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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND POLICY SCRUTINY COMMITTEE
WEDNESDAY 2 JULY 2008
REPORT OF CHIEF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
REPORT FROM THE MIGRANT WORKER TASK AND FINISH GROUP
1. PURPOSE OF THE REPORT
1.1 To report the findings of the Corporate Governance and Policy Scrutiny Committee Task and Finish Group in relation to migration data.
2. INFORMATION
a) Background
2.1 Since the enlargement of the European Union in 2004, Wrexham like many other towns and cities in the UK has seen an increase in economic migration.
2.2 In January 2008, Members of the Corporate Governance and Policy Scrutiny Committee established a Task and Finish Group to investigate the availability of statistical data to assist in identifying the number of migrant workers in the County Borough. The purpose of this being to enable the Council to deliver more appropriate services through:
· the availability of more reliable information to support service planning in the future;
· identifying any budgetary implications for the Council and service pressures; and by
· identifying issues in respect of social cohesion.
2.3 A questionnaire was circulated to partner organisations and WCBC service heads to gain information on the impact (perceived or actual) of migrant workers on current and future service provision, including the provision of quantitative data where available. This report presents the findings from the questionnaire survey.
b) National data collection
2.4 Within this context there are a number of national research projects currently being undertaken;
(i) Welsh Assembly Government
The Welsh Assembly Government has commissioned research to measure the social impact of migration at a Local Authority level using quantitative and qualitative data including primary research with migrant workers. The aim of the research is to:
· produce better estimates of migrant workers in 3 local authority areas [Newport, Carmarthenshire and Wrexham];
· clarify their existing and likely demands on service provision;
· clarify any barriers to accessing service provision;
· clarify the impact on local communities; and
· develop methods that can be applied in other local authorities [and / or repeated in the research areas as necessary].
The findings from the research are expected to be published in June 2008. It was hoped that this research will provide an improved methodology for estimating the numbers of migrant workers in a local authority area. It should be noted that many of the barriers to data collection have not yet been resolved and therefore the final report is unlikely to provide for all our data needs, nor to be particularly helpful.
(ii) Wales Strategic Migration Partnership (WSMP) Survey 2008
The Wales Strategic Migration Partnership in collaboration with the Welsh Consortium for Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Migrants has conducted a survey of statutory, voluntary and community organisations across Wales to identify how organisations are responding to migrant workers issues in their locality. The research will also make proposals in relation to improved co-ordination of migrant worker issues locally and nationally.
The findings from the survey are expected in July 2008 and will enable us to more easily share good practice across Wales.
3. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND POLICY SCRUTINY COMMITTEE QUESTIONNAIRE
3.1 The questionnaire referred to in paragraph 2.2 was circulated to all departments of the Council and to partner agencies identified in the Migrant Worker Action Plan in February 2008. Responses were also requested from some additional external organisations which have become more closely involved in migration issues since the writing of the Action Plan. [A list of the organisations which have responded is attached at Appendix 1].
3.2 The questionnaire feedback has been analysed and is presented in the following paragraphs. Full details of the initial briefing paper, questionnaire and responses are available in the Members Library.
Questionnaire
1. Has your organisation or department changed the way in which it delivers its services as a result of recent migration to Wrexham? If yes, please give details and describe how these changes affect services to the indigenous population, particularly other vulnerable groups.
The impact of migrant workers has largely been absorbed into existing provision. Overall, the biggest change to service delivery has been the increased demand for translation and interpretation services to enable access to services. However, Midwifery and Paediatric Services, English as an Additional Language [EAL] in schools and ESOL [English for Speakers of Other Languages] provision at Yale College have all experienced a significant impact on their respective services. It has not been possible to quantify the exact impact on other vulnerable groups or the wider indigenous community but it is accepted that the service pressures created by migration have had an impact. [A further explanation of EAL and ESOL is attached at Appendix 2].
The full impact of migration to Wrexham may only be realised in the future as the current cohort of migrant workers begin to access other public and voluntary services and play a fuller role in civil society.
There is concern about accessing external funding to support community based activities, particularly as this work is seen as an important element in promoting integration between new and indigenous communities. Organisations were also concerned to source additional external funding in order to avoid diverting resources from existing services or the indigenous community.
2. What lessons has your organisation [department] learned in relation to working with migrant workers and providing services that are accessible to this community? What would you do differently given the knowledge you now have? Please provide details.
Much time and effort has been given to ensuring services are accessible to migrant workers. Initially this was though the provision of translated material and the provision of interpreter support. More recently officers across all organisations are trying to better understand the needs of migrant workers within a cultural context. Overwhelmingly organisations report that they are still learning about the needs of migrant workers.
Key areas that could have been done differently relate to:
· planning for migration – in order that front line service areas are prepared; and
· information for staff and migrant workers supported by increased staff training and cultural awareness raising – in order to ease service access issues.
3. Can you identify any additional cost to your organisation [department] of providing support to migrant workers and their families and any budget issues that this has caused? Please provide details where possible.
In general the provision of interpretation and translation support has been the only additional cost that can be quantified by organisations and departments. The value of other costs is largely absorbed within the overall service budget. There have therefore also been some additional costs in terms of staff time arranging for this. Within the Council these additional costs are largely subsumed into existing service budgets and through the Big Word contract. For some partner organisations there has been a greater impact especially where the services are more intimate e.g. personal health services.
