Local Area Agreement

Bournemouth's Local Area Agreement - what's in it for me?

Since it began in 2005, the Local Area Agreement (LAA) has been creating lots of possibilities and making a huge difference to the lives of people across the UK. The LAA enables organisations in the public sector (police, council, NHS and fire service) private sector (businesses) and third sector (charities, community groups and social enterprises) to work together as one Bournemouth team to tackle key priorities for the town and make the best use of money and resources.

Here are just a few of the reasons why people in Bournemouth are smiling as a result of organisations working together to deliver our Local Area Agreement signed in 2007:

• There has been a reduction in the number of arson and deliberate fires by more than 20% since March 2007.  Court room dramas about arson are being rolled out in schools enabling young people to experience the impact of causing deliberate fires.

• More than 1,000 domestic violence offenders have been brought to justice

  
• There have been 6,398 incidents of domestic violence reported to the police since this LAA started in April 2007.  The target is to have 2,126 incidents reported in the final year of the LAA and to improve services for survivors of domestic violence

• 74 local tourism, hospitality, travel and leisure related businesses have benefited from free customer care skills training to enable them to give visitors to the area a warm welcome

• Over 12,000 young people have been screened for chlamydia and received support and information to enable them to make sexual health choices that work for them.  Bars in Bournemouth have really got behind this - Bar Me, Walk About, Yates and the Mary Shelley have allowed sexual health nurses and peer mentors in to screen their young customers!!  Bournemouth University, Bournemouth and Poole College and the Arts Institute have also been key to the success of this initiative. 

 
• Check out www.f-risky.co.uk  for all things sexual health related, free postal screening kits and all sorts of free stuff like the sought after boxer shorts and illuminous sperm key rings!

• More than 1,300 additional people young and old, who were previously inactive are now being physically active and living healthier lives.

• More than 2,364 households have been lifted out of fuel poverty by receiving free insulation in their homes and vital energy saving advice.  This is our first LAA target we have achieved so far and it will bring £385,654 in reward grant into the town!!

• More than 240 people across Bournemouth and Poole are receiving intensive support to help them into employment after being out of work for a long time

• Despite the recession and in particular the reduction of available seasonal and part time employment, NEET rates (numbers of young people aged 16-18 who are not in employment, education or training) are reducing and we are currently at 7%.  An exciting new approach to working with young people who are NEET called Xellerate is being launched across the town.  The Police, Fire Service, Connexions, Children’s Services and Bournemouth and Poole College are all working together to give those young people an extra boost to their confidence and create opportunities to support them successfully into work, training, education or volunteering.

• Five pregnancy quit smoking clinics are now being run by stop smoking midwives.  This is an increase of 2 from 2007-08.  Our goal is to reduce the numbers of women who smoke whilst pregnant from 16% to 13%.  We are currently at 13.2% thanks to the strong commitment of our teams out in the community delivering the support and the willpower of those mums’s!
For further proof of how the Local Area Agreement is changing people's lives in Bournemouth click here
 
 This information is current as of January 2010