Agenda of Community Development and Safety Committee

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Responsibilities and key projects

The Committee is responsible for regional community development and safety by:

· Developing (and monitoring) strategy, policy and action plans, including any agreed community consultation, to recommend to the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee, as set out in the Schedule of Key Projects for Reporting Committees, attached to these Terms of Reference*

· Acting as a community interface for consultation on policies and as a forum for raising community concerns, while ensuring community engagement is complementary to that undertaken by local boards

Powers

All powers necessary to perform the Committee’s responsibilities

Except:

(a) powers that the Governing Body cannot delegate or has retained to itself (section 2)

(b) where the Committee’s responsibility is limited to making a recommendation only

(d) the approval of expenditure that is not contained within approved budgets

(e) the approval of expenditure of more than $2 million

(f) the approval of final policy

(g) deciding significant matters for which there is high public interest and which are controversial

(h) the commissioning of reports on new policy where that policy programme of work has not been approved by the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee

(i) the power to establish sub-committees

*Schedule of key projects for the Community Development and Safety Committee

Alcohol harm reduction strategy

Plan for homelessness

Community safety programmes

Exclusion of the public – who needs to leave the meeting

Members of the public

All members of the public must leave the meeting when the public are excluded unless a resolution is passed permitting a person to remain because their knowledge will assist the meeting.

Those who are not members of the public

General principles

· Access to confidential information is managed on a “need to know” basis where access to the information is required in order for a person to perform their role.

· Those who are not members of the meeting (see list below) must leave unless it is necessary for them to remain and hear the debate in order to perform their role.

· Those who need to be present for one confidential item can remain only for that item and must leave the room for any other confidential items.

· In any case of doubt, the ruling of the chairperson is final.

Members of the meeting

· The members of the meeting remain (all Governing Body members if the meeting is a Governing Body meeting; all members of the committee if the meeting is a committee meeting).

· However, standing orders require that a councillor who has a pecuniary conflict of interest leave the room.

· All councillors have the right to attend any meeting of a committee and councillors who are not members of a committee may remain, subject to any limitations in standing orders.

Independent Māori Statutory Board

· Members of the Independent Māori Statutory Board who are appointed members of the committee remain.

· Independent Māori Statutory Board members and staff remain if this is necessary in order for them to perform their role.

Staff

· All staff supporting the meeting (administrative, senior management) remain.

· Other staff who need to because of their role may remain.

Local Board members

· Local Board members who need to hear the matter being discussed in order to perform their role may remain. This will usually be if the matter affects, or is relevant to, a particular Local Board area.

Council Controlled Organisations

· Representatives of a Council Controlled Organisation can remain only if required to for discussion of a matter relevant to the Council Controlled Organisation.

1 Apologies

An apology from Cr AJ Anae has been received.

2 Declaration of Interest

Members are reminded of the need to be vigilant to stand aside from decision making when a conflict arises between their role as a member and any private or other external interest they might have.

3 Confirmation of Minutes

That the Community Development and Safety Committee:

a) confirm the ordinary minutes of its meeting, held on Wednesday, 7 October 2015, as a true and correct record.

4 Petitions

At the close of the agenda no requests to present petitions had been received.

5 Public Input

Standing Order 7.7 provides for Public Input. Applications to speak must be made to the Democracy Advisor, in writing, no later than one (1) clear working day prior to the meeting and must include the subject matter. The meeting Chairperson has the discretion to decline any application that does not meet the requirements of Standing Orders. A maximum of thirty (30) minutes is allocated to the period for public input with five (5) minutes speaking time for each speaker.

5.1 Literacy Auckland

Purpose

1. To provide an overview of Literacy Auckland the programmes undertaken in the community.

Executive Summary

2. Jane Gilmour, Manager Waitakere Literacy and Patsy Sim, Regional Coordinator will be present to address the Community Development and Safety Committee.

Recommendation/s

That the Community Development and Safety Committee:

a) Thank Jane Gilmour, Manager Waitakere Literacy and Patsy Sim, Regional Coordinator for their attendance.

5.2 Vaka Tautua - Community Health Services

Purpose

1. To provide an overview of the projects delivered in the Pacific communities.

Executive Summary

2. Mark Gosche, Chief Executive, Vaka Tautua will be in attendance to address the Committee.

Recommendation/s

That the Community Development and Safety Committee:

a) thank Mark Gosche, Chief Executive, Vaka Tautua for his attendance.

5.3 English Language Partners New Zealand

Purpose

1. To receive a presentation from Charles Hayward, Auckland Regional Operations Manager, English Language Partners New Zealand, regarding literacy programmes that have been undertaken in the community.

Recommendation/s

That the Community Development and Safety Committee:

a) thank Charles Hayward, Auckland Regional Operations Manager, English Language Partners New Zealand for his attendance.

6 Local Board Input

Standing Order 6.2 provides for Local Board Input. The Chairperson (or nominee of that Chairperson) is entitled to speak for up to five (5) minutes during this time. The Chairperson of the Local Board (or nominee of that Chairperson) shall wherever practical, give one (1) day’s notice of their wish to speak. The meeting Chairperson has the discretion to decline any application that does not meet the requirements of Standing Orders.

This right is in addition to the right under Standing Order 6.1 to speak to matters on the agenda.

6.1 Māngere-Otāhuhu Local Board - Literacy Activities in Otahuhu Community

Purpose

1. Lydia Sosene, Chair, Māngere-Otāhuhu Local Board will update the committee regarding the literacy programmes that have been undertaken in the community.

Recommendation/s

That the Community Development and Safety Committee:

a) thank Lydia Sosene, Māngere-Otāhuhu Local Board Chair for her attendance.

7 Extraordinary Business

Section 46A(7) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (as amended) states:

“An item that is not on the agenda for a meeting may be dealt with at that meeting if-

(a) The local authority by resolution so decides; and

(b) The presiding member explains at the meeting, at a time when it is open to the public,-

(i) The reason why the item is not on the agenda; and

(ii) The reason why the discussion of the item cannot be delayed until a subsequent meeting.”

Section 46A(7A) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (as amended) states:

“Where an item is not on the agenda for a meeting,-

(a) That item may be discussed at that meeting if-

(i) That item is a minor matter relating to the general business of the local authority; and

(ii) the presiding member explains at the beginning of the meeting, at a time when it is open to the public, that the item will be discussed at the meeting; but

(b) no resolution, decision or recommendation may be made in respect of that item except to refer that item to a subsequent meeting of the local authority for further discussion.”

8 Notices of Motion

At the close of the agenda no requests for notices of motion had been received.

Community Development and Safety Committee

02 December 2015

Council's Support for literacy outcomes

File No.: CP2015/25181

Purpose

1. To receive an update on council activity that supports literacy outcomes.

Executive Summary

2. The council's work with a broad range of partners influences literacy outcomes in Auckland. The Southern Initiative, COMET and Libraries are active in literacy and reader development, digital literacy and financial literacy.

3. Auckland's rates of participation in early childhood education are increasing steadily but there are disparities. There is inconsistent support for families in understanding and developing children's early oral language.

4. School achievement is undermined by factors such as transience, uneven school attendance and the intergenerational nature of low literacy.

5. A large percentage of Auckland's adult population has low literacy and/or numeracy skills.

6. Ngā Reo o Tāmaki Makaurau, The Auckland Languages Strategy will support and foster all the languages of Auckland’s communities.

7. An early years project will assess the effectiveness of the council’s existing activity and identify opportunities to improve outcomes for Māori under the age of five years.

