Community - Participation Action Plan Wigtown

Community - Participation Action Plan – Wigtown

This section summarises the main actions we intend to promote Community Participation in Wigtown during 2016/17.

Participation in Wigtown

Action / How the action will be carried out / Lead Officer / Resources / Completion targets
April 2016 – March 2017 / Intended outcome / Measured by
To include Lead Officer recording numbers attending, gender, age(under25, 25 to 60, over 60) disability, ethnicity / Specific aims and key objectives
Q1 / Q2 / Q3 / Q4
Promote exiting TARA organisations / Support and promote Dicks Hill TARA and the new Whithorn TARA
Attend meetings and funding support as/ when required.
. / Margaret McKeand / Within existing resources / x / x / x / x / Sustain existing group (Dicks Hill Tara) and support new Whithorn TARA and explore opportunities to set up other groups / Ensure that the TARA remains active in Stranraer re-gen area and Whithorn.
Set up of one additional TARA / Strategic Objective 4
host events in small rural locations across the region to get tenants involved / Hold a themed morning/afternoon event e.g. Brew and a Blether in a rural location of Wigtown West / Community Participation team and
Members Housing Services team / Within existing resources / 09/16 / To engage with tenants in more rural areas. To encourage membership to Board, DMC - Taras / Recruit at least one new DMC member.
Look at engaging with 20 tenants in more rural locations. / Strategic
Objective
4
Host a single event to engage with all Sheltered Housing tenants
across the region / Bring all DGHP sheltered housing residents together in one location to engage with each other over high tea / Margaret McKeand.
Gordon Williamson
Laney Gillespie / Within existing resources / 10/16 / Provide an opportunity for the more elderly/vulnerable of our communities to meet with each other and get an update on the Sheltered housing review / Meet 10 – 15 residents from each area and seek feedback on event / Strategic Objective 4
Litter Pick in Dickshill / Dickshill Reference Group working with the local school to carry out a litter pick and community event for local tenants and residents to clean up their area / Margaret McKeand
Dickshill Reference Group
Deirdre Gary
Local DGHP staff / Within existing resources / 09/16 / Area cleaned up, involving members of the local community - brining a sense of pride - Raise profile of the Ref Group / Numbers attending and feedback / Strategic
Objective
4
Reaching into the more rural areas of
Wigtown West
Federation Vehicle / Use of the Federation Vehicle –
TARA/Fed/DMC Members
estate walkabout & meeting local tenants in more rural areas / Margaret McKeand / Within existing resources / 09/16 / Working in partnership with Federation/DMCs/ to engage with tenants not having an opportunity to have much contact with DGHP
Aim to increase membership and provide information to assists with fuel poverty/Universal Credit / Meeting personally 20 – 30 tenants / Strategic Objective 1 & 4
Review the ‘Interested tenants’ list for
Wigtownshire / Providing opportunities to local residents to discuss this strategy & other local issues, through focus groups or questionnaires / Margaret
McKeand / Within existing resources / 12/16 / To have a list whereby we can consult on local issues relating to Wigtown area / Develop a list of 100 interested tenants and residents / Strategic Objective 4
Host 4 area drop in events for tenants in more rural locations / Hosting a drop in event in Wigtown west giving support to tenants on money management, benefits, energyefficiency fuel poverty, condensation and promoting Rent First / Margaret McKeand
Gordon Williamson
Lee Herron
Evie Coupland / Within existing resources / 12/16 / To provide DGHP tenants with support and help with money matters/benefits, and fuel saving information/Promoting Rent First / Numbers attending and numbers receiving help/follow up appointments on the day / Strategic Objective 4
DGHP Scrutiny Panel to scrutinise an identified part of DGHPs services / Scrutinise identified part of DGHPs service.
Look at recruiting and training new scrutiny panel members by advertising though open door / Debbie Smith and Housing Services Staff / Within existing resources / 10/16 / Scrutiny Panel to highlight any failings and good practice by way of report and suggested actions. / Report findings to Board and Head of Services and Board implementing any agreed proposals
Recruit at least 2 new tenant members for scrutiny / Strategic Objective 1 & 4
Cary out Patch Inspection in the Sandhead / By inviting local Tara members to carry out inspections on, void standards, difficult to lets, ground maintenance, guttering/rendering/paint work / Margaret McKeand local Tara members / Within existing resources / 10/16 / To look at DGHPs void standards and inspect ground maintenance, guttering/rendering/paint / Report findings to Heads of Service, DMC/Board / Strategic Objective 1 & 2
Wigtown West DMC members to monitor Ground Maintenance works local to them / By individual members recording grass cutting, weed killing, shrubs maintenance in the area local to them. / Margaret McKeand / Within existing resources / 10/16 / DMC members to highlight that regular ground maintenance works are carried out as per contract. Highlighting any failings. / Report findings to Head of Services and DMC formal meetings highlighting issues to be raised with Contractor for service improvement / Strategic Objective 1 & 4

