Delivery Programme 2022/2023

Torfaen Council delivers a wide variety of services to residents and businesses. The following highlights some of the key activity that has taken place since April 2021 and what is planned for the 2022-23 financial year in meeting the ambition and mission statements of the county plan.

Well-being Objective 1 - We will raise educational attainment, helping young people and adults to gain the qualifications and skills needed to lead positive lives
Well-being Objective 2 - We will encourage and champion children, young people and families so they can thrive
Well-being Objective 3 - We will tackle inequality by focusing on early identification and prevention activities that support people to live independent and fulfilling lives
Well-being Objective 4 - We will make Torfaen more sustainable by connecting people and communities, socially, digitally and physically
Well-being Objective 5 - We will address our climate and nature emergencies, recycle more and make improvements to the local environment
Well-being Objective 6 - We will make Torfaen a great place to do business by working with local employers, encouraging new business start-ups and entrepreneurial activities
Well-being Objective 7 - We will promote healthier lifestyles in Torfaen to improve mental and physical well-being
Well-being Objective 8 - We will support our local culture and heritage and make Torfaen a thriving, safe and attractive place to live and visit
Well-being Objective 9 - We will provide efficient customer focused services that reflect the way people live their lives and wish to access services

Well-being Objective 1

We will raise educational attainment, helping young people and adults to gain the qualifications and skills needed to lead positive lives

Well-being Objective 1
Programme	This year we will…	This year we have...	Well-being goals
National participation standards for children and young people 21st Century Schools	Increase the number of participants trained from youth groups, schools and the community to ensure young people with Additional Learning Needs are supported to achieve their educational goals - DELAYED Launch the Torfaen Youth Alliance to bring school councils and youth groups together to discuss issues that matter to them and influence the work of the council - COMPLETE Agree a series of engagement and consultation events with the Torfaen Youth Alliance to seek their views on the improvements we want to make in Education in Torfaen and in services for children and young people - DELAYED Deliver a 3G pitch at Ysgol Gymraeg Gwynllyw to improve facilities for learners and the community - ON TARGET Start the refurbishment projects at Ysgol Gymraeg Cwmbran and Ysgol Bryn Onnen to enhance teaching and learning - DELAYED Start building the new school for Maendy Primary School and the extension of Crownbridge to make sure we have sufficient places and enhance teaching and learning - DELAYED	Coordinated a regional project with the Torfaen Young People’s Forum to produce resources to raise awareness of the new Additional Learning Needs Act Created the Torfaen Youth Alliance for young people in Torfaen to have a say on issues that affect them Completed the new primary age provision at Ysgol Gymraeg Gwynllyw Completed design work for a new 3G pitch at Ysgol Gymraeg Gwynllyw, which will go out to tender in March Addressed issues with planning permission to replace Maendy Primary School and agree funding to extend Crownbridge	Responsible Prosperous Resilient Healthier Equal Cohesive Vibrant
Economy & Skills Delivery Plan Children & Young People’s Service Delivery Plan Communities Plan	Create a council work experience programme for young people (initially under 16s) by March 2023 - ON TARGET Enrol 600 people onto our adult and community learning basic skills and vocational courses to increase the number of adult residents with GCSE-equivalent qualifications - ON TARGET We will have reached total of 2600 participants on our 5-year employability programmes which help Torfaen adult residents find employment or move forwards in their careers - COMPLETE Support a further 300 young people to improve their behaviour or school attendance to help them to successfully enter the world of work when they leave school - ON TARGET Secure funding to continue our youth engagement programme so that we can reduce the number of young people not in education, employment or training to 1.9% of the school cohort in 2024 - ON TARGET Place 4 additional graduates with businesses in Torfaen to help innovation and increase the average pay rates in the Borough - DELAYED	Developed a council work experience programme to support up to 40 young people 894 enrolments onto Essential Skills, GCSEs and Vocational qualifications Helped 200 residents to find meaningful employment or move forwards in their careers Supported 51 adult residents to access work experience placements Placed three graduates with businesses in Torfaen Grown the number of Adult and Community Learning courses to over 115, and started to provide some of those activities in our libraries	Cohesive Prosperous Equal Healthier
Welsh in Education Strategic Plan for 2022-32	Increase opportunities to live and learn in the Welsh language by establishing 3 new Welsh Medium Flying Start providers - COMPLETE Increase opportunities to live and learn in the medium of the Welsh language by establishing childcare setting at Ysgol Gymraeg Gwynllyw - DELAYED Deliver a Welsh Medium immersion provision in collaboration with our Welsh Medium schools to increase language fluency for children moving to a Welsh Medium school - ON TARGET Promote Welsh language education, increasing opportunities for learners to use Welsh in schools - ON TARGET Increase provision of Welsh Medium Education for pupils with Additional Learning Needs - ON TARGET	Established Flying Start provision at two new Welsh medium childcare settings Opened a childcare facility at Ysgol Gymraeg Gwynllyw with Flying Start provision Opened Carreg Lam - a Welsh immersion unit for 12 pupils at Ysgol Panteg Created a Welsh Education Strategic plan with key local and regional partners and Welsh Government Supported all schools to implement the Additional Learning Needs and Educational Tribunal Act (Wales) In collaboration with the regional Education Achievement Service (EAS), supported all schools to prepare the development and implementation of the new Curriculum for Wales from September 2022	Equal Prosperous Vibrant
Estyn Post Inspection Action Plan	Deliver all of the outcomes we have outlined in our post inspection action plan including: to improve the quality of teaching and learning for all children and young people: Improve support to Cwmbran High School and Ysgol Gymraeg Gwynllyw from the local authority and the Education Achievement Service, to increase their rate of improvement in teaching and learning - ON TARGET Update our attendance guidance “Strive for 95” and launch a new awareness raising campaign #notinmissout to improve attendance - COMPLETE Work with our partners in the Education Achievement Service to deliver support to all of our schools tailored to their individual self-evaluations and school development plan (SDP) priorities, to help them implement the new Curriculum for Wales - ON TARGET Develop a new comprehensive ALN strategy that will outline the Authorities vision for ALN support for learners and schools over the next five years - ON TARGET Introduce new self-evaluation processes within central Education Services, embedding new monitoring, evaluation, and impact assessment systems to ensure services are developing the right support at the right time and to ensure we shape and our services to meet the needs of learners, families and schools - ON TARGET Develop a new Education Digital Learning strategy for the county outlining our aspirations for learners and schools over the coming five years - ON TARGET Improve the way the Service reports on its work to Members, schools and governors as well as the public - ON TARGET	Fully accepted the outcomes of the Estyn inspection Created the Post Inspection Action Plan Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw has been removed from Special Measures Devised a new system for monitoring the support the council is providing schools that gives a detailed overview of the extent and nature of support all council services (including from our partners in the Education Achievement Service) Consulted with headteachers on the strengths and areas for improvement of our services to support them Set up the Torfaen Association of School Governors	Equal Prosperous Vibrant Cohesive

