Plan to tackle inequality in town

TOWN Hall chiefs at Warrington have drawn up a major scheme to help the borough tackle inequalities in the quality of life of the most disadvantaged local communities.
The document, “Closing the Gap”, is intended to wipe out the shortcomings which resulted the borough being handed three “red flags” by the Audit Commission, in its first Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) of Warrington last December.
Last year, the Warrington Partnership – a grouping which includes the borough council, Police, NHS Warrington, Golden Gates Housing, the Citizen’s Advice Bureau, Warrington Collegiate, Job Centre, etc – launched a sustainable community strategy entitled “One Warrington: One Future.”
Its aim was to make Warrington recognised as one of the best places to live and work in the UK by 2030 – a place where everyone enjoys an outstanding quality of life.
Despite this, the Audit Commission handed out the three red flags, two of which criticised the town for health inequalities and worklessness.
This indicated the view that partnership activity in Warrington was not focused enough and/or was not sufficiently co-ordinated.
The aim now is to use the CAA “flags” positively to promote a more effective approach to improve outcomes for people in the more disadvantages areas.
“Closing the Gap” aims to co-ordinate partner activity which deals with inequalities in disadvantaged areas, more effectively target it and will in gaps where current action is missing or ineffectual. It will reflect best practices in other parts of the UK.
The report, by Andy Farrall, the council’s executive director for environment and regeneration, says while many partnerships and council across the country had plans covering worklessness, child poverty or health inequality, few have taken the wider view of inequality of lifestyle that the problem requires, certainly in Warrington.
The issues of health inequality, safer neighbourhoods, decent and affordable homes, worklessness and child poverty are so intertwined that a wider and more integrated approach is necessary.
“Closing the Gap” looks beneath these themes and develops a framework of 21 action areas that really seek to get to grip with the issue.
These action areas are then regrouped into five delivery programmes for easier management:
* Healthy and active people
* Learning and working communities
* Reduced child poverty
* Decent and affordable homes
* Safer and stronger neighbourhoods
These are currently being finalised as a matter of urgency
Mr Farrall says “Closing the Gap” will be a continuously evolving document which will be updated as needed and as delivery takes place.
Inequality and worklessness is seen as a key risk area for Warrington in the light of the two CAA “red flags.”
The council and its partners need to take priority action and failure in this will not only affect Warrington’s standing in the eyes of the CAA, but, more importantly, inequality will remain a problem in the borough.