Agenda item

Brent Council has been running three Outcome Based Reviews (OBRs), using design-led processes, focusing on employment support and welfare reform, housing for vulnerable people and regeneration. This report outlines the OBR approach and shares the work carried out to develop and trial a community hub model in Harlesden from 31 October – 12 November 2016.

Peter Gadsdon (the Council’s Director of Policy, Performance and Partnerships) introduced the report, which provided the Committee with an overview of the Harlesden Community Hub prototype, recently trialled for two weeks in Harlesden from 31 October to 12 November 2016.  It was primarily based in Tavistock Hall in Harlesden, with an accessible stationary London bus also being present on Tavistock Road to aid publicity of the hub’s location. Mr Gadsdon explained that the community hub formed a key part of the Council’s three ongoing Outcome Based Reviews (OBRs) which had been established to focus on:

(i)         Employment support and welfare reform;

(ii)        Housing for vulnerable people; and

(iii)       Regeneration

The Committee heard that it was felt that a community hub was the best way to bring together different communities and Council services to address the issues identified by the OBRs. Peter Gadsdon gave a summary of the advice and information zones available to residents on different issues such as: Housing Benefit; Council Tax Support; Children and Family Advice; and Drug and Alcohol Awareness. These were run alongside activities such as: an arts taster session run by Crisis; a Brent Youth debate on the USA elections; and Brent Mind Music Workshop. It was felt that, overall, the hub had been very successful as it had provided a relaxed, non-corporate environment, which had allowed residents to engage with a range of different organisations and service areas in one place to discuss their varying needs. Peter Gadsdon also emphasised the collective team spirit within the hub, with it being an excellent example of different groups working together and building partnerships to support the local community. In terms of evaluating areas for improvement, he stated that it would have been ideal to stay longer than the two weeks as the numbers of residents engaging with the hub picked up noticeably in the second week. It was noted that this was also linked to the need for using different publicity tools and clearer messaging to allow residents to understand what the hub was and therefore engage with it more effectively. 

Peter Gadsdon concluded that the prototype had been successful and that it was important not to lose momentum generated from this project. He stated that the partnerships fostered by the numerous different groups involved had been very important and that moving forward, a working group would be drawn from people who have been involved in the hub. He noted a key aim would be to develop a more sustainable model and hoped a temporary hub could be in place in Harlesden as soon as possible.

The Chair thanked Peter Gadsdon for the report and commented that she had had a fantastic experience when she visited the hub herself. She asked whether there was any set of defined outcomes for the residents who engaged with the hub. Mr Gadsdon said that the aim had been to provide services which related to the issues identified by the OBRs. For example, on employment and welfare and services to support vulnerable people, CRISIS had run a session on the benefit cap which had been very successful. It was noted that the session had been directed at residents who were already known and identified as being likely to lose income due to the cap. The session provided a constructive space to talk through the related issues they were facing. He noted that otherwise, it had largely been a case of those at the hub dealing with the different issues and queries people had as and when they came in. The Committee heard that the main objective was to build trust with local residents by highlighting that the Council and community organisations were proactively working together to improve their lives. 

In response to a Member’s question as to when a temporary hub would likely be in place, and what factors were involved to achieve this, Peter Gadsdon stated that finding a venue was the main issue as suitable properties in the area were often busy with pre-booked events. He did however stress that there was a clear desire to embed the hub in the area and that everyone who worked on the prototype remained eager to make this happen.

In response to concerns raised by a Member that positive community initiatives of this kind had been proposed in Harlesden before but had never taken off, and there were fears that this could happen again with the community hub, Peter Gadsdon noted these concerns and stated that local community groups had also voiced this. He told the Committee that building trust with both partnering groups and residents was an ongoing process but that this prototype had been a good start. He noted that the Council was committed to making the hub a sustainable model of success in Harlesden and then replicating it elsewhere in the Borough. The Chair added that there was evidently a real determination to take this forward, and this included talking to businesses in the area about how the presence of the hub could benefit them. Carolyn Downs (the Council’s Chief Executive) also noted these concerns and stated that this initiative linked to the Council’s plans for Town Centre Managers throughout the Borough. She stated that there needed to be co-ordination of these different elements going forward to allow for a significant positive impact to residents.

RESOLVED that the progress and next steps for the work on the OBRs and Harlesden Hub prototype be noted.