Well-being Objective 2

We will encourage and champion children, young people and families so they can thrive

Well-being Objective 2
Programme	This year we will…	This year, we have....	Well-being goals
21st Century schools	Enhance teaching and learning by investing £17m in the construction of the new net zero carbon school to replace the existing Maendy Primary School - DELAYED Start the £6.85m net zero carbon 50 place extension at Crownbridge to enhance provision for children and young people with severe learning difficulties - DELAYED Start extending and refurbishing Ysgol Gymraeg Cwmbran and Ysgol Bryn Onnen - DELAYED Add solar photo voltaic installations to 14 schools - ON TARGET	Completed pre-construction design work for Maendy Primary School Secured additional grant funding for the extension of Crownbridge Started installation of solar photo voltaic to 14 schools	Resilient Prosperous Cohesive Equal Vibrant
Children and Young People’s Development Plan	Fully implement the online referral pathway to ensure that children and families get the right help at the right time and minimise escalation through to statutory services - ON TARGET Reduce the number of referrals/contacts that result in no further action by 50% - DELAYED Undertake a 6 monthly review with partners to prevent unnecessary referrals that do not correspond to the defined thresholds in Children’s Services - ON TARGET	Fully implemented online referral pathway across all schools Reduced number of referrals that resulted in no further action to 67% Developed a threshold of need to enable consistent decision making and enable partners to determine suitability of referral	Healthier Equal
Children and Young People’s Development Plan	To ensure at least 80% of the children we look after are placed with local authority foster carers (Our target is to have 90% by 25/26) - COMPLETE	Invested into the Family Placement team to develop and expand in house foster care	Healthier Equal
Children and Young People’s Development Plan	To ensure that all staff are trained in the strength-based approach in order that practice continues to develop and that safe decisions are made to impact on the CLA population and overall workload - COMPLETE Ensure qualified social worker caseloads are manageable and reduced to an average of 20 - DELAYED Reduce the number of children we look after by up to 15% within 2022/23 - DELAYED	All staff within children social work teams have bn trained in strength-based practice More than half of social worker caseloads are within the agreed target Decreased the number of children we look after children from 407 to 346	Healthier Equal
Children Looked After Strategy Children and Young People’s Development Plan	Review the impact of the Children Looked After Reduction Strategy and develop as necessary - ON TARGET Review the structure of children and family services and implement any necessary structural changes to ensure that the model remains fits for purpose and corresponds to any changes of need - ON TARGET Review the local authority’s placement strategy to ensure that we have a variety of placements to meet the variety of need and to ensure placement sufficiency and consistency - ON TARGET Develop a broad range of provision/accommodation for children looked after who require specialist provision in order to ensure consistency of placement and reduce profit in care - DELAYED	Continually reviewed the impact of the Children Looked After Reduction Strategy Streamlined structure and elements of service delivery to improve effectiveness Work is underway of plans for in house residential provision which is due for completion in November 2023	Healthier Equal
Anti-social Behaviour Strategy Youth Offending Service Plan	Work intensively with 10 more young people in 2022/23 to prevent further escalation in the ASB process or entering the criminal justice system - COMPLETE Work with a further 60 young people through youth support services, to prevent them entering the criminal justice system with the impact being safer communities and a reduction in antisocial behaviour (ASB) - COMPLETE Review the functions of the Youth Offending Service in order to ensure that preventative activities are targeted to ASB “hotspot” areas - ON TARGET Further reduce the number of first time entrants into the (youth) criminal justice system through early identification and targeted prevention - ON TARGET	Worked intensively with 16 young people to prevent further escalation in the ASB process or entering the criminal justice system. The impact of this is a reduction in reported ASB and better outcomes for the young people and the community Signposted 118 young people to youth support services preventing further escalation in the ASB process or entering the criminal justice system The Youth Offending Service reduced the number of first-time entrants into the criminal justice system from 36 in previous year to 27	Equal Cohesive
Homes for Ukraine National and Regional Government Humanitarian programmes UK refugee resettlement programmes	Help refugees fleeing violence in the Ukraine settle with local Torfaen sponsors - ON TARGET Support families from the Middle East and Africa to resettle in Torfaen - ON TARGET Ensure that unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children receive the required level of service and support - ON TARGET	Hosted several integration evens for more than 11 Ukraine arrivals, organised a jobs fair event supported by more than 50 local employers and organisations Helped six families to move onto independent living arrangements after staying with hosts Placed five unaccompanied Ukrainian refugee children to the Children Looked After system	Responsible Cohesive Equal Healthier Vibrant
Early Years Welsh In Education Strategic Plan 2022 - 32	Work with Welsh Government on future plans for expanding the accessibility of childcare to all 2 year-olds - ON TARGET Deliver the additional 250 Flying Start places and evaluative parent satisfaction at the end of the year - ON TARGET Open a new childcare setting at Ysgol Gymraeg Gwynllyw - ON TARGET	Expanded Flying start childcare provision creating an additional 250 children, aged 0-4 years old, in addition to the 1100 already accessing the Flying Start Programme Provided funded childcare for 2 year olds and increased the number of Flying Start childcare providers to enable this expansion Developed a new way of supporting vulnerable families to access funded childcare even if they don’t live in Flying Start areas Established an additional 2 Welsh Medium Childcare settings with Flying Start and further childcare at Ysgol Panteg	Equal Prosperous Vibrant
Children and Young People’s Development Plan	Increase the number of young people supported through working in partnership with a range of statutory and voluntary organisations - COMPLETE	Worked with HWB and Pontypool Community Council to support 409 young people	Equal Healthier
Play Sufficiency Action Plan	Continue to work with the community and schools to tailor our play provision offer to the community/schools needs - COMPLETE Upgrade play facilities at Alexandra Road Park by March 2023 - DELAYED	Increased number of people attending weekly sessions, including more than 500 families attending weekly family play sessions. Started work on Alexandra Road play park which is due to be completed in July 2023	Cohesive Equal Healthier
Inclusive play provision	Continue to provide inclusive play provision to children and young people through play and respite sessions - COMPLETE Increase provision for inclusive play at Pontypool and Cwmbran parks through the Covid Recovery funding. Work is scheduled to be completed by March 2023 linked to the development of play areas - ON TARGET	More than 200 children have attended weekly play and respite sessions with more attending during school holidays Completed the installation of accessible play equipment at Pontypool Park and Cwmbran Boating Lake	Cohesive Equal Healthier

