Contents and Summary

Putting People First remains a document which is reflective of the needs and priorities of the residents of Mid and East Antrim.

The current review, coupled with the emergence from the pandemic, provided the Strategic Alliance with an opportunity to streamline the plan, to focus on those who are most in need and most vulnerable, and to deliver collaborative actions that benefit residents.

The changes contained in this document are not onerous, however we are of the view that they will enable the Partnership to make an even greater, and more visible and tangible, difference in the Borough.

Review of Putting People First

Putting People First is an ambitious document which accurately reflects the context of Community Planning in 2014- 2017 when plans were being developed. In 2021/2022 a review of the Community Planning priorities and outcomes for the Mid and East Antrim area was undertaken.

The review of Putting People First in 2021/2022 is timely.

Not only have the partnership structures developed and solidified, but the global pandemic has changed the landscape in which community planning is delivered.

In focus groups conducted as part of review process, it was commented that the response to the Covid-19 crisis was community planning as it should be.

It was a range of agencies working together to address a common and pressing concern.

It involved the reallocation of human resources, the redirection of financial resources and the concentration of effort on a single issue.

In addition to taking on board the feedback from the audit, this review is also cognisant of the learning from what happened during the pandemic and the opportunities that exist to build on its success.

Having reviewed Putting People First, the Statement of Progress and the implementation plan, it is clear that the plan offers a comprehensive approach to addressing some of the starkest needs and potentially fruitful opportunities facing the Borough.

As a result of the review, some of the themes and outcomes have been consolidated and actions re-prioritised.

This review was approached from a people-centred perspective, intending to highlight where community planning can really make a difference to people living in the Borough.

Measuring and evidencing the answers to ‘what did we do?’ and ‘how well did we do it?’ is significantly more straightforward than answering ‘is anybody better off?’ however we know that people are, and that more people could be.

Cross Cutting Priorities

• The review identified a number of recurring themes which are not so much issues to address as they are ways of working.
  
  The plan includes a number of cross cutting themes which represent key considerations which will underpin all activity undertaken through community planning.

Tackling Poverty

• The Covid-19 pandemic has dramatically impacted the livelihoods of individuals and families across Northern Ireland and the Borough.
  
  When this is coupled with rising costs of living, rapidly escalating fuel costs and inflation, the numbers of households finding themselves financially insecure is increasing also.
  
  Mid and East Antrim has one neighbourhood renewal area and two areas at risk prior to the pandemic but anecdotal evidence to date indicates that poverty is impacting families across the whole of the Borough.
  
  Poverty and deprivation can be a significant barrier to achieving the ambitions of Putting People First, but conversely, Putting People First has the opportunity to tackle some of the root causes of poverty through its actions.

Prioritising the most vulnerable

• The issue of inclusion was raised frequently throughout the review, and it was in regard to a spectrum of people, but in particular people with disabilities and people with learning difficulties whom it was felt had been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and the resulting exclusion.
  
  In addition, ‘people at risk’ were identified including people from BAME backgrounds, young people and older people.
  
  Planned community activity should be viewed through the lens of how it will benefit those who are the most vulnerable in the Borough.
  
  This will enable a focus on those who can be the most ‘better off’ as a result.

Addressing the inequalities in our Borough

• The plan currently includes “our borough has health equality for all” as an outcome under Good Health and Wellbeing.
  
  Given that there are so many social determinants of health and wellbeing such as deprivation, living environment, access to employment and so on, given that addressing inequality is a cross cutting theme.
  
  This commitment will also respond to feedback which asked for fairness in how resources and support are allocated between rural and urban areas and between different towns in the Borough.

Valuing the views and contribution of our residents

The intent of the partners in the Strategic Alliance was clear when it entitled the community plan “Putting People First”.

The plan acknowledged that the greatest asset in the Borough of Mid and East Antrim is its people.

It also acknowledged that it is a plan to benefit the people of the Borough.

Currently there is a disconnect between those involved in the community planning structures and other groups and residents.

There is a sense in the feedback received through the consultation process that the community feel they aren’t engaged in the decisions that affect them.

The pandemic response has clearly demonstrated the importance of the community and voluntary sector in the area.

Without local groups and local intelligence, those who were most in need would not have been identified or supported.

Post pandemic there are connections and relationships which the community planning partnership should nurture going forward.

We recommend that time is taken by all agencies to engage with residents, to give time and space to co-design processes which will ultimately result in a better quality of service delivery.

Valuing our environment

Paradoxically Our Environment as a theme was the least prioritised, however measures to address climate change, environmental awareness and the importance of respect for the local and natural environment were points which were made throughout the consultation responses.

We believe that valuing our environment as a cross cutting theme will enable the community planning partners to make climate change commitments at an organisational level and to support the improvement of local environments at a community level.

The environment is a key success factor in all four of the revised themes.

Wider Strategic Context

Since Putting People First was published in 2017, the strategic and policy context have seen some significant changes, some key aspects of which are noted below:

• The covid pandemic and subsequent recovery plans
• Welfare reform
• New Mental Health Strategy 2021 to 2031
• Belfast Region City Deal
• Draft Skills Strategy for Northern Ireland
• Development of an anti-poverty strategy
• Draft programme for government
• Towards a Programme of Support for Community Planning (the Gallagher Report)
• Embedding a Wellbeing Framework in Northern Ireland, Carnegie Trust UK

It is a testament to the foundations of Putting People First that it remains in alignment with the wider policy context and priorities.

These new and emerging strategies may add impetus to areas of work the Strategic Alliance was already considering.