Recommendation/s

That the Community Development and Safety Committee:

a) receive the report on council's support for literacy outcomes

b) note the intergenerational and multi-sector aspects of literacy development

c) note that the implementation of Ngā Reo o Tāmaki Makaurau, The Auckland Languages Strategy will support and foster all languages used in Tāmaki Makaurau

d) note the project to undertake an analysis of the council’s effectiveness in delivering benefits to tamariki Māori.

Comments

8. The Auckland Plan Priority 2 is Improve the education, health & safety of Aucklanders, with a focus on those most in need. Over 40% of adults in Auckland have low literacy and just over 50% have low numeracy skills. Directive 1.3 is Improve the learning and educational opportunities for all Aucklanders, particularly our children and young people. Directive 1.4 is Raise levels of literacy and numeracy and provide opportunities for life‑long and workplace learning.

9. The Auckland Plan states that 'Improving adult education and skill levels will improve income levels and reduce socio-economic disadvantage. Assisting parents into education and employment is a route out of poverty for families. In addition, the parents' educational level is linked to children's participation in early childhood learning and achievement at school.'

10. The council's People Research Plan 2015 notes these research questions of interest to the council:

· How can the barriers to participation in early childhood education be overcome?

· How effective are programmes designed to increase the effective engagement of parents and the participation of Māori and Pacific children?

The council will liaise with partners to promote research in these areas and to identify opportunities for future research and collaboration in the area of adult literacy and numeracy.

11. The council works with a range of partners across multiple sectors to influence literacy outcomes in Auckland.

COMET

12. COMET Auckland is both a Council Controlled Organisation and an independent Charitable Trust. Its role is to support education and skills across Auckland, contributing to social and economic goals in the Auckland Plan. COMET provides research and snapshots on a range of literacy-related areas. COMET uses face to face networking, project leadership and social media (@COMETAuckland) to raise awareness about literacy gaps and potential solutions.

13. COMET identifies a 'family learning challenge.' It estimates there are 410,000 adults in Auckland with low literacy and emphasises that the intergenerational nature of low literacy requires parent and family engagement in order to build effective family literacy programmes.

14. COMET has been active in family literacy for many years. COMET identifies these benefits of family literacy approaches:

· literacy levels of both children and parents are raised

· parents extend their skills in developing children's literacy and learning

· learning is an explicit and positive part of family life.

Learning Auckland Leadership Table

15. COMET facilitates a collective impact initiative called the Learning Auckland Leadership Table. Its purpose is to bring about a long-term shift in cradle to grave educational achievement across Auckland. This aligns to the Auckland Plan priority, Put children and young people first. The Leadership Table includes staff from the council group.

16. In August 2015 the Learning Auckland Leadership Table hosted a presentation on the cradle to career pathway by the Deputy Secretary for Evidence, Data and Knowledge at the Ministry of Education. This research shows that participation in early childhood education (ECE) has been steadily increasing in Auckland. Māori and Pasifika rates have increased by 7.8 and 6.9% respectively since June 2010. Overall Auckland is 2.8% short of the Better Public Services target of 98% participation in ECE by 2016.

17. There are higher levels of student transience in Auckland than nationally. In 2014, 1,318 students experienced two or more movements between schools. Transience rates in Auckland are highest among Māori (18.7 students per 1,000 enrolled) and Pasifika (6.4 students per 1,000 enrolled).

18. Ministry records for 2014 show that 2,770 students in Auckland left school before the age of 17. Students who had been absent from school for 15 days and late for school for another 15 days in a single term back in year eight were less than half as likely to pass their NCEA literacy and numeracy credits three years later than those who attended on time most days.

19. The Ministry's modelling on 2014 figures suggests that about 7,000 of the cohort of 21,000 children aged 12 who are at the highest risk of not achieving NCEA level two and 200 are at 'high risk' of not achieving NCEA level two. These children at high risk are hardest to reach. Of the 7,000 children at risk of not gaining NCEA level two, 87% (6,082) have a primary caregiver with less than NCEA level one.

The Southern Initiative (TSI)

20. The Southern Initiative (TSI) is designed to achieve transformational social, economic, and physical change. Auckland's Economic Development Strategy promotes cross-sector collaboration to support education, skills, transition and employment outcomes in TSI.

21. COMET's 2015 community snapshot for TSI indicates that 6,918 families are headed by families with no educational qualifications. In TSI areas 33% of households do not have internet access (15% for Auckland as a whole) and 88.9% of children starting school in March 2014 had attended ECE (94.6% for Auckland generally).

Early oral language, school readiness and the importance of whānau

22. In 2014 The Growing up in New Zealand longitudinal study of 7,000 children and their families in Auckland and Waikato released Now we are two: Describing our first 1000 days (see http://www.growingup.co.nz). The research showed that 14% of mothers and 23% of partners recorded reading books to their child once a week or less. Mothers told stories (excluding reading books) once a week or less for 57% of children, and partners told stories once a week or less for 64% of children. The research indicates that supporting digital access for parents in low decile areas increases parents’ engagement in their child’s education.

23. COMET facilitates Talking Matters, a network which engages over 40 Auckland stakeholder organisations on issues relating to early oral language development/use and school readiness. The organisations involved in Talking Matters represent teacher education, early learning, health, family services, council including libraries, central government, child development researchers, family literacy and parenting. Talking Matters partners see a need to raise community awareness about the importance of early oral language and to develop strategies and resources that support families and whānau to promote talking in the home.

24. COMET used international literacy day on 8 September 2015 to promote the importance of talking, singing, story telling and reading to children in order to build oracy skills. COMET's Manager for Literacy and Family Learning drew attention to the gender cap in reading confidence and competence. In primary school, 81% of Auckland's girls and 72.6% of boys are reading at or above the national standard for reading. Figures for TSI communities are 69.6% of girls and 58.9% of boys reading at or above the national standard.

25. Council interacts with local and national initiatives that have a positive impact on literacy outcomes in Auckland, including HIPPY (Home Interaction Programme for Parents & Youngsters) and the Parents as First Teachers programme.

26. COMET currently owns the Whānau Ara Mua (WAM) intergenerational learning and literacy programme (at the end of 2016 locally owned qualifications will be replaced by national qualifications). WAM is delivered by the Solomon Group. In 2014, 150 adults enrolled in WAM and of those 122 graduated with a level two Certificate in Family Learning and Child Development. The Tertiary Education Commission increased funding for WAM, which now offers 250 student places across 14 locations.

27. Libraries' strategic plan Future Directions sets a course for Auckland Libraries to work holistically with parents, whānau, carers and schools to strengthen family literacy and advocate for library membership as one indicator of school readiness. Libraries has an important role to play in supporting literacy, numeracy and reading for a lifetime. Public libraries are not bound by a teaching curriculum and can engage children in meaningful play and the enjoyment of books and reading.

28. Libraries provides a wide range of informal learning opportunities for children and families. These include Wriggle and Rhyme, storytime, rhymetime and school holiday programmes. Libraries use interactive events to grow children's confidence, language skills and love of reading. Wriggle and Rhyme is focused on young children aged 0-2 years, using active movement, sound, language and parent/carer-child bonding to support children's pre-literacy development. Storytime and rhymetime help children 3-5 years to be comfortable with books and to consolidate their recognition of letters and numbers.

29. Libraries offer school age children a variety of homework and study skill programmes. Information skills programmes attended by adults include computer skill classes, book clubs subject-focused research workshops and tailored book-a-librarian sessions.

