Performance Update - Quarter 1 / End June 2023

This quarterly report, covering the period of April to June 2023, is intended to provide an update on performance against our 20 Year Vision and 3 Year Strategy, which were launched in November 2022, following comprehensive evidence review and stakeholder engagement.

The new Vision – our South Tyneside: a place where people live healthy, happy and fulfilled lives – is supported by five core ‘Ambitions’ – the things we want to achieve for local people over the next 20 years and the things that will guide all that we do.

We want all people in South Tyneside to be:

And we want these things for every resident, so we are committed to:

To deliver the 20-year Vision, we are focusing our efforts through a series of clear 3-year Strategies. The first iteration - the South Tyneside Council Strategy 2023-26 - is published on the Council’s website.

When Council approved the new Vision and Strategy in November 2022, and in line with our new PROUD Council Values around being ‘open and honest’ and ‘delivering what we say we will’, we set out a clear intention to regularly report on our performance and progress.

The Council’s delivery framework includes robust performance management (indicators, targets and benchmarking), programme management (delivery against project milestones), financial management and budget monitoring (using resources effectively and within budget), and risk mitigation (proactive approach to barriers to delivery).

Cabinet has regular financial oversight through the Quarterly Budget Monitoring Report. This brand new ‘Performance Update’ Quarterly Report will cover updates on our Key Performance Indicators, as well as progress with our key projects and other activity.

The first ever Quarterly Report, covering Quarter 4 2022-23, was presented to Cabinet on 12th July 2023. This is the second report, covering Quarter 1 2023-24. Each January, we will also undertake an Annual Review of the 3-year Strategy and progress against the five Ambitions, and this will be presented to Borough Council.

The Council reviews many performance measures – some data is collected by us, some by partner agencies, like the Police or NHS, and some by Government or national bodies. This data is available at different times and different frequencies, for example monthly, quarterly, yearly, or less frequently.

We will therefore formally report on performance on both a Quarterly and Annual basis. The measures that are updated more regularly will be provided in the Quarterly Cabinet report, as they become available, and the full summary of all key measures will be provided within the Annual Review to Borough Council.

Below is the initial list of measures that will be reported - this list is under constant review and will be refined and added to, as appropriate.

South Tyneside Council serves a diverse population with a range of characteristics and needs.

The borough has a proud heritage, passionate and resilient communities, beautiful natural assets and huge growth potential through excellent connectivity, infrastructure, and business sector-growth. However, like other coastal regions with a strong industrial past, there are also some difficult and entrenched social, economic and health related challenges facing the borough.

These things are important context to our performance updates. Here’s a snapshot of our people and places:

Population

• 147,800 residents
• 48.5% Male, 51.5% Female
• 94.4% white; 2.9% Asian or Asian British; 0.5% Black, African, Carribean or Black British; 1.4% Mixed or Multiple Ethnic Group; 0.8% other Ethnic Group. (2021 Census)
• There are 22.94 people per hectare of land in South Tyneside, a high population density compared to the 3.08 per hectare for the North East and 4.34 per hectare for England.
• 17.9% of the population is under 15
• 61.2% are aged 15-64
• 20.9% are 65 and over

Health & Wellbeing

• 51% of our children with free school meal status achieve a good level of development at the end of Reception, compared to 48.7% regionally and 49.1% nationally.
• 59% of our pupils achieve the expected standard across reading, writing and maths at Key Stage 2, similar to the regional and national average.
• In 2022/23, 25% of children in Reception and 42% of children in Year 6 were overweight or obese.
• By adulthood, this figure more than doubles; 65.9% of over 18s were overweight or obese in 20/21, compared to 63.5% nationally and 69.7% regionally.
• The rate of deaths from drug misuse has nearly doubled in the last decade and an estimated 1 in 5 South Tyneside residents (aged 16+) suffer from depression or anxiety.
• We have a thriving voluntary community sector in South Tyneside and a real sense of belonging in our communities, award winning natural assets including 6 Green Flag Parks and a Sunday Times Beach of the Year, as well as affordable state-of-the-art leisure facilities - all things we know can contribute to good health and mental wellbeing.
• We have a high rate of domestic abuse in South Tyneside - with 4992 incidents reported in 2022/23.

