East Lothian Single Outcome Agreement 2013

Transcription

1 East Lothian Single Outcome Agreement 2013 The East Lothian Partnership Our Statement of Intent We will work in partnership to build an East Lothian where everyone has the opportunity to lead a fulfilling life and which contributes to a fair and sustainable future.

2 Contents OUR PARTNERSHIP PLAN FOR EAST LOTHIAN... 3 EAST LOTHIAN THE PLACE, OUR CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES... 4 The Economy and the Recession... 4 Welfare reform... 5 Our growing population... 5 Inequalities within and between our communities... 6 Affordable housing... 8 Sustainability and the Environment... 8 Transport and Connectivity... 9 Strengths and Opportunities... 9 What our citizens say OUR PRIORITIES Statement of Intent Three Strategic Objectives Overarching Priority: Reduce Inequalities both within and between our communities Ten East Lothian Outcomes IMPLEMENTING OUR PLAN DELIVERING OUTCOMES The East Lothian Partnership Community engagement for services built around people and communities Prevention and Early Intervention Shifting Resources Performance Management Appendix I: DRAFT SOA 2013 Outcome Framework Appendix ii: East Lothian Partnership structure, remits and membership Appendix iii: SOA 2013 Development Plan Appendix iv: Glossary Appendix v: Key related documents

3 OUR PARTNERSHIP PLAN FOR EAST LOTHIAN The East Lothian Partnership (East Lothian s Community Planning Partnership) brings together organisations from all sectors to work together to make a real difference in East Lothian and above all to improve the lives and opportunities for our people. This is our ten year plan which takes us along the path to achieving our Statement of Intent: We will work in partnership to build an East Lothian where everyone has the opportunity to lead a fulfilling life and which contributes to a fair and sustainable future. The plan is based on our understanding of East Lothian; the challenges we face and the strengths and opportunities provided. From this evidence and analysis we have developed a Single Outcome Agreement based on three strategic objectives sustainable economy; resilient people; and safe and vibrant communities; and 10 high level outcomes that provide a clear vision for East Lothian. The overarching priority of the plan is to reduce the inequalities across and within our communities. All of the organisations involved in the East Lothian Partnership are committed to focusing their work and resources to deliver this plan collectively: 1. Association of East Lothian Community Councils 2. Coalition of Community Care and Support Providers in Scotland 3. East and Midlothian Chamber of Commerce 4. East Lothian Council 5. East Lothian Shadow Health and Social Care Partnership 6. East Lothian Tenants and Residents Panel 7. Edinburgh College 8. Federation of Small Businesses 9. Jobcentre Plus 10. Lothian & Borders Community Justice Authority 11. NHS Lothian 12. Police Scotland 13. Queen Margaret University 14. Scottish Care 15. Scottish Enterprise 16. Scottish Fire and Rescue Service 17. Scottish Natural Heritage 18. Shadow Health and Social Care Partnership 19. Skills Development Scotland 20. Visit Scotland 21. Voluntary Action East Lothian The ambition and aspiration set out in this Plan will only be achieved if all partners work together. The Partnership is committed to renewing its efforts to ensure that all our services work together to meet common goals and to develop effective partnership working across all our sectors public, third, private and most importantly with the people and communities of East Lothian. 3

4 EAST LOTHIAN THE PLACE, OUR CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES In this section we set out our understanding of the reality in East Lothian based on the data available and the likely impact of key developments in the external environment. These are the key challenges and also the opportunities we seek to address through this Single Outcome Agreement. A detailed account of the situation in East Lothian is set out in the East Lothian Profile and the six complementary Ward Profiles. Together these highlight the relative inequalities that exist within and across our communities as well as the key strengths we can build on. The Economy and the Recession East Lothian is widely recognised as a fantastic place to live with a beautiful coast and countryside, attractive and distinctive towns, good quality housing, schools and services, a solid small businesses base across key sectors and its proximity to Edinburgh s jobs, businesses and attractions. All these factors contribute to a view of East Lothian being an area of high employment and general affluence. The impact of the 2008 recession and the slow economic recovery has challenged this perception of East Lothian. The loss of jobs in Edinburgh s public sector and financial services sectors have contributed to increasing unemployment amongst East Lothian residents and local businesses, most fo which are small businesses, are struggling, which has impacted on the diversity of East Lothian s town centres. At the same time, public finances have been squeezed and public spending is not expected to achieve pre-recession levels until The East Lothian Economic Development Strategy 2012 to 2022 identifies the following strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges: Strengths - a diverse business base with sectoral strengths in food and drink, tourism and Higher Education, entrepreneurial culture, skilled workforce, proximity to Edinburgh and its quality of life. Weaknesses - lack of large employers, rising unemployment levels, pockets of deprivation in Musselburgh, Wallyford and Prestonpans, limited land availability for economic use, and poor public transport infrastructure. Opportunities - tourism, food and drink, new sectors (e.g. renewables, life sciences, creative industries and re-locations from Edinburgh), and better promotion of East Lothian s assets. Challenges - bringing land zoned for economic use to market, balancing East Lothian s environment and quality of life with economic development, town centre regeneration, servicing East Lothian s projected population growth and increasing the proportion both living and working in East Lothian. 4

