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"+(5( 72 *(7 025( ,1)250$7,21 $1' &203/,$1&( 67$7(0(17 This plan discharges our duties under the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2009 to produce an Improvement Plan. For a copy of this document in large print, Braille, audio tape or an alternative language please contact: Jackie Meskimmon on 01437 776613 For further information please contact: Dan Shaw, Corporate Planning Manager, Pembrokeshire County Council County Hall, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire SA61 1TP Tel: 01437 775856 policy@pembrokeshire.gov.uk
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217(176 Foreword ...................................................... 03 1. Introduction ............................................ 04 2. Our principles .......................................... 06 3. Sustainability and equalities .................... 08 4. Developing our Improvement Objectives 10 5. Children .................................................. 14 6. Economy.................................................. 17 7. Environment ............................................ 20 8. Health ...................................................... 22 9. Safeguarding .......................................... 26 11.Reporting back ........................................ 29 12.Glossary .................................................. 30
)25(:25' I am pleased to introduce Pembrokeshire County Council’s Improvement Plan for 2013/14. This Plan is our main forward looking document and sets out our objectives for the coming year. It provides us with an opportunity to spell out our understanding of the issues that are important to you and share how we propose to address them. The past year, the first of this new Council, has been challenging. We have worked hard to address the concerns raised about our safeguarding arrangements and education services. We have acknowledged our areas of weakness, appointed key members of staff, actively engaged with our schools and targeted our resources more effectively. I am pleased to say that these efforts have now begun to have a positive impact and, furthermore, that this is beginning to be recognised by our regulators. Clearly, we have more to do, but I am confident that we will continue to make progress during 2013/14.
Achieving this against a backdrop of increasing financial pressure has not been straightforward. Though we continue to manage our budget effectively, and have once again set the lowest Council Tax in Wales this year, it is clear that this pressure will grow over the coming years. We have recently published a medium term financial plan indicating our intention to save £8.6m over three years. This will undoubtedly mean that we will face some difficult and, on occasion, unpopular choices over the coming months. That said, the requirements to make savings will also provide us with opportunities. It can sometimes be difficult to accept change and prioritise the services we value most. It may well be that the choices we make over the next two to three years begin to redefine the role Council service provision plays in Pembrokeshire. There will always be critical services delivered by this Council that we will endeavour to protect – social services, child protection and education services, for example. However, there may be other services where adopting a different approach to delivery may actually be beneficial – perhaps by sharing some responsibilities with local communities or by delivering a greater proportion of our services in partnership with other agencies. In spite of our necessary focus on finance during 2013/14, we will be seeking to take forward exciting opportunities concerning our school improvement service, safeguarding, town centre regeneration, waste management and a review of our adult social care services. We will also continue to develop our plans to implement one of the most ambitious school building programmes in Wales. Though the financial climate will inevitably have consequences in some areas, it is critical that we retain our commitment to delivering the best possible outcomes for Pembrokeshire and its residents. Cllr. Jamie Adams, Leader
1752'8&7,21 1.1 The purpose of this Plan is to describe what we will be doing to deliver on our duty to secure continuous improvement . It sets out the areas of improvement we will be focussing on during the coming year and explains our rationale for doing so. 1.2 The Plan has been written with residents, businesses and visitors to the County in mind. All of these stakeholders use our services and have an interest in our approach to delivering continuous improvement. 1.3 The Plan is the public facing expression of our approach to performance management. Our performance management framework describes the annual cycle we follow in planning, monitoring and reviewing everything we do. 1.4 Broadly speaking, there are four steps in our framework. Between December and March each year we focus on identifying objectives for improvement. During March
1Section
2 of the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2009 places all local authorities in Wales under a general duty to “make arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the exercise of [their] functions�.
and April we finalise our objectives and set out our plans for delivery during the forthcoming year. We monitor performance throughout the whole year and seek to identify what impact our service delivery has had on the community. Finally, during September and October we begin to review our progress so that we are in a position to refine our objectives for the following year.
1.5 The Improvement Plans we have published previously were structured around the eight themes identified in the Pembrokeshire Community Plan 2010 - 2025. This year’s Plan has been structured around the six key outcomes included in Pembrokeshire’s new Single Integrated Plan, which has replaced the former Community Plan as the most important strategic planning document for the County. The six key outcomes identified in the Single Integrated Plan are:
2: 285 3/$16 ),7 72*(7+(5 1.7 This Improvement Plan fits within a hierarchy of plans, all of which play a significant role in our service delivery arrangements. It is good practice to be able to draw a ‘golden thread’ between the plans and identify how individual members of staff, teams, service departments and whole agencies will work towards the key outcomes set out in the Single Integrated Plan2.
• Children: Children, young people and families have the opportunity to fulfil their learning potential and to live healthy and happy lives • Economy: Pembrokeshire has a competitive, productive and sustainable economy • Environment: People in Pembrokeshire enjoy an attractive, sustainable and diverse environment • Health: people in Pembrokeshire are healthier • Safeguarding: Children and adults are safeguarded • Safety: Communities in Pembrokeshire feel safe
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our principles as an organisation, our approach to sustainability and equalities, our Improvement Objectives for 2013/14, and how we will report on and review our progress in the future.
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1.6 In addition to identifying our contribution to the achievement of these key outcomes, this Plan describes: • • • •
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Though not featured on the diagram, we are also committed to delivering an Estyn Action Plan during 2013/14. Our Estyn Action Plan describes the actions we will be taking to respond to the recommendations published by the inspectorate in December 2012. These actions are also covered in our Service Improvement Plans.
