s annual calendar of lighting up its buildings.

World Fairtrade Day is officially marked on the second Saturday of May.

May we also ask that the event be captured and through your communication channels be shared through Council’s press department (website and social media) that the Fairtrade Steering Group may use as evidence for its Fairtrade status of an activity.

Fairtrade is a global movement for change that works to guarantee a better deal for disadvantaged developing world producers and farmers, securing better prices, decent working conditions and fair terms of trade. Its primary objective is to tackle poverty, eliminate exploitation (child labour/human trafficking) and ensure the protection of the environment in which they live and work, through the purchase of Fairtrade certified products.

Fairtrade is the gold standard of ethical labelling and is a completely transparent process with traceability from “farm to shelf”. It does not compete with local farming as the products have to originate from a developing country and are primarily tropical products that cannot be grown in Northern Ireland.

Enclosed are the technical aspects below of the three colours of the Fairtrade certified Mark.

For more information please visit: www.northernirelandfairtrade.org

Thank you for your time and assistance in this very worthy regional initiative being encouraged as an annual commemoration across Northern Ireland.

Yours sincerely,

Dr Christopher Stange Secretariat - All Party Group on Fairtrade Consul General

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Fairtrade Certified Mark Colors and codes There are three main colors: Name: Pear • Hex: #CDD42A • RGB: (205, 212, 42) • CMYK: 0.033, 0, 0.801, 0.168

Name: Process Cyan • Hex: #00B0DB • RGB: (0, 176, 219) • CMYK: 1, 0.196, 0, 0.141

Name: Rich Black • Hex: #010202 • RGB: (1, 2, 2) • CMYK: 0.5, 0, 0, 0.992

All Party Group on Fairtrade (current mandate): http://aims.niassembly.gov.uk/mlas/apgdetails.aspx?&cid=1089

Officers of the Group Chairperson: Emma Rogan MLA - Sinn Féin Vice-Chairperson: Colin McGrath MLA - SDLP Secretary: Stewart Dickson MLA - Alliance Treasurer: Jim Wells MLA - DUP

Group Members Chris Lyttle MLA - Alliance John Blair MLA - Alliance Paula Bradshaw MLA - Alliance Andrew Muir MLA - Alliance Harry Harvey MLA - DUP Robin Swann MLA - UUP Mike Nesbitt MLA - UUP

Secretariat Dr Christopher Stange – Consulate General for St. Vincent and the Grenadines

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Unclassified

ITEM 10

Ards and North Down Borough Council

Report Classification Unclassified

Council/Committee Corporate Services

Date of Meeting 20 April 2021

Responsible Director Director of Organisational Development and Administration

Responsible Head of Head of Administration Service

Date of Report 04 March 2021

File Reference LP37

Legislation

Section 75 Compliant Yes ☒ No ☐ Not Applicable ☐

Subject Request to light up Council buildings from Brain Injury Matters

Attachments

The Council has received a request from Brain Injury Matters to light up Council buildings blue and green during Action for Brain Injury Week from 17th to 23rd May.

Brain Injury Matters is a charity that provides support for children, adolescents and adults who have had an acquired brain injury (ABI), and their families, through services provided across the whole of Northern Ireland. They are clinically-led and their work includes nursing, physiotherapy, play therapy, psychology, social work, speech and language therapy professions complemented by highly experienced staff from the arts.

Even with 11,000 admissions to hospital annually, ABI is still often referred to as a ‘silent epidemic’ due to limited public awareness and the more subtle difficulties that can arise with memory and thinking abilities. The charity wants to raise awareness of the impact of ABI by the lighting up of Council buildings either throughout or during a period of Action for Brain Injury Week.

The Council already has light ups scheduled for 17th and 19th May, therefore it is proposed that the lighting up takes place on 23rd May to mark the end of Action for Brain Injury Week.

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Unclassified

RECOMMENDATION

As this request is in accordance with the Council’s policy, it is recommended that the Council accedes to the request and that this is added to the Council’s annual lighting up schedule.

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Unclassified

ITEM 11

Ards and North Down Borough Council

Report Classification Unclassified

Council/Committee Corporate Services

Date of Meeting 20 April 2021

Responsible Director Director of Organisational Development and Administration

Responsible Head of Head of Administration Service

Date of Report 13 April 2021

File Reference

Legislation

Section 75 Compliant Yes ☒ No ☐ Not Applicable ☐

Subject Request to place banner in Comber Square

Attachments

The Council recently removed a banner from Comber Square railings adjacent to the war memorial as it had been placed there without permission being sought from the Council as the landowner. The relevant organisation was made aware of the arrangements for them to have the banner returned to them.

The Director of Environment informed the group that a formal application to put the banner on the railings in Comber Square would need to be put through the Council’s Use of Lands process.