5 Some of the key issues that the economic development strategy aims to address are: Welfare reform East Lothian has a relatively small, stable business base that lacks businesses of scale Almost half of East Lothian s residents work outside of East Lothian and East Lothian s low jobs density figure contributes to this East Lothian has a relatively low number of jobs per head of population compared with the Scottish average The economic downturn has significantly increased East Lothian s adult and youth unemployment levels and these are now close to the Scottish average East Lothian is not an area of high deprivation but deprivation levels in parts of the county are moving in the wrong direction relative to Scotland s other datazones. The UK Government is planning to save up to 11billion annually from the benefit system through significant changes that will have major implications for those who rely on benefits and that will also significantly impact on the work of the East Lothian Partnership. The key reforms that will impact most are: Restrictions in the amount of Housing Benefit that can be claimed Integration of Housing Benefit into a new Universal Credit Replacement of Council Tax Benefit with local schemes The implications of the introduction of Self Directed Support Restrictions on cost of living increments to benefits The longer term implications of the introduction of Universal Credit The Scottish Local Government Forum Against Poverty estimated that (as at September 2010) the proposed welfare reforms would result in an annual total loss of 8m- 9.5m in welfare benefits received by residents of East Lothian. This is likely to have a significant impact on the capacity of these people to meet basic needs for food, energy and other essential payments as well as increased stress levels on individuals and households The impact of welfare reform in East Lothian coupled with the rising cost of living presents a number of challenges for the East Lothian Partnership. These include an increase in demand for some services including: children s and adult wellbeing services, housing and homelessness services, free school meals, mental and wider health services, employability support services, domestic violence services, emergency food services such as the food bank, and other services for vulnerable children, families and adults. Our growing population The 2011 Census shows that East Lothian has a population of around 100,000. Since 2001 the population of the county has increased by 10.7% compared to the Scottish average of only 4.6%. Only two other local authority areas had a higher percentage growth in population than East Lothian. 5

6 The General Register Office for Scotland s 2010-based population projections state that East Lothian s population will increase significantly over the next 10 years. Between 2012 and 2022, East Lothian s population will increase by 12% from 99,900 to 111,800 while Scotland s projected increase is 7%. The projected percentage change in population in East Lothian by age group between 2012 and 2022 is: - aged 0 to15 11% - aged 16 to 64 9% - aged 65 and over 24%. The projections made by the General Register Office for Scotland suggest that by 2035 East Lothian s population could grow to total just under 130,000 an increase of 30% from The East Lothian Partnership (ELP) has to plan for the impact this growth in population will have on communities and the services they need, including: schools and services for children and families services for older people and vulnerable adults improving access to wider services and to support services for carers, many of whom will be older people themselves housing options, particularly for single bedroom homes demand for new infrastructure to cope with the new settlements and housing required e.g. roads, schools and transport links development pressures on our natural environment services to develop employability and the economy. Inequalities within and between our communities East Lothian is a prosperous, healthy, vibrant and growing area in which to live and work. The demographic characteristics highlight its affluence, health and wellbeing relative to Scotland generally. However, all of these overall positive trends mask significant inequalities within and between our communities. The analysis of ward and datazone statistics based on the 2012 Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) has highlighted significant level of inequality across East Lothian. Whilst overall East Lothian is not an area with high levels of deprivation compared to Scotland as a whole there are significantly higher levels of deprivation and inequality across different parts of the county. Detailed analysis of the 2012 SIMD shows a clear geographic divide between the most and least deprived areas in East Lothian. The disparity between the most and least deprived wards is exemplified in the following table which highlights the number of datazones within each of the Council s seven wards that are among the 20 most deprived and the 20 least deprived of the 120 datazones in East Lothian. 6