Consultation in Wigtown area

Communication in Wigtown area

Action / How the action will be carried out / Lead Officer / Resources / Completion targets
April 2016 – March 2017 / Intended outcome / Measured by
To include Lead Officer recording numbers attending, gender, age(under25, 25 to 60, over 60) disability, ethnicity / Specific aims and key objectives
Q1 / Q2 / Q3 / Q4
To Promote in the open door the Wigtown DMC/ Dicks Hill ref group/ Whithorn Tara / To have include articles on the work of Wigtown DMC and Dicks Hill l Tara and Whithorn Tara / Lee Herron/Evie Copeland / Within existing budget / 04/16 / 08/16 / 12/16 / To promote membership to DMC/Taras and enable all tenants and residents to see what is happening in their area / Interest from tenants and residents – attendance at events / Strategic Objective 4
To promote DMC and Taras and company events through Facebook/website / By placing DMC and TARA activities on Facebook and website as they happen / Lee Herron Evie Copeland / Within existing budget / * / * / * / * / To promote the work of DMC and Taras and enabling tenant to participate in events in their area. / Number of persons viewing the site and feedback
Increasing the interested tenants list by at least 10 / Strategic objective 4

Education in Wigtown area

Action / How the action will be carried out / Lead Officer / Resources / Completion targets
April 2016 – March 2017 / Intended outcome / Measured by
To include Lead Officer recording numbers attending, gender, age(under25, 25 to 60, over 60) disability, ethnicity / Specific aims and key objectives
Q1 / Q2 / Q3 / Q4
To offer presentations to school leavers on housing and related issues / Letters sent to all secondary schools in Wigtown west offering presentation on how to get a home, maintaining a tenancy and respect in your community / Gordon Williamson / Within existing resources / 03/16 / To increase the awareness of young people on the challenges that await them how to get a house and respect / Feedback from children, teachers / Strategic Objective 4
Offer Presentations to young people in Stranraer aged 16 -18 that have left School and intend to remain in Dumfries and Galloway / Working with D&G Council Employability and Skills Service offer young people age 16 to 18 that have recently left school or unemployed having left school a year ago. Some of which are becoming independent for the first time. / Gordon Williamson
D&G Council Employability and Skills Service / Within existing resources / 08/16 / To increase awareness and money management, managing a tenancy and the importance of paying your rent to potential tenants. / Feedback from young people and numbers attending / Strategic objective 4
DMCS Joint Tour / Arrange educational tour for DMCs to Scottish Borders Housing Association / view stock /see projects / engage with their tenants to hear of their achievements / Margaret McKeand
Linda Nelson
Gordon Williamson / Within existing
resources / 07/16 / Increase awareness of what is happening in other areas.
Bring back any ideas that DGHP could develop. / Feedback from DMCs / Strategic objective 5
To offer tester IT sessions to tenants in Wigtown West / Working with D & G Library Service set up a programme of basic IT sessions for interested tenants / Margaret McKeand
Lee Herron / Within existing resources / 03/17 / Provide tenants with skill to access online applications for universal credit / Numbers attending sessions / Strategic Objective 4
Offer opportunities for TARA & DMC Members to attend the TPAS Conference / Agree that a number of places are available for DMC and Federation / Margaret McKeand / Within Existing resources / 11/16 / To provide good networking opportunities and to learn what is happening on a national housing level in Scotland / Attendance by 4 members of the Federation/
TARAs & 8 DMC members / Strategic Objective 5
Offer opportunities to DMC TARA members to attend the International Union of Tenants Congress / Agree that a number of places are available for DMC and Federation / Margaret McKeand / Within Existing resources / 10/16 / To provide good networking opportunities and learn what is happening on and international level / Attendance by 2 DMC and 2 TARA members / Strategic Objective 5
Develop a youth panel / By working with Summerhill Youth Base Group develop and trial a youth panel with a view to roll out in other parts of the region. Set up a programme with a housing theme for young people and feed into the Youth Base Youth Project Committee on housing issues. / Margaret McKeand
Gordon Williamson / Within Existing resources / 01/17 / To provide DGHP a forum for consultation with young tenants on housing and community issues. / Numbers of youths attending sessions and housing issues consulted on. / Strategic Objective 4

Diversity in Wigtown area

Training in Wigtown area