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2.1 Since the inception of Pembrokeshire County Council in 1996, we have worked to three cross cutting principles.
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2.2 Treating customers courteously and fairly is a principle that has served us well. We take note of and monitor the basics; issues such as how quickly phone calls and letters are responded to, as well as how complaints are handled and what lessons might be learned. 2.3 We aim to administer simple and straightforward opportunities for customers to access our services. As information technology has developed, we have been able to broaden the channels through which customers are able to contact us. For example, we offer a range of opportunities for customers to access services
and information via the internet. We will be developing work in this area further over the coming year. 2.4 We were one of the first local authorities in Wales to have a dedicated customer contact centre, and though the vast majority of our customers continue to use this channel in preference to face-to-face contact, we have maintained a range of facilities that enable customers to access services over the counter. 2.5 Like all public bodies we are committed to ensuring our customers do not experience discrimination. Our Strategic Equality Plan sets out our plans for ensuring our customers have equal access the services they require. 2.6 Many of our services provide direct support to customers who might otherwise be marginalised within society. For example, a significant proportion of our spend on adult social care is dedicated to assisting people living with a disability or a limiting long-term illness. Furthermore, well over half of our total budget is spent on services that support children and young people to help them to reach their potential.
2.7 Achieving good value for money has always been important to us. For many years we have set the lowest Council Tax of any local authority in Wales. Our Band ‘D’ Council Tax during 2013/14 amounts to £741.17, which is about £250 less than the average for Wales.
2.10 Our final principle is that of working as one team for the benefit of all people in Pembrokeshire. Local authorities are large and complicated organisations, but we have always tried to minimise internal divisions for the benefit of our customers.
2.8 While we are not immune to the pressures on public expenditure, the fact that we have always prioritised value for money has meant that the scale of savings we need to make during 2013/14 is smaller than for many other local authorities. During the coming year we plan to save approximately 0.5% of our total budget. The average saving requirement for local authorities across Wales during 2013/14 is approximately 2.5%.
2.11 For example, the governance of our services is organised in such a way that it cuts across departmental boundaries. This enables Elected Councillors to look beyond parochial issues and retain a broad strategic perspective.
2.9 Achieving value does not always mean limiting our expenditure. There are occasions when investing in services will help us to deliver savings in the longer term. For example, our planned investment in school buildings under the 21st Century Schools Programme will result in the construction of more efficient facilities (through lower energy costs). By analysing the longer term impacts of our spending, we are able to improve the sustainability of the services we provide.
867$,1$%,/,7; $1' (48$/,7,(6 3.1 Sustainability and equalities are both important cross cutting themes that help define how we want to improve. Elements of both agendas can be seen in much of the work we do, and both feature in the impact assessments we undertake in relation to new policies and major decisions. 3.2 We seek to promote sustainable development, wherever possible, by supporting projects that address social, economic and environmental considerations simultaneously. This helps to ensure that the decisions we take today do not have an unfair impact on future generations. Like other councils across Wales, we have a good track record of improving our practice in this area. 3.3 Many of the Objectives described in this plan demonstrate our commitment to sustainability. For example, we are committed to managing our waste in such a manner that we avoid burdening future generations with excess costs and environmental consequences.
3.4 Over the coming year we will be implementing a number of projects that will help to reduce our carbon footprint. We will continue to reduce the amount of energy we use (in non-domestic public buildings) by 3% a year. We will source as much of our electricity as possible from renewable or clean electricity sources. All of the new builds we commission will meet high environmental standards and will be designed using methods that take the views of stakeholders into account. 3.5 We will continue to run the sustainable schools awards programme during 2013/14 and encourage schools to meet successively higher standards of the scheme. This work will help schools to integrate sustainable development into all aspects of school life. Much of the work we will undertake to develop the local economy will also support the principles of sustainable development – high employment underpins wellbeing and the vibrancy of local communities.
3.6 In order to embed improvement further, we have established a ‘Green Team’ chaired by a senior manager to develop and disseminate good practice within the Authority. One of the challenges we will face in the coming year will be to prepare for the introduction of a new duty on local authorities in Wales to embed sustainable development as their central organising principle. 3.7 Much of the work that we do to promote sustainable development also supports the equalities agenda. Our equality objectives are described in our Strategic Equality Plan. Achieving these objectives will help us to meet our duties to ensure the groups identified in the Equality Act 2010 do not suffer discrimination, have equal access to services and live in communities where good relations are promoted. 3.8 The objectives in our Strategic Equality Plan highlight areas where we need to focus our attention. For example, a relatively high proportion of Pembrokeshire’s population are elderly. As a result, Pembrokeshire has a higher than average proportion of people living with a disability or caring for someone with a disability. During 2013/14, in partnership with the Local Health Board, we will improve the range of services that we offer to carers, thereby removing some of the barriers that carers face in accessing services or employment.
3.9 During 2012/13, Welsh Government increased our capacity to address community cohesion issues by funding the appointment of a Community Cohesion Officer (a resource we share with Carmarthenshire County Council). During 2013/14, we will implement an action plan to address the relevant issues and foster good relations between communities (including communities of interest) in Pembrokeshire. 3.10 Another of the key tasks we will be focussing on during the coming year will be the improvement of our evidence base in relation to equalities issues. We will conduct this work in the light of the detailed information that is now being published from the 2011 Census, and ensure that our analysis is widely understood throughout the organisation. 3.11 We will monitor and report our progress in relation to our equality objectives through our Corporate Equality Steering Group. We will prepare an update on this work as part our Improvement Review, which we will publish in November.