7 The 20 Most and 20 Least Deprived Datazones in East Lothian 20 Most Deprived 20 Least Deprived Musselburgh East and Carberry 8 North Berwick Coastal 7 Preston Seton Gosford 6 Preston Seton Gosford 4 Fa side 5 Haddington & Lammermuir 3 Haddington & Lammermuir 1 Musselburgh West 3 Dunbar & East Linton 1 Fa side 1 Musselburgh East and Carberry 1 The following table highlights the differences in levels of key indicators of deprivation / inequality between the most and least deprived datazones in East Lothian in some key indicators. For example, the level of income deprivation using the SIMD Income Deprivation indicators ranges from 35% in the most deprived datazone in East Lothian to a low of only 1% in the least deprived datazone. The average Tariff score for S4 pupils ranges from a low of 77 to a high of 297. Summary of the differences between the most and least deprived datazones in some key SIMD indicators SIMD Domain/Indicator 20% most deprived (range) Income SIMD 35% - 18% 1% - 4% Employment SIMD 27% - 17% 1% - 5% Job Seekers Allowance Claimants 13.8% - 5.7% 0 1.5% Children in Poverty 44.9% % 0 4.9% SIMD Crimes per 10,000 pop Average Tariff Scores of S4 pupils % least deprived (range) Health inequality systematic differences between groups that are potentially avoidable is a particular focus of attention. For almost every health indicator there is a clear gradient showing progressively poorer health with decreasing affluence. In addition, people who are disadvantaged by race, disability, gender and other factors also have poorer health. The existence and width of health inequalities cannot be attributed to a single risk factor. They are the result of social circumstances and reflect the underlying unequal distribution of resources among the population and the accumulation of the effects of this over the lifespan. Inequalities in health that are observed now will reflect not only current status but also differences experienced at earlier stages in life. 7

8 This is why interventions targeting families and the early years are important. It is evident that the East Lothian Partnership as a whole has to be involved in tackling the social and physical determinants which lead to these health inequalities. Affordable housing A severe lack of affordable housing is a significant challenge for the East Lothian Partnership. This is demonstrated by high demand for social housing and high levels of homeless presentations throughout the county. Over 4,000 households were on the Council s housing list in April The number of applicants looking for housing compared with the number of properties becoming available for rent gives an indication of waiting list pressure. This shows the extent to which there is a shortage of affordable housing. Across East Lothian waiting list pressure is 8.1, above a national average of 6.1. Pressure is very high in Haddington (36.4 applicants per property), North Berwick (10.6) and Dunbar (9.8). The housing need and demand assessment (HoNDA) estimates housing need as 547 affordable houses per year over the next 10 years. Of these, 314 will be available from existing stock turnover, leaving an additional need for 232 affordable houses per year. The HoNDA also identified a demand for 11,770 houses that will not be met from existing turnover from This includes affordable and market housing. The Local Housing Strategy was developed in the context of increasing pressure on the housing market in East Lothian. The Housing Strategy has five key outcomes including: increase housing supply; improve access to appropriate housing including affordable housing; fewer people become homeless; and, people with particular needs are able to access and sustain their choice of housing including independent living, where appropriate. Sustainability and the Environment Reducing our dependency on fossil fuels, delivering on greenhouse gas emissions targets and developing resilience to adapt to climate change will have major implications for local communities as well as significant challenge to the delivery of services. At the same time, there may well be opportunities to do things differently. The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 requires East Lothian Council to work towards mitigation and adaptation of climate change, and incorporate the principles of sustainability into its decisions and actions. These principles-defined by the Scottish Government are: to live within our environmental limits and ensure a strong, healthy and just society by means of: a sustainable economy; promotion of good governance; and responsible use of sound science. East Lothian s natural environment and the attractiveness of its towns and villages are major factors in the quality of life appreciated by residents and visitors, underpinning the health and well-being of our communities and supporting our local economy. Protecting and 8

9 enhancing that environment is a key priority for the East Lothian Partnership which has also to be balanced with the need to improve economic growth and increase the business base. There are important challenges in relation to agriculture and food production including the negative health impacts of poor diet, climate change (e.g. effect of more extreme weather events on local agriculture), the global food economy and future commodity price increases, together with the high carbon impact of much food production. This will be challenging in the face of financial and development pressures, demographic change, climate change and other competing demands. The East Lothian Partnership working with local communities will need to meet these challenges in order to maintain a healthy and attractive environment whilst building a sustainable economy. Transport and Connectivity Transport provision and connectivity are fundamental to enable access to employment, services and leisure activities for people and communities across East Lothian. Public transport services are generally good to and from Edinburgh along the A1 corridor and along the coastline, particularly for those people with access to the rail stations. However, north-south travel across East Lothian, routes to Midlothian and Scottish Borders, and access to health services are poorly serviced and difficult for many people without access to private cars. Young people and financially disadvantaged people are particularly affected by the high cost of rural public transport. The predominantly rural nature of East Lothian compounds the challenges which many people face in moving around the county or accessing services. Twenty-three percent of East Lothian residents live in small rural communities. The inadequate provision of transport services has a profound impact on the lives of older people and people with a disability. There are also challenges around reducing car use and increasing walking and cycling. In terms of the environmental impact of transport, traffic congestion in Musselburgh Town Centre is the main factor in deteriorating air quality in this area. Improving digital capacity and connectivity is one of the strands of the economic strategy. The internet is already widely available and higher broadband speeds and better mobile connectivity would enable local businesses to expand their markets, employees to work from home and people to access some essential services from home. Telecare services already enable more people to continue living at home with the support they need and this could be extended to other services, such as learning options and advice and information. Strengths and Opportunities There is a strong sense of community across East Lothian s towns and villages with community initiatives thriving in arts, culture, heritage, sports, environment through a wide range of interest groups. All this depends on high levels of volunteering which is evident in community centres, village halls, community groups, clubs, festivals, galas and other events and of course strong local support and participation for these activities. 9