Well-being Objective 3

We will tackle inequality by focusing on early identification and prevention activities that support people to live independent and fulfilling lives

Well-being Objective 3
Programme	This year we will…	This year we have...	Well-being goals
Council Tax and Benefit Support	Administer £23million to help with on rent - COMPLETE Administer £10million to help with council tax - COMPLETE Help people avoid rent arrears or losing their home through £324,938 of discretionary housing payments - COMPLETE	Helped people avoid poverty through £23,981,833 in rent benefits Provided £10,218,389 in council tax support Helped people avoid rent arrears or losing their home through 449,224 of discretionary housing payments	Cohesive Equal Healthier
Cost of Living Discretionary Scheme	Continue making Winter fuel payments and allocate £855,734 for discretionary cost of living payments - COMPLETE Promote council tax relief scheme to eligible households - COMPLETE Make £500 payments to eligible unpaid carers - COMPLETE Make £150 cost of living payments to occupiers of properties in council tax bands A, B, C and D and people who receive the council tax reduction scheme - COMPLETE Help residents access Discretionary Assistance Funds - ON TARGET Support the Welsh Government’s Warm Homes Nest scheme to provide energy advice and efficiencies for the home - COMPLETE Provide almost £400k in additional £150 payments to support families who are accessing free school meals - COMPLETE Provide around £160K in support for energy costs through energy vouchers with our partners - ON TARGET Work with Citizen’s Advice Bureau to provide advice and support around financial inclusion and to ensure residents maximise incomes - ON TARGET Develop a dedicated cost of living page on the council website - COMPLETE Send a monthly Nifty Thrifty e-newsletter with updates on the latest benefits, grants and support available to help save money - COMPLETE	Made £1m winter fuel payments Distributed Cost of Living advice leaflets to 43,049 households and developed dedicated Cost of Living advice section on Torfaen Council website Processed 2,302 claims for £500 unpaid carer payments Paid £5.5m in £150 Cost of Living payments Helped 118 households access Discretionary Assistance Funds Issued 971 letters to households regarding Warm Homes NEST assistance More than £77,000 worth of energy vouchers issued 195 young people engaged in the Positive Futures programme in Trevethin, Gardiffaith, Pontypool and Cwmbran	Cohesive Equal Healthier Resilient
Children and Young People’s Services Development Plan	Continue to work with internal and external partners to identify and work with young people and families to ensure that they are supported and engaged to prevent anti-social behaviour and exclusion - ON TARGET Review the impact of the core counselling service and the additional resource to determine if we need to maintain the enhanced level of support to children and young people - DELAYED	Review process has been reassigned to the educational psychology service and a review to measure impact and effectiveness of the provision will take place in the summer term	Cohesive Prosperous Healthier Equal
Children and Young People’s Services Development Plan	Develop a social network programme for young people 16+ affected by isolation and loneliness as a result of disabilities and additional learning needs - ON TARGET Work in partnership with local groups increase spaces for young parents wanting support - ON TARGET Ensure that young carers continue to be identified and assessed and that communication with key agencies is effective to enable services to be provided - ON TARGET Continue to take a partnership with Torfaen Catering to deliver the Food and Fun project to schools throughout the summer holidays - ON TARGET	Targeted provision at young people with additional learning needs and disabilities. Supported 15 young parents and their children Created a Young Carers ID card to increase visibility and provide free access to local leisure facilities and attractions Plans for 13 Food and Fun camps at 12 primary schools and Cwmbran High School	Cohesive Healthier Equal Prosperous
Domiciliary Care Strategy Ty Glas y Dorlan	Increase patch based care services around communities to improve outcomes for residents and capacity in the care market - DELAYED Increase provision from reablement services so that residents achieve greater benefit from care and support and gain greater independence at home - DELAYED Engage with domiciliary care providers to plan and deliver care services in Torfaen - DELAYED Agree fees with Domiciliary Care providers to maintain stability and choice in the market - DELAYED Work with the local health board to improve transfers of care, reduce waiting times for care packages and prevent avoidable admission to hospital via services in the community preventing need for greater nursing or residential care - DELAYED Increase the use of assistive technology to compliment or replace direct care services in order to support people to maintain and achieve greater levels of independence - ON TARGET Work, across the council in order develop community resilience and reduce the need for and burden on statutory services - DELAYED Review the provision of domiciliary care to ascertain benefits and consider the merits of current or alternative arrangements (i.e. commissioned services vs in house model) - DELAYED At least maintain the amount of domiciliary care being provided in house preventing a need for greater residential and nursing care - ON TARGET Use short stays at Ty Glas yr Dorlan to help residents build confidence and maintain daily living activities to return to their own home and avoid admission to care - DELAYED Review the effectiveness and functions of Ty Glas y Dorlan - COMPLETE	Patch-based services have been piloted north of the borough Domiciliary care providers fees have been agreed 2023/2024 Opened the Ty Glas y Dorlan community enablement facility providing 12 short stay flats and 6 extra care long term tenancies	Healthier Prosperous Equal Cohesive
