Agenda item

-          Cultural Strategy– Polly Hamilton, Assistant Director, Culture, Sport and Tourism,  to present (Pages

-          Strategic Housing Strategy consultation – Sarah Watts, Strategic Housing Manager, to present (Pages )

-          Loneliness (verbal update) - Ruth Fletcher-Brown, Public Health Specialist/Kate Green, Public Health Specialist

A Draft Cultural Strategy for Rotherham 2018-2025

Polly Hamilton, Assistant Director, Culture, Sport and Tourism, presented the above document, with the assistance of a powerpoint presentation, which was developed by the Rotherham Cultural Partnership Board, an organisation formed during 2018 bringing together people and agencies that cared about Rotherham’s future.

 

The Strategy set out Rotherham’s aims for culture, leisure and green spaces and described how it would develop the local assets and resources, making the best use of what existed and building agreement about priorities for development, supporting the case for external funding and investment.

 

The Strategy would build understanding about how engagement with the arts, sport and natural environment could improve people’s personal growth, health and wellbeing and sense of purpose.  It would set out how enabling more people to participate, to get active, get create and get outdoors, would not only make sure that everyone felt part of and proud of their community but also help to strengthen the economy.

 

The document was out for consultation until 31^st October, 2018.

 

The Board was asked:-

 

-          Do you support our key goal – to enable everyone to get active, get creative and get outdoors, more often?

-          Was the argument clear?

-          What can you or your organisation do to support the ambitions and actions of the Strategy?

-          Volunteers from NHS/CCG to develop action plan?

 

Resolved:-  (1)  That the report and presentation be noted.

 

(2)  That representatives email Polly Hamilton with any comments on how their organisation could support the ambitions and actions of the Strategy.

ACTION:  All Board members

 

(3)  That Dr. Jason Page and Rob Odell assist with the development of the action plan.

ACTION:-  Rob Odell/Jason Page

 

(4)  That Voluntary Action Rotherham be contacted as to whether they could assist with the development of the action plan.

ACTION:  Polly Hamilton

 

Housing Strategy Refresh 2019-2022

Sarah Watts, Strategic Housing Manager, gave the following powerpoint presentation:-

 

-               Overview of housing in Rotherham

·           112,000 households – largely 3 bed semi-detached houses

·           6,500 applicants on the housing register

·           The Council owns and manages 20,500 tenanted properties, 500 leaseholders

·           64% were owner-occupiers, 22% social rented and 14% private rented

·           900+ overall target for homes built (SHMA) per annum

·           600 average delivery in recent years

·           202 sold via Right to Buy last year

 

-          Current Strategy:  The 5 Themes - Housing growth, Social housing, Private rented housing, Affordable housing and Specialist housing

 

-          Achievements e.g. Grant funding for new homes, Shared ownership and affordable housing, Clusters Partnership – Wates, Town Centre residential programme, Excellence in Tenant Engagement Award and Selective Licensing

 

-          Things have changed - Housing and Planning Act 2016, Policy u-turns, HRA Business Plan refresh, Increasing resources, Homelessness Reduction Act and Social Housing Green Paper

 

-          The New Strategy – Vision

·           Meeting housing need through growth

·           People living in high quality homes, affordable and energy efficient homes

·           Rotherham Council being the best housing provider in the country

·           Rotherham’s people can live independently in safe, healthy and vibrant communities

·           A revitalised town centre with a new urban community

 

-          Value of new housing - More than bricks and mortar, Economic, Social value, Energy efficiency, Health, Neighbourhoods and Community engagement

 

-          Structure – 5 Priorities

·             Providing new homes to meet Rotherham’s housing needs

·             Investing in Rotherham housing stock

·             Improving health and wellbeing through housing

·             Strengthening Rotherham’s economy

·             Working in partnership to deliver the Strategy

 

-          Timetable for Refresh

·           July-October, 2018 – consultation period

·           November 2018 – first draft

·           January 2019 – final draft

 

-          Pipeline Projects – More new homes, housing profiles and land review, transformation of Adult Care, modern methods construction and the new Repairs and Maintenance Contract

 

-          Public Health would be interested in the work around health inequalities and the targeting of what might need to be considered specifically

 

-          In the past enforcement had been missing; now 95% of Rotherham citizens lived in safer and warmer homes

 

-          It had only been quite recent that the connection between Housing and health had been taken into account

 

-          As various parts of the Borough were developed it would change what the localities had been set up to accommodate.  The Locality Plan would need to adapt

 

-          The Local Estates Forum was crosscutting and starting to develop and look at the whole of Rotherham estates and the housing implications as well as the health implications

 

Resolved:-  (5)  That the presentation be noted.

 

(6)  That Public Health be included in the work with regard to health inequalities.

ACTION:-  Sarah Watts/Jacqui Wiltchinsky

 

Loneliness

Ruth Fletcher-Brown, Public Health Specialist, gave a brief update on loneliness. 

 

It was felt that the Better Mental Health For All Group contained all the partners required to address loneliness and to get the strong message across that loneliness did not just affect older people.  Following discussion it not felt necessary to have a public campaign to address loneliness as the Five Ways to Wellbeing Campaign was a good tool to use

 

There was a strong message that anyone could experience loneliness at any point in their life.  Work was taking place in the South Multi Agency Group which had identified loneliness as a key theme and from April 2019 MECC would address Loneliness.  It was felt that there should be some initial pilot work and discussions were taking place with the South MAG with regard to possibly piloting some workers making MECC around Loneliness.  Discussions were also taking place with Voluntary Action Rotherham with regard to their website GISMO which tried to capture all the community groups.

The Chair stated that performance indicators would be submitted to the next meeting.  A Loneliness Plan was being developed and would be submitted in due course.

 

Councillor Short reported that there was a Loneliness project in his Ward, working with Churches Together, and a coffee morning held every week. 

 

(7)  Resolved:-  That the report be noted.

 

(8)  That the Five Ways to Wellbeing Group drive the Loneliness agenda

 

(9)  That the Board support the need to take the Five Ways to Wellbeing message forward as partners and consideration be given as to it being the front facing message around Loneliness.