10 Community groups are managing a range of buildings which provide key services such as community centres, day centres and museums. This is a partnership arrangement with East Lothian Council which owns and maintains the buildings. Opportunities are being explored with community groups to extend this to a wider range of services and buildings. East Lothian has a thriving enterprising third sector, coordinated through Voluntary Action East Lothian which focuses on developing volunteering and accreditation; developing social enterprises; and, supporting and building the capacity of the voluntary organisations. This sector provides important services for the social economy as well as employment and career development opportunities and plays an important role in strengthening community capacity and cohesion. However, the sector is vulnerable to reductions in public finance and external funding opportunities. The long history of collaboration across services and sectors has produced strong partnerships. This is evident in the broad cross-sector involvement in community planning at all levels including delivery partnerships which are already transforming services and shifting resources in key areas. Our population is generally healthy and health is improving. In addition, our older people will be better equipped to carry on living independently and working as well as being better able to give their skills and support to others in the community. Local people often do want to care for their families and indeed others at least 1400 adults are registered with Carers of East Lothian. Many more people of all ages, including young carers are actively looking after members of their family and neighbours and the number of informal Carers is estimated at Volunteers run activity groups n at least four sheltered housing developments and are involved in Befriending for people of all ages. Increasing access to the Internet is enabling more people to work from home whether selfemployed or through flexible working options, to be connected socially and to provide support services such as Telecare. This is particularly important for rural areas with limited transport options. East Lothian s economy has potential for growth building on the strength of sectors including tourism and leisure, food and drink, and agriculture; developing new sectors such as renewable energy and life sciences; exploiting our close links with Edinburgh; and expanding the offer in culture, heritage and sport and the benefits from our wonderful natural environment. East Lothian has some of the best arable farming land in Scotland which provides the basis to help address our challenges through further development of local food businesses and social enterprise and community based initiatives to support the local economy and to improve access of people in East Lothian and surrounding areas to healthy, affordable and locally available food choices. 10

11 What our citizens say The East Lothian Residents Survey 2011 provided strong evidence that residents like living in East Lothian 99% of respondents to the survey stated East Lothian is a very good or good place to live and 98% of respondents said their neighbourhood was very or fairly good. Residents generally appreciate the high quality of services provided by the Council. 93% of respondents stated they were very or fairly satisfied with the way the Council is running the area. The survey found that fear of crime has reduced significantly and concern about issues such as dog fouling, rubbish and rowdy behaviour has also declined since the last survey, which was carried out in However, the East Lothian Partnership cannot be complacent about the need to continue to strive to deliver high quality services and respond to the needs and concerns of East Lothian s communities. When asked to identify key areas that need to improve, concern about unemployment and the need for jobs for local people clearly topped the list of concerns of the survey respondents. The survey also asked what kind of future people would like to see for East Lothian. When asked to choose the single word that best described their hope for East Lothian six out of ten people (61%) chose Prosperous with the next highest being Ambitious (15%). The East Lothian Partnership actively seeks the views of children and young people in a number of ways and settings, including surveys of Looked After Children, young people in primary and secondary school and in community settings. East Lothian s young people clearly want better and more affordable public transport, better job opportunities and access to more services such as advice on the issues surrounding employment. They want negative attitudes towards young people to be tackled, more opportunities to share their views on services in the community (for example, easier access to sports and other activities) and more say in the running of their schools. In the development of the East Lothian Older People s Strategy ( ) older people emphasised their wish to remain at home for as long as possible. In June 2013, East Lothian Community Care Forum (ELCCF) asked older people about their wellbeing in the community. Of the older people questioned 86% stated that they were happy in their present accommodation; 72% felt secure in their own homes and well supported by neighbours and friends. However, when older people were asked whether they felt that they were part of their community, 57% stated that loneliness was a major factor in their lives. 11