Day Opportunities Action Plan	Review and develop the referral pathway into adult social care services to develop community offer and prevent individuals unnecessarily receiving stat services - ON TARGET Enhance the community offer to enable citizens to have their needs met without the need for statutory services - ON TARGET Review the front door/means of entry into adult social care statutory services and amend the existing model as necessary and as determined by the review in order to manage demand and ensure that statutory services are received by those with the required level of need - DELAYED	Consulted with residents, young people and their carers attending school and day opportunities to transform the service asking ‘What would a Good Day’ look like Engaged day opportunities providers	Cohesive Healthier Equal
Housing Support Grant	Develop the Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan (RRH) to support implementation - DELAYED Develop the following service provisions as part of the Housing Support Programme Strategy and Delivery Plan: - ON TARGET Increase supported housing units and realign supported accommodation provision Development of emergency accommodation and assessment hub Implementation of Homeseeker Policy Development and adoption of Move on Policy and processes Revision of Housing Support Programme Delivery Plan	Started a Local Housing Market Assessment to be submitted to Welsh Government Commission 8 additional supported housing units Started work on refurbishment of Pearl House, due to be completed June/ July 2024	Cohesive Healthier Equal
Social Housing Grant	Work with other public bodies to identify land in public and private ownership suitable for social and affordable housing - DELAYED Work with other public bodies to identify public land for affordable housing - DELAYED Continue to engage with Registered Social Landlords - ON TARGET	Progressed with RSLs the development for four sites which will delivery 63 homes. 11 other sites are at the feasibility / planning stage which could provide an additional 281 homes.	Healthier Equal Cohesive Prosperous
Universal Free School Meals	Invest an additional £715,000 in school kitchens and employ an additional 24 kitchen staff to provide Universal Free School Meals for all Torfaen pupils in reception, year 1 and year 2 from September 2022 - COMPLETE Provide an additional 231,000 free school meals from September 2022 with a whole year projection of over 600,000 free school meals provided across the borough - ON TARGET Serve a total of 818,802 nutritious meals to primary pupils - DELAYED	We served a total of 470,000 free school meals to primary schools across Torfaen – an increase of 217,000 on the previous year. . Uptake	Healthier Equal
Economy & Skills Delivery Plan Children & Young People’s Service Delivery Plan Digital-First Customer Strategy Communities Approach Delivery Plan	Create a ‘social capital map’ by March 2023 to help prioritise what early intervention support is put into each community to target capacity building support - COMPLETE Work with Community Council’s to develop an approach to improving community well-being and early identification - ON TARGET	Engaged and supported 380 residents into our Bridges into Work and Nurture, Equip, Thrive employability programmes Supported 252 residents to overcome barriers to employment Supported 430 vulnerable young people to reduce their risk of becoming not in education, employment or training (NEET) Supported 100 unemployed or economically inactive young people to improve their prospects of employment, with 47 entering employment directly as a result Helped 50 young people at risk of becoming NEET to secure an additional qualification Helped 89 at risk young people to progress into further education	Prosperous Healthier Equal Cohesive
Housing Services Grant	Aim to prevent individuals and families becoming homeless in 50% of cases - ON TARGET Reduce the amount of time individuals and families stay in temporary accommodation - DELAYED	Reduced the number of households in temporary accommodation from more than six months from 27.5% to 17.3%	Healthier Equal
Homelessness prevention (as above) to work with individuals and families who are at risk of losing their homes through financial difficulties	The team will support up to 100 residents in financial difficulty to maximise their income - ON TARGET	Supported 414 residents to maximise their income through Building Resilient Communities	Healthier Equal
Crime & Disorder Act through Multi- Agency Pupil Intervention (MAPI) within schools	Use our Anti-social behaviour Strike process to support children, young people and their families targeting positive results in 90% of interventions preventing young people from progressing to injunction or inclusion in the criminal justice system - COMPLETE	Prevented 30 children and young people from entering the criminal justice system through a range of preventative activities This year our Strike Process (graduating levels of intervention) dealing with anti- social behaviour has involved 118 young people, with no individuals escalating into the criminal justice system	Cohesive Healthier
Encourage and champion children, young people and families so they can thrive Children and Young People’s Development Plan	Deliver workshops to over 50 young people on training to be an effective youth-representative - ON TARGET	Supported the Torfaen Young People’s Forum to meet 12 times a year to champion the rights of children and young people and promoting youth voice on issues such as Education, becoming Health Ambassadors and training to be climate ambassadors Co-delivered a Gwent Youth Question time event to over 50 attendees, in partnership with the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner to tackle perceptions of crime 60 young people have received training to be an effective youth-representative	Cohesive Equal

