Annual Report

This last year has been another significant year for the Craigmillar Partnership. As the transition from the social inclusion to the community planning agenda proceeds, the Craigmillar Partnership has been instrumental in ensuring that areas of deprivation within Edinburgh continue to be the focus of priority. Partnership directors and staff played a key role in the City's division of Community Regeneration Funding among the local communities - concentrating on those communities exhibiting the worst 5% of deprivation indices as determined by the Scottish Executive. This proposal from the Partnership has minimised the reduction in funding to Craigmillar, and allowed the decision-making for the next year to be less painful than was originally anticipated.

We continued our current funding package where possible. The funding allocations that we made have helped to lever in nearly £2 million to the area in additional funding. We do not underestimate the importance of SIP funding to local organisations and the local economy. This additional funding emphasises the importance of securing the best settlement possible for Craigmillar, which we feel was achieved this year.

We are continuing to see a move towards achieving the Social Justice Milestones set down by the Scottish Executive. This is due to a period of sustained funding being made available to the area. We will continue to ensure that resources are deployed to keep addressing the social need in Craigmillar as long as we are able to do so. The Partnership has developed the Regeneration Outcome Agreements (ROAs) which underpin the progression to a community planning agenda.

Craigmillar is well known throughout the city, and indeed the country, for its great sense of community spirit. Partnership working is the ethos behind the Craigmillar Partnership and everything that we do. The continuing relationship with the Joint Venture Company, or Parc, epitomises the active role of the community at the centre of the Partnership's work. Although there are frustrations that the pace of regeneration has not been as fast as many would have expected, it is crucial that the first phases receive widespread agreement. These early developments will act as templates and set the mark on the entire scheme for the years to come.

Again, the work of the Partnership's subgroups has demonstrated a commitment to working together to benefit the area and the people who live here.

The Housing and Environment Group continues to ensure that the needs of local people are embedded in housing development and management, and that future redevelopment takes note of the wider picture. Neighbourhood regeneration is more than new houses; Craigmillar needs and deserves a better environment and a full range of community facilities.

The Economic Development subgroup agreed an Economic Development strategy which facilitated capital bids for European Regional Development Funding, in partnership of course with the European Strategy Group. The Partnership also attracted extra funding from SEEL which allowed the Craigmillar Business Incubator to draw up a local Business and Labour Charter.

The Education Strategy Group continued the implementation of the Community Learning Plan, and has expanded its work to address lifelong learning in Craigmillar. The group and the schools continue to work closely with Parc in developing the brief for the new schools which will improve education for the children of Craigmillar.

The Health and Community Care Group is able to report on key improvements in the health of local people, particularly women. Due to the work of our partners in the LHCC and local organisations we see an improvement in the health of young mothers and their babies, with fewer women smoking when they are pregnant and more breast-feeding. Overall, women here in Craigmillar are living as long as any other women in the whole of Scotland.

The Community Safety group maintains its commitment to ensuring that several strands are employed to maximise the well-being of local people, from the provision of the CCTV network to the additional Safer Community officers, from community concierges to emerging “Problem-Solving Partnerships”.

One unfortunate aspect of this year has been the necessity of the Partnership to become involved in Employment Tribunals. Whilst these applications were brought by former staff of other projects, the Partnership has had to provide defences to several applications which, in two cases, were withdrawn the day before the tribunal date, and in two other cases were struck out at a Preliminary Determination as having “no reasonable prospect of success”. While pleased to have it confirmed that the practices followed have been correct, these cases have taken up substantial staff time, energy, and funding which could otherwise have been spent on activities more directly beneficial to the Craigmillar community.

We were pleased to welcome new representation from the local business community to the Board this year in the shape of Willie McEwan from the Craigmillar and District Business Association. He is a well-known and respected figure locally, and we will undoubtedly benefit from his enthusiasm and commitment.

As we move into the first year of Community Regeneration Funding we remain excited and anxious about what Community Planning will mean to Craigmillar. Each subgroup has developed its own specific ROA and the Board has already agreed an overall ROA for Craigmillar. This has also been fed into the city-wide ROA as required by Communities Scotland. This is expected to be accepted by Communities Scotland in the next year. The Craigmillar Partnership has laid the foundations for the continued development of the area. The Partnership has played an active role in helping anticipate and develop the community planning agenda in Edinburgh, and we will ensure that Craigmillar plays its full part, and benefits as much as possible, from the community planning process locally.





Cllr Jack O'Donnell
Chair, The Craigmillar Partnership



[Skip to annual report areas][To page top][Or to home page]

Community Safety

ThePartnership formed a Community Safety sub-group to bid for funding for CCTV coverage. This has been successful, and the twelve-camera system has been functioning fully throughout the year. The Police are happy to report on continuing reductions in crime against the person and theft. There have been increases in recorded crimes of vandalism and drug offences that may be due to increased police presence and a resulting greater willingness to report crimes.

