Strategic & Operational Plan 2015-2018
Foreword
West Belfast Partnership Board (WBPB) was established in 1998 to act as a representative body to promote and support the regeneration of West Belfast. Over the past 17 years the Partnership has worked with community, statutory, political and business interests committed to improving the lives of those living in the west of the city and to getting a better deal for West Belfast, its people and places.
As a broadly based representative regeneration body, the Partnership has delivered in the fields of economic development, education, health, environment and children and young people, responding to need and an often rapidly changing environment. Over the period 2012-2015 we have delivered effectively against our agreed priorities working to Build a Prosperous Community through our Economic Development Programmes, supporting People and Places in West Belfast through our popular environmental initiatives whilst Connecting People to Services, reflecting our commitment to social and economic justice.
Our Team has delivered effective education, health & wellbeing, children and young people services both directly and with partners in the public and community sectors, the private sector and elected representatives at local and City level. Our programmes have been particularly important in connecting people to public and community services and also opening up opportunities for local people impacted by the recession.
We have also focused on Developing Excellence with the implementation of Organisational Improvements internally through a Governance review, coupled with improved Human Resource and Strategic Financial management, a sharpened Communication programme and effective evaluation systems. These improvements have been reflected in the awards we have secured – the Investors in People Standard Award (2013), Investors in People Health & Being Award (2014) and the ISO 9001 (2015). Our work in the field of “Healthy Hearts” has achieved the Healthy Cities Award for Health Equity and been cited by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE).
As part of our on-going planning processes the Partnership Board has agreed an updated strategic and operational plan to take us forward through the next three years 2015-18. It is intended that the new plan, building upon the Partnerships’ successful track record, will support and guide the Partnership at a time of considerable change and challenge reflecting the resilience, skills and creativity of the west Belfast area and its communities.
A key feature of the development of West Belfast Partnership Board’s Strategic and Operational Plan 2015-18[1] has been the need to assess and determine the ongoing challenges facing West Belfast and the most appropriate role for the Partnership in a changing environment, recognising new structures as a consequence of Local Government Reform and an increasingly competitive funding environment. A significant development will be the newly emerging relationship with Belfast City Council with its additional powers of community planning, planning and economic development that City Council have assumed in April 2015 and the regeneration powers which they shall assume in 2016. A major challenge will be developing and implementing social and economic change during a period of potentially severe departmental budget cuts.
The plan has been developed through a process of external review, reflecting the social and economic environment, discussion with stakeholders and partners and thematic workshops .The Strategic Plan sets out the Partnerships vision, purpose, values and priorities. While the Partnership seeks to respond to need it is aware of the need to balance expectations with resources and has prioritised its work identifying those issues /areas where it leads, others where it will offer support and other areas where it will hold a watching brief. The priority themes agreed for the coming 3 years are Building a Prosperous Community, Meeting Local needs: Shaping Local Services and Developing Excellence. We have a responsibility to work collaboratively within West Belfast and across Belfast, working in cooperation with other Belfast Area Partnerships and city-wide networks to identify key issues and interventions which will improve the lives of the people in west Belfast and throughout the city.
Mr. Gerry McConville
Chairperson
West Belfast Partnership Board
Strategic Themes
Theme 1. Building a Prosperous Community
Priority 1: Economic Development
West Belfast Partnership will continue to prioritise economic development in its strategic and operational plan 2015-18, providing effective leadership to ensure that West Belfast undertakes the best possible approach to tackling the current recession, stimulating local economic growth, tackling skills deficits and unemployment and securing resources commensurate with the task. West Belfast Partnership will lead this strategic objective through its economic development sub committee – an effective development and advocacy group drawn from business, statutory agencies, further & higher education and training organisations, elected representatives and community based organisations.
Key Strategic Aim
· To champion west Belfast as an attractive place to visit, invest, trade, grow businesses and to connect city-wide to develop opportunities in the City.
Key strategic objectives are:
· To facilitate the growth of employment and job creation in West Belfast.
· To maximise the benefits from physical regeneration and development planning in our area.
· To encourage and support innovative approaches to economic regeneration, focussed on adding value in areas such as tourism, creative industries and support for local businesses.
· To develop our capacity and infrastructure to align our strategies with key economic policy & decision-makingon a city-wide basis & regional basis and manage localised delivery.
Key Outcomes 2015-2018
· West Belfast will be a distinctive, attractive location to visit, invest, trade and do business.
· Up to 1,000 people from West Belfast will have had access to employment, enhanced their skills base and career advancement.
· West Belfast economic needs will be reflected in the Programme for Government, Belfast City Councils Integrated Economic Strategy & Departmental objectives.
Priority 2: Shaping west Belfast, promoting a sustainable natural and built environment.
West Belfast Partnership will promote the sustainable development and enjoyment of the local natural & built environment, ensuring that west Belfast is significantly linked to the physical and environmental fabric of the city. WBPB will support transformational regeneration plans and will advocate on sustainable housing, physical regeneration, transport and environmental issues.
West Belfast Partnership will lead this strategic objective through its Environment Committee – an effective development and advocacy group drawn from community, environmental and arts groups; elected representatives; businesses; statutory, housing & transport agencies.
Key Strategic Aim:
To encourage and support a sustainable approach to the natural and built environment of west Belfast and the city.
Key strategic objectives are:
· To contribute to Belfast City Councils Local Development Plan and relevant Departmental plans, ensuring that west Belfast projects & plans are comprehensively included in the Councils Plan and are strategically linked to Belfast and regional plans.