12 OUR PRIORITIES Statement of Intent The East Lothian Partnership set out its long-term goal in the Statement of Intent: We will work in partnership to build an East Lothian where everyone has the opportunity to lead a fulfilling life and which contributes to a fair and sustainable future. The core values highlighted in the Statement of Intent set out the parameters for this Single Outcome Agreement as our agreed path to achieve these and also the basis for real and lasting change. This section sets out the priorities which we believe will make the most difference and the way partners will add value by working together on these. Three Strategic Objectives The East Lothian Partnership has established three strategic objectives through which it aims to meet its long-term goal. These objectives are to create, support and maintain: Sustainable Economy Resilient People Safe and Vibrant Communities The Partnership has recently established three supporting Partnerships Sustainable Economy; Resilient People; and, Safe and Vibrant Communities each of which has responsibility for delivering three to four outcomes which will contribute to meeting the Partnership s objectives. Overarching Priority: Reduce Inequalities both within and between our communities The East Lothian Single Outcome Agreement has a single overarching priority that is reflected throughout the three strategic objectives and 10 Outcomes. Analysis of the data for East Lothian as a whole and of the differences across our communities has enabled us to identify our social priorities, all of which are embedded in the East Lothian Outcome framework (described in the next section). These will be the basis of our plan to transform our model of service delivery towards a Prevention and Early Intervention approach, building on our experience to date. The National Review of Community Planning identified six social policy priorities for all Single Outcome Agreements. The East Lothian Single Outcome Agreement overarching priority to reduce inequalities provides a direct link to the six national social priorities. The table below shows the relationship between the national social policy priorities, our local priorities and where these fit within the three East Lothian Partnership objectives. 12

13 Most of the outcomes are interdependent, so that the three East Lothian Partnership objectives need to be cross-cutting and the Partnership members need to take collect responsibility to achieve the step change required. We will identify a set of key indicators, drawing on the comparison of inequality and deprivation across wards and the six ward profiles, to demonstrate how we are reducing inequalities. National National Social Policy Outcome Priorities 5 & 7 Early years and early intervention 15 Outcome for older people East Lothian Partnership Objective Resilient People Resilient People East Lothian Outcome All children are ready to start primary school People are enabled to live at home and to access opportunities in their communities for as long as possible 2, 3 & 4 Employment Sustainable Economy People not in employment have opportunities to develop work-ready skills, including school leavers moving into positive destinations 1,2 & 3 Economic Recovery and growth 6 & 7 Health inequalities and physical activity 9 & 7 Safer and stronger communities Sustainable Economy Resilient People Safe and Vibrant Communities A higher proportion of our residents are working in and contributing to East Lothian s economy Health is improving and the gaps in health inequalities are closing The most vulnerable people within our communities are protected, feel safe and have the housing they need The right to be treated fairly and to fulfil his or her potential is something that everyone should enjoy. The law provides protection from discrimination to ensure that individuals can access services and gain employment. However, some people still face barriers when trying to access services. Whilst actively reducing inequalities all partners have a crucial role to actively promote equality in the way we deliver our services. The Public sector has legal requirements to ensure that services are available to everyone in the community and promote awareness and understanding about equality and diversity. 13

14 East Lothian Council s Single Equality Scheme sets out how it will ensure that people are not discriminated against through six priorities. Partners also have Equalities Plans which will also contribute to actively contribute to reducing inequalities. The Partnership has developed a Combined Impact Assessment tool comprising sustainability, equalities in all domains and health inequalities, which will ensure policies, programmes, plans and projects are screened for negative impacts and amended accordingly. Ten East Lothian Outcomes The East Lothian Partnership has agreed 10 East Lothian Outcomes as the basis for the Single Outcome Agreement. For each of these outcomes the Partnership has identified a small number of contributory outcomes that highlight the key stages towards meeting the high level outcome and which provide a clear indication of the difference the East Lothian SOA will make. Progress towards achieving the outcomes will be measured by key indicators with three and ten year targets. This next section outlines the Outcomes and the key strategies in place, or required, to deliver them. The SOA 2013 Outcome Framework, structured around the three Partnership Objectives, is provided as an Appendix. Outcome 1: East Lothian has a growing sustainable economy The central purpose of the East Lothian Economic Development Strategy 2012 to 2022 is to identify the opportunities which East Lothian can exploit to maximise its sustainable economic competitiveness. The Strategy provides a framework which will guide and drive forward a more joined up approach to sustainable economic development across the East Lothian Partnership. By setting out clear strategic priorities, it is hoped that more effective bids for funding can be submitted and more cost effective delivery achieved through greater integration and co-ordination. The strategy has two strategic goals: To increase the number of businesses in East Lothian with growth potential To increase the proportion of East Lothian residents working in and contributing to East Lothian s economy. These are supported by five strategic objectives: To be the best place in Scotland to set up and grow a business To be Scotland s leading coastal, leisure and food & drink destination To build on our proximity to Edinburgh to encourage study, work and spend in East Lothian To provide high quality employment pathways for East Lothian s workforce To become Scotland s most sustainable local economy. 14