30. In 2014/2015, 176,559 people participated in library information skills programmes. Each week approximately 2,700 children and parents take part in Wriggle and Rhyme.

31. Libraries has partnered with the Storytime Foundation since its inception almost 20 years ago. Storytime Foundation (formerly Books for Babes) has distributed over 112,000 books and helped parents and caregivers develop confidence in reading with their young child each day. A strength of this programme is that a trusted health professional encourages parent-child attachment through reading and then makes it possible for the family to transition to the library through a personalised handover. The programme provides early readers in several languages and starts a young child on the path to a positive experience around books.

32. In August 2015 Libraries began making it easier for parents to select reading material for their children. An illustrated label on the front cover of all children's readers and fiction books indicates where the book sits in terms of reading progression; there are three steps for readers and three steps for fiction that help parents select a book suited to their child's reading development. This initiative invokes the principle of Tino Rangatiratanga: inviting customers to explore library collections on their own terms.

33. In the last financial year Libraries ran a project to test new ways of reaching families who do not use a local library. Prototypes were developed and delivered in non-library settings to engage families with pre-school children. Phase 2 of the project in February will implement the approach in libraries that will focus more of their programming on outreach to families who do not visit physical libraries.

34. Dare to Explore - Kia Māia te Whai is the summer reading adventure delivered across the library network to encourage children to keep reading and learning over December and January. Some children participate in the programme independently, some with their families. Top level results of 2014/15 programme evaluation are:

· 9,673 children registered, a 16.1 per cent increase from the previous year

· 56% girls, 45% boys

· most participants were aged six to eight years

· at 51%, the largest percentage of registrants identified themselves as having at least some New Zealand European/Pākehā ethnicity; 9% had some Indian ethnicity; 10% Chinese; 10% Māori; 9% Samoan; 4% Tongan; and 3% cent Cook Island Māori

· 1,283 (13%) of participants were not library members before joining the programme

· of the 624 parents/caregivers who provided feedback on the programme, 61% felt that through the programme their children's reading ability had improved a little or a lot; 31% reported an increase in their child's reading confidence; 68% agreed or strongly agreed that the programme had increased their child's enjoyment of reading; 87% reported that the programme encouraged their child to discover and learn new things

· children themselves reported that Dare to Explore had helped them to improve their reading 'a little bit' (44%) or 'a lot' (39%).

Last year Dare to Explore reached 7.2% of eligible children in Auckland aged five to 10 years, and 5.5% of eligible children aged five to 13 years.

35. Library events often feature story telling in support of children learning the power of oracy. In May, during Finauga a Aoga maualuluga i le gagana Fa'a-Sāmoa/Sāmoan Language Week 2015, local school students undertook a lively debate in Samoan. During Matariki, the collective Te Reo Wainene ō Tua (The Sweet Story of Yesteryear) delivered sessions in libraries to connect young people with the beauty of spoken te reo.

Adult literacy

36. Council partners or networks with organisations that deliver adult literacy courses, for example Adult Literacy Tāmaki Inc., Hub West (supported by the Henderson-Massey Local Board) and the Waiheke Learning Centre (supported by the Waiheke Local Board). The Waiheke Learning Centre opened its new, wi-fi enabled premises in September 2015.

37. In 2014 Auckland Libraries partnered with Workbase. Library staff visited work locations to personalise the transition from a workplace literacy programme to using a local library. The collaboration profiled libraries as welcoming and non-judgmental, and over 50 people joined the library for the first time.

38. Each September local libraries run displays and learning activities during Adult Learners' Week/He Tangata Mātauranga.

39. Library collections include materials to support adult literacy students and teachers, as well as people who are learning English as a second language. Items in these collections were borrowed over 38,000 times in 2014/2015. The collection of readers supports adults and teens wanting to improve their skills in reading English. This collection consists primarily of graded literacy readers at a basic level. These readers are often adaptations of classic and other well-known standard titles with an accompanying CD. The library frequently purchases multiple copies to enable tutors to use group sets.

40. Other works for self-directed learning areas such as digital literacy and financial literacy are purchased for the non-fiction collection.

Community languages

41. In March 2015 the council accepted COMET's proposal to work with council, central government and community partners on the development of Ngā Reo o Tāmaki Makaurau, The Auckland Languages Strategy. Launched in November, this strategy will promote and foster all the languages spoken in Auckland Tāmaki Makaurau. It supports te reo Māori revitalisation and the wider use of te reo, bilingualism, language learning in formal education, action to help Pacific languages flourish, opportunities for newcomers to learn English, adult English literacy programmes, and the promotion and celebration all languages used in Auckland.

42. Many of the council's libraries provide activities to enable people to improve their functional literacy in English. Examples are multi-lingual storytimes and conversation sessions where volunteers support people to practise their English in a safe environment. One example is the Anju Chinese Club at the Onehunga Library. Held twice a month, this group supports mainly older Chinese people to consolidate their basic English and learn about aspects of everyday life that require functional English.

43. The Libraries' community languages collection comprises items in 36 languages in addition to materials in Māori, New Zealand Sign Language and English. The 36 community languages represented include Māori Kūki 'Āirani/Cook Island Māori, Na Vosa Vakaviti/ Fijian, Ko e vagahau Niuē/Niuean, Gagana fa'a Sāmoa/Samoan, Tau gaganaTokelau/ Tokelauan and Lea faka-Tonga/Tongan.

Financial literacy

44. COMET partners with the Commission for Financial Capability to maintain the Auckland Financial Literacy Practitioners and Providers Network as a platform for promoting financial literacy and sharing information and expertise.

45. COMET is the fund holder for two financial literacy projects. Growing Financial Independence in Tāmaki is a partnership with Te Waipuna Puawai Mercy Oasis. COMET has partnered with Te Awa Ora Trust in Manurewa to enable local partners to develop and deliver a financial literacy training programme, Money Story.

46. Money Week ran from 31 August to 6 September 2015. As in previous years, workshops were held across a range of Auckland venues including schools, community centres and libraries.

47. In October 2016 the Commission for Financial Capability will host the OECD International Network of Financial Educators Summit in Auckland.

Digital literacy

48. COMET, ATEED, TSI and other council teams are active in initiatives that promote digital literacy. In 2013 the council and the Manaiakalani Education Trust signed a Memorandum of Understanding covering the sharing of information, championing the Manaiakalani schools programme in Pt. England, Glen Innes and Panmure, and the provision of resource support such as staff expertise.

49. People who need to interact with central government agencies come to libraries for computer access and assistance from staff. Libraries are the means through which many Aucklanders acquire the skills needed for digital citizenship in relation to Better Public Services result area 10 ('New Zealanders can complete their transactions with the Government easily in a digital environment'). Library staff provide group and on-on-one tutorials on various aspects of computer and internet use, and assist customers directly when they need help.

50. Library activities throughout the year help people build digital literacy. One example is Ngā Kōrero Kotuitui: Stories that connect, a digital story telling wānanga offered during Family History month to upskill students, kaumātua and rangatahi, teachers, family historians and whakapapa enthusiasts. TSI and Libraries collaborate with community partners over a number of digital and makerspace initiatives. Currently Papakura Library is offering block based programming to teach people the logic and tools of computer programming.

51. In November 2015 Libraries introduced the Digital Literacy database. Designed for young people of high school age, this resource offers tips on how to they can protect themselves from cyberbullying, as well as information on entrepreneurship and careers, communication, research skills, social networking and gaming.

Consideration

Local Board views and implications

52. Local boards support many organisations and initiatives that have a positive influence on literacy outcomes in their communities. Local boards have not been directly consulted over this report.