Well-being Objective 4

We will make Torfaen more sustainable by connecting people and communities, socially, digitally and physically

Well-being Objective 4
Programme	This year we will…	This year, we have...	Well-being goals
Active Travel Plan Capital City Region City Deal	Continue to progress the upgrade of Pontypool and New Inn train Station (due to be completed in May 2023) - DELAYED Seek further funding to take forward aspirations for improvements at Cwmbran railway station - DELAYED Deliver 2 major Active Travel schemes on Cwmbran Drive (£558k) and Edlogan Way (£390k) - COMPLETE Deliver 2 school travel plans and assess their effectiveness - COMPLETE Deliver a Safe Routes in Communities capital project in Llantarnam which improves access safely for children to the local primary school (£114,700) - COMPLETE Deliver a further 13 charging points in public car parks within the borough to further support our community to become low/net zero carbon - COMPLETE Continue to support our volunteers, increasing the numbers by 10%, whilst also seeking community action to prevent littering, highlighting its consequences - ON TARGET Invest £1.5m in the county’s roads and pavements so that road users can travel safely and the councils asset is managed and maintained appropriately - COMPLETE	Progressed the development of Pontypool and New Inn Station including EV charging, bike parking, bus interchange and significant car parking Worked with Cardiff Capital Region/Welsh Government to undertake initial assessment / feasibility for future of Cwmbran Bus station which aims to tackle problems of a constrained site, encourage further usage and ensure integration between bus and rail into the town centre Completed 7 school travel plans Registered 13 new volunteers which represents an 11% increase Been part of the CCR electric taxi try before you buy pilot enabling our local trade to transition to a low carbon alternative	Prosperous Resilient Equal Cohesive
Climate and Nature Emergency Action Plan		Installed 10 EV charging points in public car parks to enable those who may struggle to have EV outside their home to charge their cars and provide access during the day for charging, supporting our community to become low / net zero carbon Enlisted and supported 91 litter volunteers who look after and maintain our environment and provide a forum for people to come together building pride and ownership in our communities	Resilient Equal Cohesive
Sports and Leisure Strategy	Progress work on enhanced sports pitch provision in Llantarnam and the North of the County - ON TARGET	Worked with clubs to develop facilities as well as providing funding support to ensure sustainability and growth	Healthier Cohesive Equal Vibrant Prosperous
Digital-First Customer Strategy Communities Approach Delivery Plan	Work with partners to introduce Long-Range Wireless Access Networks (LoRaWAN) that will improve our town centre management as a first step in further LoRaWAN networks - DELAYED Increase the number of services accessible on the council’s website - ON TARGET Work with telecoms providers to reduce digital exclusion by improving broadband - ON TARGET Support the Torfaen Voluntary Alliance to increase community volunteering opportunities and volunteers - DELAYED Expand Public Wifi across the Borough - COMPLETE	Four gateways installed to test footfall and parking sensors 199 forms on the council’s website resulting in 73% online transactions 98% superfast broadband coverage, 20% full fibre coverage Created the “Connect Torfaen” website with the health board and Torfaen Voluntary Alliance to connect volunteers with volunteering opportunities and local events Created a Communities, Customer & Digital Directorate to increase the resilience, influence, independence and well-being of our communities	Prosperous Cohesive Equal