(9(/23,1* 285 03529(0(17 %-(&7,9(6 4.1 The Local Government (Wales) Measure 2009 requires us to publish a list of Improvement Objectives each year. Welsh Government has produced statutory guidance to help us achieve this. We have used this framework to identify Improvement Objectives that are ambitious, but also achievable. 4.2 The guidance describes how Improvement Objectives should be worked up in greater detail. For example, it makes reference to the need to balance national and local priorities, to take note of the results of inspection reports, to build in the need for efficiencies and to exploit opportunities arising from the development of new technologies. 4.3 Our choice of Improvement Objectives for 2013/14 reflects this advice. For example, though crime and community safety is a high priority across Wales as a whole, it is less of an issue in Pembrokeshire. Two of our Improvement Objectives are a direct response to inspection reports. The efficiencies agenda underpins our adult services Improvement Objective. Our waste Objective reflects the opportunities that technological developments have afforded us to manage waste more sustainably.
2: :( &2168/7(' 21 285 03529(0(17 %-(&7,9(6 4.4 We took advantage of a variety of opportunities to generate interest in our Improvement Objectives. These included encouraging press coverage and using mail lists. We also undertook direct consultation with liaison groups, voluntary organisations and town and community councils. The most popular method of engagement with our customers was via our website. 4.5 We canvassed views on nine proposed Improvement Objectives. The list of proposed Objectives covered areas such as: • • • • • • • • •
school improvement and inclusion, town centres, adult social care, safeguarding, waste and recycling, crime and community safety, leadership and management, planning school places, and corporate and political change.
4.6 The feedback we received during consultation, alongside developments in our thinking regarding the key priorities for the Council, helped us to narrow down this list 4.7 For example, we had considered setting Improvement Objectives relating to management and leadership and corporate and political change. The actions we had in mind in these areas included implementing improvements to our overview and scrutiny arrangements, implementing a revised approach to corporate planning and developing a revised self-evaluation framework. Though we have opted not to include these as Improvement Objectives for 2013/14, we will still be seeking to make progress in these areas. Indeed, a number of related actions will be monitored by our Democratic Services Committee and our independently chaired Audit Committee. 4.8 As a result of our consultation we have also opted to merge the proposed Objective on planning school places with a broader Objective relating to school improvement. This decision was informed by the fact that though we intend to make progress in relation to our 21st Century Schools Programme during 2013/14, it is unlikely that we will begin to see an impact for another two to three years.
4.10 The Objectives we have selected this year reflect our learning from previous years and the advice we have received from our regulators. We have opted for a narrower range of Objectives so as to focus our improvement effort more effectively. Our improvement objectives for 2013/14 are:
,2 •
,2 •
,2 •
,2 •
4.9 For different reasons, we also decided not to develop an Improvement Objective relating to community safety. Though some respondents to our consultation suggested that crime and anti-social behaviour were issues that concerned them, the evidence indicates that Pembrokeshire remains one of the safest places to live in the U.K.
,2 •
&+22/ 03529(0(17 We will improve learning outcomes to help children and young people reach their potential
2:1 (175( 03529(0(17 We will enable, facilitate and deliver schemes to improve the viability and vitality of our town centres
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We will continue to increase the proportion of waste that is recycled in order to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill
(9,(:,1* '8/7 2&,$/ $5( (59,&(6 We will reconfigure the provision of our adult care services to improve efficiency and sustainability
$)(*8$5',1* We will strengthen our safeguarding arrangements in schools to ensure that children and young people are not put at risk
4.11 In identifying our Improvement Objectives it is important that we are able to draw strong links with Pembrokeshire’s Single Integrated Plan. With one exception, and for the reasons already described, we have identified an Objective to contribute to each of the key outcomes described in the Single Integrated Plan. The relationship between the Objectives and these key outcomes is depicted below:
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Children: children, young people and families have the opportunity to fulfil their learning potential and to live healthy and happy lives
School improvement: we will improve learning outcomes to help children and young people reach their potential
Economy: Pembrokeshire has a competitive, productive and sustainable economy
Town centre improvement: we will enable, facilitate and deliver schemes to improve the viability and vitality of our town centres
Environment: people in Pembrokeshire enjoy an attractive, sustainable and diverse environment
Waste management: we will continue to increase the proportion of waste that is recycled in order to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill
Health: people in Pembrokeshire are healthier
Reviewing adult social care services: we will reconfigure the provision of our adult social care services to improve efficiency and sustainability
Safeguarding: children and adults are safeguarded
Safeguarding: we will strengthen our safeguarding arrangements in schools to ensure that children and young people are not put at risk
Safety: communities in Pembrokeshire feel safe
No Improvement Objective
4.12 We have also changed the emphasis of our Improvement Objectives for 2013/14. Our Objectives this year are more specific, with more clearly identified and outcome-focussed measures of success. To clarify this point we have included a direct comparison with the equivalent Objectives from last year’s list below.
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School improvement: we will improve learning outcomes to help children and young people reach their potential
We will continue to develop the high quality education services we provide
Town centre improvement: we will enable, facilitate and deliver schemes to improve the viability and vitality of our town centres
We will work with partners to improve Pembrokeshire’s economy
Waste management: we will continue to increase the proportion of waste that is recycled in order to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill
We will reduce our carbon footprint and operate more sustainably
Reviewing adult social care services: we will reconfigure the provision of our adult social care services to improve efficiency and sustainability
We will take action to support independent Well-being and healthy living
Safeguarding: we will strengthen our safeguarding arrangements in schools to ensure that children and young people are not put at risk
We will work with our partners to ensure Pembrokeshire remains a safe place
4.13 The remainder of this document describes each Improvement Objective in greater detail and explains what else we will be doing to contribute to the key outcomes identified in the Single Integrated Plan.
