Sustainable Swansea Fit for the future - Continuing the conversation

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Sustainable Swansea Fit for the Future Continuing the Conversation

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Sustainable Swansea – Fit for the Future Continuing the conversation This consultation booklet aims to encourage you to join the conversation about shaping the future of Swansea Council and our city in the coming years.

The council spends around £750m a year on services which touch the lives of almost all our residents almost every day. The council will always be committed to protecting frontline services and prioritising the most vulnerable in our communities. But we have to find a more sustainable way of delivering services and be clear about what we will and won’t do in the future.

Last year we began the Sustainable Swansea – fit for the future conversation by seeking your views on how we should go about delivering millions of pounds of savings while managing rising demand for services and improving what we do.

Thousands of you took part and your views were taken into account when decisions were made on prioritising services. In the last year we have managed to make millions of pounds of savings by reducing management costs, efficiencies in purchasing and specific service savings and we’ll be doing that again this year.

But we need you to look ahead and join us in the debate about what services are important to you. We also want to know what residents and communities are prepared to do for themselves and others rather than be reliant on the council.

We want you to join the debate by telling us what you think about the ideas in this booklet and by suggesting ideas for how you or your community or organisation can get involved in changing the shape of services in the future. Our commitment to you is that, like last year, we will listen to what you say, take your views into account and report back.

If you require this information in another format e.g. large print, please email www.swansea.gov.uk/sustainableswansea or contact 01792 636092.

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Sustainable Swansea Fit for the future

Abertawe Gynaliadwy Yn addas i’r dyfodol

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Where we are now The Welsh Government has told local councils they face budget reductions of 4.5% a year for the foreseeable future – 2% a year more than previously stated. This means that, on top of other service pressures, Swansea has to find savings of at least £70m in the next three years.

Financial pressures being faced by the council include rising customer expectations, increasing demand for social care and the rising cost of waste disposal. In the future not only do we have to become smarter, leaner and more efficient, we also have to stop doing some things. Even if we had unlimited funds we couldn’t carry on as we are because we need to change what we do and how we do things so that we can achieve better outcomes for people.

In future there will still be a focus on vital services like social care, education, collecting waste and providing street lights. By doing different things like transforming adult social care, replacing street lamps with energy-efficient ones and increasing recycling through the ‘Keep it to 3’ black bag waste initiative we can provide better services and reduce financial pressures.

But there may be some things we have to stop doing because they don’t deliver value for money or people no longer want them. We need to know what you think about that. Residents and community organisations will also have to do more things for themselves either because they can do them more effectively than the council can or because the council no longer has the money to do everything.

No decisions have been made yet on the future shape of services and none will be made before residents have had the chance to have their say.

The council will take all views into account before making final decisions.

Did you know?

You can help by joining the debate

Join the debate and tell us your views.

Go to www.swansea.gov.uk/sustainableswansea

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Budget Principles The council agreed last year a set of Budget Principles to help guide the approach to Sustainable Swansea – Fit for the Future.

These were supported by the public and they will help guide the continuing conversation and provide an approach driven by council policy.

These are: • Everything is included. We will review all areas of spend, including priorities, and no options are ruled out.

• Support those at risk by focussing resources on the vulnerable, using Target Areas in particular.

• Choices based on evidence of need, value for money and whether it can be done cheaper or a different way.

• There will be less money to spend.

• The council will continue to be as efficient as possible through reducing management costs and red tape.

• Increase income from charging full price for services, reduce subsidies and sell services to other organisations.

• Consider delivering services differently, for example, by collaborating with others.

• Early intervention, prevention and demand management can improve results for people, reduce spend and future costs.

• Encourage more residents and communities to help themselves as part of sustainable services.

Did you know?

The council has to make £70m of savings by 2018 4

Sustainable Swansea Fit for the future

Abertawe Gynaliadwy Yn addas i’r dyfodol

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Key questions Continuing the Conversation is aiming to focus attention on some key questions we want residents, communities, our staff, businesses and other organisations to think about to help us to ensure that council services are sustainable and fit for the future.

They have been influenced by the Budget Principles, the financial challenges we face and are designed to help reach an understanding about the future shape of the council and our city.

The questions are: • What are the long-term priorities for the area?

• What is the council’s core purpose?

• What services do residents value the most?

• What should the council stop doing?

• Developing community action/responsibility – what services are residents, communities and groups prepared to provide for themselves and others?

Did you know?

We have already cut millions of pounds in management costs

Join the debate and tell us your views.

Go to www.swansea.gov.uk/sustainableswansea

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The future shape of our council So far the council has identified four major areas of work where we will develop our role as a leading organisation in Swansea which focusses on providing services which are sustainable and fit for the future. No decisions on this approach have been made or will be made until people have had their say.

• Efficiency Millions of pounds have been saved over the last few years by improving the way we work and reducing our overheads. We will be looking to continue to reduce management costs, develop leaner working practices, improve support services and generate more income to offset costs.