15 The Strategy identified eight Strategic projects including developing East Lothian s key sectors; improving East Lothian s connectivity; energising East Lothian s town centres; and developing more sustainable employment pathways. One of the key developments that has already been established as part of the last strategic project listed above has been East Lothian Works. Based in a Council building in Haddington East Lothian Works is the new central point of contact for employment advice, training and skills development. It brings together a range of council services as well as providing office space and meeting facilities for partners including Skills Development Scotland, Job Centre Plus, Queen Margaret University, the Edinburgh College and third sector organisations. This outcome will be delivered through East Lothian Economic Development Strategy 2012 to 2022 East Lothian Local Development Plan under development Outcome 2: More people in East Lothian are financially secure and not in poverty This outcome is the principal focus of the Partnership s work to tackle poverty. To date this has been delivered through a set of outcomes identified from East Lothian s first Poverty Profile and funded through the Fairer East Lothian Fund. The Poverty Profile has been updated and a new Tackling Poverty strategy will be completed in The draft objectives for the Tackling Poverty strategy have been incorporated into the new Outcome framework. East Lothian Council s Welfare Reform task group was set up in 2012 and a programme of work to mitigate the impact of welfare reform is underway. Key elements of the Tackling Poverty strategy are being supported through funding from the Fairer East Lothian Fund, which has been targeted at projects and initiatives that meet the following outcomes: People in East Lothian will have better access to advice and information, including debt and money advice Fewer people in East Lothian will be financially excluded and all vulnerable groups will have access to advice and services that increase financial capability People furthest from the labour market develop work ready skills Families have the support they need to thrive and children have the best start in life. This outcome will be delivered through The Tackling Poverty Strategy under development East Lothian Council s Welfare Reform Task Group Action Plan

16 Outcome 3: Communities in East Lothian are more resilient and better able to adapt to climate change and reduced availability of finite natural resources. This outcome is aligned closely with the sustainable economy outcome and is delivered through the East Lothian Partnership s East Lothian Environment Strategy The objectives include reduced dependency on the use of finite natural resources. The commitment to adapting to climate change will contribute to achieving a sustainable economy through providing job creation opportunities in renewable energy generation, energy efficiency measures and waste reduction, re-use and recycling. Developing programmes in these areas will also help reduce exposure of local businesses and households to future fuel price increases. Improving access to transport, particularly in the eastern areas of East Lothian is essential. The draft East Lothian Local Transport Strategy which acknowledges that transport is fundamental to the maintenance of today s lifestyle, whether it is for personal, work or leisure or for the delivery of the goods and services necessary to sustain this lifestyle. A sensible transport strategy is not simply about choosing between and developing different modes of travel but also consider ways of reducing the overall need for travel. The draft Transport Strategy s vision is that East Lothian will have well-connected communities with increased use of sustainable transport to access services and amenities. The draft objectives are to: deliver a more attractive and safer environment for pedestrians and cyclists reduce the overall dependence on the car (where it is not the only reasonable transport choice available) and the environmental impact of traffic promote the availability and use of more sustainable means of travel locate new development to reduce the need to travel maximise accessibility for all and reduce social exclusion promote integration and interchange between different means of travel. The commitment to improving East Lothian s connectivity extends beyond physical connections to the virtual connection to people and businesses outside East Lothian through the internet. Therefore, a key focus of our strategy to ensure East Lothian has a sustainable economy will be to improve broadband and mobile connectivity. This outcome will be delivered through East Lothian Environment Strategy East Lothian Transport Strategy under development East Lothian Local Development Plan under development 16

17 Outcome 4: All of East Lothian s young people are successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens Curriculum for Excellence aims to achieve a transformation in education in Scotland by providing a coherent, more flexible and enriched curriculum from 3 to 18. Responsibility for implementing Curriculum for Excellence extends beyond schools and involves all those working with children and young people in East Lothian. The curriculum aims to ensure that all children and young people in East Lothian develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they will need if they are to flourish in life, learning and work, now and in the future. The attributes and capabilities are encapsulated in the four capacities- to enable each child or young person to be a successful learner, a confident individual, an effective contributor and a responsible citizen. The Curriculum for Excellence programme covering our children s journey through primary and secondary school continues to develop in line with national and East Lothian priorities. We have a shared vision for the way forward to provide the highest quality education for all our children and young people through the following: A clear plan, based on self-evaluation, is in place for ensuring successful implementation of Curriculum for Excellence Good quality support for career long professional learning for all teachers Staff working with increasing confidence with the curriculum learning experiences and outcomes and know how to use these in taking a coherent approach to learning, teaching and assessment Effective arrangements in place to assess and track progress Strong and secure achievement in literacy and numeracy Effective partnerships within and beyond the school, including parents/carers as partners in their children s learning Good leadership at all levels with a vision for the outcomes of change. At all stages the focus is on working collaboratively to improve learning and transitions for all children and young people, including the transition to positive destinations for all young people moving on from secondary school. This outcome will be delivered through Curriculum for Excellence: Planning Ahead East Lothian Learning Partnership Community Learning and Development Strategy (may be revised to reflect the new strategic guidance for CLD) Outcome 5: East Lothian s children have the best start in life and are ready to succeed The East Lothian Partnership is committed to giving our children and young people the best possible start in life in terms of education with a focus on both attainment and 17