Improvement Objective 1 - we will improve learning outcomes to help children and young people reach their potential
5.1 Our services for children and families account of just over 40% of our total spend each year. Although we provide many services ourselves, we do a considerable amount of work in this area in partnership with other agencies. Attainment and attendance are critical issues for the County as a whole, but these challenges are even more acute for children and families on low incomes. 5.2 We chose this Objective because we want children and young people in Pembrokeshire to achieve the very best results they can and be amongst the highest performers in Wales. Estyn’s last inspection report concerning our education services highlighted our need to make improvements across the board; this Improvement Objective complements the actions we have agreed in response to Estyn’s recommendations.
5.3 The consultation we undertook on our proposed Improvement Objectives highlighted school improvement and inclusion, as well as the planning of school places, as being important to local residents. Ninety-five percent of respondents to our consultation indicated that they thought school improvement and inclusion needed to be addressed. However, only 50% of respondents agreed that planning of school places should be a priority. In response to this, and for the reasons set out in section 4 of this Plan, we have combined these two proposed Improvement Objectives.
5.4 We have set ourselves six actions under this Objective: • Working with schools to analyse data and deliver targeted interventions that will increase attendance rates. • Working with schools and Pembrokeshire College to provide a curriculum that meets the needs of all learners. • Improving the use of data and performance management to enable timely, evidenced based support and challenge to schools. • Implementing a shared school improvement service with Carmarthenshire County Council, which will provide additional capacity to support and challenge schools. • Increasing the capacity that schools have to improve themselves. • Making progress with our plans to improve learning environments as part of the 21st Century Schools Programme. 5.5 In addition to the actions described above, we will be undertaking a range of activities to strengthen the leadership of the education service. These will include recruiting an entirely new management team for the service by May 2013. 5.6 The impact of achieving this Objective will be that school leavers from Pembrokeshire would achieve their potential and be better prepared to make a positive contribution to society. 5.7 We will measure the impact of our progress under this Objective by monitoring a number of key indicators. One of our key measures of success will be the percentage of students achieving the level 2 threshold, including English/Welsh and Maths at Key Stage 4. This indicator is frequently used to compare levels of attainment at a national level. Attainment at Key Stage 4 in Pembrokeshire increased
from 51% to 56% between 2009/10 and 2011/12. Our ambition is to maintain this rate of increase, and we have set a target of 59% for 2013/14. KS4 Level 2 incl English/Welsh & Maths 65%
60%
55%
50%
45%
40% June 2008
June 2009
June 2010
June 2011 Pembrokeshire
June 2012 Wales
June 2013
June 2014
8&&(66 0($685(6 Foundation phase indicators, which analyse the outcomes of pupils at Years 1 and 2 LLC=Language Literacy & Communication MD=Mathematical Development FPI=Foundation Phase Indicator
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LLC=87% MD=90% FPI=84%
Key stage 2 core subject indicators, which analyse the outcomes of pupils in Year 6
86%
Key stage 3 core subject indicators, which analyse the outcomes of pupils in Year 6
80%
Key Stage 4 level 1 monitoring how many year 11 pupils achieve 5 GCSEs
94%
Key Stage 4 level 2 including English/Welsh and Maths
59%
Monitor attendance rates in Primary and Secondary Schools
95%; 94%
Percentage of 16-18 year olds are not in education or employment (NEET)
3.5
5.8 There are a range of other actions we will take during 2013/14 that, though not directly relevant to this Improvement Objective, will contribute towards the related key outcome identified in the Single Integrated Plan: children, young people and families have the opportunity to fulfil their learning potential and to live healthy and happy lives.
5.9
For example, we will be pursuing a range of actions to improve our services for young people with additional needs or that require additional support. We will be developing a single, co-ordinated referral pathway for inclusion and wellbeing services and will also be expanding our counselling service.
5.10 In order to deliver a better service to young people with more significant needs, we will be improving the effectiveness of our education psychology service, and reconfiguring specialist educational facilities for young people who have emotional and behavioural difficulties. 5.11 We will be developing and implementing a strategy to identify and meet demand for Welsh medium education. Although we are meeting the preferences of young people and their families for Welsh medium education, this work will give us confidence that latent demand is also being met. 5.12 We also aim to improve attainment for the community education courses provided by Learning Pembrokeshire, and maintain high course completion rates.
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Improvement Objective 2 - we will enable, facilitate and deliver schemes to improve the viability and vitality of our town centres
Pembrokeshire’s economy reflects its peripheral geography; wages and skill levels tend to be lower than elsewhere. Developments in the energy sector have helped Pembrokeshire’s economy to be more successful over the past decade. However, due to continuing global uncertainty, the rate of growth in Pembrokeshire (along with the rest of the U.K.) is likely to be slower in the future than was the case throughout much of the last 10 years.
6.2
We chose this Objective because Pembrokeshire is a rural county in which town centres play a critical role as service hubs and visitor destinations. There is evidence that a combination of the recession, changing consumer behaviour and increased local competition has had a negative impact on our town centres.
6.3
Eight out of ten respondents to our consultation agreed that improving town centres should be an Improvement Objective. We received a relatively large number of detailed comments concerning this area. Many of those who commented recognised the competition that town
centres face from out of town shopping developments as well as other towns and the internet. Several respondents highlighted the importance of working in partnership with local businesses and noted the contribution that town centres make towards the tourism industry. 6.4
We have set ourselves four actions under this Objective: • Providing a planning context that balances retail policies with uses that assist vitality. • Accessing external funding to support and deliver physical improvements to town centres. • Promoting and delivering a two year programme of branding initiatives to improve the profile of our town centres. • Working with developers to ensure private sector schemes contribute to and complement our town centres.
