Impact of the Mccarthy Report Proposed Cutbacks on the Community Sector in Ballyfermot

INITIAL DRAFT DOCUMENT

Ballyfermot/Chapelizod Partnership in collaboration with Family Resource Centres, Community Development Projects and Ballyfermot Local Drugs Task Force

Impact of the McCarthy Report Proposed Cutbacks on the Community Sector in Ballyfermot

Report completed by TSA Consultancy

September 2009

Table of Contents

1.Introduction and purpose of report

1.1McCarthy report proposed cuts in expenditure

2.Profile of Ballyfermot and Chapelizod

2.1Demographic profile

2.2The community and voluntary sector in Ballyfermot and Chapelizod Partnership area

3.Methodology and findings

3.1Methodology and response rate

3.2Findings

3.3Other cuts that could impact on the community and voluntary sector

3.4The contingency plans of organisations

4.Summary and conclusions

1.Introduction and purpose of report

1.1McCarthy report proposed cuts in expenditure

The work was undertaken by TSA Consultancy. TSA specialises in social enterprise, co-operative and third sector project development, research and evaluation.

1.1.1Focus of the report

The report aims to:

• Estimate the number of current service users that community and voluntary organisations will not be in a position to provide services to if the cutbacks to community and local social partnership organisationsare fully implemented.
• Estimate the number of staff who will be made redundant if the cutbacks to community and local social partnership organisations are fully implemented.
• Review current services and needs arising for community projects; consult with community groups and organisations in the Ballyfermot area to ascertain current service provision, employment levels, activities, etc., and anticipated changes in service provision.
• Identify needs in light of anticipated changes with regard to organisations’ staffing levels, and service provision.

2.Profile of Ballyfermot and Chapelizod

2.1Demographic profile

Ballyfermot and Chapelizod are located approximately 4 miles (6.4km) to the west of Dublin’s city centre. Ballyfermot is an area designated as disadvantaged, is a RAPID area and a Local Drugs Task Force (LDTF) area. The population of the two areas is represented in the table below.

Statistics on the socio-economic profile (including 2006 census data) of Ballyfermot and Chapelizod tells us that:

• Ballyfermot is amongst the most disadvantaged areas in the country[1] and remained unaffected by recent economic growth. Two of the electoral divisions in Cherry Orchard are amongst the 50 most disadvantaged areas of the country.
• Ballyfermot has high levels of unemployment: Ballyfermot had more than twice the level of unemployment (11.2%) than the rest of the city (5.2%) in 2006 and almost twice the proportion of people not able to work due to illness or disability (7%) compared with the rest of DublinCity (4.2%). However, these figures for unemployment are based on census 2006 data. In Chapelizod, the unemployment rate according to census 2006 was 4%.
• Up to date data is available for those on the live register in the Ballyfermot Social Welfare Office.[2] According to this data, in July of this year, 3,271 people were on the live register in this office, an increase of 81% on the same time in 2008.
• Ballyfermot has a relatively high young population: 29% of the population are 19 years or under, compared to 19% of the entire DublinCity population. 10% of the population is aged between 20-24 years – the most frequent age category in the area. Almost half of the population (47%) is 29 years or younger, which is higher than the city average (44%).
  Chapelizod has an older age profile: 18% of the population are 19 years or under, the most frequently arising age categories are 25-39 years (40%) and 18% of the population are 60 years or over.
• Ballyfermot has a low education attainment level: 38% of Ballyfermot’s population has no formal education/ primary education attainment compared to 21% of the entire Dublin city population. Over one quarter of the area’s population (26%) left school before they reached 15 years of age. 60% of the area has been educated to lower secondary level or less, compared with 37% of the entire Dublin city area.
  In Chapelizod, 13% of the population have no formal/primary only education and 9% left school prior to 15 years.
• Ballyfermot has a high proportion of households headed by a lone parent: 22% of all households are headed by a lone parent and children, compared with 13% in Dublin city. When taken as a proportion of households with children, 40% of all households with children are headed by a lone parent in Ballyfermot, compared with 32% in the Dublin city area.
  In Chapelizod, 11% of households are headed by a lone parent with children (or 37% of all households with children).
• Ballyfermot has a high rate of disability, with 14% of its population having a disability, compared with 11% in the Dublin city area as a whole. At 13% of the total population, Chapelizod also has a higher rate of disability than Dublin city.
• Ballyfermot has a high proportion of Travellers living in the area: at 1.4% of the total population, Ballyfermot has almost three times the number of Travellers compared with the figures for the state (0.5%) and over three times that of Dublin city (0.4%). Chapelizod’s Traveller population accounts for 0.2% of its total population.

