Verbal update from the Bestwood Partnership and the Pythian Club
Minutes:
Donna Denning, of Bestwood Partnership, the Lead Organisation for the Area, provided a detailed summary of the work undertaken and achieved during lockdown and since the last Area Committee meeting, including;
a) Area Based Lead Organisations were meeting together weekly, then fortnightly and now monthly with the Area Based Grants Team to co-ordinate, plan, and look at how areas were working and how best to work with existing resources;
b) The ‘Summer Thinking Programme’ looked at how to unlock services, initially with play and youth as a priority;
c) Risk assessment training was provided for voluntary organisations and further support and advice for some of the smaller partners to help them understand and comply with, what at times, appeared to be conflicting restrictions and safety requirements from Central Government;
d) Many organisations stated that they had reached more people and a wider audience with a virtual presence during lockdown, than previously. However, it is recognised that digital communication isn’t accessible to everyone so alternative methods were also applied and resulted in the brochure ‘Supporting You Through 2020’ with a wide range of general information, including details of the support available;
e) The majority of partners responded well, transitioning from usual service provision to amended or even alternative services, including virtual activities with the Toy Library providing activity packs, Bestwood Park Church changing from social eating schemes to delivering food packages and meals, Bulwell Community Garden promoted outreach work, the Pythian Club and Helping Kids Achieving delivering sports packs to young people. Some organisations donated laptops to enable some isolated citizens to interact with other people and access virtual activities;
f) With regard to employment, Lead Organisations linked with ‘Business in the Community’ which also donated laptops. More laptops due to be delivered to the North Area of the City shortly;
g) Bestwood Partnership also was one of the response teams for the Golden Number, provided a range of support with and to partner organisations;
h) An online video was launched ‘we’re here for you’ (which has had 1,300 views) for connecting people, publicising the support available, including support to get into employment during lockdown;
i) Bestwood Park Community Centre has now received approval to open as ‘COVID Safe’ and other venues are starting to open, including Snapewood Community Centre (which is in Phase 2 of opening). Southglade Access Centre opened last week. Everyone is keen to get the community based IT facilities reopened, especially with a range of partners delivering virtual activities and to support employment applications;
j) Unpicking the Central Government information and providing guidance to partners and organisations, including risk assessments, has almost been the equivalent to a fulltime role.
Comments from the Committee and responses to questions included:
k) Members of the Committee expressed a massive thanks for adapting and all hard work by the organisation and its partners during lockdown in ensuring that citizens were coping;
l) It was impressive how partners responded almost immediately from week one to deliver support as soon as lockdown happened;
m) Although Central Government’s employment support, including the furlough scheme is expected to end soon, Bestwood Partnership is an active member of the City’s Employment Task Force to which the DWP provide output information on the in claims and known redundancies. Bestwood Partnership is also engaged with the Employment and Skills Area Partnership (ESAP) which provides information locally and City wide, with the Community Hub and Community Youth Hub, and has partnered with Apprenticeship Teams of Nottingham College. Additional funding has been granted from DWP for an Employability Advisor in the area. Castle Cavendish are also providing support along the Basford boundary, and new community venues have been secured for employment support session services, and may now include CBS Gymnasiums. Bestwood Partnership have been supporting local citizens into employment during the pandemic, some of whom took part in a film to publicise that employment opportunities are still available;
n) The new Employability Advisor started work on 1 March 2020 and has been contacting local employers to identify if any vacancies are up and coming, and is working with colleges too;
o) With regard to employment initiatives, community hubs will be key and the biggest change that most citizens will see in employability support as it will mitigate the confusion of multiple options offered by providing support to progress in the most appropriate for direction for each individual;
p) The NHS will be recruiting soon for non-clinical staff so Bestwood Partnership workers have been trained to use the NHS systems to help applicants.
Resolved to note the update and the appreciation of the Committee for the work during the COVID-19 pandemic.