6.5
The impact of achieving this Improvement Objective will be more retail spend being retained within the local economy, more employment opportunities being generated and town centres becoming more vibrant.
6.6
We will measure our progress in relation to this Objective by monitoring a number of key indicators. Foremost of these will be the rate of shop vacancies in our town centres in September each year. The vacancy rates in our key towns as at September 2012 are shown below.
6.7
In addition to the success measures described above, we will also be developing our use of town centres performance benchmarking tools over the year. This will enable us to rank the performance of our town centres against similar sized towns in England and Wales. We will report our findings and an evaluation of our progress in next year’s Improvement Review. The review will also draw on case studies which illustrate the improvements that we have made to our town centres and the impact this has had.
6.8
There are a range of other actions we will take during 2013/14 that, though not directly relevant to this Improvement Objective, will contribute towards the related key outcome identified in the Single Integrated Plan: Pembrokeshire has a competitive, productive and sustainable economy.
6.9
For example, we will continue to explore opportunities to support regeneration more generally. Our focus on town centres does not supplant the need for regeneration in other areas, it complements it.
2012 Vacancy rate 30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Fishguard
Haverfordwest
Milford Haven
Narberth
Pembroke
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Pembroke Dock
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Developing an action plan for the 6 largest towns in Pembrokeshire
All 6 completed
Monitoring shop vacancies in town centres
Vacancy rate remains static or improves
6.10 We will work with partners in the private sector and Welsh Government to maximise the opportunity that Enterprise Zone designation presents for employment areas and businesses around the Haven waterway and Haverfordwest Airport. We anticipate that the main opportunities will be enhanced capital allowances and business rate relief, which in turn will result in a growth in high skilled jobs. We will measure success through the number of businesses that attract rate relief. 6.11 Although the size of our capital programme is reducing, we anticipate that we will continue to manage a significant capital programme. Through effective management of the programme, we will ensure that benefits to the local economy are realised in relation to construction works. We will measure success through the implementation of community benefit clauses. 6.12 The tourism sector is a significant employer in Pembrokeshire. Along with our partners, we have adopted a comprehensive tourism destination management plan to increase the benefit that we derive from the industry. During 2013/14 we will be implementing the actions described in the plan, such as refocusing our marketing effort on digital media and developing an on-line County-wide calendar of events. 6.13 Pembrokeshire has benefited from the current round of European funding. This round will wind down from 2014, but Pembrokeshire will be eligible for the next round of structural and investment funds. We will undertake preparatory work with key stakeholders in order to maximise the opportunities that this funding will offer from 2014 to 2020.
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Improvement Objective 3 we will continue to increase the proportion of waste that is recycled in order to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill
7.1 Like all areas, Pembrokeshire’s environment faces significant challenges. One of the most critical of these is the risk that our climate is becoming less predictable and more extreme. While many of the factors that are likely to contribute to climate change are beyond our direct control, some risk factors can be tackled locally; especially those relating to how we manage the waste we produce.
7.4 A relatively small number of respondents to our consultation agreed that waste and recycling should be a priority. Many of those who commented agreed with the thrust of actions we intend to take, such as raising awareness of the recycling services we provide and encouraging people to recycle a wider range of materials. Some respondents commented that more use should be made of energy from waste facilities.
7.2 Welsh Government has set challenging targets for waste reduction that must be met in order to avoid significant fines. Although the percentage of waste we re-use or recycle has gone up considerably (in the past seven years the proportion of waste we recycle has gone up five fold), the targets we need to achieve in future years are extremely challenging.
7.5 Respondents to our consultation did not highlight broader environmental issues such as sustainable development or climate change, though these issues are covered at length in Pembrokeshire’s Single Integrated Plan.
7.3 We chose this Objective because land filling waste is not permissible over the long term. Land filled waste emits harmful greenhouse gasses. The targets set by Welsh Government are becoming more challenging; we need to retain a focus on this area to ensure that targets are met.
7.6 We have set ourselves three actions under this Objective: • Improve public participation in recycling initiatives through public engagement activities. ` • Considering the introduction of fortnightly collections of black bags (residual waste) to encourage customers to recycle a greater proportion of their waste. • Introducing recycling for additional material streams such as mattresses or carpets.
7.7 The impact of achieving this Improvement Objective will be a reduced proportion of waste being sent to landfill, thereby reducing negative effects on the environment. 7.8 We will measure our progress in relation to this Objective by monitoring a number of key indicators. One of these is of particular importance; the total amount of biodegradable waste sent to landfill. This is the measure which would be used to calculate the fines we would be charged should we fail to achieve our targets.
7.9
In addition to the success measures described above we will also be evaluating the impact of a range of specific events and school visits during to promote recycling. We will provide feedback on these events and their impact when we report on our progress in next year’s Improvement Review. Furthermore, we will obtaining feedback from our customers concerning the barriers to recycling.
7.10 There are a range of other actions we will take during 2013/14 that, though not directly relevant to this Improvement Objective, will contribute towards the related key outcome identified in the Single Integrated Plan: people in Pembrokeshire enjoy an attractive, sustainable and diverse environment.
Tonnage of bio-degradable waste sent to landfill 40000
35000
7.11 Pembrokeshire is generally very clean and tidy, but like all areas, fly-tipping, where it occurs, is still a problem. We will develop a fly tipping strategy which will strengthen our enforcement arrangements.
