Network Exchange – May 2004
Network Exchange is set up to enable local authorities to exchange
information quickly and effectively on issues dealing with poverty and social
exclusion and to get regular relevant information from the Dail and other
national agencies. Produced monthly, Network Exchange is brief but it relies
on local authorities and relevant agencies submitting information to the Local
Government Anti Poverty Learning Network’s Information consultant, Kate
Ennals at kateennals@eircom.net
Network Exchange is commissioned by the Combat Poverty Agency. The aim
of Combat Poverty is to promote a just and inclusive society by working for
the prevention and elimination of poverty and social exclusion.








Workshop Discussions on Local Authority Social Inclusion
Indicators
Dates of Learning Network meeting in 2004
Anti Poverty Strategy in Westmeath
Two Pronged Approach in Donegal Poverty Strategy
Social Inclusion Action Plan Under Review in Cork City Council
Managing the Estates in Kildare
Put Down Your Tools…And Resources
Information Sources
Workshop Discussions on Social Indicators
Workshops at the Waterford Local Government Anti Poverty Learning
Network (March 04) discussed the ways to develop social inclusion
performance indicators. A number of issues came up mainly around the need
to develop local social inclusion indicators and include them in Corporate
Plans. It was felt that indicators should try to capture:
 the levels of community participation,
 the work of SPCs,
 the consultation work of councils,
 achievement of the 3% disability employment target,
 housing waiting lists,
 development of playgrounds,
 footpaths,
 waste disposal,
 arts,
 library,
 estate management,
 literacy proofing council documentation,
 staff training
 inclusion of social inclusion actions in the corporate plan.
It was suggested that indicators be linked to the NAPS strategy. There was a
strong feeling that local indicators should be developed but concern
expressed about how the information could be collected, by whom and that all
staff needed to be appraised and consulted about indicators, not simply senior
staff. It was suggested that social inclusion units work on a set of indicators
and feedback into the Department of the Environment.
For further information contact Kate Ennals on kateennals@eircom.net
Dates of Learning Network meeting in 2004
1. Local Government Anti Poverty Learning Network
Tuesday13th /Wednesday 14th July 04
Hodson Bay Hotel, Athlone.
2. Conference-Anti-Poverty Strategies for 3 Local Authorities
Wednesday 6th /Thursday 7th October
Hodson Bay Hotel, Athlone
Anti Poverty Strategy in Westmeath
Westmeath carried out six staff consultation sessions this Spring using actual
case studies to raise awareness and examine the role of council staff in
tackling poverty and social exclusion in Westmeath. As a result, staff are
working in their local sections, establishing how poverty impacts on their work,
the role of the county council and what can be done to improve this work. The
responses will be collated and developed into a paper to form the basis of a
strategy report. Westmeath has also developed terms of reference for a
poverty profile which is currently out to tender.
The main challenges facing the development of the Anti Poverty Strategy so
far has been getting sufficient staff to participate in the consultation sessions
and the time constraints. Westmeath have found it very supportive and
beneficial to have other agencies present on the Anti Poverty Strategy
Steering Group both in terms of providing a wider understanding of poverty
and practical support and interest in the poverty profile research.
Because the use of case studies in the consultation exercise proved so
beneficial, the training officer has agreed that she will try to include the
training needs of the social inclusion strategy into her training plans.
For further information contact ajordan@westmeathcoco.ie
Two Pronged Approach in Donegal Poverty Strategy
Donegal have interviewed all directors of service about the impact of poverty
on the directorates and the local initiatives needed to tackle poverty. The
interviews are currently being collated and a report will be available at the end
of this month. At the same time, Donegal also held a workshop with front line
staff to consider the impacts of local services on local people. It provided a
template of issues for the proposed consumer panels and helped establish
what challenges will face the development and working of active consumer
panels in Donegal.
Donegal has also completed its poverty profile using the available information
from the Census 2000 modules and has developed a comparative list of 15
NAPS headline indicators.
So far the Internal Working Group that steers the development of the Local
Anti Poverty Strategy is working well. It is flexible and there is good cooperation and communication. The challenges have been the work on the
consumer panels, ensuring the success of the Directors interviews, and time.
For further information contact pcurley@donegalcoco.ie
Social Inclusion Action Plan Under Review in Cork City Council
The first review of the Cork City Social Inclusion Action Plan is being carried
out by each directorate this month in Cork. The Plan was launched last
December and comprises a list of actions relating to social inclusion that are
planned by each directorate. A report will be available early in June. Seminars
on consultation methods, poverty proofing, the needs of non-nationals have
been held and reports of the seminars are available from Donal Guerin (see
contact below).
Cork is also launching a photography exhibition at the end of the month which
will show how poverty can be tackled and this will accompany the formal
launch of the Action Plan on May 28th. The poverty profile will also be
complete by the end of the month. Cork is also carrying out an information
gathering exercise through focus groups with older people, younger people,
non-nationals, people with disabilities and family centres which will provide a
picture of some of the issues facing different local people.
In terms of the learning from the work so far, the seminars have proved useful
although a more interactive approach using case studies could be developed.
It has been difficult to develop good local indicators so far and more work
needs to focus on this. It is still a challenge ensuring the focus of senior staff
and more work needs to be done with front line and outdoor staff.
For further information contact Donal Guerin on
donal_guerin@corkcity.ie
Managing the Estates in Kildare
In line with its strategy to “make Kildare the first choice as a place to live,
work, visit and do business” (Kildare County Council, Corporate plan, 20012004), Kildare have put together an Estate Management Policy which will
“actively pursue community involvement in social housing and in doing so to
improve quality of life by promoting active citizenship and social inclusion.
Developed by the Estate management/community participation unit, the
Estate Management Strategy involves housing administration including
Tenancy liaison officers & rent collectors, housing construction & social
workers, outreach workers for the homeless, architects dept, area engineers,
community & enterprise, sports & leisure , library & arts services, environment
and other sections identified as being relevant to projects undertaken. The
Strategy will also involve other relevant agencies in projects.
The aim behind the estate management is to work closely with residents and
active groups on the different estates. It is hoped to involve youth in
community development projects, to provide training and other supports to
residents, to hold and follow up on annual tenants seminars, to update the
grants system for residents groups so that they are able to operate effectively,
to continue with the tidy estates competition and to build on its success.
For a copy of the Estate Management Policy and further information
contact Alice Corbett on acorbett@kildarecoco.ie
Put Down Your Tools…And Resources
The Local Government Anti Poverty Learning Network wants to develop a
database of the tools, resources and publications that have been developed
by different local authorities to tackle poverty and work with local people
before the end of the year when the programme as it currently stands ends.
It is vitally important that a clearing house of information is developed and
available for shared use by local authorities and County Development Boards.
So if you have published any publication, research, audit or toolkit which
focuses on people facing disadvantage or exclusion, please contact Kate
Ennals on 04383540 or kateennals@eircom.net.
South Tipperary At Play
South Tipperary County council have developed a Play Policy that focuses on
playground development. It has been developed as a result of demand from
public, parents and children for playgrounds and as an action in CDB strategy.
The policy enables the local authority to insure playgrounds provided that the
local Authority has legal ownership/ long term lease of site so that it a Risk
Management Policy can be implemented that meets safety standards and
insurance requirements. However, it is hoped to develop joint private public
ownership schemes.
The policy envisages that a strong Local Playground Action Group/
Community Group needs to be in place to