Māori impact statement

53. In 2014/2015 COMET established the Tāmaki Makaurau Education Forum (TMEF) to support collaboration on te reo Māori revitalisation and iwi education planning. COMET reports that currently 70% of Māori school students in Auckland receive little or no te reo Māori. Areas of focus for TMEF are empowering communities, speaking te reo Māori, best learning and iwi cohesion, and Te Ataarangi (proficiency outside of immersion settings).

54. Some Māori children and whānau experience gaps in literacy-related support because council services cannot always operate in an immersion environment. For example, the Education Counts website lists 51 Kōhanga Reo in the Auckland region. The council's libraries have regular contact with fewer than 10 of these.

55. The Dare to Explore - Kia Māia te Whai summer reading adventure for 2015-16 has been redesigned to increase appeal to children who are users of te reo Māori. This includes the traditional story of Rehua at the heart of the programme, the look of the collateral, the creation of reading and discovery challenges in Māori, and a pōwhiri to launch the programme on 6 December. Libraries aims to lift Māori participation in Kia Māia te Whai above the current level of 10% of participants overall.

56. Te Toa Takitini will drive council's commitment to Māori social well-being. The council delivers multiple programmes, services, facilities and events to young children but there is not a clear analysis of that investment and the benefits to tamariki Māori. An early years project will assess the effectiveness of the council’s existing investment and identify opportunities to improve outcomes for Māori under the age of five years.

Implementation

57. COMET is engaging with the Ministry of Education's Early Learning Taskforce and other stakeholders to progress the issues identified within the Talking Matters network.

58. A summer intern will work with COMET to communicate data around data on transience, school attendance and other factors that undermine progress and achievement.

59. Libraries will measure its progress and engage with communities and partners towards achieving meaningful library experiences for every pre-school child in Auckland.

Attachments

There are no attachments for this report.

Signatories

Authors	Greg Morgan - Manager Service Development
Authorisers	Graham Bodman - General Manager - Arts, Community and Events

Community Development and Safety Committee

02 December 2015

General Manager's update on activity in the Arts, Community and Events department

File No.: CP2015/25195

Purpose

1. To update the Community Development and Safety Committee on activity in council’s Arts, Community and Events (ACE) unit.

Executive Summary

2. The ACE department’s vision is to ‘enable connected, creative communities – he he tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata.” The department comprises four units; arts and culture, events, community places and community empowerment.

3. The ACE department’s name changed from CDAC to Arts, Community and Events on 20 October.

4. This report details recent activity relating to the department’s adoption of the empowered communities approach, as well as activity relating to community organisations (Citizens Advice Bureaux and Auckland Regional Migrant Services) and graffiti eradication.

Recommendation/s

That the Community Development and Safety Committee:

a) receive the update from the General Manager Arts, Community and Events on departmental activity.

Comments

Background

5. The Arts, Community and Events department’s vision is to “enable connected, creative communities – he tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata.”

6. ACE’s one-page strategic plan for 2015/2016 is attached as Appendix A for the committee’s reference.

Departmental Name Changes

7. From 20 October 2015 the Community Development, Arts and Culture department changed its name to Arts, Community and Events.

8. This change was for three main reasons:

i. the start of the new Community Empowerment unit on 1 October 2015 signaled a change in emphasis from community development to community empowerment

ii. the former name never accurately conveyed the department’s significant events delivery and permitting activity

iii. the department’s Community Facilities unit has been renamed Community Places (following the creation of the new Community Facilities department effective 23 November 2015) and the reference to “Community” in the new departmental name now references both Community Empowerment and Community Places activity.

9. No cost is associated with this change.

Empowered Communities Approach

10. Since the last report to the Community Development and Safety committee on 7 October 2015, significant progress has been made in transitioning to the new Empowered Communities approach:

11. The Community Empowerment Unit’s lead team has been appointed and commenced duties. Key personnel are:

· Unit Manager: Christine Olsen

· Managers Strategic Brokers: Sarah McGhee and George Makapatama

· Practice Manager: Abigael Vogt

· Operations Managers: Manu Pihama and Mark Evans

· Manager Community Contracts: Brian Taylor

· Senior Advisor: Kylie Hill

· Youth Connections Programme Manager: Jacqui Dillon

12. Employment offers have been made to 16 of the 18 Strategic Broker positions, with all due to commence duties by Christmas. The remaining two vacancies are being re-advertised. Six other vacancies remain, comprising three Youth Connections and three Specialist Advisor positions.

13. Martine Abel has accepted responsibility as point of contact for the Disability Advisory Panel. Key reference people for the other advisory panels will be confirmed before Christmas.

14. Until Christmas, the Community Empowerment Unit’s priorities are:

· reviewing all regional and local work programme commitments for the 2016 Financial Year

· allocating work to team members

· proactive communications with Local Board members and other customers and stakeholders including community groups.

Other Departmental Activity

Auckland Regional Migrant Services (ARMS)

15. Following central government’s decision to cease contractual funding for the Auckland Regional Migrants Service (ARMS) effective 1 January 2016, Council agreed to a one-off interim contribution of $40,000 to ARMS for the 2015/2016 Financial Year.

16. ACE is finalising a funding agreement to ARMS for this amount. Auckland Tourism Events and Economic Development (ATEED) has agreed to ‘top up’ ACE’s budget by $40,000 to cover this contribution. Council is working with ARMS to assess other funding options for Financial Year 2016/2017 onwards.

Citizens Advice Bureaux

17. Auckland Council is the main funder for Auckland’s thirty-one Citizens Advice Bureaux (CABx), including annual bulk funding of $1.672m (plus inflation allowance) and provision of accommodation throughout the region at nominal cost to the CABx.

18. Over the three Financial Years 2012/2013 to 2014/2015, Council provided additional funding of $125,000 per annum to a new governance body called Auckland CABx (ACABx). The purpose of this funding was to promote a review of regional CABx activity, including introduction of bulk funding, a review of lease arrangements and a strategic review of CABx activity and provision across the region, with a focus on the future.

19. ACABx’ funding was originally agreed to be paid for one year. CDAC has separately funded ACABx for the past two financial years. Council funding for ACABx ceased in Financial Year 2015/2016.

20. Auckland’s CABx have agreed to continue to support ACABx from within their bulk funding from council.

21. Discussions between ACABx and Auckland Council are currently underway regarding a head lease arrangement that would see all leased CAB offices operate under the same terms and conditions. (CABx currently operate under a range of legacy lease provisions.)

22. The key challenge to address is for leases to come into line with all other council community leases and to pay for outgoings. The estimated net financial implication for CABx across the region is an additional $64,000 per annum (offset by a reduction in Council’s costs) and we are presently working with ACABx to determine how this may be managed.

Reducing graffiti vandalism

23. On 16 November 2015 the Mayor hosted a meeting with ACE staff, Auckland’s graffiti eradication contractors and community groups to acknowledge the significant success in reducing graffiti vandalism across Auckland, including:

· the number of incidents of tagging has been reduced by 25 per cent since the programme began. In 2012-13 there were 125,000 incidents of tagging. In 2014-15 there were 94,000

· the vast majority (98%+) of reports of graffiti are removed within 24 hours or less

· in the last five years of the united Auckland Council, there has been a 26% reduction in the number of graffiti complaints received.

Consideration

Local board views and implications

24. This report is an update on departmental activity and therefore local board views have not been specifically sought for the purpose of this report.