At the same time, recognising that CCTV is one element in reducing crime and the fear of crime, the group has been encouraging the development of youth work in the area, through Café K and its outreach work, and the provision of sporting and other activities to allow youngsters to fill their time more constructively.

The Community Concierge initiative is supported by the Housing Department and the Edinburgh Community Safety Partnership to help improve the environmental upkeep and perceptions of safety and security in Niddrie Mains, and is regarded as a successful pilot that has been extended to other areas. Recognising that the needs of young people differ to adults, funding has been secured for a dedicated young person's Community Concierge post. The Community Safety Group has also been instrumental in securing a dedicated team of six community constables funded through the Housing Department to provide a focussed, dedicated locally sensitive community police service throughout Craigmillar.

The Partnership has also funded personal alarms, the Neighbourhood Mapping Exercise undertaken by Womanzone, and the Message-in-a-Bottle campaign developed with Age Concern and the Edinburgh Community Safety Partnership to safeguard vulnerable residents.

The major lesson learned is that improving community safety operates in many levels and requires major resources. A recurring theme is that there is a need for more and improved community facilities, especially for our youngsters. Ensuring that these facilities are provided in sufficient measure remains an enduring challenge for the Partnership and its partner organisations.

Housing Renewal

Continued housing renewal has demonstrated the commitment of the Council, the community, Communities Scotland and the housing associations in Kintry Housing Partnership to improve Craigmillar. The strategy behind the New Housing Partnership programme is being maintained and the Partnership will ensure that future housing redevelopment continues the good practice established under the NHP Programme. The table below illustrates the progress made.

The improvement to the area is immediately evident to everyone visiting Craigmillar, and the Partnership is keen to ensure that this progress continues into the JVC's activities in the future. The Housing and Environment Sub Group has played an enthusiastic role in overseeing the comprehensive area regeneration within Craigmillar, and has established a close working relationship with the JVC and the Urban Design Framework.

Further, the Group has taken a keen look at the overall picture in housing, and stresses the importance of sound housing and area management. Community and council members have worked upon a series of Neighbourhood Agreements, on allocations, anti-social behaviour and estates management. It is not enough to build new houses: there needs to be effective management too.

Community Involvement

The Partnership has repeated and reinforced its commitment to community involvement and participation in the Partnership processes. Community representatives chair more sub-groups. The Funding Panel has majority membership from the community. Two community directors now sit on the Board of the Craigmillar JVC, Parc The Empowering Communities funding is administered directly by the Capacity Building Project to improve community participation within the Partnership's processes and groups. The Older People's Forum, and the Youth Conference have benefited from the Empowering Communities' and the Partnership Support Team's funding and activities.

Members of the local community are involved at all levels in the development of the Urban Design Framework for the area and have been on study visits to examples of good practice in housing, community facilities and schools. The Community Council was actively involved in the Council's consultation on the UDF. Other local groups, including the Craigmillar Regeneration Forum and the Craigmillar District Business Association, were actively involved from their own perspectives.

The Partnership remains committed to community ownership of inclusion activities and SIP-funded projects, and stresses the long-term benefits gained from the local direction of socially inclusive activities whether in capacity building, childcare, local enterprise, training and regeneration.

A consequence of ensuring the community's involvement and influence in the regeneration process is that sometimes the process appears slower than ideal. However, consultation and involvement is a two-way process, with both sides contributing and listening, and the final resolution should provide a more lasting framework for regenerating Craigmillar as a thriving community

Comprehensive Regeneration/Overall Process

[Skip to annual report areas][To page top][Or to home page]

The Empowering Communities initiative commenced in 2000, after a consultation commissioned by the Scottish Executive revealed the need for additional resources to ensure local communities can play an active part in Partnership working.

Since this time, the resources made available by this initiative have been used to take forward a number of general support activities alongside a small number of specific projects.

General activities include a high level of support to the four local activists who sit on the board of Craigmillar Partnership. The community reps have access to a fully equipped office, a worker has also been employed to provide administrative and research support. The Empowering Communities worker also provides a high level of support to the members of Craigmillar Community Council.

Specific projects taken forward have mainly focussed upon working to include young people in the Partnership's work. A year long research project exploring how services include young people in their decision making processes was carried out between October 2003-2004; this culminated in the production of a report titled 'A Word to the Wise?' which was recognised as a model of good practice by Edinburgh Youth Social Inclusion Partnership. The Empowering Communities worker also co-facilitated an eight week educational group work programme called 'Revolting Youth'. Carried out in conjunction with Cafe K, 'Revolting Youth' helped young people to identify issues of concern, to think critically about such issues and to think through effective campaign strategies.