· To support the implementation of key transformational physical regeneration projects & plans in west Belfast
· To highlight the sustainable development and enjoyment of the local natural & built environment, promoting the positive use of open space.
Key Outcomes 2015-2018:
· Key strategic physical regeneration projects will be included in the Belfast Local Development Plan and Programme for Government and effectively connected to the built & natural fabric of the city.
· The natural & built environment of west Belfast will be further developed and enjoyed, linking seamlessly to the Belfast Hills, the Lagan, the greenways and the city, underpinned by sustainable development principles.
· Local citizens will be encouraged, enabled and empowered to contribute to and enjoy their local environment.
· WBPB will have provided effective advocacy relating to housing needs, transport issues, physical regeneration and the environment of west Belfast.
Theme 2. Meeting Local needs: Shaping Local Services
Priority 1: Addressing educational inequalities - raising local educational attainment levels.
West Belfast Partnership will continue to place education and training at the heart of its regeneration programme. Driving the education agenda of the Partnership will be Education Strategic Steering Committee, a subcommittee of the Partnership who are drawn from a range of community, statutory and schools education stakeholders in west Belfast. The Steering Committee will address educational inequalities and contribute to transformative change in education outcomes in west Belfast through a collaborative value based approach which embraces and supports all learning opportunities and flexible education options.
Key Strategic Aim:
To work collaboratively towards the goal that all children and young people in west Belfast will have the means to achieve their full potential at each stage of their development.
Key Strategic Objectives:
· To promote and implement structural development to influence educational change.
· To promote the development and implementation of an education strategy for west Belfast which aims to bring the area‘s attainment levels up to a par with the Belfast average.
· To promote and implement practical measures which will enhance and improve the learning and training pathways relevant to the needs of children, young people and their parents; and raise their educational outcomes.
· To develop and implement a robust Communications Strategy with stakeholders and Government Departments to ensure a transparent multi- departmental / agency strategy and approach.
Key Outcomes 2015-2018
· Education inequalities are reduced.
· The education performance gap in west Belfast is reduced.
· Educational attainment levels and access to education and training are improved.
· The quality of education and training performance is monitored and improvement sustained.
Priority 2: Tackling Life Inequalities through a Health Perspective
West Belfast Partnership Board will work to improve the overall health and well-being of the population of West Belfast and reduce and eliminate the range of life inequalities, pro-actively engaging its population in the process. This work will be led by the Health Steering Committee drawn from a range of health disciplines including G.P.’s and Pharmacies; statutory groups including the Local Commissioning Group, Integrated Care Partnerships & Public Health Agency, community organisations and elected representatives.
Key Strategic Aim:
To develop and maintain a forum for strategic action in relation to life inequalities from a health perspective, achieving this, in the main, through the effective engagement of a range of experience and expertise from the community, voluntary and statutory sectors.
Key Strategic Objectives:
· To act as a watchdog and scrutiny agent for the effective delivery of focussed health and social care in West Belfast across key settings of care.
· To maximise the use of effective infrastructure and assets to increase accessibility and uptake of health and social care services, known and trusted by local communities.
· To demonstrate the potential for co-design and co-production of services strategically placed within communities.
· To Support for the development of preventative and health promotion approaches
Key Outcomes 2015-18
· Community, Voluntary, Statutory and Private organisations sign up to the West Belfast Health Plan
· West Belfast population have timely, accessible information on the full range of health and social care provision in the West of the city
· Health and social care providers take on recommendations and begin to actively respond to local need
· West Belfast population start to make effective use of the full range of health and social care provisions
Priority 3: Tackling life Inequalities: Supporting Communities locally and connecting city-wide.
West Belfast Partnership Board will support local community and voluntary organisations, neighbourhood partnerships, individuals and communities of interest, in their efforts to collaboratively address social and economic deprivation in their communities and city-wide. WBPB will provide leadership to ensure that communities are engaged and empowered to shape local regeneration community services during the Local Government Reform transition from Neighbourhood Renewal to Community Planning. This work will be led initially by WBPB Neighbourhood Renewal Forum who will transform and expand in 2015-16 to meet local needs and include greater representation from community organisations, Belfast City Council and elected representatives.
Key Strategic Aim:
To develop and maintain an effective west-Belfast wide Community Forum which will facilitate collaboration, co-operation and advocacy amongst community and voluntary organisations tackling local social & economic deprivation at neighbourhood level and amongst communities of interest. The Forum will contribute to transformational change, ensuring it influences policy and programmes through the effective engagement of elected representatives, relevant agencies and statutory departments and working collaboratively city-wide.
Key Strategic Objectives:
· To establish an effective Forum which will share information, promote collaboration, cohesion and co-operation amongst community groups locally and city-wide.
· To establish a “Think Tank” to address cuts to community services, develop and advocate effective policies locally & city-wide.
· To demonstrate the potential for co-design and co-production of services strategically placed within communities & city-wide locations.
· To effectively engage with community planning processes, ensuring west Belfast community views are represented and reflected at City Council and Programme for Government.
· To work collaboratively across the city to identify and support city-wide thematic activities that will contribute to social, economic, physical and community renewal of Belfast and build good community relations.
Key Outcomes 2015-18
· Community, Voluntary, Statutory organisations and elected representatives will sign up to a west-wide Community Support Plan (CVS)
· Community organisations and Communities of Interest will have developed effective collaborative local & city-wide programmes of community services which meet the needs of disadvantaged people.
· The community (CVS) sector in west Belfast will have had their recommendations reflected in Belfast City Councils Local Development Plan, Community Plan and the Programme for Government, with adequate resources attached.
Theme 3. Developing Organisational Excellence Internally and in the Community