Māori impact statement

25. This report is an update on departmental activity. Although achieving improved outcomes for Māori is a core consideration for ACE activity, input from mana whenua or mataawaka has not been specifically sought for the purpose of this report.

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a View	ACE Strategic Plan	29

Signatories

Authors	Sarah Zimmerman – Senior Advisor
Authorisers	Graham Bodman - General Manager - Arts, Community and Events

Community Development and Safety Committee

02 December 2015

Allocation of the Regional Community Development Grants 2015/2016

File No.: CP2015/24219

Purpose

1. To approve the allocation for the 2015/2016 regional community development grants programme.

Executive Summary

2. The Regional Strategy and Policy Committee adopted the Community Grants Policy (CGP) on 4 December 2014 (REG/2014/134). The policy includes a framework for six regional grants programmes, including a regional community development grants programme.

3. The Regional Community Development grant programme was established to activate the potential of the community and voluntary sector to help deliver the six transformational shifts outlined in the Auckland Plan, and contribute to the goal of making Auckland the world’s most liveable city. The grants delivered through this programme will support the implementation of “Thriving Communities”: Social and Community Development Strategic Action Plan.

4. The 2015/2016 Long Term Plan allocated $175,000 to the Regional Community Development Grants Programme (BUD/2015/57).

5. In October 2015, the Community Development and Safety Committee adopted the Regional Community Development grants framework for the 2015/2016 financial year (COM/2015/65). The adopted framework for this grant is attached as Attachment A to this report.

6. The first round of the Regional Community Development Grants Programme has closed; 97 applications were received with a total of $2,317,628.75 requested. Staff have assessed the applications against the assessment criteria (Attachment B). A total of seven applications are recommended for funding, with 52 applications assessed as partially aligned to the allocation framework and 38 were assessed as ineligible.

7. The Community Development and Safety Committee (CDS) hold the delegation to approve the allocation for the regional community development grants. This report presents the 2015/2016 Regional Community Development Grant allocation for approval.

Recommendation/s

That the Community Development and Safety Committee:

a) allocate $175,000 of regional community development grants as outlined below:

Organisation	Project/programme	Grant Allocation
Ngati Whatua Nga Rimao Kaipara Charitable Trust	Wananga (training) for rangatahi (young people)	$30,000
New Zealand Somali Women’s Incorporated Society	Sewing and craft social entrepreneurship project	$30,000
PHAB Association Auckland Ltd	Train and mentor young people with a disability to take up leadership roles	$25,000
Te Ara Rangatu o Ngati Te Ata Waiohua Ltd	Improving young people’s vocational, educational, entrepreneurial skills, knowledge and expertise.	$30,000
Auckland Action Against Poverty	Community benefit training programme	$20,000
Migrant Action Trust	Job Diversity Fair	$10,000
RainbowYouth	Support, education and advocacy for gay and transgender young people	$30,000
Total		$175,000

Comments

8. The Regional Strategy and Policy Committee adopted the Community Grants Policy (CGP) on 4 December 2014 (REG/2014/134). The policy includes a framework for six regional grants programmes, including a regional community development grants programme. Attachment A provides further detail on the grants programme.

9. The regional component of the CGP recognises community grants as a key tool the governing body can use to implement the vision for the region as a whole, as set out in the Auckland Plan and Thriving Communities Action Plan. Grants provide a tangible way of supporting Aucklanders’ aspirations for their city and responding to regional needs and opportunities.

10. The Regional Community Development (RCD) Grants Programme sets out the purpose of this grant, which is:

“to activate the potential of the community and voluntary sector to help deliver the six transformational shifts outlined in the Auckland Plan, and contribute to the goal of making Auckland the world’s most liveable city. The grants delivered through this programme will support the implementation of “Thriving Communities”: Social and Community Development Strategic Action Plan.”

11. In October 2015, the Community Development and Safety Committee adopted the Regional Community Development grants framework for the 2015/2016 financial year (COM/2015/65).

12. The annual funding budget for the RCD Grants Programme is $175,000 (this was confirmed as part of the final decision-making on the Long-term Plan (LTP) 2015 – 2025 (BUD/2015/57)).

13. The new grants policy proposes two regional community development grant types; one-off project grants and multi-year strategic relationship grants. However only the one-off project grants are offered this financial year, due to the limited budget for regional community development grants in 2015/2016.

Funding Outcomes and Criteria

14. To be eligible for a Community Development grant, projects need to be of regional significance or offer a programme to a niche targeted population. Applicants were also asked to identify which regional outcomes their programme, project, or activity supports.

15. The regional outcomes in the Community Development grant framework are:

· resident and community-led action is flourishing

· the voluntary and community sector is supported

· there is a vibrant social innovation sector

· communities are safe and welcoming places for children and young people and foster a sense of belonging

· Maori communities are strong and resilient.

16. The key criteria in the community grants policy schedule for the RCD Grants Programme are:

· organisations which deliver on Auckland Council’s vision for the community and voluntary sector as outlined in “Thriving Communities”: Social and Community Development Action Plan

· organisations which focus on the provision of capacity and capability building support

· organisations which facilitate regional collaboration through shared delivery

· organisations which prioritise and actively contribute to the achievement of Maori outcomes

· organisations which promote transformative social change for target populations

· regionally significant community development organisations or organisations which have a unique activity and fulfil a regional niche

· organisations which provide strategic leadership with in the community and/or sector

· organisations which seek to develop enabling infrastructure and supportive conditions for the development of social innovation.

17. A total of 97 applications were received with $2,317,628.75 requested overall. The large number of applications reflects the widespread advertising of the grant and the difficult funding environment that not-for-profit groups are currently facing. The current funding environment is characterised by a reduced funding pool available from government and other grant-makers.

Assessment

18. Applications were assessed by Arts, Community and Events staff and the Grants Operations Team. The recommendations presented in this report are the outcome of the assessment process.

19. All applicants were assessed against the eight key criteria as outlined above, plus a further two criteria: applicants’ demonstration of accessibility and service to Auckland’s diverse populations. Each application was scored against these ten criteria and then rated. Each application had an assessment score out of 50 which was used to rank applications from highest to lowest.

20. Applications were grouped into those that aligned, partially aligned or did not align with the criteria. Attachment C provides further details on the applications and assessment.

21. Staff recommend that a limited number of organisations are awarded a grant. This is to ensure the successful and sustainable delivery of the identified project or programme. It is important that organisations will not need to seek additional funding, which could place the project at risk if they are unable to secure any further funding.

22. Seven applications are recommended for funding. These applications are from regionally significant organisations and:

· strategically align with the grant outcomes

· are aligned with priorities in the Auckland Plan

· demonstrate an ability to target regionally identified populations, or a niche population.

23. The recommended applications represent a good coverage of regionally significant organisations with a geographic spread across several target groups including Maori, migrant, youth, and disability communities.