• New models of delivery In future, more residents will be able to do more business with the council more often online and over the phone. We will also look at the way we commission services, join forces with other organisations to deliver services and work with communities so they can take over some services. Together these will provide better outcomes and/or reduce costs.

• Prevention Our biggest challenge is to reduce the demand for services in the first place. Experience in areas like children and adult services has shown we can prevent future costs and deliver better outcomes by intervening earlier. By working with service users and partners we can also reduce demand for many services which will also improve outcomes and/or reduce financial pressures.

• Stopping services In future the services the council delivers will be determined by what is shown to work and whether or not the service forms part of the council’s core purpose. This means the council could stop providing some services which are not what people want us to do or don’t deliver better or worthwhile outcomes. The financial challenges mean we cannot continue to do everything we currently do.

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Sustainable Swansea Fit for the future

Abertawe Gynaliadwy Yn addas i’r dyfodol

J G

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Continuing the conversation timetable Your views are important and will help us to make decisions.

Phase One: Until November, 2014 We’d like you to respond to the information in this booklet or by going to www.swansea.gov.uk/sustainableseansea where you will find more information.

Phase Two: Winter 2014/15 There will be further engagement on budget proposals which Cabinet will take into account when making decisions on specific savings.

Phase Three: The council’s final decision on the budget is expected to be unveiled in February, 2015.

How you can help You can play an active part by joining in the conversation or by offering to join a group to support services or set one up of your own. We’ll help you to do it.

ONLINE: complete the survey at www.swansea.gov.uk/sustainableswansea @swanseacouncil City & County of Swansea HARD COPIES: Pick up one from the Civic Centre, one of our libraries, housing officers or other civic buildings open to the public. You can e-mail us at sustainableswansea@swansea.gov.uk and we’ll send you a copy or provide one in another format.

Join the debate and tell us your views.

Go to www.swansea.gov.uk/sustainableswansea

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Frequently asked questions Why do things have to change?

Councils have been told by the Welsh Government they face cuts on an unprecedented scale and we need to prepare for it and the other pressures we face.

What can I do about it?

You can join the debate and have your say. But you can do more than that by joining a local group or starting your own to work with the council by helping in your community or providing a service.

What will happen if I don’t have time?

This is an issue which will affect us all. Getting involved now means you’ll have a chance to have your say or even participate in supporting a service. It is also about doing your bit to reduce costs in areas like waste and recycling as well as supporting older members of the family Don’t people already support council services?

Yes, they do. That’s why we know more community action can help provide services and reduce demand. Swansea has a lot of voluntary organisations and volunteers working in areas from social care to anti-littering. In time if it’s right some of them could replace the services we provide.

What if the council can’t make its savings?

The status quo is not an option. We have to change because we have to make savings and improve services at the same time.

We want to have a long-term plan to reduce demand for services so we can avoid short term cuts that may be damaging.

What happens now?

Fill out the questionnaire in this document or go to www.swansea.gov/sustainableswansea

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Sustainable Swansea Fit for the future

Abertawe Gynaliadwy Yn addas i’r dyfodol

J G

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Sustainable Swansea – Fit for the Future We would like to find out your initial views on shaping the future of Swansea Council; this information will be used to inform the council’s future service and budget decisions.

Please hand in your completed form to any council building or post to: Sustainable Swansea, City and County of Swansea, FREEPOST (SWC0034) Swansea SA1 1ZZ If you would like to complete this survey in an alternative format e.g. large print please ring 636732 or e-mail sustainableswansea@swansea.gov.uk Please tick from the list below which best describes you: Member of the public Individual business person City and County of Swansea councillor Member of a voluntary organisation Work for the City and County of Swansea Member of a strategic partnership Member of an equality community group or forum Member of the Local Service Board Representing a group of business Other (Please specify below)

Join the debate and tell us your views.

Go to www.swansea.gov.uk/sustainableswansea

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What council services are most important to you in your community? (for a list of services please see our website‌)

Do you think that there are any services the council should be delivering in a different way (eg:. with the help of partners, community groups, residents etc.)?

Do you think that there are any services the council should stop delivering altogether?

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Sustainable Swansea Fit for the future

Abertawe Gynaliadwy Yn addas i’r dyfodol

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Which council services, if reduced or stopped, would have the biggest impact to you or your community?

What do you think you, other residents or community groups could do to reduce the impact of service changes in your area?

Would you like to be involved in the next stage of the Budget Engagement?

Yes

No

Are you interested in becoming more involved in supporting the delivery of community services currently provided by the council in your area?

Yes

No

Join the debate and tell us your views.

Go to www.swansea.gov.uk/sustainableswansea

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Please leave your contact details (for feedback and to be involved in the next stage of engagement).

E-mail Address: Address: Postcode: Tell us a little about you: Are you?

Male

Female

What is your age?

Under 18 18 – 39 40 – 65 Over 65 Please continue on a separate sheet if needed. We are unable to respond to comments individually. Comments will analysed and an overall feedback report produced.

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Thank you for taking part.

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Sustainable Swansea Fit for the future

Abertawe Gynaliadwy Yn addas i’r dyfodol