To receive an update

Members received an update on Community Transformation.

Jesal Dhokia, Transformation and Community Services Lead, explained that the focus had been on working with partners on engagement and empowerment. The Innovation Fund, delivered in conjunction with Health partners, looked to identify outcomes in local wards through World Cafés. Groups could then apply for start up funds. Members noted a number of successful projects in the first stage of the project. Second stage bids were just starting to come in. The council was proud to have been awarded runner up status for a national award for the project, in partnership with Frimley Trust and the voluntary sector community.

Community Champions worked with the council to promote World Café and other events across the borough, encourage engagement, and recruit more people. Community Champions were provided with support in the form of capacity building, training and regular updates, and a yearly celebration of achievements.

Members noted that the Wellbeing Circles project was a cross-organisational project with Health to support the most vulnerable residents who did not meet the threshold for adult social care. The Circles enabled strength-based conversations to identify what was important for a community. A training and development programme had been introduced for volunteers. The number of voluntary sector organisations involved had been increased.

Members noted the impacts and outcomes:

·       Increased engagement and expanded outreach

·       A training programme developed with voluntary sector partners

·       Inclusion of the personalisation care agenda

·       Creation of a tiered referral system

·       Links with the hospital discharge team

Members also noted other areas of community engagement:

·       Working with GPS to engage with the BAME community

·       Working with the Primary Care Networks to address health inequalities

·       Distribution of £30,000 of grant funding including for a pilot Achieving for Children Wellbeing Circle.

·       Identification of funding to explore options to scale up Wellbeing circles across the Frimley ICs locality

Councillor Price commented that the first World Café on the list should be Clewer and Dedworth East. She welcomed the approach of working with local communities including ward councillors who had the local knowledge and linkages. To transform the council the approach needed to be applied across the organisation.

It was confirmed that World Cafés would be run in all wards across the borough. Cox Green was on the schedule for end of February/March 2023.

Councillor Hilton commented that it was a complete departure from the way the council normally did business and it offered enormous returns. He congratulated the team. He had not been able to attend the World Café held in Ascot, but he had read the summary report. The people who attended had been relatively young and did not themselves have a need. They were therefore talking about perceived needs. Within the south of the borough was the Hope Charity, the Ascot Fire Brigade Trust, the Sunninghill Trust and the churches. During covid all had worked closely together, including to fund a number of families with £100 a week. The fewer the number of people in the cohort the more difficult it was to find where they were and to be able to engage with them. Most of the families supported were referred through schools.

Jesal Dhokia confirmed that a request for a second World Café in Ascot had been received.

Councillor Price suggested that the next meeting of the Sub Committee should review the Transformation Strategy and progress against actions.

It was confirmed that organisationally, Transformation now sat in a number of areas following a restructure. Community Transformation now sat in the Place directorate to ensure the council thought about communities as well as buildings. Officers working on ASC transformation reported into the Executive Director of People Services. Officers working on other technology projects were now in the Resources directorate, to ensure there was a corporate Transformation function, aligned with the Corporate Plan and budget setting.

Councillor Hilton commented that it would be useful for the Sub Committee to receive an updated programme of activities to understand the direction of travel. Kevin McDaniel agreed that, alongside other Directors, he would bring back an updated programme. It was confirmed that the Transformation Cabinet portfolio remained with Councillor Carroll.