Jobs & Skills

• 26% of jobs in South Tyneside are in the public sector
• South Tyneside's major strengths are in advanced manufacturing and the energy and offshore wind supply chain.
• 26.1% of the working age population has NVQ4 & above qualifications, lower than regionally (28.1%) and GB (33.9%).
• A higher proportion of the working age population have no qualifications (8.3%), than regionally (8.2%) and GB (6.6%).
• 4 in 5 businesses surveyed rated South Tyneside a Fair, Good or Excellent place to run a business.

Inequalities

• Average life expectancy in the borough is 76.4 years for males and 81.2 years for females, but we know this varies considerably per ward (up to 12.1 years difference for males).
• The 2019 Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) ranked South Tyneside as the 23rd most deprived authority out of England's 151 upper tier authorities.
• South Tyneside's gap in the employment rate between people with a physical or mental long-term health condition and the overall employment rate is 14.8 - larger than regionally (13.9) and nationally (10.7).
• Almost 45% of South Tyneside's population live in the most deprived 20% of England.

Communities

• Coverage of 4G networks, superfast and ultrafast broadband are all above the national average.
• Just over 7 in 10 residents surveyed said they were satisfied with South Tyneside as a place to live.
• Close to 9 in 10 residents say they feel safe in their local area during the day, less than half said they felt safe after dark.
• 6.3m visitors to South Tyneside a year.
• 399 metres is average distance to the nearest park, playing field or public garden in South Tyneside, less than half that of national figure of 983.1 metres.

Financial Wellbeing

• 30.4% of South Tyneside's working age population was economically inactive between April 2022 and March 2023, with 42% inactive due to long term sickness.
• In April 2021, half of full-time employees in South Tyneside earned less than £450 per week.
• 32.9% of primary and 29.1% of secondary school children are eligible for Free School Meals, compared to 24% and 22.7% nationally.
• 5.6% of the working age population were claiming out of work as of July 2023, compared to 4.1% regionally and 3.7% nationally.
• 9.6% of people aged 18-24 were claiming unemployment benefits in July 2023, comapred to 6% regionally and 4.9% nationally.

We have analysed the data from this quarter and this section provides the headlines of the areas where we are seeing strong performance and also where our services and communities are experiencing challenges. Further detailed analysis, as well as information on any improvement actions or next steps, is included in throughout the report.

*Most of the data in this report is based on financial years April to March and financial quarters. For ‘snap shot’ data, such as the number and rate of Children Cared For, which represent a single point in time data is provided as at the end of the Quarter. For cumulative measures that rise as the year progresses, such as new referrals to social services, rates are calculated to show the rate from the 1st April to the end of the reporting Quarter to allow direct comparison with previous full year annual rates between 1st April to 31st March.

Our performance

• Area of strong performance Performing better than other aeras or in the recent past.
• Some concern Performing worse than other areas or in the recent past.
• Concern Performing significantly worse than other areas or in the recent past.

• % of people claiming out of work benefits

  The out of work claimant rate in the borough was 5.5% at the end of June, down from 5.9% in March 2023. The number of claimants is now 4,970, down from 5,300 at the end of March. The national claimant count has not changed since March (3.8%), and regionally there has also been a fall from 4.3% to 4.1%. We still have the highest rate in Tyne and Wear, with Gateshead and Newcastle having the next highest (at 4.5%). The rates vary considerably between wards from 9.2% in Beacon and Bents and 8.9% in Simonside and Rekendyke to 1.2% in Cleadon and East Boldon. All wards have all seen reductions since the initial Covid lockdown period in March 2020, ranging from -24% in Whiteleas (to 5%) to –2% in Hebburn South (to 4.2%).

  At the end of June, 7.7% of economically active residents aged over 16 in South Tyneside were claiming out of work benefits, up from 7.5% at the end of March 2023. This is higher than in the North East (5.4%) and in Great Britain (4.7%). However, South Tyneside’s rate had been generally decreasing over time since mid-2021 and is now lower than levels seen immediately before the pandemic (March 2020 - 8.6%).

