CABINET MEMBER FOR COMMUNITY SERVICES

ACTION PLAN 09/10

Introduction

This is a wide ranging portfolio and it covers the following:

  Young People

·  To be the lead Cabinet Member for young people

Lifelong Learning

·  To be the Lead Cabinet Member for Lifelong Learning

Health

·  To be responsible on behalf of the council for all health and community health matters including the development, in conjunction with the council’s partners, of the Community Health Plan

Crime and Disorder

·  To be responsible for all aspects of community safety in the borough

Social Inclusion

·  To formulate and review policies to achieve a more socially inclusive society in Maidstone

·  To guide, advise and provide a strategic overview on social inclusion issues

External Affairs

·  To take responsibility for relationships with external partners and agencies, including parish councils ( Kent County Council (KCC), the Primary Care Trust (PCT) and the Police.

My priorities for the year within my brief are as follows:

  Young People

·  To oversee the opening of the Youth Café on a sustainable basis

·  To support the development of the Maidstone Youth Forum for the engagement of all young people in the borough with Kent County Council

·  To support the development of a joint District Youth Strategy for the Borough

·  To seek opportunities for additional funding to enhance the provision and support for children in need in respect of the Hotfoot Play Schemes and other activities organised and facilitated by the council

·  To work in partnership with KCC Youth Service and the YMCA to develop youth involvement and participation in positive activities at the play areas in Park Wood, Mangravet and Clare Park as part of their refurbishment

Lifelong Learning

·  To work with KCC to help ensure that the proposed Maidstone Skills Studio serves the needs of the community.

·  Through the LSP and the Children and Young People’s Local Partnership Boards to support actions within the council’s remit to improve educational attainment and skills/qualifications levels within the borough.

·  To continue to lobby education and training providers on behalf of local community education needs.

Health

·  To help ensure the efficient and effective use of the Choosing Health Plan and other related funding initiatives to promote public health and associated community development activities within the borough

·  To lead and develop the multi-agency Maidstone Health Action team as a thematic sub-group of the LSP to achieve improved health outcomes

·  To deliver a programme of healthy lifestyle initiatives from out of the Urban Blue bus in various locations within the borough, in partnership with other agencies.

Crime and Disorder

·  To work closely with the SMP to continue to reduce levels of crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour

·  To  work with police and partners to increase public reassurance and improve perceptions on ASB and crime reduction NI 17 and NI 27)

·  To promote the development of a multi-agency Community Safety Unit at Maidstone House by January 2010

·  To ensure the re-location of the CCTV control room to Maidstone House is effectively managed and achieved within budget by January 2010

·  To publish a free Community Safety booklet delivered to 40,000 households in Maidstone, To promote crime prevention and safety messages from a variety of SMP partners.

Social Inclusion

·  To support the Mela and use it to build on its success in promoting and delivering Social inclusion and community cohesion objectives

·  To support the development of the Corporate Equality Plan to  engage and involve hard to reach and socially excluded groups in the borough

·  To support the development of neighbourhood action plans, working with key partners in programmes to help reduce deprivation and its consequences

·  To work to improve access to the council’s services and facilities for all residents of the borough

·  To ensure borough grants provision is effectively targeted.

External Affairs

·  To promote productive relationships with local parish councils, including regular liaison meetings and an annual conference to consider matters of mutual interest

·  To promote effective partnership working with the voluntary and community sector within the borough as a means of delivering Council and shared priorities.

·  To continue to develop effective working relationships at KCC Cabinet level on community matters affecting the borough

·  Developing good effective relationships with the PCT to achieve shared objectives

·  To promote effective working with housing providers in the borough in order to achieve portfolio priorities.

Older People (Emerging Theme)

·  To support the development of the Older Person’s Forum to effectively engage older people in the borough.

Working with partners

·  To promote the consideration of issues affecting older people