STRONGER AND SAFER COMMUNITIES STRATEGY 2012-2017 www.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk NEWCASTLE-UNDER-LYME BOROUGH COUNCIL STRONGER AND SAFER COMMUNITIES STRATEGY 2012-2017 CONTENTS Introduction 1 How this strategy works 2 Evidence base 3 Background analysis 4 Major issues/trends 5 Context 8 The local context 8 The national context 10 Localism Act 2011 11 Police Reform and Social responsibility Act 2011 11 Objectives of the strategy 17 Appendix - Action Plan 18 Building a strong community 18 Tackling crime and disorder 20 A safe place to live 23 Protecting vulnerable people and families 27 Published by Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council - April 2013 NEWCASTLE-UNDER-LYME BOROUGH COUNCIL STRONGER AND SAFER COMMUNITIES STRATEGY 2012-2017 INTRODUCTION This strategy sets out the main issues and drivers underpinning the work being done and planned by the borough council and its key partners in Creating stronger and safer communities is the pursuit of delivering the vision and key objectives key to developing a borough which is “prosperous, set out above. We believe that partnership clean, healthy and safe” (as stated in the vision working between councils and key partners such Cllr. Tony Kearon for Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council in its as health providers can produce great benefits Cabinet member for latest Council Plan). for people. safer communties The Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council In doing so, we aim to develop community Stronger and Safer Communities Strategy capacity in the borough so they are better able to 2012-2017 aims to create a community centred plan and develop approaches to identifying their around the council’s vision - a community that:- own issues and priorities, deal with them in partnership with all public sector agencies and ● is strong, resilient, supportive and encourages have the ability to react effectively to any issues people to take responsibility for their own lives they have to confront. whilst supporting them through the difficult Cllr. John Williams times Cabinet member for ● is free from crime, disorder and danger stronger and active neighbourhoods ● lives, works and studies in areas which are organised, planned effectively and allow equal access to all services and facilities Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council is working towards being a co-operative council which means we are working together with our residents, partners and local organisations to collectively deliver the best we can using the resources we have. 1 NEWCASTLE-UNDER-LYME BOROUGH COUNCIL STRONGER AND SAFER COMMUNITIES STRATEGY 2012-2017 HOW THIS STRATEGY This strategy details existing plans and initiatives This strategy is based on:- WORKS which have formed the basis of the positive work already done by the council and its partners in ● Evidence - responding to and developing our addressing the major issues faced by the policy and action based on evidence. borough. It is intended that this work is built on ● Experience - building on what has worked The Stronger and Safer Communities Strategy wherever possible. 2012-2017 is the key document which sets out well in the past as well as using good how Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council examples from elsewhere and developing our The strategy refers to the developing national own innovative approaches. and its partners will deliver key pieces of work agenda, in areas such as community safety, ● Effectiveness - focusing on partnership relating to community development, safety and localism, troubled families, reforms to the NHS working and community engagement empowerment to create a borough that is and changes to the benefits system. In taking (primarily through our Locality Action prosperous, clean, healthy and safe. into account these national factors, together with Partnerships – LAPs) and also on our the focus on local issues, the strategy reflects a collective priorities with other agencies and The strategy sets out those issues and evidence mix of local and national priorities and factors. which the borough is dealing with - based on an the community as a whole. overview of the borough including its key Based on these key drivers - data/issues; ● Engagement - allowing communities to demographics and other key areas of data. national/local priorities; existing work in locality/ communicate their own vision for the future partnership working, community safety and and receive feedback on the issues raised. community development; and relating to other ● Evaluation - taking account of risks, building strategies such as the Newcastle-under-Lyme on strengths and learning lessons. Borough Council Plan; the borough’s Sustainable Community Strategy and Health and Well-Being/ Economic Development Strategies, this strategy outlines ways to develop stronger and safer communities in Newcastle-under-Lyme. 2 