drive the development of playground including request to council to
‘take in charge’ and insure

take Children’s views into account through schools and or residents
groups as appropriate

consult with local stakeholders to do a local needs assessment to
examine – suitable location, size, type etc

develop their own policy re the management and maintenance
including responsibility and safety management of the playground with
a view to building ownership – this process will need the
support/guidance of the council

fund raising for playground including application to other agencies
/private companies for sponsorship

help with day to day maintenance, supervision and management e.g.
opening & closing, security, keeping a watchful eye and reporting
disturbances, reporting faulty equipment and accidents to council,
keeping the area tidy.

to ensure parents supervision
For further information contact jquinn@southtippcoco.ie
Information Sources
New Report Recommends Increase in Social Housing to Alleviate
Poverty.
A new report from Combat Poverty Agency which analyses housing trends up
to 2000 has shown that during the 1990s private rent levels grew much higher
than mortgage repayments. The report also highlights the continuing decline
in the size of the social housing sector as a proportion of the total housing
stock and recommends an increased supply of social rental housing units
both in absolute terms and as a proportion of the housing stock.
The authors of the report are Tony Fahey, Brian Nolan and Bertrand Maître of
the ESRI . Housing Poverty and Wealth in Ireland is available from the
Institute of Public Administration. There is a charge of €8.00 plus postage and
packaging.
About Cork
Cork City Council have published a disability access guide to Cork City
Centre. It shows what access is available in cultural and leisure centres,
shops, pubs, accommodation, restaurants and provides a list of useful
contacts. The guide is available in a range of formats including audio and
Braille. The guide can be accessed via the website www.corkcity.ie
LGAPLN Members Page
This contains all the Network Meeting presentations etc. The pathway is as
follows. Go to Combat Poverty website. Click on Our Activities. Click on Anti
Poverty Programmes. Click on LGAPLN. Click on Members Page. Click on
Presentations. The direct link the LGAPLN Members' Page should be
http://www.combatpoverty.ie/act_programme_localmembers.htm
Social Inclusion Measures
The Cork Social Inclusion Measures Working Group has published a booklet
to raise awareness among the publicly funded service providers in Cork city
on what social inclusion means in Cork and the process involved in tackling
social exclusion. It looks at the four operational programmes of the National
Development Plan and the co-ordination of the different agencies.
It is available from http://sim.corkcity.ie or the City Development Board 021
4924596
How to Develop a Local Anti Poverty Strategy
Combat Poverty is compiling a State of the Art Reference Guide to developing
a local anti poverty strategy. It will include the learning from the three county
councils currently developing their own strategies, the expertise gathered from
the training seminars with CEDOS, the experiences of the community
development workshops and a communications strategy. Practical steps,
research, and different toolkits will be included. It is hoped this will be
available before the end of the Programme in 2004.
Young Men on the Margins
This report from the Katherine Howard Foundation provides data on the
experience of marginalisation of men and boys in contemporary Irish Society.
It includes an exploration of the consequences of social change for men –
particularly changing family structures, male educational participation and
performance, the changing nature of work and changing value systems.
Available from the Katherine Howard Foundation at khf@eircom.net
Addressing children's services
This new resource on IDeA Knowledge has been created to help authorities
as
they reform their services for children. It offers a summary of the recent
Children's Bill and highlights some of the strategies available to authorities
to effect the change required.
http://www.idea.gov.uk/knowledge/?id=124
Leadership: Views from the top
In the latest in our series of testimonials from political and managerial
leaders, Deborah Cadman, Chief Executive of St Edmundsbury Borough
Council
discusses some of the challenges she has faced in driving improvement
within
the authority.
http://www.idea.gov.uk/knowledge/?id=125