Agenda item

To receive a presentation on the?work of Northumberland Communities Together.?

Paul Brooks, Head of Northumberland Communities Together was in attendance to give a presentation on the work of Northumberland Communities Together (NCT) which had been borne out of the pandemic to help and support people who needed it most.  (A copy of the presentation was enclosed with the signed minutes). 

He explained that the last 18 months had seen a number of challenges and the service was now a formal structure which came under Adult Services, and would support vulnerable people in our local communities, using the skills and assets in the community. 

The aim was to prevent residents becoming more vulnerable, addressing the social determinants of health which included access to healthcare, housing, transport, hunger, fuel and tackling inequalities.  The key role as a Local Authority was to work with partners and the voluntary community sector to deliver on behalf of the residents and to identify which individuals were struggling and sign post them to the most appropriate support. 

The team was split across front line operational delivery and programme and project delivery with collaboration with the Police and Crime Commissioner, Community Support Officer with a member of staff on secondment from the Northumberland Lottery to help facilitate the best use of some of the grant funding. 

The Council had been successful in a funding bid from North of Tyne Combined Authority to establish community hubs, the first of which had been developed in Cramlington.  The library had relocated and the hub was being used by many organisations in the community and was to be replicated in other localities.   

There had been a recent review of the VCS commission to support the VCS organisation to work together and provide services that communities needed. 

The response hub was open 7 days a week, between the hours of 9 am and 6 pm and could be contacted by telephone and email and out of hours emergency contact. 

Pop up activities had been held during lockdown which had enabled contact with vulnerable families, providing advice and assistance.  Events had been repeated on request and some communities were now running their own events. 

Statistical information included details of: 

• Support provided including contacts to clinically extremely vulnerable residents including welfare visits, emergency food parcels, PPE and wellbeing parcels. 

• The distribution of statutory aid. 
• Community enrichment. 

The NCT model had been recognised nationally and was one of five local authorities chosen to develop future plans around the Holiday Activity and Food Programme. 

Anonymised case studies were provided of the intervention and assistance given to residents which had enabled them to maintain jobs and tenancies. 

A summary was provided of the priorities and focus over the winter months, particularly keeping warm and the types of assistance available.  Digital connectivity was crucial to enable participation and ensure residents weren’t restricted by their location.   

NCT were now embedded within the Council as a service and officers were grateful for the support from community groups who had embraced partnership working and had established good relationships.  They welcomed opportunities to connect further with new groups as all played a vital role.   

The Chair thanked Mr Brooks for his presentation and was amazed at what had been achieved in such a short space of time. 

Members echoed their support and a member was pleased that the building in Cramlington had been brought back into use.  It was the centre point for the community and the cafe would provide opportunities for those who might not have been able to gain employment.  The staff were welcoming to members of the public and provided a ‘meet and greet’ service. 

The community hub in Cramlington had been a great success and was being used as a showcase, with a teaching and learning cafe and a safe base to offer opportunities.  This should be promoted regionally and nationally and members were encouraged to visit the Cramlington hub.  

Staff were thanked for their incredible amount of work. 

Members asked the following questions: 

• Were the holiday activities open to all?  The DfE had provided funding to engage in activity and had targeted provision to those who were eligible for FSM.  However, a wider universal offer was open to those who might not be eligible for FSM but who might want to engage with that type of provision. 

• Did NCT have connections with food banks?  NCT was a key partner and one of the pathways was bringing like-minded groups together with food partnerships across Northumberland coming together. 

• An invitation was extended to meet with West Bedlington Town Council to set up a youth group.  Mr Brooks stated that discussion could take place with the Locality Co-ordinators to see if it was appropriate for the town. 

The Chair reiterated his thanks to Mr Brooks for the helpful and informative presentation. 

RESOLVED that the presentation be received.