Equity and Inclusion Action Plan - Objective 2
Deliver schemes, strategies and programmes across the WMCA that help deliver positive inclusion and equitable outcomes, also reducing socio-economic disadvantage and poverty, for our region’s diverse communities
Theme
Affordable housing provision
Aim
Increase delivery of affordable housing in the region and explore new ways of doing so
Actions required
Effectively develop, collaborate and submit compelling business cases for additional funding from HMG to deliver WMCA approved priorities
Continue to ensure that all projects supported through the Single Commissioning Framework have a minimum of 20% affordable housing provision
Establish Collaborative Delivery Vehicle with regional Housing Association partners to bring forward development on additional brownfield sites and secure more affordable homes in the region
Review the operation of the regional affordable housing definition and the overall delivery of affordable housing in the West Midlands
Engage with the Homelessness Taskforce and contribute to efforts to secure additional funding and support for housing programmes that support homeless families into accommodation
Theme
Accessible Housing
Aim
Increase the accessibility of homes being built using the WMCA’s housing and land funds
Actions required
Encourage and support wellbeing by design principles within new housing development across the region
Continue to ensure high quality, accessible design is considered when deploying housing and land funds
Develop and adopt a refreshed West Midlands Design Charter
Theme
Job creation
Aim
Create high-quality jobs through the deployment of WMCA housing and land funds
Actions required
Deploy devolved housing and land funds through the SCF to identified town centre and regeneration projects that provide jobs, skills and business opportunities
Secure new funding from HMG for investing in employment sites to bring forward new jobs and facilities
Bring together investment in targeted and locally agreed inclusive growth corridors generating additional social and economic growth at scale through joint approaches with TfWM, local authorities and other partners
Intervene, acquire, unlock and invest in priority brownfield sites across the region along pubic transport corridors that suffer from identified market failure to bring them forward for housing and employment delivery
Through the WMCAs pioneering approach
to scaling up Advanced Manufacturing in Construction and Zero Carbon Housing, supporting the development of high-tech high- skilled jobs and supply chains in the region
Theme
Skills Equity
Aim
Drive up skills levels amongst the region’s communities to secure sustainable employment and enhance skills at higher levels so that all communities benefit from the region’s economic growth
Actions required
Continue to develop, test and deliver a range of approaches to prepare young people for future life and work, particularly those at risk of dropping out, including NEET prevention and re-engagement, work experience and mentoring
Accelerate the take up of good quality apprenticeships across the region (also targeting under-represented communities and young unemployed people) and maximise the transfer of unused levy to SMEs, particularly in priority sectors
Commission skills provision for disadvantaged groups (i.e., disabled people; young unemployed people or employed in low wages; homeless people; minority ethnic people; people with mental health issues; long-term unemployed) to give more people the skills to get and sustain good jobs and careers
Support people to develop language skills for work and life - English as a second language (at levels 1, 2) fully funded in priority places for adults who earn the living wage or less
Continue delivery of the employment support pilot to support those out of work and on low incomes in targeted communities, evaluate its effectiveness to end 2021
Through the Adult Education Budget, widen access to training for those in low wage and fragile employment to upskill to Level 3 and above to support in-work progression to better paid, sustainable employment
Working with Colleges West Midlands and LAs, continue to develop support and targeting of NEET and those at risk of dropping out
Promote to employers the benefits of better job opportunities and meaningful work placements for young people
Support retraining for those who are at risk of losing their job to automation or due to their age or a health condition
Support young people in navigating the labour market through use of the regional youth employment platform
Support residents from all communities in accessing employment and skills opportunities through engagement with government, public and private sector partners
Establish clear career entry routes and pathways for unemployed adults and those looking to reskill, particularly women and under-represented groups, targeting sectors with growth and / or skills shortages
Ensure a network of locally-led Youth Hubs, delivering co-located employment and skills support for young people, particularly those from disadvantaged groups
Deliver Commonwealth Games Jobs and Skills Academy to support at least 6,000 local people in gaining jobs, training and volunteering opportunities
Develop additional, sector-specific training and recruitment programmes to help unemployed people access good local jobs, e.g., SWAPs
Theme
Public service reform
Aim
Deliver on the promise of more inclusive growth, with the confidence to more deliberately shape investment, infrastructure and services around social and economic goals
Actions required
Convene partners to design out homelessness, through the Homelessness Taskforce programme of activity
Co-ordinate delivery of Community recovery priorities
Collaborate with partners in the criminal justice system to nurture a trauma-informed region
Improve digital inclusion in the region through partnership with local authorities and civil society organisations
Embed inclusive growth within the activities of WMCA and its partners
Build expectations, standards and practices for measuring the impact of inclusive growth interventions and holding them accountable.
Support local authorities and their partners with local Inclusive-Growth-In-Action initiatives
Set up a cross-cutting group to bring together the different strands of work supporting veterans
Monitor equalities data at a regional level as part of a new approach to data and insights which will feed into the State of the Region and Health of the Regions reports
Theme
Wellbeing and Environment
Aim
Create a region in which positive, proactive and preventative approaches to citizen wellbeing and engagement are normalised, giving our diverse population a better chance to thrive in life and work
Actions required
Deliver the Thrive at Work Programme, expand its reach and promote a culture of support and awareness for mental health issues across the region
Continue to provide an employment support service for people with a mental health and / or physical health condition in primary and community care through the extension and continued delivery of the Thrive into Work Programme
Develop and sustain a physical activity programme with regional partners
Continue roll out of the Include Me programme, a regional approach to achieving wider engagement with disabled people and people with long term health conditions enabling them to be physically active
Continue to host a population intelligence
hub within the Inclusive Growth Unit which provides holistic, real time data on the region’s health and socioeconomic outcomes
Convene Local Authorities and other partners to address health inequalities by tackling some of the wider determinants of poor health in the region
Secure and implement the Radical prevention fund for the region using the latest technology to prevent ill health for the most vulnerable groups.
Oversee delivery of the Net Zero Five Year Plan
to support positive and inclusive environmental outcomes and work with partners on green transport and air quality
Establish a “Warm Homes Save Lives” delivery partnership to reduce the incidence of fuel poverty and facilitate a regional fuel poverty and scaling-up retrofit programme
Develop policies and deliver projects to ensure the energy infrastructure of the region supports a competitive industrial base, clean growth and social inclusion