24. The below table outlines the seven successful organisations recommended for funding and their alignment to the Regional Community development Grants criteria

Organisations recommended for funding under the Regional Community Development grants programme
Organisation	Project/programme	Grant Allocation	Alignment with CPG
Ngati Whatua Nga Rima o Kaipara Charitable Trust	Wananga (training) for rangatahi (young people)	$30,000	The programme will draw on iwi members from across Auckland to participate in leadership training for young people. This programme supports the achievement of Maori through a community-led approach.
New Zealand Somali Women’s Incorporated Society	Sewing and craft entrepreneurship project	$30,000	The project supports a regional niche population, through the development of a social enterprise. The project demonstrates collaboration and capacity building and utilises a community-led approach.
PHAB Association Auckland Ltd	Train and mentor young people with a disability to take up leadership roles	$25,000	The programme utilises a community-led approach for young people to train other young people to become youth workers in the disability sector as well as mainstream organisations.
Te Ara Rangatu o Ngati Te Ata Waiohua Ltd	Improving young people’s vocational, educational, entrepreneurial skills, knowledge and expertise.	$30,000	The programme will draw on iwi members from across Auckland to participate in the mentoring and improving the capability of young people by young people. This programme supports the achievement of Maori through a community-led approach.
Auckland Action Against Poverty	Community benefit training programme	$20,000	The programme will deliver a “benefit access” training package and programme for community groups. The programme supports capacity and capability building for a wide range of community groups across the Auckland region.
Migrant Action Trust	Job Diversity Fair	$10,000	The programme will deliver a “Job Diversity Fair” supporting migrants to achieve better employment outcomes. This programme aims to build capacity and support long term sustainability for migrants and new settlers in Auckland.
RainbowYouth	Support, education and advocacy for gay and transgender young people	$30,000	Supports a regional niche youth population through a community-led approach. This project supports a targeted population through peer support groups, volunteering opportunities and the development of resources to promote personal development and sustainability.

25. The 52 partly aligned applications requested a total of $1,495,703.79. These applications did not demonstrate as strong an alignment to the CGP or scored lower for some of the identified criteria. These partially aligned applications can be grouped into the following broad areas:

· requests for operational costs for activities which were identified as “business as usual”

· requests for equipment or events which did not demonstrate sustainability

· did not demonstrate strong evidence for capacity or capability building

· did not demonstrate how they would encourage accessibility or increase outcomes for Maori.

26. Thirty-eight applications were assessed as not aligned to the outcomes of the Regional Community Development Grants Programme. The ‘not aligned’ applications can be grouped into the following broad areas:

· not delivering community development programmes

· capex projects

· requests for venue costs

· localised projects with limited evidence they would sufficiently meet region-wide needs or deliver a regional impact

· localised projects not delivering to a niche population.

Programme Improvements

27. This is the first year that Auckland Council has run the Regional Community Development grant round and some areas for improvement have been identified. There were only a small number of applications which focused on the outcomes of resident and community-led action and Maori communities being strong and resilient. Specific promotion of this aspect of the fund will occur as part of the 2016/17 funding round.

28. In addition, a large number of applications were ineligible due to not having a regional focus or not being a community development project. As part of the review of this first funding round staff will look at options to ensure the purpose of the grant is clear and explicit. These options and discussions around refining implementation of the Regional Community Development grant will be brought to the Community Development and Safety committee in 2016 for input and decision making.

Consideration

Local Board views and implications

29. Local Boards have expressed the view that some organisations who do not qualify for local board funding are in need of a regional funding option. Staff advise that the Regional Community Development grants funding scheme presents that option; however the budget available means only a limited number of applications can be successful.

Māori impact statement

30. Regional community development funding will provide additional opportunities for Maori to apply for funding to support Maori regional community activities and outcomes. Two iwi organisations have been recommended for funding as they aim to lift Maori outcomes and demonstrate alignment to the “Thriving Communities”: Social and Community Development Strategic Action Plan.

Implementation

31. Following the decisions of this committee, all applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application. Staff will advise declined applicants of other grant opportunities, including local board funding rounds.

32. To encourage high quality, innovative projects and applications in future, staff from the Arts Culture and Events department and the Grant Operations Team will work with key sector organisations to support their capacity to apply.

33. Funding agreements will be prepared for all successful applications, and will contain accountability requirements including outcomes reporting.

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a View	Regional Community Development Grant programme	37
b View	Regional Community Development Grant assessment matrix	39
c View	Regional Community Development Grant applications	41

Signatories

Authors	Marion Davies - Community Grants Operations Manager
Authorisers	Graham Bodman - General Manager - Arts, Community and Events

Community Development and Safety Committee

02 December 2015

Eligibility Check

Regional Status

Activities spread across the regional Or that are niche /specialised enough to draw audiences from across the region

Yes

proceed

ineligible

Red Flag Status

Any red flags on the grants management system for past grants including overdue reports, failed projects

Proceed

Yes

investigate

Attachment B: Regional Community Development Grants Assessment Matrix

Project Quality 0= no evidence 1=Little evidence 2= Some Evidence 3= Satisfactory evidence 4=Good evidence 5=Excellent Evidence	Score
Kaupapa/ Concept/ Strategy The concept is sound, well considered and plausible with demonstrated need and demand
Staff/People Involved/Organisation Qualified, experienced staff with proven ability, the organisation performs well and has a stable governance and management structure
Process/ Methodology/ Planning Evidence of best practice, risk assessment and timeframes/ milestones
Robust strategic and business plans are in place Evidence of forward planning and strategy
Alignment to Council’s strategic outcomes Activities, initiatives and outcomes support council’s strategic priorities
Customer-centric Design The customer/recipient or beneficiary of the activity is clearly understood, has informed and is at the centre of the activity design

Budget and Finances Budgets are realistic, accurate financial processes are in place and past financial performance informs forecasted targets
Māori Outcomes Mātauranga Māori: Has or is clearly aligned with Māori values, Kaupapa Māori or Mātauranga Māori considerations. This will include activities that have strong Māori themes, that educate or allow the participants to experience Māori traditions and world views. Specific Response: Has existing clear objectives and measures pertaining to Māori outcomes on a specific issue or focus. Providing Opportunities for Māori : Has a significant level of participation and support by Māori even though the activity or outcomes may not necessarily be Māori in nature.
Outcomes The following outcomes are met · Resident and community-led action is flourishing · The voluntary and community sector is supported · There is a vibrant social innovation sector · Communities are safe and welcoming places for children and young people and foster a sense of belonging · Maori communities are string and resilient
Sustainability Outcomes Evidence of longer term sustainability thinking and strategies to meet the proposed outcomes and are relative to investment.
Raw Score
Prioritisation Score	+1
1. The organisation, and/or activity delivers on Auckland Council’s vision for the community and voluntary sector as outlined in “Thriving Communities:” Social and Community Development Action Plan.
2. The activity seeks to remove accessibility barriers. For example: · Social accessibility (e.g. cost) · Cultural (inclusiveness) · Physical (children, older people and people with disabilities) · Geographic (easy access, everyday places, public transport or easy parking etc.)
3. The organisation and/or activity actively contributes to the achievement of Maori outcomes.
4. The organisation engages actively across Auckland’s diverse population.
5. The organisation has a unique offering and fulfils a regional niche.
6. The activity promotes transformative social change for target populations.
7. The organisation and/or activity seeks to develop enabling infrastructure and supportive conditions for the development of social innovation.
8. The organisation and/or activity will build capacity and capability across the sector.
9. We will prioritise collaboration. For example: · Sector mentoring · Shared operational services · Co-creation of activities that align with these priorities · Private and commercial sector
10. The proposed outcomes are clearly articulated and offer value for Aucklander’s investment.
Priority Score
Overall score

Funding Exclusions

· The Community Grants Policy states that the following activities will not be funded through any Auckland Council grants programmes:

· debt servicing or repayment

· legal expenses

· activities that promote religious ministry or political purposes

· medical expenses

· public services that are the responsibility of central government (eg core education, primary health care)

· physical works for example improvement to community buildings that require consents to permits, prior to the necessary consents or permits being obtained (grants may be awarded in principle, but funds will not be released until all conditions are satisfied)

· purchase of alcohol

· The RCD Grants Programme is designed to activate the potential of the community and voluntary sector to help deliver the six transformational shifts outlined in the Auckland Plan. To enable this outcome, the programme will offer grants between $5,000 and $40,000.