2.2The community and voluntary sector in Ballyfermot and Chapelizod Partnership area

The following table details the categories of funding programmes that community organisations are in receipt of in the Ballyfermot area.

All of the community and voluntary organisations have an anti-poverty focus. They provide a range of services and advocate on behalf of children, young people, people of working age and old people. In addition, a number of the organisations provide an array of specialist services to: recovering drug users; lone parents; homeless people; ex-prisoners and people with disabilities.

3.Methodology and findings

3.1Methodology and response rate

Each organisation was sent an email questionnaire asking them how many people they employed and how many people they provided services to under each programme. The percentage cuts in expenditure outlined in the McCarthy report were then applied to each programme. This projects the potential losses if these cuts are implemented.

84% of organisations responded to the survey.

3.2Findings

3.2.1Impact of cuts on staffing levels

A total of68 jobs will be lost if the recommended cuts to Family Resource Centres, Community Development/Local Development Social Inclusion Programme, Drugs Task Force and Community Services Programmes’ funding are fully implemented as outlined in the McCarthy report. This would have an adverse affect on the capacity of community organisations in the Ballyfermot partnership area to provide services that meet the needs of their client groups and advocate on behalf of their respective client groups

3.2.2Impacts of cuts on target groups and individuals

As a result of the recommended cutbacks to the Community Development/Local Development Social Inclusion Programme, Family Resource Centres, Drugs Task Forceand Community Services Programmecontained in the McCarthy report, community projects in receipt of the aforementioned funding programmes would no longer be in a position to provide services directly to 2875 individuals. In addition, if the cuts are implemented, 65 community groups and sporting organisations (these organisations do not receive core funding from the State) located in the Ballyfermot area who receive funding from Local Drug Task Force via a community drugs project would not be in a position to provide services to an additional 1022 young people living in the area. Therefore, if the proposed cutbacks are implemented, a total of 3897 individuals will not receive services.

The table below gives a breakdown of the numbers of service users belonging to a number of age groups and social groups who would no longer receive services if the proposed cuts were implemented[3]. However, the data does not give a complete picture of the impact of the proposed cuts as 16% of organisations contacted did not complete the questionnaire.

If the proposed cuts are implemented at least 604 older people would no longer receive important services including social and recreational events,educational programmes,home repair service, delivery of information on entitlements and subsidised hot meals. These cutbacks could lead to older people becoming isolated within their community and in turn this could have an adverse affect on their health. If implemented, these cuts could place an increased burden, over time, on the Health Service Executive (HSE)arising from the need to care for the acute health needs of older people and an inability of increasing numbers of older people to live independently in their own homes.

Although the McCarthy report makes no specific recommendations on cuts to funding programmes for young people, the proposed cuts, if implemented, would lead to 989 young people at risk having to be refused access to a range of developmental programmes and activities for young people.

Similarly, if the proposed cuts are allowed, a range of services would no longer be available to lone parents, which could make it more difficult for them to enter the labour market. Therefore, the level of dependency on the welfare State would not be reduced.

Community drug projects located in the Ballyfermot area would be forced, due to a lack of funding, to stop providing services to 152 recovering drug users and substance misusers[4]. Crucially, the capacity of community drug projects and Local Drugs Task Force to effectively implement a community-led strategic response to drug misuse would be significantly constrained. This would lead to:

• Community drug projects not being in a position to provide holistic therapies to their client group,which would jeopardise the progress made by many drug users in recovery.
• The number of weekly relapse prevention groups for drug users in recovery being reduced.
• The curtailment of counselling services that are central to helping people to become and remain drug free.
• A reduction in the size of the treatmentfund, which would significantly decrease the opportunity for drug users to access treatment, thus reducing the opportunity for a number of drug users in the Ballyfermot area to change their drug taking behaviour.
• A reduction in the small grants scheme which allows organisations to provide diversionary activities for young people to participate in. These programmes have made an important contribution to reducing the risk of young people becoming involved in drug use

266 residents living in the Ballyfermot Partnership area would no longer receive services for the long-term unemployed if the proposed cuts were implemented. This would increase the distance these individuals were from the labour market. Furthermore, it would increase the risk of their families experiencing poverty.

Since July 2006, the Local Rapid Programme has secured €7.8 million which has funded 91 local projects and 225 community organisations. If the proposed cuts are implemented this would result in funding for the both the post of Rapid coordinator and three posts funded under the Rapid Additionality Programme being terminated.

Although the McCarthy report recommends that there be no reduction in the levels of funding to the Community Employment (CE) programme, it proposes that social welfare claimants would not be eligible to keep any social welfare allowances on becoming a CE participant. A number of the community organisations stated that this would be a significant disincentive for individuals taking up CE places. They also made the point that as a number of community organisations are heavily reliant on CE participants to deliver services, this measure could have serious repercussions on their capacity to deliver services at current levels. It could also increase the proportion of the labour force in Ballyfermot who are long-term unemployed.

