Policy Agreement - Torfaen County Borough Council
This agreement is between Torfaen County Borough Council and the Welsh Assembly Government. It sets out our shared vision and priorities and how we will measure success over the three years from April 2004 to March 2007.
Our vision is for a sustainable future for Wales where action for social, economic and environmental improvement work together to create positive change:
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promoting a diverse, competitive, high-added value economy, with high quality skills and education, that minimizes demands on the environment;
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action on social justice that tackles poverty and poor health, and provides people and their communities with the means to help themselves and break out of the poverty trap;
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action in our built and natural environment that enhances pride in the community, bio-diversity, promotes local employment and helps to minimize waste generation, energy and transport demands;
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strengthening Wales' cultural identity and helping to create a bilingual country;
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ensuring all our children and future generations enjoy better prospects in life, and are not landed with a legacy of problems bequeathed by us;
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supporting people to live healthy and independent lives;
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promoting openness, partnership and participation.
There are four strategic priorities that we will focus on as we turn this vision into reality:
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helping more people into jobs;
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improving health;
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developing strong and safe communities and
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creating better jobs and skills.
We have chosen the following as key measures of progress:
Helping More People into Jobs
1. We will increase Adult Basic Skills participation rates. Our milestones and final target for this will be:
|
|
Baseline
|
2004/5
|
2005/6
|
2006/7
|
|
Number of adults on courses
|
514
|
500
|
500
|
N/A
|
2. We will seek to increase the rates of attendance in secondary schools. Our milestones and final target for this will be:
|
|
Baseline
|
2004/5
|
2005/6
|
2006/7
|
|
Rate of attendance
|
90.63%
|
92.3%
|
92.7%
|
93.03%
|
3. We will aim to reduce the number and percentage of 15 year olds (and within that, those in local authority care) leaving full-time education without a recognised qualification. Our milestones and final target for this are as follows (with numbers of pupils in brackets):
|
|
Baseline
|
2004/5
|
2005/6
|
2006/7
|
|
All pupils
|
4%
|
2% (20-31)
|
2% (20-31)
|
2% (20-31)
|
Strong Safe Communities
4. We will achieve a reduction in the sale of alcohol to minors. To this end we will increase the number of "proof of age" cards issued each year and reduce the number of sales as a percentage of the number of attempts to purchase alcohol by minors. Our milestones and final target for this are as follows:
|
|
Baseline
|
2004/5
|
2005/6
|
2006/7
|
|
Number of proof of age cards issued
|
100
|
900
|
1000
|
1100
|
|
Number of sales as a percentage of the number of attempts to purchase
|
40%
|
30%
|
25%
|
20%
|
5. By the end of the period of this agreement, 75% of victims of all youth crime referred to YOT's will be offered the opportunity to participate in a restorative process and 75% of victims participating should be satisfied.
|
|
Baseline
|
2004/5
|
2005/06
|
2006/07
|
|
Percentage of young people participating.
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
75%
|
6. (a)We are working towards achieving the national homelessness strategy objective of eliminating the use of Bed and Breakfast accommodation for homeless families with children except in emergencies by 2007, through joint working with the Welsh Assembly Government:
|
|
Baseline
|
2004/5
|
2005/6
|
2006/7
|
|
Number of families
|
27
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
Nil
|
(b)We will reduce the average length of time people spend in temporary accommodation by the end of the period of the Agreement. Our milestones and final target for this are as follows:
|
|
Baseline
|
2004/5
|
2005/6
|
2006/7
|
|
Length of stay (days)
|
64
|
60
|
50
|
32
|
7. (a)We will reduce carbon dioxide emissions from non-domestic Council buildings by the end of the period of the agreement. Our milestones and final target for this are as follows:
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|
Baseline
|
2004/5
|
2005/6
|
2006/7
|
|
Percentage reduction
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
6%
|
(b)We are working towards achieving the national objective of a 12% improvement in domestic energy efficiency by 2007, through joint working with the Welsh Assembly Government and others. Our baseline, milestones and final target for this are as follows:
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|
Baseline
|
2004/5
|
2005/6
|
2006/7
|
|
Public sector housing
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1,104,448 MWh
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
Private sector housing
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
Improving Health
8. We will increase the number of people referred to an exercise programme by their GP via the Exercise for Life Scheme. Our milestones and final target for this are as follows:
|
|
Baseline
|
2004/5
|
2005/6
|
2006/7
|
|
Number of GP referrals
|
34
|
200
|
210
|
220
|
9. We will aim to ease the blocking of beds in hospitals by older people (over 75) by reducing the rate of delayed transfers of care for social care reasons. Our milestones and final target for this are as follows:
|
|
Baseline
|
2004/5
|
2005/6
|
2006/7
|
|
Number of people (per 1000 population aged 75 or over)
|
61.26
|
47.75
|
46.05
|
44.34
|
10. (a)We will increase the number of older people (over 65) helped to live at home. Our milestones and final target for this are as follows:
|
|
Baseline
|
2004/5
|
2005/6
|
2006/7
|
|
Number of people (per 1000 population aged 65 or over)
|
117.44
|
62.64
|
65.39
|
68.97
|
(b)We will reduce the number of older people supported by the authority in care homes. Our milestones and final target for this are as follows:
|
|
Baseline
|
2004/5
|
2005/6
|
2006/7
|
|
Number of people (per 1000 population aged 65 or over)
|
31.55
|
29.26
|
28.35
|
27.89
|
11. (a)We will increase the percentage of first placements of looked after children that begin with a care plan in place. Our milestones and final target for this are as follows:
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|
Baseline
|
2004/5
|
2005/6
|
2006/7
|
|
Percentage of placements
|
61%
|
90%
|
90%
|
90%
|
(b)We will increase the percentage of looked-after children who have a plan for permanence in place at their second review. Our milestones and final target for this are as follows:
|
|
Baseline
|
2004/5
|
2005/6
|
2006/7
|
|
Percentage of looked-after children
|
77.14%
|
100%
|
100%
|
100%
|
12. We will reduce the percentage of children looked after at 31 March each year who have experienced one or more changes of school during a period or periods of being looked after, which were not due to transitional arrangements. Our milestones and final target for this are as follows:
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|
Baseline
|
2004/5
|
2005/6
|
2006/7
|
|
Percentage of looked-after children
|
N/A
|
10%
|
10%
|
10%
|
Creating Better Jobs and Skills
13. We will achieve an increase in the number of jobs created as the result of grants offered by the authority on an annual basis. Our milestones and final target for this are as follows:
|
|
Baseline
|
2004/5
|
2005/6
|
2006/7
|
|
Total number of jobs created
|
224
|
300
|
600
|
900
|
14. We will promote community use of ICT by increasing the number of individual uses per annum through public access points. Our milestones and final target for this are as follows:
|
|
Baseline
|
2004/5
|
2005/6
|
2006/7
|
|
Number of uses ( 1000s)
|
N/A
|
45
|
55
|
70
|
Fundamental Themes
15. We will achieve an increase in the percentage of waste recycled or diverted from landfill. Our milestones and final target for this are as follows:
|
|
Baseline
|
2004/5
|
2005/6
|
2006/7
|
|
Percentage of waste diverted from landfill.
|
11.28%
|
18%
|
22%
|
25%
|
16. We will achieve a greater level of compliance with the Generic Equalities Standard for Local Government in Wales:
|
|
Baseline
|
2004/5
|
2005/6
|
2006/7
|
|
Level of standard attained
|
N/A
|
Level 3
|
Level 3+
|
Level 4
|
Torfaen County Borough Council
Welsh Assembly Government
November 2004