18 achievement. This will include investment in early intervention and prevention to overcome financial, social and health inequalities that may affect the future life chances of children. Research and recent policy puts an emphasis on early intervention the quicker we intervene in a family problem the less likely they will escalate towards crisis and need statutory interventions and the more chance of positive outcomes. Therefore, we are developing an Early Years and Early Intervention Strategy based on the Support from the Start Programme, the Early Years Collaborative, the National Parenting Strategy, and the Early Years Framework. Data from the Early Development Instrument (EDI) is being used at school and cluster level to inform planning and future development. The five priority work streams are: Involving parents, children and communities and building community capacity Streamlining access to services Enhancing targeted interventions for pre-birth to age 3 Enhancing support to pre-conception, ante-natal and pre-school parents Improving children readiness to learn through play. The focus is to increase the pace of progress in early years prevention and intervention activities, by determining service priorities and realigning resources within and across services. We are implementing GIRFEC (Getting it Right for Every Child) through Staged Assessment and Intervention (SA&I) the assessment and planning framework for individual children and young people with additional support needs. Our aim is to achieve a child centred, holistic and integrated approach to assessment and planning of intervention for individual children to ensure that children and young people with additional support needs receive the earliest, most effective and least intrusive response to their needs. This outcome will be delivered through Integrated Children s Services Plan being updated for 2013 Support from the Start Programme with link-up groups operating in all wards Early Years and Early Intervention Strategy under development Outcome 6: In East Lothian we live healthier, more active and independent lives East Lothian Council and NHS Lothian are working to provide better joined up heath and social care services through the creation of a Health and Social Care Partnership, with the aim of improving health, reducing health inequalities and supporting independent living. The outcomes for integrated health and social care can be summarised as: Healthier Living individuals and communities are able and motivated to look after and improve their health and wellbeing, resulting in more people living in good health for longer, with reduced health inequalities Independent living people with disabilities, long term conditions or who become frail are able to live as safely and independently as possible in the community and 18

19 have control over their care and support. They will have positive experiences of health, social care and support services, which help to maintain their quality of life. People who provide unpaid care to others are supported and able to maintain their own health and wellbeing. The existence of health inequalities cannot be attributed to a single risk factor or issue and consequently a multi-faceted, multi-agency response is required to tackle health inequalities. Employment, education, health, environment, policy, financial and other factors need to be included. A partnership East Lothian Health Inequalities Strategy will be developed. The growth of East Lothian s older population means that the Partnership will face significant cost pressures in meeting the demand for care services and support for carers, including older carers. The number of people living with dementia is expected to increase and there is a need to work towards creating dementia friendly communities. This will enable individuals living with dementia and their carers to access appropriate resources and feel more integrated in their local communities. The priority will be to focus resources where they are most needed, to shift the balance of care to services which provide an enhanced quality of life for people in their own homes and communities, and to invest in early intervention to reduce demand for more costly crisis intervention. The East Lothian Partnership will continue the good progress on reducing the misuse of alcohol and drugs. Levels of harm caused, directly or indirectly, by the misuse of alcohol and drugs is lower than in most parts of Scotland, however, this is not evenly spread across East Lothian and the most deprived areas experience the greatest levels of harm to health, both in the short and long term. Based on an Alcohol Focus (Scotland) 2012 report, the cost of alcohol harm in East Lothian is some 27.7 million; or 275 per head. Our challenge is to reduce the amount of alcohol consumed across all communities. Alcohol and drug misuse have a significant impact on the lives of others, children in particular. Evidence from many studies indicates that parental alcohol and/or drug use is associated with an increased risk of poor parenting capacity, poor developmental outcomes for children, and increased rates of child abuse and neglect. Children growing up with parents who have an alcohol and/or drug problem are also at greater risk of experiencing problems with alcohol and/or drugs themselves. This outcome will be delivered through East Lothian Older People s Strategy Opportunity and Independence: Joint Strategy for Physical Disability and Hearing or Sight Loss A sense of belonging: A joint strategy for improving the mental health and wellbeing of Lothian s population East Lothian Health Inequalities Strategy to be developed MELDAP (Midlothian and East Lothian Drug and Alcohol Partnership) strategy being updated. 19