Well-being Objective 5

We will address our climate and nature emergencies, recycle more and make improvements to the local environment

Well-being Objective 5
Programme	This year we will…	This year we have…	Well-being goals
Climate and Nature Emergency Action Plan	Accelerate the reduction of our own emissions from council buildings – including: Initiating a £1m Photovoltaic installations program across 15 sites that will produce 3.9% of the council’s annual electricity (on top of the 2% that we already generate ourselves) - ON TARGET Reduce consumption across Torfaen Leisure Trust sites through a £1million energy reduction and efficiency project - DELAYED Develop a net zero carbon fleet Strategy and Action Plan to reduce the carbon footprint of the council’s vehicles - DEALYED Upgrade the grid capacity at the council’s depot to maximise the opportunities for electric vehicle charging and renewable energy - DELAYED Install a further 10 electric vehicle chargers for council vehicles - COMPLETE	Complete photovoltaic installations at two sites and 13 underway Worked with Torfaen Leisure Trust on energy efficiency and reduction project, now revised to £700,000. Work due to be completed next financial year Secured electrical capacity at Ty Blaen for full EV rollout with substation due summer 2023 Installed 18 charging bays – 6 at Ty Blaen, 8 in Croesyceiliog, 4 at The Powerstation	Resilient Cohesive Healthier
Climate and Nature Emergency Action Plan	Train 300 staff to act on the climate and nature emergency - DELAYED Commence the process to designate a new Local Nature Reserve to protect land that is particularly valuable for nature and provide opportunities for community involvement - ON TARGET Launch Green Infrastructure, and Biodiversity Guidance for developers to help them to protect and enhance biodiversity in their house building projects in Torfaen - COMPLETE Protect 87 houses, 10 businesses and 2 schools from future flooding in Northville, Cwmbran through completion of the Blaen Bran brook flood alleviation scheme - ON TARGET Revise our approach to grassland management to capture & store carbon, enhance biodiversity, whilst also providing space for sport & recreation - COMPLETE Remove decaying ash trees along road corridors to ensure safety to road users - COMPLETE Maintain our existing tree stock and plant new trees to increase carbon storage - ON TARGET	40 staff completed pilot climate and nature emergency e-learning plus additional awareness training Commenced process to designate a new nature reserve 42 sites managed to protect and enhance biodiversity	Resilient Cohesive Prosperous Healthier Equal
Recycling and Waste Action Plan	Roll out new recycling vehicles which will increase the range of materials collected for recycling - IN TARGET Take forward our plans to build a new recycling sorting facility - DELAYED Identify what specific interventions are going to be needed to increase recycling in the County - ON TARGET Introduce weekly cardboard collections by September 2023 to increase the offer to residents and increase recycling rate - ON TARGET	Introduced new fleet of recycling vehicles in October 2022 Started kerbside battery recycling Prepare for weekly cardboard collection from September 2023 Launched new Raise the Rate campaign to increase household recycling	Resilient Healthier Cohesive

Well-being Objective 6

We will make Torfaen a great place to do business by working with local employers, encouraging new business start-ups and entrepreneurial activities

Well-being Objective 5
Programme	This year we will…	This year we have…	Well-being goals
Economy & Skills Delivery Plan	Work with partners to progress the Medi Park Outline Business Case (Depending on WG Roads Review and funding decision) - DELAYED Review and refocus Springboard Business Innovation Centre to become a hub within a network of innovation spaces for new and emerging businesses - DELAYED Create and implement Investment Prospectus to promote the refurbishment and establishment of new industrial land to promote the County and attract new businesses - ON TARGET Work with the Torfaen Strategic Economic Forum to identify and establish other innovation spaces across the Borough for new and emerging businesses - DELAYED Create and implement Business Direct as a single point of contact for business customer journeys so they receive a prompt, efficient and customer focused service - COMPLETE	Worked with Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, Welsh Government and 3 South East Wales Universities to explore the feasibility of creating a life sciences medi park Review of Springboard Innovation Centre started. Business plan due to be completed in August 2023 Developed Investment Prospectus due to be completed August 2023 Launched Torfaen Business Direct	Prosperous Responsible Healthier
Economy & Skills Delivery Plan Communities Approach Delivery Plan	Bring in new market traders who fill gaps in what we can currently offer from Pontypool Indoor Market - DELAYED Create and implement a commercial programme of training by March 2023 that can be sold to businesses to fill the gaps in the existing training available to businesses and help them to grow - DELAYED Grow the foundational economy Community Renewal Fund pilot project which provided support to small, local businesses with marketing and town centre premises to reach a further 20 businesses - COMPLETE Create employment and training opportunities for residents when we procure major conracts or deliver construction projects - DELAYED	Welcomed three new traders. Occupancy at 65%. Eight events were held as well as community activities. Secured approval for Construction Industry Training Centre 35 Community Renewal Fund grants awarded, 80 businesses received non-financial support, eight jobs safeguarded, 80 organisations engaged in knowledge transfer activity after support	Prosperous Cohesive
Shared Prosperity Fund	Depending on UK funding announcements due in Autumn 2022 we will take forward the proposed suite of interventions to improve prosperity - DELAYED	Engaged with stakeholders to propose a suite of interventions for Torfaen’s £20m allocation from UK Government	Prosperous Equal
Economy & Skills Delivery Plan Children & Young People’s Service Delivery Plan Digital-First Customer Strategy Communities Approach Delivery Plan	Create employment and training opportunities for residents when we procure major contracts or deliver construction projects

