South Tyneside Annual Report 2019/20 ...an outstanding place to live, invest and bring up families We have continued to strengthen our adults and Now that we have reached a phase of the pandemic children’s services, improving experience and response in which we are moving to a managed outcomes for those who rely upon our services re-opening of the economy and the beginning of – and we have received encouraging feedback, the long process of recovery, it is appropriate to including an endorsement in summer 2019 from report information to our communities on the work the King’s Fund, who told us that our strengths- of the Local Authority. Although the start of 2020 based approaches to adult social care were has been one of the hardest we have experienced as making a real different to service users. We have a Borough, it has also demonstrated the importance continued to support our neighbourhoods and of local authority services and the value that people 2 3 communities, emphasising a co-operative approach have placed on support received. that encourages social action and community involvement – an approach that earned us the This Annual Report is a chance to accolade ‘Co-operative Council of the Year’ 2019. reflect on planned investment in both These continued efforts over 2019-2020 meant the physical environment of South Foreword that when Covid-19 hit, the Council was in a strong position to continue to provide for residents, even Tyneside as well as in services for our as the world seemed to change overnight. The people. Together, these have helped Welcome to the South Tyneside 2019-2020 Annual Report. arrival of Covid-19 brought an onslaught of new us respond rapidly to support the and complex challenges but South Tyneside has adapted quickly. most vulnerable, as well as helping As in previous years, this report provides residents Secondly, it provides information about our us rebuild our economy as we move and other stakeholders with information about the priorities, including many examples of achievement From launching new services at pace (including performance of South Tyneside Council, including toward our vision. However, the report also the Shielding Hub and Temporary Rest Facility), forward together as a community our achievements in the delivery of our 20 year reflects on the very difficult circumstances facing strengthening and reshaping care services to beyond 2020. vision. communities, our response as a Local Authority protect the most vulnerable adults and children, and introducing social-distancing adjustments to to support residents and businesses, as well as Councillor Iain Malcolm, Leader of the Council The end of the 2019-20 financial year was indelibly information about our recovery plan into 2020- enable the continuation of existing critical services, marked by the novel coronavirus pandemic, 2021 coordinating a surge in volunteering, targeting bringing an unprecedented set of new challenges to welfare support for the most financially vulnerable support local residents and businesses. We took a Prior to the pandemic, 2019/20 saw the Council residents, and dramatically expanding support for decision to delay the Spring publication of our usual well on track with another year of strong businesses, the Council has stepped up for residents 12-month annual report, while we responded to a improvement for both people and place. We and businesses in countless ways as we have new raft of community priorities. delivered planned regeneration schemes aimed at weathered this crisis. creating a foundation from which businesses and Therefore, this year’s annual report is different to residents can thrive – with milestones including the Since the start of the pandemic, the Council has previous reports. opening of the South Shields Transport Interchange. worked tirelessly to protect and support residents through the worst of this unprecedented crisis. Councillor Iain Malcolm Martin Swales Firstly it covers a longer period than the usual Leader of the Council Chief Executive financial year. Since the pandemic began the council has SHIELDING HUB We’ve delivered essentials SCHOOLS been reaching residents in lots of ways and NEW services Received and supported 21,106 requests SOCIAL MEDIA BUSINESS GRANTS Since the pandemic 2,200 businesses began our Council Over posts were received over facebook and twitter 500 800+ laptops and sent on social media £25million pages have never been Delivered 4,932 food & tablets distributed busier with from South Tyneside Our most 878 medication parcels Council in COVID to pupils in need over 2,000 government grants new likes and follows engaged posts are littering and waste 14,910 residents supported with a welfare check, advice and signposting ADULT SOCIAL CARE WEBSITE 4 HOMELESSNESS Free packed 5 lunch provided to Our Let’s Talk team contacted 2,551 residents all children not in school, 4200 page views of the Council website in the first and 1,899 residents contacted the team even before national 8 weeks of the pandemic, with 40,000 page views in meals voucher was the first week alone