· All grants will be subject to accountability requirements with grant recipients expected to provide reporting related to the outcomes supported by council grants. The framework for this grants programme will be reviewed annually prior to each RCD funding round.

Community Development and Safety Committee

02 December 2015

Key focus areas and Foward Work Programme 2016

File No.: CP2015/25755

Purpose

1. To propose key focus areas for the Community Development and Safety Committee, from February to August 2016.

2. To approve the Community Development and Safety Committee forward work programme.

Executive Summary

Focus areas

3. In 2014 and 2015, committee members followed a format of themed meetings which reflected key focus areas. Meetings were held on a range of community settings appropriate to the theme. The committee has indicated a preference to repeat the format in 2016.

4. At each meeting, an overview of the focus area of concern will be given, including concerns, ideas and opportunities, as well as space for community, Local Board and key partner views to be shared.

5. Based on member feedback and discussion, proposed focus areas for the 2016 committee meetings are outlined in table 1 below:

Table 1: Proposed themes for the Community Development and Safety meetings 2016

Meeting date	Theme
3 February 2016	Disability and Universal design
30 March 2016	Intensification and responding to the social issues of growth
1 June 2016	Homelessness and Emergency Housing
3 August 2016	Rainbow Communities (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex)

6. Guidance is sought on whether committee members wish to take a portfolio approach to the key focus areas.

7. In previous years, committee members have also previously shown an interest in setting the location of each meeting. Staff recommend the committee discuss and indicate a preference for meeting locations when considering this report.

Forward work programme 2016

8. The purpose of the forward work programme is to enable the committee to manage its workflow and deliver on its key projects. It also provides direction to the committee on its decision making.

9. The Community Development and Safety Committee delegations state that the committee is responsible for regional community development and safety, through the development and monitoring of strategy, policy and action plans.

10. The committee also has a role in acting as a community interface for consultation on policies and as a forum for raising community concerns, while ensuring community engagement is complementary to that undertaken by the local board.

11. The delegations include a number of key responsibilities which give effect to the committee’s key projects. The identified key projects include the review of the alcohol harm reduction strategy, implementation of community safety programmes and emergency housing and homelessness.

12. In addition to the above projects, the forward work programme will provide the committee with oversight of the future of the city centre library, allocation of community grants, and the implementation of the empowered communities approach.

Recommendation/s

That the Community Development and Safety Committee:

a) approve the committee’s proposed key focus areas to August 2016.

b) approve the Community Development and Safety Committee 2016 work programme under Attachment A.

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a View	Community Developement and Safety Committee Forward Work Programme 2016	51

Signatories

Authors	Kylie Hill - Business Advisor
Authorisers	Graham Bodman - General Manager Arts, Community and Events

Community Development and Safety Committee

02 December 2015

Youth Connections Update

File No.: CP2015/25264

Purpose

1. This report provides an update of the work underway in Council to increase youth employment rates in Auckland, and builds on the Mayor’s Youth Employment Traction plan.

Executive Summary

2. The Mayors’ Taskforce for Jobs (a body of all New Zealand Mayors) developed the ‘Youth to Work’ strategy to address youth employment. Youth Connections is tasked with implementing that strategy in Auckland, to improve youth employment rates.

3. Youth Connections developed the ‘Mayor’s Youth Employment Traction Plan’ in 2013. This plan complements and elaborates on the Youth to Work strategy, and contains four key workstreams:

· Employer Engagement

· Community Activation at local board level

· Marketplace Products and Services

· Leadership and Advocacy.

4. Youth Connections is supported by Council, ATEED and philanthropic organisations including the Tindall Foundation, the Hugh Green Foundation and the Auckland Airport Community Trust. Ten local boards participate in youth connections and work with the central Youth Connections team to ensure the work programme includes both regional and local perspectives.

5. Key Youth Connections activities are detailed by workstream in the body of this report. Highlights include two JobFest events held in 2015 which saw 270 full time jobs (30+ hours) secured, and 32 of Auckland’s largest employers signing the Youth Employer Pledge to take specific actions to increase the number of young people they employ.

6. In 2015 Youth Connections has engaged with 4,592 young people regarding employment (1,642 directly and 2,950 indirectly through partners), and has unlocked 1,843 job vacancies (1,386 directly and 457 indirectly) that has resulted in 505 employment outcomes (387 directly and 118 indirectly through partners).

Recommendation/s

That the Community Development and Safety Committee:

a) receive the Youth Connections update report.

Comments

7. Auckland has 23,000 young people not in education, training or employment, 63% of whom are Māori and Pasifika young people. This translates to one in five young people disengaged from employment.

8. The Mayor of Auckland is a member of the Mayors’ Taskforce for Jobs which is a body of all New Zealand Mayors who advocate to Ministers and have developed a ‘Youth to Work’ strategy to address youth employment.

9. Youth Connections was established by ten local boards in 2012 and is Auckland’s implementation of the ‘Youth to Work’ strategy for improving youth employment, ensuring every young Aucklander has a career plan and a clear pathway into sustainable employment. The local boards involved are Rodney, Hibiscus and Bays, Kaipatiki, Puketapapa, Maungakiekie-Tamaki, Whau, Henderson-Massey, Papakura, Mangere-Otahuhu and Otara-Papatoetoe.

10. In 2013 the Mayor’s Youth Employment Traction plan was developed by Youth Connections and was endorsed by this committee. Together the Youth Connections strategy and the Traction plan have resulted in four work streams

· Employer Engagement

· Community Activation at local board level

· Marketplace Products and Services

· Leadership and Advocacy.

11. Youth Connections is championed, staffed and funded by a combination of Council, ATEED and philanthropic investment dependent on required resources. The philanthropic organisations involved are

· the Tindall Foundation

· Hugh Green Foundation

· Auckland Airport Community Trust.

12. Ten local boards participate in youth connections and work with the central Youth Connections team to ensure the work programme includes both regional and local perspectives.

Role of Youth Connections

13. Youth Connections is delivering the Mayors’ Taskforce for Jobs - Youth to Work strategy in Auckland.

14. The role of Youth Connections is to collapse the space between work-ready youth and youth-ready employers. To do so effectively requires building the capability of both the ‘demand’ and ‘supply’ sides of youth employment.

Key Work Streams

15. Each of the four workstreams have seen significant activity over the last year, as follows:

Local Board Community Activation

16. Council’s Community Empowerment Unit has appointed permanent staff to coordinate Local Board youth employment plans. Ten Local Boards are partnering with over 100 organisations and institutes to address youth employment. Significant projects in each sub-region include:

Area	Community activation initiative
South	support service for school leavers to navigate the transition from school to work contact centre training pilot into employment with the Solomon Group Cadetmax work experience in Council whanau drivers’ licence programme with Papakura marae facilitating new career conversations in schools
West	an employability badge for businesses, providers and young people social sector trials, with MSD – similar to the ‘whanau ora’ concept, applied to the issue of youth employment feasibility study of a youth skills and employment hub facilitating a network of providers to grow youth employability
Central	Mustard Seed entrepreneurship programme kick-start of the Career Start Up programme with the Tamaki Redevelopment Company and the Chamber of Commerce a coordinated services hub with local providers, government agencies and youth development experts research on business needs and forecast demand
North	Successful pilot of the Warehouse Red-Shirts in Communities initiative network collaboration and community referrals to support school leavers to find employment

17. In addition to the above, many Local Boards have hosted a number of events and business breakfasts in their communities. These events have been used to enrol new stakeholders or add value to the organisations/agencies working in youth employment.

