Inventing our future Collective action for a sustainable economy

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Chapter 3 – Effective interventions
Case study 24
Norfolk Offender Accommodation Forum (NOAF)
NOAF is a multi-agency group of voluntary and statutory organisations that works strategically and
operationally to highlight and address the accommodation and housing support needs of offenders
in Norfolk. It includes representatives from Norfolk Probation, Norfolk Supporting People, Drug and
Alcohol Action Team, Space East, Broadland District Council and Norfolk County Council.
NOAF aims to promote the rehabilitation of offenders, increase public protection, prevent homelessness
and reduce levels of re-offending. NOAF has clearly defined terms of reference and plays a vital role in
bringing together local agencies and organisations that can promote change, challenge social exclusion
and promote inclusion for offenders.
NOAF has recently secured funding through the Norfolk Local Area Agreement for a Strategy
Implementation Officer to deliver its challenging multi-agency action plan.
ii) Neighbourhoods and the environment
There is a growing body of evidence that demonstrates the strong links between nature and social
well-being. The natural environment where biodiversity thrives is an essential part of the quality of life of local
communities and has an important role to play in ‘liveability’ improvements. There are also opportunities in
towns and cities to create habitats through new development, with some innovative schemes showing that
biodiversity can be conserved and even enhanced as a consequence of urbanisation and development.
Research suggests that contact with nature makes an important contribution to our mental well-being, such as
in reducing stress levels (SO6: 7). The planting of trees and woodlands along roads can help to mitigate some
of the effects of air pollution, especially in deprived areas. There is a need to increase levels of visual contact
with ‘nature’ by creating gardens and urban tree planting, for example. These issues are considered in more
depth in both the Regional Environment Strategy and Regional Woodland Strategy, which include specific
actions relating to the promotion of social inclusion.
With the benefits of diverse greenspace around housing well proven, Natural England has developed the
Accessible Natural Greenspace model. This recognises the importance of quality and accessibility in the use
of greenspace by local communities (SO6: 8), especially for certain groups such as children, young people,
older people and disabled people. The model aims to encourage local planning authorities to ensure that
no person need live further than 300m from quality natural greenspace, particularly contributing to the
improvement of areas of deprivation which tend to be associated with poorer quality environment. A toolkit
has also been developed to assist authorities in assessing the quality and quantity of natural greenspaces
in their area and to help them develop a strategy to address deficiencies and maximise opportunities.
Planning and design are important mechanisms for improving community health, quality of life and creating
a safe living environment that promotes social capital. The Towns and Cities Strategy highlights a range of
innovative approaches to making the region’s towns places where people will want to live, work, play and
invest. To support the implementation of the Sustainable Communities Plan in the region, Communities and
Local Government and the Department of Health (through the Regional Public Health Group) are working
together to explore how the design of the built environment can promote healthy, sustainable communities.