and38% increase in the number We accommodated 4 new Carers started working for the Council and introduced of people visitng the council website in the first week all 6 rough sleepers in 10 residents are now working for our care providers of lockdown compared to the in 2019’ South Tyneside WASTE DISPOSAL CONTACT CENTRE 322 presentations to the service the majority of which we have been able to negotiate for them to 1,700 bulky waste 11.5 remain in their current 116 school risk collections accommodation million assessments undertaken to from support safe re-opening 55,872 8,820 households bins emptied calls emails/e-service requests Waste tonnages up 30% and recycling up 25% c500 vulnerable and key worker children EVENTS accommodated in schools Our most watched video EVER was the Piper at in the early phase of We have accommodated HARDSHIP FUND dawn to recognise VE Day. Over 70,000 people lockdown, moving to viewed the tribute 106 at risk of We have supported 1,675 c5000 when schools were opened to a wider If you haven’t seen it you really should! It’s on our Council youtube homelessness/sleeping households in South Tyneside channel www.youtube.com/watch?v=JD7Ye4rdZ9k rough proportion of learners £168m efficiency 22% more schools rated ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ savings identified by Ofsted 2019-20 Highlights Another remarkable year April 2019 The Word, the National May 2019 Centre for the Written Word, welcomes its millionth visitor Modern Slavery Strategy implemented to maximise £33m leisure investment including £16m Haven Point, opportunities to tackle £4m Jarrow Community Pool and £3m Jarrow Focus labour exploitation Phase 1 and 2 of the £100m South Shields 365, including June 2019 £17m The Word, the National Centre for Written Word and £3.5m Ocean Road Improvements South Tyneside July 2019 named ‘Cooperative Council of the Year’ South Shields Transport Interchange opens to the public Since 2020 and welcomes its first passengers 2019-20 marks a nine year milestone in delivering our ambitious Futures Programme: £234m Decent Homes investment and £8.4m August 2019 66 Housing Plus renovations 7 5 Holiday clubs provide September 2019 meals and activities for £15m flood prevention 5000 school children Restoration works begin at investment North Marine Park on South Shields seafront October 2019 November 2019 Visitor numbers increased by 26% to 6.6m visitors per year Consultation on the new Local Plan, collecting resident South Shields Transport Interchange £35m investment in roads and footpaths across the borough views on proposals for future celebrates its millionth passenger development across the borough December 2019 New sensory support service January 2020 £21m South Shields Transport Interchange to provide specialist support New ‘Safe Haven’ service providing space for residents with sight and and support to adults with learning hearing impairment disabilities or autism when transitioning 3895 new businesses have between hospital and home started up in South Tyneside Major junction improvements, including £8.1m since 2010 Arches and £7.5m Lindisfarne at Jarrow February 2020 March to July2020 Plans unveiled for innovative Viking Energy Network project, Local response to national which will harness renewable river Government guidance to address A19 economic corridor energy to heat 11 council-owned enhancements, the impact of the Covid-19 including £139m Tyne buildings and Sustainable South pandemic, with new services Tyneside’ climate change strategy Kickstarting the regeneration of Hebburn Town Centre with Tunnel 2 and £100m created including Shielding £11million Hebburn Central Leisure Facility Testo’s improvements and five-year action plan. Support and Business Hub. 8 9 Leadership and Strategy Strong leadership and a robust strategy have been Despite the legal requirement to move to Throughout the pandemic response, Council As time has passed, the Council Leadership has foundational to the Council navigating through remote decision-making, the Council’s Cabinet leaders and senior managers collaborated and shifted focus from immediate and short-term the various challenges of the last year, not least the members met regularly to respond quickly to new coordinated with local, regional and central decisions and actions to planning for medium- multitude of unprecedented new social, economic Government guidance and the implications for government colleagues, sharing data and term and long-term recovery, and has now and health challenges brought about in recent closure of services, adaptation of services and to intelligence, communicating constantly updated brought forward a South Tyneside Economic months by the Coronavirus pandemic. agree the implementation of new services, such as advice and guidance and ensuring a two-way flow Recovery Plan, aimed at navigating the emerging a Business Support Hub managed from The Word, of insights and information. The Leader of South challenges as well as leveraging the emerging The onset of the pandemic brought with it a need National Centre for the Written Word.