To summarise, a total of 3,897 individuals living in the Ballyfermot Partnership area would no longer receive a range of services from community organisations if the proposed McCarthy cuts were implemented. Furthermore, a number of these proposed cuts would also adversely impact on the families of many of the 3,897 individuals. Finally, many of these cuts would, over time, lead to greater demands being placed on many mainstream State services.

3.3Other cuts that could impact on the community and voluntary sector

3.3.1Local Employment Services

The McCarthy Report recommends that Local Employment Services (and hence Jobs Clubs) be amalgamated with a nationwide support structure for people who are unemployed. The report makes the point that such an action may be tied up with a FÁS review).

3.3.2Disability and mental health savings

Disability and mental health savings are not separated into programmes in the McCarthy report – they are savings that could be linked to a range of HSE funding to groups.

It is not known at this stage what these cuts will mean. However, SIPTU has estimated that it could affect up to 5% of all community and voluntary sector jobs in the country.

3.3.3Community and Voluntary Sector Support Programme

The McCarthy report recommends that the Community and Voluntary Sector Supports programme becut. Many of these supports are one-off grants that relate to capital and capacity building/training measures, so it would be not be possible to linkbeneficiaries and employees to funds accessed under this programme. Also, it may be difficult to allocate a percentage of cuts, as the spendingunder these supports varies from year to year. In spite of this any cuts made will affect community organisations’ capacity to deliver top quality services to its target groups.

3.3.4Local arts, sports and culture

In the McCarthy report, the proposed cuts in sports, culture and arts areidentifiedthematically and cannot be separated into programme areas.The author could not stand over anyspecific impacts on the community and voluntary sector. However, this will adversely affect many sporting organisations’ capacity to provide adequate facilities for its members, particularly young people.

3.3.5Services to young people

Arts4success and Animation4success are access programmes for primary school children in second class. A group of pupils are taken after school to Ballyfermot College of Further Education where they are given lunch and are then taught drama followed by either art or animation. This culminates in an exhibition or première of their work and an awards ceremony. All the teaching is carried out by volunteer students and lecturers of the college. The partnership facilitates the linking of primary schools to the college, as well as covering any material costs and providing child protection training.

The secondary access programme consists of series of different workshops delivered in schools in the area. The first is a 6 week course for second years entitled ‘Who Knows What About College’. Students discuss issues related to college with the facilitator in an informal setting. This culminates in a trip to one of the major universities for a day of activities laid on by the access office of the university. The partnership provides the facilitation and links with the university. For sixth years a workshop purely on the financial implications of going to college including grants information is delivered to every leaving certificate class and to community training centres such as the Equine Centre.

Student Query clinic: This is a walk in service for students or prospective students from the local area. They can receive guidance on course choices, support and advice on grant applications, support and advice on issues in college and advocacy.

Grants: The Millennium and Cherry Orchard Scholarship Schemes are locally based grants administered by the partnership for residents of Dublin 10/Cherry Orchard to participate in FETAC accredited courses from level 5 through to level 8.

3.4The contingency plans of organisations

The survey included a number of attitudinal statements. Respondents were asked to indicate whether they agreed or disagreed with the statements, or to indicate whether they had an opinion about them. The responses to the statements are presented in this section.

3.4.1Closing organisation

61% of respondent organisations stated that they either strongly agreed or agreed with the statement that if the proposed cuts were implemented then their organisation would be forced to close. 24% of respondent organisations stated that they either disagreed or strongly disagreed with it. A number of respondents commented that with rising unemployment, the demand on the services offered by their projects is increasing and if the services are closed this will have detrimental effect on the lives of the individuals they are working with and their families.

3.4.2Discontinue services

The vast majority of respondents (97%) either strongly agreed or agreed with the statement that if the proposed cuts were enacted then their organisation would have to discontinue many of its services. No respondents disagreed with the statement. Indeed, a number of respondents emphasised that with the cuts they have already experienced, there is no room for reducing their operational budgets. The only option left to them, if further cuts are implemented, is to discontinue certain services.

3.4.3Charge for service

54% of respondents stated that their organisation would be forced to charge for their service if the proposed cuts were implemented. 18% had no opinion and the remaining 28% indicated that their organisation would not charge for their services if the proposed cuts were implemented. If organisations were compelled to charge for their service, this could present a barrier to people accessing their services due to the high levels of poverty and disadvantage that exists in the area. Indeed, it could lead to the most marginalised individuals and families living in the Ballyfermot area who are most in need of the services and interventions of community projects not being able to access the services.

3.4.4Contingency plan