Final Evidence Summary 9th Feburary - 25th ... - Islington Council

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work in Islington but the submission suggested that an area like the Bemerton Estate would be a good candidate for their initiative. Housing – Referenced in 1 submission “These changes will enable residents to make more informed decisions about their housing earlier, and will enable the HfI and LBI to deliver a better service to those with a high level of need.” 22. The quote above is from a submission about a Joint Efficiency Review (JER) undertaken of the housing process by HFI and the Council’s Housing Team. The submission states that on the basis of the Review’s findings the service plans to introduce a face-to-face and telephone assessment and advice service, change the verification process, and review and amend the lettings process. 23. The submission argued that these changes would enable better communication, quicker decisions and make the service more responsive to need, and would bring about the benefits highlighted in the quote above. Minority Groups – Referenced in 2 submissions “The situation of BME women and children in Islington is largely characterised by: Poverty, income inequality, violence against women, housing difficulties, inequality in access to health services, invisibility to local decision making and under representation in public sector employment” 24. Two submissions focused on the disadvantage experienced by minority groups in Islington, specifically refugees and those from Black and Minority Ethnic communities. Some of these issues and how they relate to health are covered above, but the submissions referred to a wide range of areas of disadvantage. 25. The report from the Women’s Association for African Networking and Development (WAND UK) focused on the position of BME women in Islington and argued that the lives of BME women and children in the borough are largely characterised by poverty, income inequality, violence against women, housing difficulties, inequality in access to health services, and an invisibility in local decision making. 26. The submission reported high instances of domestic violence and sexual violence in Islington, and argued that BME women have the worst experiences of housing in the Borough, are overrepresented among the homeless in Islington, and are less likely to interact with Councillors and elected officials to have their views heard. 27. The report recommended that BME women be empowered and have greater access to training and education to overcome language barriers, social isolation and all barriers to integration, and emphasized the fact that the key to reducing child poverty is empowering women who may not have the financial support of a partner. 28. The submission from the Islington Refugee Forum went through evidence on the experiences of refugees in the key areas in the Refugee Integration Strategy: community
integration, health, housing, employment and education and argued that refugees experience significant disadvantage in all these areas. 29. Language barrier was identified as one of the biggest barriers that limits refugees in terms of their access and outcomes in all these areas. The lack of appropriate and accessible ESOL was raised as a very big issue, with a stress on the need for more entry-level and pre- entry-level classes, and a need to reduce the prohibitive waiting lists. Family Support and Community Integration – Referenced in 3 submissions “Community Centres are often in the centre of housing estates, perhaps there should be an emphasis on re-generating to become the 'hub' of the community. People from the surrounding area could be encouraged to take a very active part in running and maintaining 'their' centres enabling sustainability and growth.” 30. The above quote is from a submission that called for the regeneration of Islington’s community centres which, it was argued, are underused. The submission argued that community centres are often well placed to reach the most disadvantaged because very often they are on large estates. 31. It was suggested that if the centres were regenerated they could form very successful hubs that could incorporate cafes, community gardens, exercise and cooking classes, and a range of other activities. The submission argued that the centre could improve local employment by employing local young people as volunteers, and could create a greater sense of community cohesion and integration. 32. One submission stressed that in existing work to support families and young people and encourage healthy development there has not been enough work on the role of men in families, or on concepts of masculinity. The submission asked that these factors be considered further in future work. 33. Another submission that focused on strengthening community integration in Islington came from Rowan Arts, an organisation that aims to act as a catalyst for social change through the arts and to use their projects to create spaces for exchanges and experiences that improve lives and enhance a sense of place. 34. The submission argued that the arts offer unique opportunities for learning and enjoyment as well as employment. The submission specifically referenced two current projects that speak to issues of fairness. The first is their goal to open a charity shop in Holloway that would offer entry level volunteering opportunities to help local people get into employment and earn new skills, the second is a project called ‘Holloway online’ that would allow local people to connect with each other and with local services and events online. Funding and Budgets – Referenced in 3 submissions “Given long-term contractual commitments and service costs that are statutory, what proportion of the Council annual budget remains discretionary (i.e. available to be cut)?” 35. The above quote is from a submission that asked about Council budgets and about which areas of the Council’s work are vulnerable to cuts. The submission also asked whether the cost
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Final Evidence Summary 9th Feburary - 25th ... - Islington Council

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