18. A number of participating Local Boards have directed Youth Connections to investigate potential opportunities to work within major infrastructure developments. This includes:

· feasibility of a skills and employment hub in Westgate (Henderson-Massey)

· identifying youth employment pathways within the Tamaki Redevelopment housing initiative (Maungakiekie-Tamaki)

· identifiying youth employment opportunities within the SH1 housing development (Papakura) and airport precinct (Otara-Papatoetoe).

Employer Engagement

19. Employer Engagement is focused on construction & infrastructure, ICT, Maori health, hospitality, tourism and retail. These sectors represent the majority of entry level employment opportunities for young people, and have forecast growth in their workforce requirements, or a need to increase their workforce diversity.

20. The major initiative of this workstream is the the Youth Employer Pledge. Youth Connections provides expert insights and research to pledge partner businesses, to assist them to employ young people in some way. Benefits for businesses of signing up to the pledge include:

· preparing for the future by building a sustainable workforce

· connecting to youth customer segments and local communities

· bringing in diversity, new technologies and fresh ideas.

21. Thirty two of Auckland’s largest employers have signed the Youth Employer pledge, with a further 18 in draft pledge stage, and 37 employers in the development process. The employers that have pledged make up 30,000 jobs in Auckland, translating to 16% of the construction, hospitality and retail sector.

22. ATEED hosts a network series to provide expert insights and research, including peer-to-peer and sector-wide learning, about successful youth employment models. Pledge partners can learn from each other at these events.

23. Employer Engagement is also scoping a construction and infrastructure sector campaign for Auckland. The campaign would encourage all organisations in the sector – pledge partners or otherwise – to work together to attract, train and employ young people into this high-growth sector.

Marketplace Products & Services

24. The Traction Hub (outlined in the Mayor’s Youth Employment Traction plan) is council’s incubator for multi-sector groups to test products and services for scalability and sustainability. There are currently five live projects in the Traction Hub with employers, providers and subject-matter experts working on feasibility. The five projects either remove barriers to employment or are new interventions in existing gaps. Two projects have come from Local Board initiatives, and two are adaptions to existing employer intiatives. The projects are:

· Operation Recruit Youth – a digital matching destination to improve employers access to and selection of work-ready youth

· tracking tool – a digital enabler for the tracking support service and youth database

· Red Shirts in Community – a Warehouse programme adapted for unemployed youth that provides work experience, training and Level 2 credits

· JobFest – a regional event for connecting youth with employers and job opportunities

· 21st century youth employment tool-kit – identifying and developing resources and tools to support youth and employers to connect more effectively.

Leadership & Advocacy

25. This workstream focuses on raising awareness of youth employment in Auckland, ensuring regional leaders advocate for increased youth employment, systems change, or improved cross-functional-cross agency collaboration for addressing the barriers.

26. Youth Connections has increased its engagement with government agencies and this year has focused on:

· identifying a more cohesive and coordinated approach to engaging employers

· membership on the working group for the Auckland Airport Developments and ARA – the skills and employment hub

· collaborating on opportunities specific to Maori and Pasifika young people and their journey from education to sustainable employment

· creating consistent key messages for Maori and Pasifika youth and their families through regional campaigns and individual organisational channels

· discussions with Careers NZ to identify campaigns targeting Māori and Pasifika youth and their families

· partnered on JobFest South, and JobFest Albany with Minstry of Social Development and Careers NZ

Education to Employment

27. Youth Connections is working to understand the critical success factors for improving a transition from school to sustainable employment, training or further education.

28. This includes developing a shared approach for improving employment outcomes for Māori and Pasifika youth, including the transition process out of secondary education. This work is occurring in the Traction Hub with Careers NZ, NZQA, Youth Guarantee, Solomon Group, Youth West Services, CadexMax, Ed Collective, Maori and Pacific Trades Training and Youth Connections staff.

29. To improve employment outcomes for Maori and Pasifika youth, Youth Connections is facilitating or supporting a range of initiatives with local marae, mataawaka, schools, service providers and government agencies. Youth Connections is also working with Youth Employer Pledge partners to build their cultural competency and workforce diversity. Examples of initiatives to date include:

· supporting the Māori and Pacific Trades Training Programme to develop marketing and recruitment strategies with a particular focus on increasing Māori participation

· identifying opportunities for the Māori and Pasifika Trades Training employer consortium

· ‘Maori West Health Workforce’ collaboration to grow the Maori workforce in clinical and non-clinical pathways (with Auckland and Waitakare District Health Boards, Health West, Hoani Waititi, Henderson-Massey Local Board, UNITEC and AUT, and Youth Horizons).

Results

30. In Auckland in 2012, 28,000 young people were not in education, employment or training. In 2015 there are approximately 23,000 young people not in education, employment or training. Youth employment is a complex issue, however staff believe Auckland Council’s youth employment initiatives have contributed to that welcome reduction.

31. Over the two JobFests held in 2015 there have been 270 full time jobs (30+ hours) secured. The first JobFest attracted 1,000 young people and 40 businesses. The second JobFest attracted 2,000 young people and 60 businesses. A third JobFest is booked for March 2016.

32. 32 of Auckland’s largest employers have signed the Youth Employer pledge, with a further 18 in draft pledge stage, and 37 employers in the development process. The employers that have pledged make up 30,000 jobs in Auckland, translating to 16% of the construction, hospitality and retail sector. From employer pledge partners there are 365 employment opportunities committed (full time, cadet, intern, and graduate roles).

33. In 2015 Youth Connections has engaged with 4,592 young people regarding employment (1,642 directly and 2,950 indirectly through partners), and has unlocked 1,843 job vacancies (1,386 directly and 457 indirectly) that has resulted in 505 employment outcomes (387 directly and 118 indirectly through partners).

Consideration

Local board views and implications

34. Local boards are integral to the success of Youth Connections and are actively engaged in the direction setting and implementation.

35. Ten local boards form a collective voice for youth employment in communities.

36. All Youth Connections assets are available to all local boards across Auckland. This includes research and opportunities to participate in regional initiatives.

Maori impact statement

37. Maori are disproportionately affected by the issue of youth employment. From the Youth Connections programme of work to date young Maori have been significantly represented and engaged in opportunities for employment

38. Youth Connections is involved with government agencies such as NZQA, Careers NZ and Youth Gaurantees with a particular focus on improving employment and transition opportunities via their investment.

39. Iwi such as Ngati Whatua, Ngati Paoa, and Tainui - Papakura Marae have partnered with Youth Connections.

Implementation

40. Youth Connections will continue to deliver the 2015/2016 plan.

Attachments

There are no attachments for this report.

Signatories

Authors	Sarah Zimmerman - Community Funding Advisor
Authorisers	Graham Bodman - General Manager - Arts, Community and Events

Chairperson	Cr Dr Cathy Casey
Deputy Chairperson	Cr Sir John Walker, KNZM, CBE
Members	Cr Anae Arthur Anae
	Cr Linda Cooper, JP
	Cr Alf Filipaina
	Member Kris MacDonald
	Cr Calum Penrose
	Member Josie Smith
	Cr Wayne Walker
	Cr John Watson
	Cr George Wood, CNZM
Ex-officio	Mayor Len Brown, JP
	Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse
Ex-officio (without voting rights)	All other councillors

Authors	Suad Allie - Democracy Advisor
Authorisers	Graham Bodman - General Manager - Arts, Community and Events