4 minute read
Levelling up
VIEWPOINT
Annie Dell presents a Salvation Army perspective on the government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda
AS part of my role I speak to a lot of people who feel left behind. They feel that way because of a la ack of after-school activities, mental health access, jobs that excite them, accessible buses during the morning rush, local affordable nurseries or accessible training.
As part of its response to Covid-19, the government has announced a new funding pledge for ‘levelling up’ the UK. The exact definition and scope of this policy is still being decided, but the general aim is to dramatically increase investment in areas outside London that have been neglected.
For The Salvation Army, the levellin ng up agenda isn’t rhetoric. It is set to be one of the largest and most crucial levers that the government has to successfully rebuild communities – those impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic as well as those suffering from historical regional inequalities. Every day the Army sees first-hand the work that is needed to rebuild. It is heartening to know that this work is being taken so serio ously by national and local governments.
PRIORITIES
The Salvation Army, in partnership with the Institute for Employment Studies, is conducting research into where and what should be prioritised by the levelling up agenda.
Civil service calculations that determine the priority areas consider three correct, but unduly limited indicators:
* Local labour pools: Local gross value added, unemployment and post-16 skills
* Transport infrastructure: Travel to work areas and ease of transport
*Local infrastructure: The percentage of viable home and commercial property
These calculations are not enough for policymakers to truly understand what being ‘left behind’ means. And they present a limited picture of the barriers our communities faced pre-pandemic as well as those they will face post-pandemic.
We have worked with the Institute of Employment Services s to fill in the gaps on identifying areas that should be prioritised.
First, we have expanded the focus around local labour market ts to create a clearer picture of what local economies truly look like. Community growth potential is much more nuanced than unemployment rates. Therefore this expanded focus should also include sector growth, employment durations and full labour pools, including those who are economically inactive or underemployed.
Moreover, a deeper understanding of the social fabric of these communities is
required. To date there has been no real discussion around social indicators for areas that feel left behind – a topic that we believe has been missing from the debate almost entirely. As a result our upcoming research also considers a range of social indicators, including crime, income, health and access to public services.
If we don’t capture the experiences of communities, national policy will lack the nuance required to bring about effective local outcomes. To avoid this we must expand our definition of what it means to ‘level up’.
INVESTMENT
Every day, in every centre, the Army is working and speaking with people whose lives have been turned upside down, who have given up and feel there isn’t much left for them. Each community and each person’s needs are different.
If the government wants to level up the country it needs to connect to these voices. It must create a mechanism for communities to directly decide how funding can create the greatest change and the most positive growth. Our research into the levelling up agenda is working hand in hand with communities and local decision-makers to ensure that each pound spent has true value.
Finally, in order for the levelling up agenda to be a success, the government has to rethink how it uses taxpayers’ money. Although physical structure is important, if spending is limited to this it will fall some way short of achieving the ambitious aims the government has set out. If we want to see communities develop, investment must be made in the social infrastructure that props up labour markets. We can’t ask people to work if they can’t access good childcare. We can’t expect young people to move on to high levels of qualification if they don’t have access to sustainable careers services. And we can’t expect those who have been beaten down time after time by the impact of the pandemic to return to work without ready access to good mental health support where required.
Organisations such as The Salvation Army are ready to play their part in levelling up society. This agenda was important before, but it is even more vital now as we begin to move out of the restrictions placed upon us as a result of the pandemic. To achieve this shared aim we must work together –but we must also begin the process of expanding our understanding of how we define levelling up and, even more importantly, of who has a say in deciding what that looks like.