• Universal Credit claimants

  In June 2023, 18,606 people in South Tyneside were claiming Universal Credit, representing around 1 in 7 of the borough’s 16+ population (15.3%), having risen from 18,560 at the end of March. Of those claiming, 6507 (35%) were in employment, up 3% from 6291 at the end of March 2023. This proportion is in line with the North East (35.4%) and below England (38.7%).

  Note: people are in the process of moving from legacy benefits to universal credit which will be contributing to this rise.

What are we doing to strengthen outcomes and performance in this area?

• The Council has supported established foodbanks in the borough with a further £128,000 over 2023/24 to support them to provide help and advice to local residents facing hardship and food poverty.
• Over £50,000 of financial support has been distributed through the Household Support Fund over the last quarter.
• More than 60 community centres, churches, charities, family hubs and charity hubs that provided a ‘warm space’ throughout last winter have continued to keep their doors open throughout Spring and Summer as ‘Welcoming Places’ where residents can come to get advice, make and meet friends, and take part in free activities.
• More than 1000 families across South Tyneside whose children receive free school meals and are due to start Reception, Year 7 or are moving into a new Junior School for Year 3 are receiving supermarket vouchers to help ease the financial pressures associated with new uniform costs.
• Building on the success of the first Cost of Living Summit in October 2022, which brought together 38 different organisations across South Tyneside, a further Cost of Living Summit has been arranged for early Autumn 2023. This will bring together 100 people across 40 organisations to reflect and learn from activities over the last year and drive further action on poverty, including through shaping and co-producing a medium-term Anti- Poverty and Inclusive Growth Strategy. (The 2023 Poverty Summit took place on 11th September.)

Additional information

See the Financially Secure Action Plan, which is part of the South Tyneside Council Strategy 2023-26 as well as the Health and Wellbeing Strategy for more information about plans in this area.

Best start in life

Our performance

• Area of strong performance Performing better than other aeras or in the recent past.
• Some concern Performing worse than other areas or in the recent past.
• Concern Performing significantly worse than other areas or in the recent past.

• High levels of referrals into Children's Services

  The rate of new referrals starting in Children’s Social Care has increased sharply since year end 2022/23. There were 627 referrals up to the end of Quarter 1 (844.5 per 10,000), up 19% on the 2022/23 rate (1st April 2022 to 31st March 2023), (707.5 per 10,000) and up 33% above the pre-Covid 2019/20 rate (635.8 per 10,000). Our rate remains well above the most recently reported average rates across our statistical neighbours (642.2), the North East (664.8) and England (537.7). The most common wider reasons for referrals in children’s services are linked to the impact of adult issues, such as domestic abuse, adult mental health and substance abuse (particularly alcohol-related abuse) in families and on children.

  The Police remain the highest source of new referrals, at 28.5% (1779 referrals), down on 2022/23 when they made up 33% of referrals. This is in line with the North East and is the case nationally. The number of referrals started following contacts from education/ schools was 19.6% (277), down from 22% in April to June 2022.

  There were 2174 contacts to Children’s Social Care in Quarter 1 2023/24. The rate of contacts (2928.1 per 10,000 children) is 2% lower than 2022/23 when there were 9324 contacts (3139.6 per 10,000). These contacts are from the public, or they are more formal referrals made from partners such as health or schools, other council services, or Child Concern Notifications from the Police. Most of these contacts do not require a new social care referral to be started by the council and advice and information is provided or sign posting made to other appropriate services.

  A new social care referral is only started when contact requires more formal triage work, direct investigation, or assessment. This was the case for 29% of children we were contacted about in Quarter 1 2023/24. Each child has their own individual referral and contact. It should be noted that the approach to referrals and the point at which a contact is recorded as referral varies across local authorities depending on their individual agreed practices. Comparisons with other areas on this measure are therefore not consistent and the best approach is for us to compare against our own recent positions.