Well-being Objective 7

We will promote healthier lifestyles in Torfaen to improve mental and physical well-being

Well-being Objective 7
Programme	This year we will…	This year we have…	Well-being goals
Healthy Schools	Improve the wellbeing of children and young people by supporting five schools in Torfaen to access the Whole School Approach (WSA) to Emotional Health and Mental Wellbeing Self- Assessment tool - ON TARGET	Successfully worked with 4 schools to pilot the Whole School Approach to Emotional Health and Mental Wellbeing Self-Assessment tool to enable schools to “scope” their current practice for embedding emotional and mental well- being of staff and learners	Healthier Equal
Gwent Whole School Food and Fitness Policy Torfaen Leisure Trust	Encourage and support schools to help learners participate in at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day - ON TARGET Continue to increase opportunities and access to sport and physical activity for the residents of Torfaen - ON TARGET Work with additional partners to promote the benefits of a physically active lifestyle on all aspects of residents lives - ON TARGET	Worked with schools to develop new opportunities and pilot projects to increase daily activity eg Movement, Strength and Confidence programme. Supported 24 clubs to secure Sports Wales funding Increased the number of partners to promote the benefits of being physically active, including dementia groups and mental health charities	Healthier Equal Cohesive
Children and Young People’s Development Plan	Increase the offer of holistic well-being options for young people through youth work activity, led and designed by young people accessing the service - ON TARGET	Supported 170 young people awarded Duke of Edinburgh Award completions	Healthier Equal
Active Travel Delivery Plan Local Development Plan Implementation Covid Recovery Fund	Progress work on enhanced sports pitch provision in Llantarnam and the North of the County - ON TARGET To continue to develop the static play areas at Pontypool Park and Cwmbran Boating Lake which will improve the availability and choice of play equipment for children with disabilities - DELAYED	Contract for Llantarnam Pitches awarded Pontypool Park completed with work on Cwmbran Boating Lake park due to be competed spring/summer	Healthier Cohesive Equal Resilient
Children and Young People’s Development Plan	Use members of Torfaen Young People’s Alliance to help review mental health services for young people during the Autumn to ensure young people have a voice in planning mental health services and have the opportunity to raise issues. This is to ensure professionals: better understand the issues affecting young people today - ON TARGET	Torfaen Youth Alliance met to discuss mental health support for young people. Targeted resilience training funded and piloted	Healthier Equal
Communities Approach Delivery Plan	Connect a further 50 residents to community and voluntary activities in their own community to enhance their well-being and reduce reliance on statutory services - ON TARGET	50 litter picking volunteers recruited alongside four Bridges into Work volunteers and three Fusion	Healthier Equal Cohesive Vibrant

Well-being Objective 8

We will support our local culture and heritage and make Torfaen a thriving, safe and attractive place to live and visit

