ARDS FIRST IN NI TO SIGN A 'COMPACT' FOR BIGGER IMPACT ON PUBLIC SERVICES

Eight public sector organisations in Ards have become the first in Northern Ireland to sign a 'Compact on Collaboration' - an agreement on joint working -to make a bigger impact on the services people in the area receive on the ground.

The official signing of the agreement represents a radical departure from the normal way in which public services are planned, with all 8 organisations now committing to map out - literally - where they can jointly target services, right down to individual streets.

The project was initiated by Ards Borough Council in 2005 in a bid to create closer links with other organisations providing public services in the area, and has now evolved to a formal agreement between the housing, health, education and emergency services sectors. Other agencies to include Translink and the Planning and Roads Services are expected to fully participate in the next stage of development.

"Joint working is nothing new. We have always worked together on specific projects and plans, but never on this scale and never using our collective data as evidence of where we should be taking action to improve the lives of our residents," said Councillor Billy Montgomery, Mayor of Ards. "Getting to this stage has taken a considerable amount of time and effort, not least by those involved in collecting and analysing all the information which is now helping us to identify the places and people who have needs which are not currently being met".

Two projects have already been identified as a result of the new way of working in two separate areas of the Ards.

In Ballygowan, an existing Village Plan developed by the Council in 2008, will now be the subject of further consultation with local people to ensure that there is special focus on providing key services to cope with the increase in young and elderly populations. The project will involve the Council, Housing Executive and other partners.

A specific estate in Donaghadee - Beechfield - is also to benefit from a concentrated development of services around a range of issues from community safety to promoting community pride. Lead by the NIHE, the Beechfield project will also involve the Council and PSNI.

Ashley Boreland, Chief Executive of the Council, emphasised that the signing of the 'Compact' is only the beginning:

"We have enormous opportunities to bring more public sector organisations on board, and to include the private sector as well. We believe that when others see how this is working, they'll want to become involved in providing this kind of street level service solution. We are already talking to a number of organisations who may well be joining the partnership in the near future".

The new partners also believe that Ards is leading the way in terms of 'Community Planning', one of the new responsibilities of local government when 26 Councils merge to become 11 in just under two years time:

"While the very nature of public services means putting local people and their needs at the centre of decision-making, Community Planning adds an extra dimension and places a greater emphasis on the public sector working as a group, rather than as individual organisations. What we are doing here is very much a precursor to that concept," said Derek McCallan, Director of Development with the Council.

The partners who have signed the 'Compact' to date are: Ards Borough Council, NI Ambulance Service Trust, Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, Northern Ireland Housing Executive, PSNI, South Eastern Education and Library Board. South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust and South Eastern Regional College.