As the Council does not currently have a policy on third parties placing banners on council property, it is proposed that the request is declined on the basis that this would be the default answer to any similar requests until such a policy is requested and agreed by Council.

RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the request to place a banner on the railings adjacent to the war memorial in Comber Square is declined.

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Unclassified

ITEM 12

Ards and North Down Borough Council

Report Classification Unclassified

Council/Committee Corporate Services Commitee

Date of Meeting 20 April 2021

Responsible Director Director of Organisational Development and Administration

Responsible Head of Head of Administration Service

Date of Report 24 March 2021

File Reference CX9

Legislation

Section 75 Compliant Yes ☒ No ☐ Other ☐ If other, please add comment below:

Subject NILGA’s annual investment & delivery programme for 2021/22

Attachments Appendix 1 - Correspondence from NILGA

A letter (Appendix 1) was sent from the Chief Executive of NILGA to the Council on 18 March 2021 and is attached for information.

The letter details NILGA’s annual investment & delivery programme for 2021/22, as part of NILGA’s 11 council approved Corporate Plan 2020- 2023 for the present electoral term.

Ards and North Down Borough Council’s service level fee for the year 2021/22 is £51,259 (excluding VAT).

RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that Council notes the attached letter and agrees to pay the 2021/22 fee which is in the budget.

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Mr Stephen Reid Chief Executive Ards and North Down Borough Council Town Hall The Castle BANGOR BT20 4BT 18th March 2021 Dear Stephen I have pleasure in enclosing NILGA’s annual investment & delivery programme for 2021/22, as part of NILGA’s 11 council approved Corporate Plan 2020- 2023 for the present electoral term. Strong local government, investing in local people and places, with 11 councils fully resourced to deliver high-quality services and representation, working confidently & collectively, providing innovative, accountable leadership for all citizens. NILGA sees this vision for local government as key to better democracy and public services in NI. NILGA’s work plan from April has been fully adapted to reflect the sustainability of and new focus on local government here, as we move through Covid containment, to recovery, to a new economy, and ultimately to the transformation of the wider government and community landscape. During 2020/21, as you are well aware, NILGA worked urgently and collaboratively with all councils, with SOLACE, with NI Executive ministers and departments, and with Treasury, to ensure that massive council deficits due to Covid related income losses were recovered as much as possible through both national and Stormont investment. The work which secured circa. £100 million in 2020/21 to keep councils sustainable will carry on throughout 2021/22 as a NILGA corporate priority, including strong representation for more funding and the development of new financial models to supplement District Rates. This work from April will be achieved through the Task & Finish Group on Council Finances, and focus within the Political Partnership Panel, but will also be fully aligned with your Council’s senior staff and elected members. Beyond working in daily partnership to keep council services and our workforce maintained, NILGA in 2020/21 ensured that productive, regional, all council initiatives succeeded. Weekly

Northern Ireland Local Government Association Bradford Court, Upper Galwally, Castlereagh, BT8 6RB Tel: 028 9079 8972 email: [email protected] web: www.nilga.org twitter: @NI_LGA response summits across all councils, weekly communication bulletins on Funding & Recovery and related policy, monthly NILGA Executive meetings, and all of the Association’s Networks were maintained, achieving record levels of engagement.

• Economy (including Recovery, EU Exit, Replacement of EU funding, Broadband and Agri-Food) • Elected Member Development (including Planning & Leadership accredited courses) • Place Shaping & Infrastructure (including housing, development design/quality, heritage-led regeneration, active travel, infrastructure deficit energy supply) • Reform (including Devolution and the Programme for Government) and • Well Being (including Childcare, Climate Resilience, Circular Economy, Mental Health and Poverty). All five Networks have further adapted their work plans in 2021/22 to include: - Economy: Regeneration, Recovery & Labour Market issues - Elected Member Development: Digital delivery, learning and development need and LGTG review - Place Shaping & Infrastructure: Review of the Planning Act, Local Roads, proposed Infrastructure Commission, advocating for LDP progress - Reform: Councils and the new Programme for Government, a strong, post Covid Vision and development framework for councils ahead of our elections, new powers, resources and protection of councils, - Well Being: Community Planning Review, Biodiversity, COP26, Resource Efficiency Nationally and locally, we will continue the Value of Local Government campaign – centring on council services like enterprise and leisure – and Ards and North Down Borough Council will feature prominently. Overall, we will work across 5 work plan themes in 2021/22. a. Councils sustainability & improvement (e.g., resources, devolution, development, capacity, ethics) b. Climate Action (e.g., waste management, circular economy, LGCAN, clean air) c. Community & Economic development (e.g., a new economy, anti-poverty, recovery, skills, digital connectivity, regeneration) d. Wellbeing and community planning (e.g., changing demographics, mental health, biodiversity, Ulster in Bloom, Community Planning review) e. Planning and infrastructure (e.g., legislation review, Development Plans and Policy, Roads, NI Water, broadband quality and access, green infra)