Well-being Objective 8
Programme	This year we will…	This year we have…	Well-being goals
Litter and Fly- Tipping Action Plan	Take formal enforcement action against all perpetrators of fly-tipping where there is sufficient evidence to do so - ON TARGET Review a new prevention and enforcement approach to reduce the amount of fly-tipping in the County - ON TARGET	Investigated reports of fly-tipping and taken enforcement action Secured five mobile CCTV cameras to carry out surveillance in well-known isolated fly-tipping areas	Cohesive Resilient
Communities Strategy Litter and Fly- Tipping Action Plan	Work to secure funding for the purchase and ongoing maintenance of new mobile smart camera technology and use to capture and identify fly tipping perpetrators - DELAYED Continue to issue Fixed Penalty Notice’s during weekly planned patrols areas throughout the borough to minimise the amount littering - ON TARGET Invest £1.5m in roads and pavements so that road users can travel safely and the councils asset is managed and maintained appropriately - COMPLETE Work with partners e.g landowners and Gwent Police to deter off road biking in our countryside - ON TARGET	Secured funding for smart wireless cameras and installation training provided. Operational framework for use of cameras progressing Enforcement patrols recommended in April Funding secured for a police officer and PCSO to tackle illegal off-roading	Cohesive Resilient Equal
Community Safety and Cohesion	Develop preventative interventions which tackle hate crime, hate speech and intolerance in our communities to create safer, more cohesive communities - COMPLETE Work with the Police and the other councils in the region to survey young people on the reasons for the potential under-reporting of racial harassment and abuse - NOT TAKEN FORWARD	Supported Homes of Ukraine Scheme across the region, provided information to Ukraine refugee and hosts and held events including weekly coffee mornings. Delivered anti-discrimination workshop to primary schools Supported minority groups experiencing community tensions	Vibrant Responsible Healthier Cohesive Equal
Community Safety and Cohesion	Improve partnership working by holding face-to-face meetings and shared partnership working areas in the community safety hub office - COMPLETE Continue to identify, and problem solve hotspots and increase the capacity for re-deployable CCTV (subject to funding) - COMPLETE Work with partners to introduce and manage Public Space Protection Orders and CCTV to target anti-social behaviour in hotspot areas and manage the expectation of citizens - COMPLETE Focus on tackling and preventing serious violence in line with the new duty on local authorities. This will be done through MAPI, Strike and 115 meetings for adults, as well as through prevention with mentoring, St Giles trust and scanning for other available intervention providers - ON TARGET	Held Community Safety Hub meetings Deployed CCTV cameras to eight hotspot areas for anti-social behaviour Purchased 10 mobile CCTV cameras Worked with 14 young people through the MAPI, Strike, 115 meetings and mentoring	Cohesive Equal Healthier
Economy & Skills Delivery Plan	Complete our Place Plans for Blaenavon, Cwmbran and Pontypool by December, and use them to secure £30million of regeneration investment which will create new reason to visit and stay in our town centres - DELAYED Increase the number of boats using the Monmouthshire & Brecon canal between Bridge 46 and Five Locks, as the first phase of the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal Action Plan - DELAYED Prepare the Planning Application for the first phase new watercourse of regeneration works on the British, Talywain – the first phase of our regeneration works - ON TARGET Identify partners to work with us on the heritage trails, green energy, agriculture and tourism opportunities in the wider masterplan for the British - ON TARGET Start to promote our visitor attractions in Torfaen as a single destination to visit, working with our partners to increase the number of visitors into the Borough - DELAYED Invest at least £1.7million to transform the range and quality of activities for visitors to the Greenmeadow Community Farm - DELAYED Complete the COVID Recovery Fund Town Centre Enhancements programme, by introducing new greenery, repainting and cleaning street furniture, improving seating and installing “shop jackets” - COMPLETE Work with the owners of the Market Tavern in Blaenavon to bring forward its refurbishment and improve visitors’ and residents’ perceptions of this area of town - DELAYED	Consulted on Placemaking Plans. Installed 10 new mooring bollards at 5 Locks Developed Canal Strategy Undertaken geo technical investigation works and feasibility study for renewable energy potential at The British Appointed consultancy and design team for the Greenmeadow Community Farm redevelopment	Responsible Prosperous Resilient Healthier Cohesive Vibrant
Service Redesign	Pilot our new approach to service redesign. Putting the customer at the heart of all that we do and taking forward improvements in highways and environmental services - DELAYED	Trees service redesign complete. Traffic management service redesign underway	Equal Cohesive Resilient

Well-being Objective 9

We will provide efficient customer focused services that reflect the way people live their lives and wish to access services

Well-being Objective 8
Programme	This year we will…	This year we have…	Well-being goals
Digital-First Customer Strategy	Involve customers in the design of our services - COMPLETE Improve content on the council’s website so it becomes much easier to find information and complete services online - ON TARGET Increase transactions on our website by extending the functionality of our “chat bot” - DELAYED Work closely with the community to provide advice, assistance and support to residents close to where they live - ON TARGET Provide residents with information, advice and guidance in community venues to increase the percentage of enquiries self-served at those venues - ON TARGET	Identified key areas for content improvement including Waste and Recycling, Cost of Living support pages and Roads, Travel and Parking Prioritised key transactional services for chatbot based on customer demand Started work on Communities Strategy to develop engagement with community and town councils	Equal Cohesive
Equalities	Provide an equalities induction and training to Elected Members - COMPLETE Deliver equalities training to the council’s Leadership Team - COMPLETE Deliver an equality and diversity e-learning course to staff within the council - ON TARGET	Produced a mandatory e-learning module on Equality and Diversity for all staff	Equal Cohesive
Public participation strategy	Support conversations around developing an Age-Friendly Plan and exploring the extent to which our services meet the needs of all older people - ON TARGET Engage with Torfaen Access Forum to speak directly with disabled people and charities, to agree changes that will make our services, green spaces and built environments more accessible - ON TARGET Publish our Public Participation Strategy and promote this internally and externally - ON TARGET Develop relationships with groups that share protected characteristics to encourage their involvement in consultations, to help develop our services and communities - ON TARGET	Two-year post created to support Age Friendly Plan British Sign Language interpreters being sourced for Torfaen Access Forum meetings New Public Participation Strategy approved and toolkit for teams Continued to develop Get Involved Torfaen website which now has 447 registered participants	Equal Cohesive Healthier
National participation standards	Increase opportunities for young people to have a say on decisions that affect them by embedding the principles of the new Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act into the way we work - ON TARGET Continue to identify opportunities for young people to be involved at all levels of decision making within the local authority - ON TARGET Deliver 12 training sessions for staff and volunteers on how to effectively engage children and young people in service design and delivery - DELAYED Create a resource package for staff and volunteers to support quality child and youth engagement that upholds the National Participation Standards for children and young people (Wales) - ON TARGET	Participation forum for young people to comment on the Cwmbran Placemaking Plan Worked with partners to identify opportunities for young people to have a say on their work Six training sessions how to effectively engage children and young people in service design and delivery delivered	Equal Cohesive
Registrars	We will register all births, deaths and notices of marriage and civil partnerships within the statutory timeframes - DELAYED	Worked with Local Health Board to ensure paperwork for registration is received within the timeframe	Equal Cohesive

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