20 Outcome 7: East Lothian is an even safer place East Lothian is already a fairly safe place to live and crime rates are steadily declining. The East Lothian Partnership is clear that there is always room for improvement in community safety through the shift towards prevention. The new East Lothian Police Plans and Fire Safety Plans set out the priorities for East Lothian. Protecting People and ensuring the most vulnerable members of the community are identified and given the support they need so that they feel protected and safe. At the same time support is important to manage and rehabilitate offenders. The focus is on identifying children and adults at risk, victims of serious sexual crime, domestic abuse and vulnerable individuals experiencing abuse, and offering support to prevent an escalation of abuse or an increase in offending behaviour. Two national police units - the Domestic Abuse Investigation Unit and the Rape Investigations Unit provide specialist support for serious and complex crime. Multi-agency People Protection arrangements are undergoing change with a shared approach between Midlothian and East Lothian which will include a new Public Protection Office and a single People Protection Committee. A shared People Protection plan is under development and will be concluded after the Inspection of Services for Children. According to the Scottish Government's definition domestic abuse can be perpetrated by partners or ex-partners and can include physical abuse (assault and physical attack involving a range of behaviour), sexual abuse (acts which degrade and humiliate women and are perpetrated against their will, including rape) and mental and emotional abuse (such as threats, verbal abuse, racial abuse, withholding money and other types of controlling behaviour such as isolation from family and friends). Domestic abuse can have a devastating and long-term impact on a woman s life. It can result in homelessness, isolation, loss of earnings, physical and mental health problems, injuries and even death. A range of East Lothian service providers work with women affected by domestic abuse through the East and Midlothian Violence Against Women Partnership, which was established in This multi-agency partnership is working to plan and co-ordinate service delivery within both universal and specialist services to improve the safety of women and children and to support their longer term outcomes. Anti-social behaviour and hate crime both have a significant impact upon the quality of life of individuals and communities and they can pave the way to more serious crime. East Lothian has been successful in dealing with anti-social behaviour through proactive tasking and preventative approaches which have brought a consistent fall in anti-social behaviour and a dramatic fall in youth disorder. The prevention of hate crime has been based on building stronger links within communities to increase public confidence in reporting hate crime and also on increasing engagement with secondary schools. The challenge is to increase detection rates for hate crime. Fire has a devastating effect on individuals and communities and accidental dwelling fires have been identified as a very high priority. The Partnership aims to reduce the occurrence 20

21 of accidental dwelling fires, reduce fire deaths to zero and further reduce injuries from fire. This will be achieved through a pro-active approach with a programme of Home Safety Visits, along with effective partnership working to target at-risk groups. Reducing collisions, casualties and deaths on our roads are also priorities for both the police and fire and rescue services. The East Lothian Partnership recognises the need to have a multi-agency community based focus to reduce the number of prolific and persistent offenders across Lothian and Borders. The Partnership shares Lothian and Borders Community Justice Authority s mission to ensure the availability of services designed to reduce re-offending and promote multi agency participation in the management of offenders. By working closely with offenders, we aim to build on links within the community (particularly to improve access to employment); develop relationships with families and communities, and encourage individuals to manage their own lives away from offending behaviour. The challenge is to offer appropriate and effective alternatives to custody. Partners, through processes such as the Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA), will work closely to effectively manage offenders who have committed sexual offences and also offenders who have committed serious violent offences. Two of the major underlying causes of offending are inequality and poverty, and the multiple and often complex needs of offenders cannot be addressed by one service. This outcome will be delivered through East Lothian Anti-social Behaviour Strategy being updated East Lothian Police Plan 2013 East Lothian Fire and Rescue Plan 2013 East and Midlothian Tackling Violence Against Women Strategy being updated People Protection Plan under development Lothian and Borders Community Justice Authority Area Plan (then ). Outcome 8: East Lothian has high quality natural environments The quality of the natural environment is one of East Lothian`s greatest assets. There is a fundamental link between people and place which recognises that looking after our natural and built environments has positive benefits on the health and well-being of our communities. A good quality environment offers opportunities for promoting a healthy life style, active travel and safe and successful communities. It has economic impact and value, such as attracting inward investment and supporting tourism. It contributes to the challenges of climate change and helps us to move towards a low carbon economy. The East Lothian Partnership is committed to providing a high quality environment, improving the wellbeing and quality of life of our communities and promoting a sustainable 21