Agenda item

Briefing Note of the Executive Director of People

Councillors Bigham and Thomas, Cabinet Member and Deputy Cabinet Member for Community Development and Councillors Ruane and Seaman, Cabinet Member and Deputy Cabinet Member for Children and Young People have been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this item   

The Committee considered a joint briefing note which set out the initial progress and learning from Ignite, which was a five year programme funded by the Early Action Neighbourhood Fund and the City Council which aimed to transform public services. Emma Bates and Sue Bent, Coventry Law Centre attended the meeting for the consideration of this item along with Councillors Bigham and Thomas, Cabinet Member and Deputy Cabinet Member for Community Development and Councillor Pat Seaman, Deputy Cabinet Member for Children and Young People.

The briefing note indicated that funding of £1.5m had been secured by the Law Centre and Grapevine for a five year programme to support public services to move services away from crises level interventions through tackling route causes early on. Additional one-off funding of £320,000 was provided by Public Health to ensure all crucial elements of the programme were covered.

Ignite aimed to build capacity and resilience in those who were most vulnerable and to tap into their strengths and the strengths within their communities and networks, helping individuals to move forward, build aspiration and be ready to take opportunities. The project was working in Willenhall with two public services ‘pathfinders’ for change – Children’s Services and Whitefriars Housing. The work was focusing on people facing multiple and complex disadvantage but the learning from the work of the programme would be applicable to all people-based services.

The early findings from the programme were outlined and appendices to the briefing note set out two individual case studies. Attention was drawn to the issue of moving away from public services being the only resource and solution during difficult times. Operating in the locality meant that problems could be spotted and understood as they emerged and identifying who could help right at the start including non-service solutions. Ignite was beginning to demonstrate how communities could be part of the solution.

The Committee were informed that Causes not Consequences had been set up as an online home of Ignite and as a focus for events that helped to promote the practice of acting early on root causes throughout the local workforce. A secondary aim was to build and foster a community of people who wanted to change how services were delivered and needs met.

The Board questioned the officer and representatives on a number of issues and responses were provided, matters raised included:

·  Clarification about the current unmet need in the city and how many people had been supported to date by the project

·  What happens at the end of the 5 year duration of the project

·  How much additional finance and support would be needed to expand the project across the city

·  Further information on the initial observations of the project and whether  any areas of duplication had come to light

·  Further details about the support which had already helped individual residents

·  How the project linked and communicated with existing workers in the Willenhall area, for example the Early Intervention Team

·  When would information be available to enable a report to be presented which highlighted that the project had been successful

·  Further details about the joint working with Whitefriars and the opportunities to improve the support that the company provides for tenants

·  An acknowledgement of the importance of persuading organisations to adopt best practice along with concerns about the difficulties of getting organisations to embrace change

·  Support for the work being undertaken.     

RESOLVED that:

(1) The update report set out at Appendix 1, the progress to date and the early lessons be noted.

(2) Children’s Services and Whitefriars Housing be requested to report back to Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee about their learning from the Ignite Programme and what new practices have been embedded in their procedures.

(3) Ignite be invited to report their findings concerning the partnership working with Children’s Services and Whitefriars Housing.