FRSB Oct 22_ Fairer Renfrewshire Programme final
Renfrewshire Council · 26 October 2022
Back to Fairer Renfrewshire Sub-committee — 26 October 2022 and its agenda
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1 ___________________________________________________________________ To: Fairer Renfrewshire Sub-Committee On: 26th October 2022 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Chief Executive ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Fairer Renfrewshire Programme ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1. The Council and partners have a key focus on tackling inequality and improving wellbeing and have longstanding programmes of work and partnership arrangements in place such as the Tackling Poverty Programme and the change programme established in response to the findings of the Renfrewshire Drug and Alcohol Commission. 1.2. As agreed by Council on 3 March 2022, all activities will now come together to form a new Fairer Renfrewshire Programme in Renfrewshire. Officers are working with partners to develop this programme, with a more detailed programme of work being developed to inform Leadership Board. Council agreed on 19 May 2022 to form the Fairer Renfrewshire Sub-Committee to facilitate more scrutiny and oversight of issues relating to poverty and inequality in Renfrewshire. 1.3. This paper provides an overview of the initial priorities and workstreams within the Fairer Renfrewshire programme, and sets out a draft programme for the Fairer Renfrewshire Sub- Committee for the next three Sub-Committee meetings. 2. Recommendations 2.1 It is recommended that members of the Fairer Renfrewshire Sub-Committee: • Note the content of the report • Agree the initial programme for the Sub-Committee until May 2023 3. Background 3.1. In March 2021, Council considered the initial findings from a community impact assessment that had been undertaken across Renfrewshire, in order to develop a deeper understanding of the
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2 impact of COVID-19 on local people and communities. This provided strong evidence that the pandemic has impacted some people and communities more profoundly than others. 3.2. The starting point of local people in terms of the inequalities or challenges that they faced before the pandemic has been important, with issues such as low income, insecure employment, caring responsibilities and disabilities all being exacerbated by the pandemic and its associated restrictions. The community impact assessment process also identified a requirement to continue to listen and learn to the experiences of local people, recognising that the impacts of the pandemic may emerge over time. 3.3. In the report in March 2021, an initial Social Renewal Plan was approved by Council. The plan set out the high-level actions that the Council and partners will take as we move forward from the pandemic with a clear focus on tackling inequality and improving wellbeing. 3.4. Officers worked to bring all of these strands of activity together, and following an initial assessment have identified a number of actions which should be progressed by partners as a priority during 2021-22. Income, poverty and financial insecurity was identified as a key priority for the plan as a result of financial pressures households were facing during the pandemic, and this is likely to require a sustained focus due to the rapidly developing cost-of-living crisis. 4. Fairer Renfrewshire Programme 4.1. The Fairer Renfrewshire Programme brings together a number of existing programmes of work focussed on achieving fairness and equity, including the Tackling Poverty Programme and Alcohol and Drugs Change Programme. These programmes are being brought together alongside the Council’s Social Renewal Plan, mapping a fairer future for Renfrewshire’s residents through the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as the now rapidly developing cost-of-living crisis. 4.2. There are four key emerging themes which are shared across all elements of the Fairer Renfrewshire programme, and these are: • Improving financial security • Advancing equality of opportunity • Building community capacity and resilience • Listening to lived experience 4.3. Based on work being progressed already against these key programmes, as well as emerging workstreams, an initial programme of updates has been drafted for the Sub-Committee for the next three meetings Sub Committee Meeting Proposed items October 2022 • Focus on: Cost of Living Crisis • Get Heard • Alcohol and Drugs • Winter Connections January 2023 • Focus on: Financial Security
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3 • Tackling Poverty Programme Evaluation • Alcohol and Drugs Change Programme • Food Partnership • Fuel Insecurity March 2023 • Focus on: Lived experience • Fair work, employability and community wealth building • Equality Outcomes • Child poverty priority groups May 2023 • Focus on: Health inequalities • Local Child Poverty Action Report 4.4. It should be noted that due to the rapidly developing cost-of-living crisis and its implications, that this programme of items may need to be adapted to reflect emerging priorities and developments. 4.5. It should be further noted that the Fairer Renfrewshire programme will continue to be developed in response to engagement from both local partners and also residents. The Fairer Renfrewshire Sub-Committee held an initial cost-of-living evidence session with third sector partners in October 2022, and it is anticipated this will form an ongoing dialogue between partners and the Sub-Committee to inform the development of the programme. In addition, the work being undertaken to establish a panel of local people with lived experience of poverty should also provide the sub-committee with significant further insight to assist with the development of the programme. Implications of the Report 1. Financial – There are no financial implications associated with this report. 2. HR & Organisational Development – none 3. Community/Council Planning – The Fairer Renfrewshire Programme is a key driver in achieving the ‘Fair’ strategic outcome and theme within the Council Plan, and covers a number of the key actions identified in the plan. It also represents a significant partnership programme of work which supports the ‘Fair’ theme within the Community Plan, with dedicated partnership governance being established to ensure alignment between these areas of work. 4. Legal - none 5. Property/Assets - none 6. Information Technology - none 7. Equality and Human Rights – Equality and human rights are a key pillar of this plan, and it is anticipated that the programme will likely advance equality of opportunity. 8. Health and Safety - none
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4 9. Procurement – none 10. Risk – none 11. Privacy Impact – none 12. COSLA Policy Position – none 13. Climate Risk – none Author: Annabelle Armstrong-Walter, Strategic Partnerships and Inequalities Manager, Annabelle.armstrong- walter@renfrewshire.gov.uk