30000
25000
20000
15000
10000
5000
0 2006/07
2007/08
2008/09 Target
2009/10
2010/11
2011/12
2012/13
2013/14
2014/15
2015/16
Actual (estimate for 2102/13) tonnes of Biodegradable Municipal Waste
8&&(66 0($685(6 Tonnage of bio-degradable waste sent to landfill
$5*(7 18,667
Increase in the percentage of waste that is recycled
55%
Reduction in the percentage of waste sent to landfill
43%
Recycling participation rate
70%
/
7.12 As a result of changes to legislation, we now have a lead role in managing flood risk and we will be developing flood risk strategies during the year. These will be of use in helping to manage the predicted increase in flooding (both from rivers and surface water) that will result from a predicted increase in the frequency of heavy rainfall. 7.13 We will take steps to promote sustainable and active travel. These will include enhancements to bus stops along particular routes, as well as the development of cycle routes. Alongside this investment, we will also undertake a fundamental review of the support we offer public and community transport. We will consult widely on these issues during 2013/14.
($/7+ 8.1 Life expectancy in Pembrokeshire is improving and is close to the Welsh average. However, there is a difference in life expectancy between deprived and non-deprived areas of Pembrokeshire (particularly the number of years that someone can expect to live in good health). This increase in life expectancy is resulting in an increase in demand for social care services
Improvement Objective 4 - we will reconfigure the provision of our adult social care services to improve efficiency and sustainability 8.2 The Improvement Objective we have identified for this area focuses on how we will ensure the cost of providing high quality adult social care services remains affordable. We chose this Objective because high quality adult social care services are vital to our customers’ quality of life. The number of older people living in Pembrokeshire is increasing rapidly. Current models of service delivery will need to adapt in order to meet this increase in demand. Like many local authorities, we
overspent on our adult social care budget during 2012/13. 8.3 Just over three quarters of respondents to our consultation agreed that adult social care should be an Improvement Objective. The comments we received suggested that residents value services for vulnerable adults as being just as important as those for children. Other people commented that the growth in the elderly population underlines the need to take action. 8.4 Some of the general comments on Improvement Objectives we received highlighted other areas that have an impact on health. These included the adverse impact that changes to benefits may have on mental health, ensuring quality in the private rented sector and the role that lower level preventative services can play in reducing isolation among older people. We also received a range of comments relating to the proposed changes to local health services.
8.5 We have set ourselves eight actions under this Objective: • Reviewing the capacity and effectiveness of the management and governance of adult social care and Local Health Board partnerships and agreeing proposals to enhance such arrangements. • Integrating existing commissioning plans within one over-arching document focussed on sustainability and containing the overall cost of the service. • Agreeing clear protocols to ensure social care assessments are sustainable, robust, fair and offer best value for providers and clients. • Carrying out value for money reviews of all high cost packages of care (over £500) in domiciliary and learning disability services. • Developing alternative care models to ensure that all clients are effectively supported through service arrangements that are both affordable and appropriate. • Implementing resource targets for all key commissioning activities within the service: o Elderly (Residential / Domiciliary) o Learning / Disability o Mental Health o Physical Disability • Reviewing Adult Protection arrangements and ensuring that we comply with best practice. • Providing a reablement service designed to support customers when they need it most with a view to making them as independent as possible following their treatment. 8.6 The impact of achieving this Improvement Objective will be that greater numbers of older people living in settings that are appropriate to the level of care they require, thereby
improving their quality of life. The overall cost of providing adult social care services will be managed more effectively. Customers will also benefit from reablement packages designed to help them to gain all or some of their independence. 8.7 We will measure our progress in relation to this Objective by monitoring a number of key indicators. One of the most significant of these measures is the amount of money we spend on adult social care. The graph below indicates the savings we have predicted. Adult Social Care Spend (£ thousand) £55,000
£50,000 £45,000 £40,000 £35,000 £30,000 £25,000 £20,000
actual or anticipated spend
Indicative expected saving if project is successful
8&&(66 0($685(6 Limit increase in growth of adult services budget (13/14 budget is 6.7% above 12/13 revised) The percentage reduction in planned domiciliary care hours of customers who have completed a period of reablement
$5*(7
No overspend on 13/14 budget
40%
The percentage of customers who have completed a course of reablement with no further need for long term domiciliary care
37%
The rate of delayed transfers of care for social care reasons per 1,000 population aged 75 or over (partnership working with NHS)
1.0%
The rate of older people (aged 65 or over) supported in the community per 1,000 population aged 65 or over at 31 March High cost cases reviewed Care services annual questionnaire testing whether customers agree that their care plans meet their needs
/
70
25%
85% agree
8.8
There are a range of other actions we will take during 2013/14 that, though not directly relevant to this Improvement Objective, will contribute towards the related key outcome identified in the Single Integrated Plan: people in Pembrokeshire are healthier.
8.9
We will continue to develop actions to help keep people fit and active. We will develop active travel projects and develop Scolton Manor as a venue for people to take outdoor exercise. We will expand the Dragon Sports Programme, which helps young people to develop agility, balance and coordination, to the whole County and pilot ‘healthy hubs’ in libraries.
8.10 During 2013/14, our leisure services will be putting additional emphasis on promoting swimming, as well as less popular sports such as rowing and climbing. In all cases, we will be working with local clubs to embed increased interest at a community level. We will also improve our on-line booking systems for leisure centres. We will measure our improvement through usage figures and customer quality measures.