On 18th November 2021 we will host the main Local Government Conference of the Year, and in February 2022 a special Recognition Event is planned to bring together all councils and key partners who played such major parts in containment and recovery from the pandemic. Contributing substantially to this year and the year ahead have been your members and officers. We look forward to their insights and input in 2021/22. These include Alderman Alan McDowell, Alderman Robert Gibson, Councillor Stephen Dunlop, Councillor Robert Adair, Councillor Trevor Cummings, Councillor Philip Smith, Councillor Gillian Greer, Simon Christie, Northern Ireland Local Government Association Bradford Court, Upper Galwally, Castlereagh, BT8 6RB Tel: 028 9079 8972 email: [email protected] web: www.nilga.org twitter: @NI_LGA Clare McGill, Patricia Mackey, Emma Adair, David Brown, Marcus Potts, Graeme Bannister, Amanda Martin, Anne McCullough, and Samantha Rea.

Recovery and Economy led Full Member meetings are also planned from May 2021, so that wider elected member / senior officer participation can influence the Vision and the practice of local government here in Northern Ireland. We really look forward to getting back to Council’s venues such as the Bangor Castle and the Signal Centre for member and officer training, awareness events on matters like the Code of Conduct, new economic investment opportunities, Climate Action, Strategic Planning, Civic Leadership, post EU exit, the emerging devolution campaign which Council and its 10 counterparts have shaped through initial feedback and putting the local into the Programme for Government. Ards and North Down Borough Council’s service level fee for the year 2021/22 is £51,259 (excluding VAT), an invoice will be issued on the 1st of April 2021. Please thank your members and officer team; other than confirming acceptance do please let me know if there is anything that you, members and the Corporate team might require. I look forward to working with and for Ards and North Down Borough Council in 2021/22. Yours sincerely

Derek McCallan Chief Executive

Northern Ireland Local Government Association Bradford Court, Upper Galwally, Castlereagh, BT8 6RB Tel: 028 9079 8972 email: [email protected] web: www.nilga.org twitter: @NI_LGA Unclassified

ITEM 13a

Ards and North Down Borough Council

Report Classification Unclassified

Council/Committee Corporate Services Commitee

Date of Meeting 20 April 2021

Responsible Director Director of Organisational Development and Administration

Responsible Head of Head of Administration Service

Date of Report 18 March 2021

File Reference NOM 130

Legislation '-

Section 75 Compliant Yes ☒ No ☐ Other ☐ If other, please add comment below:

Subject Recognising the efforts of Student Nurses

Attachments Letter from the Health Minister

In December 2020 the Corporate Services Committee agreed the following Notice of Motion and this was subsequently ratified by Council:

“That the Council recognises the efforts of student nurses throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, stepping up to help our NHS cope with the extra pressures put on it by the pandemic and providing invaluable support to qualified nurses in our hospitals.

This Council also notes that student nurses were paid during the first wave of the pandemic, as they should have been, in recognition of their commitment and work caring for people.

This Council believes that student nurses should be paid a fair and proper wage for their work and agrees to write to the Minister of Health stating our support for reinstating the pay to student nurses as a matter of urgency.”

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Unclassified

A letter was sent from the Chief Executive to The Minister for Health on 5 January 2021 and a reply was received on 18 March 2021.

RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that Council notes the attached letter.

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Unclassified

ITEM 14

Ards and North Down Borough Council

Report Classification Unclassified

Council/Committee Corporate Services

Date of Meeting 20 April 2021

Responsible Director Director of Organisational Development and Administration

Responsible Head of Head of Administration Service

Date of Report 07 April 2021

File Reference LP

Legislation

Section 75 Compliant Yes ☒ No ☐ Not Applicable ☐

Subject Portavo Reservoir - Update

Attachments

In June 2020 Council had received queries from the public and Elected Members about fencing that had been erected at the entrances to the former reservoir at Portavo and after further investigation it was confirmed that the land had been sold by NI Water to private landowners and that registration of the purchases on the Land Registry were pending.

In a subsequent update report to Corporate Services Committee dated August 2020 Council officers updated Committee on the history of the alleged PROW around the former reservoir going back to 2014 when it was first put up for sale by NI Water detailing the difficulty Council would encounter in trying to assert the PROW now that it was going to possibly pass into private hands.

It was agreed that officers would write to the new land owners, once their names were in the public domain, asking for their support to establish a Public Right of Way (PROW) or Public Path Creation Agreement (PPCA) and that a further report be brought back to Council in due course.

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Unclassified

The names of the purchasers have recently appeared on the land registry. As these details are now in the public domain, the Chief Executive has written to the purchasers asking them to reconsider their position and enter into discussions with council about the possibility of coming to an agreement about re-opening the pathway to the public.

RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that the Council notes this report.

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