4. Can you identify the non–Welsh translation and interpretation costs to your organisation? Please give details. [Costs to local authority departments will be identified through the Big Word monitoring reports]
Translation and interpretation costs are potentially a significant cost to all organisations. Ongoing monitoring through 2008 will provide a clearer picture for Wrexham. National debate around cohesion issues has confirmed the need to improve access to ESOL classes in order to reduce these costs and increase local integration.
Council translation and interpretation costs:
The Big Word single contract for translation and interpretation support was introduced into the Council in 2007. Current data is available for 6 months only. It should be noted that there may be some minor additional cost not identified which occurred during the first few months of the contract through departmental arrangements with alternative providers.
· Document translation October 2007 – March 2008 £4,494.66
· Telephone interpretation October 2007 – March 2008 £339.22
5. Please identify any actions detailed in the Migrant Worker Action Plan that you are aware are incomplete? Please clarify whether they are still outstanding or whether the action is no longer required.
The key outstanding action is the provision of more accurate data in relation to migrant workers. However the complexities of this are now widely acknowledged and work is ongoing to provide some of this information.
6. Are there any issues not addressed by the action plan? If yes, please provide details.
Issues in relation to levels of funding for services are on-going. There is a recognised need to improve information sharing and networking across all sectors in the County Borough. The provision of ESOL is increasingly important if Wrexham is to take an integrationist approach to migration issues.
7. Given that migrant worker data is scarce and it is difficult to predict the level of service demands from migrant workers, how are you considering Wrexham’s changing demography within your service and budget planning for 2008/9? Please provide details.
The majority of organisations and departments are considering migrant worker issues as part of their respective ‘day jobs’. Due to the lack of data they are not able to accurately plan and therefore respond to demand as it presents. Exceptions to this are where there is particularly close interpersonal contact e.g. midwifery services, EAL and Safeguarding and Support. In these cases additional planning may be required. The EAL service has developed a contingency plan to assist in dealing with any future major inflow of migrants to Wrexham.
Note - Yale College identifies 2006/7 and 2007/8 as peak years for ESOL provision. It does not forecast an increase in English language learners because it has not identified an increase in inward migration and many who attend classes are able to use English to a functional level and are ceasing to attend.
8. What data do you use to predict future service demand? Specifically do you have access to data that considers potential changes of population occurring as a result of migration? Can you provide details?
There remain significant gaps in our information. Research by the Welsh Assembly Government and the Wales Strategic Migration Partnership [paragraph 2b] may assist with this. It should be noted that limitations in the research mean that it is unlikely to answer all our data needs. Organisations and departments are looking centrally for this information to be provided. It is recognised that the above list will not provide compatible data to give an overall picture and there are significant limitations with each individual data set.
9. Have you undertaken a risk assessment in relation to the impact that an unforeseen increase or decrease in the number of migrant workers would have on services should this occur in the future? If yes, what did these reveal?
There has been limited work in relation to risk assessments across the Council and partner organisations.
10. Do you have any contingency plans in place to accommodate/respond to any significant take up/usage of service? If yes, please describe.
Overall organisations and departments expect to respond to changes in migrant worker uptake / usage of services in accordance with existing policies and therefore do not have contingency plans in place. In contrast the EAL service has developed a contingency plan.
Data
11. Does your organisation [department] hold any qualitative or quantitative data in relation to migrant workers? If yes, please provide details.
No new data sources have been identified. Inherent difficulties in combining the available data make it difficult to build a complete picture of migration to Wrexham.
12. Does your organisation [department] have any anecdotal data in relation to migrant workers? If yes please give details ensuring information is clearly marked ‘anecdotal’.
Many negative rumours persist about preferential treatment from public services and the business community. Capacity building and information sharing between agencies is an important way of identifying community tensions and countering myths. A multi agency communications action plan may be needed to co-ordinate a robust response.
13. Has your organisation [department] identified any trends in relation to migrant workers? [For example, patterns of settlement, gender, age, types of employment, issues etc] If yes, please give details [this may be substantiated by data or anecdotal].
A great deal of anecdotal information is circulating within the statutory and voluntary and community sector. There is currently no formal method for information sharing.
General
14. Are there any other questions the Corporate Governance and Scrutiny Committee Task and Finish Group should be asking in relation to the impact of economic migration on service provision in the County Borough?
There is a need for improved longer term planning in relation to migration. This would need to be underpinned by better multi agency data collection, sharing and analysis.
Improved information about local migration issues is needed by both communities and organisations. This should tackle difficult issues as well as identifying the benefits of migration.
15. Is there any other information the Committee should be aware of?
Organisations are not routinely sharing information with one another and this may limit the level of debate and consideration of migrant worker issues at a multi agency level.
Overall Conclusions
1. Migration to Wrexham is continuing although it is not yet clear whether the rate of migration is slowing. Demands for ESOL suggest that it is. However this is not the experience of EAL services in schools where the number of migrant children continues to grow. It may be that migrant workers are settling in Wrexham and becoming known to services rather than there being an overall increase in the number of new migrants. This lack of clarity highlights the need for improved and on-going dialogue between agencies in order to build up a clearer picture of migration in Wrexham irrespective of the objective numbers involved.
2. Organisations and departments are naturally developing an integrationist approach to service provision. This is a welcome support for the community cohesion agenda. Translation and interpretation support is provided where necessary but overall, service provision to migrant workers is within the usual context of support for vulnerable groups. The identification of gaps in provision is also taken forward within the context of providing accessible services to everyone in Wrexham.