8.11 Healthy eating is a key component of public health. During 2013/14, we will continue to meet the appetite for life standards in our primary and secondary schools. In response to recent issues concerning the contamination of meat products, we will be reviewing our tendering procedures to include traceability requirements for meat products and map supply chains. We will know whether we have been successful by monitoring appetite for life nutritional standards and by testing food for horse meat and other contaminants. 8.12 Housing plays a very important role in health and changes to benefit rules during 2013/14 will place additional strain on our services. We will improve the processes we use to re-let homes and reduce the time they stand empty. We will monitor void times to see how successful we have been. 8.13 We provide specialist housing support services for people who find it difficult to live independently. Based on the needs mapping exercises that we have already undertaken, we will develop additional support for young people and their families. 8.14 In common with all Welsh local authorities, the proportion of people living in accommodation provided through the private rented sector in Pembrokeshire has increased over the past decade. We will develop existing links with private landlords to explore how the sector could play a part in the practical discharge of our duties in relation to homelessness. We will also redesign our approach to homelessness prevention by engaging customers and by piloting a revised service.
8.15 We will continue to maximise the amount of affordable housing provided in Pembrokeshire. As capital grant levels reduce, we will be increasingly dependent on affordable housing being delivered through section 106 agreements. We will monitor the viability of such agreements closely to ensure developers are making a reasonable contribution to the overall stock of affordable housing.
$)(*8$5',1* Improvement Objective 5 - we will strengthen our safeguarding arrangements in schools to ensure that children and young people are not put at risk 9.1 We have undergone significant scrutiny and challenge in respect of our safeguarding arrangements since summer 2011. Inspection reports published at that time by Estyn and Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales identified clear shortfalls in practice and standards. As a result we implemented a range of improvements, overseen by the Pembrokeshire Ministerial Board. Recent reports from the Board recognise the progress we have made. However, we recognise that we need to retain a focus on this area to ensure that the improvement becomes embedded. 9.2 We chose this Objective because we are committed to ensuring that children and young people in our care are safe and because we have received critical reports from national inspectorates. 9.3 A very high proportion of respondents to our consultation agreed that safeguarding should be a high priority (this received the joint highest rating). The detailed comments we received made reference to the critical inspection reports. Others identified a link between safeguarding, improvement in educational attainment and corporate governance more generally.
9.4 We have set ourselves seven actions under this Objective: • Review our methods of providing advice to schools and establish a new team bringing together all safeguarding expertise into one service. • Undertake a systematic audit of safeguarding in all schools. • Create a single point of contact for advice and referral for schools on safeguarding, which will enable schools to handle allegations appropriately. • Develop an advocacy and participation service to ensure the child’s voice is heard. • Improve the consistency and clarity of information held on our personnel files to ensure that when an allegation is made against an individual, a summary of the allegation, the outcome of its investigation and any necessary follow up with professional bodies are consistently documented. • Implementing a cross authority Quality Assurance Framework for safeguarding. • Ensuring that key personnel in schools responsible for recruitment undertake the Safer Recruitment training course. 9.5 The impact of achieving this Objective will be that children in Pembrokeshire’s schools will be safer. In addition, we will be more able to manage information relating to individuals who have had an allegation made against them effectively.
9.6 We will assess our progress against this Improvement Objective by monitoring a range of measures. Unlike our other Improvement Objectives, there is no single quantitative measure that can legitimately be used as a headline indicator to chart progress.
8&&(66 0($685(6 The percentage of schools completing the Safer Schools audit which evidences areas that require improvement
$5*(7 100%
Improved levels of assurance reported through the Safeguarding in Education Quality Assurance framework
-3
Number of education personnel attending the safer recruitment training course
100
The percentage of relevant children involved in investigation(s) of professional abuse who were: • Offered advocacy • Offered and took up the offer of advocacy
100% 30%
9.7 There are a range of other actions we will take during 2013/14 that, though not directly relevant to this Improvement Objective, will contribute towards the related key outcome identified in the Single Integrated Plan: children and adults are safeguarded. 9.8 We will ensure that the children’s services workforce has the capacity to deal safely with demand by implementing a social worker recruitment and retention plan. This will address long-standing recruitment problems that have led to an over-reliance on relatively costly social work agency staff.
9.9
/
We will improve the quality and consistency of our assessment, care planning and review arrangements. Although the timeliness of assessments and reviews of looked after children and child protection plans is good, we need to improve consistency as well as strengthen reviews of children in need (the largest group of children we have a statutory duty to provide services for). Tackling our recruitment issues within social care is one of the ways in which this will be tackled. We will monitor our progress by reporting the results of file audits to the Children and Families Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
9.10 In order to strengthen our preventative work to stop families’ needs reaching the level where statutory services are required, we will implement Integrated Family Support Services and Team Around the Family projects. This will mean that fewer families reach crisis point. As a greater proportion of families under stress live in deprived areas, it is also practical way in which we will mitigate the impact of child poverty. We will use the existing mechanisms linked to the funding of these teams to generate the performance data required to measure our success. 9.11 In order to improve the protection of vulnerable adults, we will ensure that we improve the capabilities within our organisation to undertake and manage adult protection referrals and investigations. By making the required changes, we will help providers deliver a better service. We will also minimise the risk of abuse taking place. We will monitor these actions by tracking the number of people who have been trained in aspects of adult protection, as well as by analysing contract monitoring information. 3
It is not legitimate to set a quantitative target for this type of measure.