NEWCASTLE-UNDER-LYME BOROUGH COUNCIL STRONGER AND SAFER COMMUNITIES STRATEGY 2012-2017 We will aim to deliver positive outcomes for our EVIDENCE BASE borough and improve the lives of the people we serve and represent. We will set out the actions identified to deliver our vision and key objectives To better understand our issues and the needs of and support these actions with plans which are our communities, it is important we know what measurable, accountable and open to scrutiny. data tells us about our borough. We recognise that it is not always enough to use statistics as We are working to: they often only tell part of a story - it is vital to get behind statistics and focus information gathering ● bring more public services together so that and problem solving on communities, families people get what they need at the right place and individuals based largely on their levels of and at the right time. vulnerability and the risks they are exposed to. ● encourage more involvement from residents and our staff in planning and running services. This section provides an overview of the borough ● support our communities better and including demographics and more in-depth encourage people to do more to help their issues before linking the strategy with other own communities. areas of policy, including developing national and local (Staffordshire and Newcastle) priorities. An Whilst we still face budget cuts the council is example of the challenge we face in dealing making sure local people are more involved in proactively with our issues is fear of crime and reducing our costs and challenging what we levels of crime – fear remains high whilst crime is spend. reducing. We need to deal with issues like this and develop greater understanding. We are involving the community and business leaders in developing our future plans, drawing on the skills and expertise that exists in the area. 3 NEWCASTLE-UNDER-LYME BOROUGH COUNCIL STRONGER AND SAFER COMMUNITIES STRATEGY 2012-2017 Background Analysis A34 Profile of the borough M6 Kidsgrove Newcastle-under-Lyme is in North Staffordshire and has, as its primary focus, the town of Newcastle-under-Lyme itself. A500 16 The borough is also made up of Kidsgrove (to the north) and villages and other settlements to the west and south of the two main towns. The borough is semi-urban (20 per cent of Audley the land and 80 per cent of the population could be described as urban), with the eastern part bordering with Stoke-on-Trent Betley A500 as the major city in Staffordshire. The borough is also home to Keele University, as well as Newcastle- under-Lyme Newcastle-under-Lyme College and a number of schools and Keele Stoke-on-Trent other learning institutions. University Madeley Transport networks are reasonably good, with the M6, A500 15 and A34 running through part of the borough and train stations in Stoke-on-Trent and Kidsgrove. The population stands at around 124,000 and is projected to grow by around 12 per cent to around 140,300 by 2035. This A34 population is ageing - it is estimated that the number of residents over retirement age will increase by 54 per cent over Loggerheads the next 20 years. M6 4 NEWCASTLE-UNDER-LYME BOROUGH COUNCIL STRONGER AND SAFER COMMUNITIES STRATEGY 2012-2017 Major Issues/ Trends Worklessness / Economy Job Seeker’s Allowance only gives us an indica- tion of the number of people who are available Deprivation At September 2012, the percentage of Job for work but who cannot find a job. Worklessness Seeker’s Allowance claimants in Newcastle was due to incapacity is also an important measure Newcastle has several wards where levels of 2.7 per cent. This was lower than the national and one which also gives an insight into the deprivation are high (within the top 20 per cent rate of 3.8 per cent; however there are variations health of Newcastle’s residents. In February most deprived in the country). Residents in these across the wards and in smaller areas of the 2012 the rate of people claiming benefits due to areas are experiencing higher levels of depriva- borough. Cross Heath had a claimant rate of 4.9 their incapacity to work because of ill-health1 tion relating to income, employment, health and per cent - and in one area of that ward it was as stood at 7.5 per cent. As is the case with JSA, education than elsewhere in the borough. There high as 9.8 per cent. The rate of JSA claimants in there are significant differences across the are also areas where the levels of deprivation are Loggerheads and Whitmore was 1.5 per cent. borough with rates ranging from 11.7 per cent in some of the lowest in the country. Holditch to 0.6 per cent in Keele. Generally Young people are suffering from unemployment between one third and half of all claimants are According to the IMD 2010 (Indices of Multiple across the country and this is also true in some receiving their benefit due to a mental health Deprivation), approximately 15,500 residents live areas of Newcastle.