Finally, the money provided by the Scottish Executive for this project allowed match funding to be secured from the European Social Fund in 2004. This money has been used to fund a research project focussing upon the education and training needs of local activists.

If you require further information, please do not hesitate to contact Mike Bell on 0131 661 0200.

[Skip to annual report areas][To page top][Or to home page]

Empowering Communities initiative commenced in 2000, after a consultation commissioned by the Scottish Executive revealed the need for additional resources to ensure local communities can play an active part in Partnership working.

Since this time, the resources made available by this initiative have been used to take forward a number of general support activities alongside a small number of specific projects.

General activities include a high level of support to the four local activists who sit on the board of Craigmillar Partnership. The community reps have access to a fully equipped office, a worker has also been employed to provide administrative and research support. The Empowering Communities worker also provides a high level of support to the members of Craigmillar Community Council.

Specific projects taken forward have mainly focussed upon working to include young people in the Partnership's work. A year long research project exploring how services include young people in their decision making processes was carried out between October 2003-2004; this culminated in the production of a report titled 'A Word to the Wise?' which was recognised as a model of good practice by Edinburgh Youth Social Inclusion Partnership. The Empowering Communities worker also co-facilitated an eight week educational group work programme called 'Revolting Youth'. Carried out in conjunction with Cafe K, 'Revolting Youth' helped young people to identify issues of concern, to think critically about such issues and to think through effective campaign strategies.

Finally, the money provided by the Scottish Executive for this project allowed match funding to be secured from the European Social Fund in 2004. This money has been used to fund a research project focussing upon the education and training needs of local activists.

If you require further information, please do not hesitate to contact Mike Bell on 0131 661 020.

[Skip to annual report areas][To page top][Or to home page]

Building strong, safe and attractive communities:

1. There has been a trend of crime falling since 2000. This continued in 2004 in most categories; the fall has continued in crimes against the person and thefts, but vandalism and drug offences have risen.
   
   
2. The number of persons injured in road accidents has nearly halved since 2000.
   
   
3. A draft Urban Design Framework for the area has been produced.
   
   
4. Half of all social rented units are 3 apartment / 2 bedroom size (small family) and 78% are 3 apartment or bigger..
   
   Getting people back to work
   
   
5. The number of SEEL funded trainees increased dramatically in 2004/05 and the number of successful outcomes posted by them doubled.
   
   
6. The proportion of Castlebrae CHS leavers going into Further Education doubled, and the proportion of those unemployed with no prospects dropped from one-third to one-quarter, with girls doing better than boys on all counts.
   
   
7. In 2004 the proportion of people claiming Job Seeker's Allowance has remained high at 7.3% of the eligible population.
   
   
8. The number of claims for available benefits has hardly changed during the period 1998 to 2004, with 1 in 8 claims for DLA per eligible head of population, 1 in 4 for IB/SDA and 1 in 3 for IS/Pension Credit.
   
   
9. The proportion of claims for IS from younger people is diminishing. However, compared to Edinburgh there are higher proportions of claims for IB from younger people.
   
   
10. In 2003 nearly half of all working age people claimed one or more benefit, not including Housing Benefit, and are 'income deprived'. One-third are 'employment deprived' .
    
    
11. Since 1998 more women and men have been taking up opportunities for education and training, coming off JSA because they find work, and becoming less dependent on benefits. In 2004/05 this trend was reversed for women.
    
    
12. From 2002 to 2003 the proportion of employees in the Ward in large enterprises increased by 7%. Overall, the proportion of jobs increased by 43%, and by 35% in the wholesale, retail and repair etc sector.
    
    
    Improving Health
    
    
13. The proportion of first children born to women aged 16-24 remains high at between 70 - 80% over a six-year period. However, the rate per 1,000 women having their first child at this early age is beginning to drop.
    
    
14. Low birth weight in singleton babies remains high at one in ten of all babies.
    
    
15. Over the two years 2002-04 there has been a dramatic fall in the proportion of women who smoke when they book their first antenatal appointment. There has been a small rise in women breast-feeding at first and subsequent visits.
    
    
16. The mortality rate among women in Craigmillar is the same as among all women in Scotland. The age standardized mortality ratios for women have dropped consistently from 1999, and in 2003 fell to 100. For men it has stayed consistently at 158.
    
    
17. The 5 year SMR for heart disease among women is also at 100, and for cancer it is 116. For men the figures are 137 and 130 respectively.
    
    
18. Since 2001 the number of new patients being recorded in the drugs misuse database has remained constant, although there has been a fall in patients under 20 years. Four-fifths are long-term unemployed or have never been employed and between 60-70% live with parents or spouses/partners.
    
    

[Skip to annual report areas][To page top][Or to home page]