$)(7;
We have not set an Improvement Objective for this area
10.1 Pembrokeshire is one of the safest places to live in England and Wales, with very low levels of crime and disorder compared to other areas. Despite the low levels of actual crime, fear of crime is still a significant concern for some residents. 10.2 Activity to promote community safety is heavily dependent on partnership working and the bulk of relevant services are provided by the police, as opposed to ourselves. The way in which organisations work together to tackle community safety has been influenced by the election of the Police and Crime Commissioner who may, in due course, re-commission the way in which services to support the crime and community safety agenda are provided. 10.3 Following consultation, we decided not to set an Improvement Objective for this area. This was primarily due to the relatively low levels of crime in Pembrokeshire. 10.4 The results from our consultation indicated that fewer people agree that crime and community safety should be a priority (it was the third lowest). Several respondents indicated that the current system appears to work well or that it was a lower priority than other areas. Two respondents commented on the impact of spending cuts upon the police service itself, something that is beyond our control. 10.5 Though we have not set an Improvement Objective for this area, there are a range of other actions we will take during
2013/14 that will contribute towards the key outcome identified in the Single Integrated Plan: communities in Pembrokeshire feel safe. 10.6 For example, we will continue to tackle anti social behaviour at the earliest possible stage and provide prevention services for young people to help reduce the numbers entering the criminal justice system. We will take this work forward in partnership with other criminal justice agencies. 10.7 In order to address the behaviour of people who regularly offend, we will work through a multi agency framework to ensure that interventions are co-ordinated. We will assess the effectiveness of this approach by monitoring reoffending amongst offenders within the Cleddau Project. 10.8 We will continue with the action planning approach to address anti-social behaviour and violent crime associated with excessive alcohol consumption we have adopted in Tenby, Saundersfoot and Haverfordwest. We will measure the impact of this by monitoring rates of violent crime. 10.9 Pembrokeshire has a number of petro-chemical facilities that are of national importance. During 2013/14, we will work in partnership with other agencies to enhance our preparedness for any related major incidents.
11.1 Improvement planning does not stop with the implementation of actions. As was indicated in the introduction to this Plan, it is a cyclical process during which we constantly revisit and revise our plans in light of the changing circumstances in which we work.
11.4 Finally, the review process will provide us with a further opportunity to reflect on the comments we have received from individuals and community groups. We are always happy to receive comments about our objectives; we have included our contact details on page 1 of this plan.
11.2 Later this year, we will publish our Improvement Review. This document will describe, in broad terms, whether or not we achieved the Objectives we set ourselves for 2012/13. It will include important evidence such as performance statistics and progress reports on the completion of projects. It is an opportunity for us to assess our own performance and to share that evaluation with our customers and regulators.
11.5 We will not publish the Review relating to this Plan until November 2014. However, the actions and performance measures set out in this plan will be monitored on a quarterly basis by Senior Officers and Councillors. For example, our Overview and Scrutiny Committees will review the areas that are relevant to them. Dates of meetings, agendas and all relevant papers are published on our website.
11.3 The Improvement Review also helps to plan our activity for future years. It helps us to establish whether or not we are tackling the right issues and whether we are going about this in the right way.
/266$5; Affordable housing
Any housing (e.g. for rent, for purchase, or for part rent, part purchase) that is available at less than market rates.
Biodegradable Waste
This is waste which breaks down and rots, such as food waste.
Carbon footprint
An estimate of the total amount of carbon dioxide produced by a person, organisation, event or product.
Care & Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW)
CSSIW encourages the improvement of social care, early years and social services in Wales. It also inspects public and private care providers and local authorities.
Delayed transfers of care
Domiciliary care
Care provided to people within their own homes, such as help with washing, dressing or other personal needs.
Enterprise Zone
A UK Government economic development designation that encourages growth by providing incentives for businesses in a particular area.
Estyn
Her Majesty's Inspectorate for Education and Training in Wales. The purpose of Estyn is to inspect quality and standards in education and training in Wales.
A Welsh Government scheme to invest in 21st Century Schools Programme school building stock.
Cleddau Project
Core subject indicator
The Pembrokeshire Cleddau is an Integrated Offender Management project, which is a partnership involving Police, Probation, Youth Offending Team, Local Authority and many other agencies that offers the clients support and encouragement to stay out of trouble. The percentage achieving the expected level in English or Welsh (first language), Mathematics and Science at Key Stage 1-3 and at least GCSE Grade C at Key Stage 4.
This is sometimes called bed-blocking. This can happen when someone has been in hospital and no longer requires medical services, but requires additional services to be in place before they can go home. It is often our responsibility to ensure that these services are in place.
Federation arrangements
An arrangement between education providers to increase the range of qualifications available to young people. In Pembrokeshire this project requires local schools and Pembrokeshire College to coordinate the provision of some courses.
Local Government (Wales) Measure 2009
Power to legislate for community planning and local improvement in Wales has been devolved to the National Assembly for Wales. A Measure is the term used to describe legislation drawn up by the National Assembly for Wales.
Looked after children
Children that the Council has taken into care. Looked after children are placed with either foster carers or adoptive parents. However, the Council retains a legal responsibility for their welfare (as their ‘corporate parents’).
Municipal waste
Waste collected directly from households, through civic amenity sites, from litter bins or through street cleaning.
Professional abuse
Incidents where someone employed by us or acting on our behalf takes advantage of their position to abuse or harm children or vulnerable adults.
Protected characteristics
The Equality Act 2010 gives protection to various groups. These are: Age; Race; Disability; Religion and Belief; Gender Reassignment; Sex; Marriage and Civil Partnership; Sexual Orientation; and Pregnancy and Maternity.
Reablement
Sustainable Development
S106 agreement
A package of services for people who need support to live in their own homes. These services encourage and support people to do as much as they can for themselves, doing tasks with them rather than for them. A document which publicises an organisation’s commitment to making decisions that take long term social, economic and environmental issues into account. These are legally binding financial agreements entered into between a local planning authority and a developer to make a contribution to local infrastructure or to offset the external effects of development.