Agenda item

Consideration was given to a report presented by the Director of Housing and Neighbourhood Services describing progress with the Poverty theme of the Health and Wellbeing strategy. The report included the work plan outlining the activity being undertaken in respect of the strategy’s priority to “make an overarching commitment to reducing health inequalities, particularly in areas suffering from a concentration of disadvantage”.

The Director of Housing and Neighbourhood Services gave a presentation about the strategy’s Poverty theme, which included the following salient issues:-

: the locally determined priorities and strategic outcomes;

: details of the lead Member and lead Officer contacts for each of Rotherham’s deprived neighbourhoods;

: indices of multiple deprivation – showing a worsening of deprivation in these eleven areas of the Borough : Canklow; East Herringthorpe; Rotherham town centre; Dinnington; Eastwood; Ferham and Masbrough; Rawmarsh East; Aston North; East Dene; Maltby South East; Dalton and Thrybergh;

: examples of progress being made in each of the deprived areas – priority one (health inequalities) : the establishment of Community Alcohol Partnerships; the Community First Funded Wellgate Wellness Project; events focusing on health and employment;

: priority two : considering new ways of assisting those disengaged from the labour market to improve their skills and readiness for work; eg: job clubs funded by Community First; community development and the Community Organisers Programme; employment opportunities at the Rotherham’s new Tesco store;

: priority three : ensure strategies to tackle poverty don’t just focus on the most disadvantaged, but there is action across the Borough; the work of the Council’s Officer group; mapping exercises being undertaken; research of other local authorities’ anti-poverty strategies;

: priority four - consider how we can actively work with every household in deprived areas to maximise benefit take-up of every person; provision of benefits and debt management sessions; establishment of temporary posts of Money Advice Officer;

: other work in the eleven areas of deprivation – crime and anti-social behaviour; environmental issues (examples in Dinnington and in Maltby); community engagement (Canklow Community Connections; Adopt-a-Street campaign);

: challenges - getting all organisations to put a deprived neighbourhoods philosophy at the heart of their service planning and doing so without unduly impacting on appropriate service levels elsewhere;

: request to the Health and Wellbeing Board – to take back into all organisations and consider how this can shape service planning; especially, support for long-term unemployed people.

Discussion took place on the work already taking place to try and reduce the level of poverty in the Rotherham Borough area. A suggestion was made that a draft strategy should be formulated for further consideration by the Health and Wellbeing Board. Reference was made to the public service expenditure reductions, the Governments welfare reforms and the economic recession, all of which are factors having a continuing profound effect upon levels of deprivation and poverty.

Resolved:- (1) That the report be received and its contents noted.

(2) That the work plan for the Poverty theme of the Health and Wellbeing strategy, as now submitted, be endorsed.

(3) That partners take into account the deprived neighbourhoods work when service planning.

(4) That a report be submitted to a future meeting of the Health and Wellbeing Board providing a further update on progress with the Poverty theme work plan.