  From December 2022, the process of recording contacts at the children’s social care front door changed, with more requests for service or Early Help being recorded as contacts on the Early Help system rather than in the Childrens’ Social Care system following Triage. This has resulted in a decrease in the level of contacts in Children’s Social Care, but a rise in the level of contacts dealt with in Early Help, with more contacts from the Police being supported with Early Help intervention. There were 1,215 contacts to the Early Help service in Quarter 1, a 212% increase (+826) from Quarter 1 2022.

  * Our statistical neighbours / similar areas are: North East: Durham, Gateshead, Hartlepool, Redcar and Cleveland Sunderland and North West: Halton, Liverpool, Salford, St. Helens, Tameside

• Children in need

  There were 1512 Children in Need* in South Tyneside at the end of June 2023, (509.1 per 10,000). This rate is 6% up compared to the end of Quarter 4 / March 2023 (480.2 per 10,000, 1426 children) and 14% higher than pre-Covid 2019/20 (445.8 per 10,000, 1345 children). The increase reflects the rising rate of referrals as well as the number of children undergoing a social work assessment.

  * Our Children in Need number covers all children with an open referral with Children and Families Social Care including children in assessment; triage, those with Child In Need Plans, Child Protection Plans, our Children Cared For and our Care Leavers.

• Child protection plans

  198 children had a Child Protection Plan at the end of June 2023 (66.7 per 10,000), up by 6% (11 children) compared with last year end (187 children, 63 per 10,000 at the end of Quarter 4, March 2022/23).

  The current rate of plans is 8% higher than pre-Covid 2019/20 (62 per 10,000). South Tyneside are a little above the average across our Statistical Neighbours (63.7) as well as the North East rate (65.5). South Tyneside’s rate remains significantly higher than England (41.4). 67 children became subject to a Child Protection Plan in Quarter 1, 90.2 per 10,000. This is 4% down on 2022/23 (93.9 per 10,000) but remains higher (+19%) than the first pre-Covid lockdown rate at the end of March 2020 (57 per 10,000).

• Repeat Child Protection

  22.4% of new Child Protection Plans in Quarter 1 2023/24 were repeat plans (15 children), a 31% reduction compared with year end 2022/23 (32.3%) and 7% lower than 2021/22 (24.2%). South Tyneside are currently in line with the North East region (22.4% - 2022/23) and below the National position on this measure (23.3%) but higher than our Statistical Neighbours average (21.4%). Domestic abuse is often a contributing factor to repeat plans. In response we are auditing repeat cases, considering legal care proceedings where appropriate and have added the domestic abuse service to our social care front door.

• Children Cared For

  302 Children were Cared For at the end of June 2023. The rate, 101.7 per 10,000 children is 3% lower than the end of March 2023 position of 104.7, (311 Children) but remains 6% higher than year end 2021/22 rate (96) and higher than 2020/21 (97) and 2019/20 (97.5) respectively. South Tyneside’s rate remains significantly lower than our statistical neighbours (122.4) and the North East at the end of March 2023 (114.6), but remains significantly higher than England (67).

  19 of our Children Cared For are Unaccompanied Asylum-seeking Children (UASC), up 5.5% from year end 2022/23 (18). At the end of 2021/22 the number was five children. This increase is a result of the Council’s participation in the National Transfer Scheme.

• Children becoming Cared For

  23 Children became Cared For in Quarter 1 between April and June 2023. The rate (31 per 10,000) is currently 31% lower than at the end of Quarter 4 (44.8 per 10,000 in April 2022 to March 2023) and 9% lower than in 2021/22 (34). Our rate of Children Becoming Cared For is below that across the North East (44.8 per 10,000) and the last published rate across statistical neighbours (46 per 10,000).

• Adoptions

  8 children were adopted in Quarter 1 (34.8% of the 23 children who left our care). This proportion is over double that in the full year 2022/23 (15.7% - 17 children) and the pre-Covid 2019/20 (15.4%). South Tyneside is above the national (12%) and regional positions (13.6%) on this measure.

• Domestic Abuse Incidents

  There were 1,236 incidents of domestic abuse up to the end of Quarter 1 2023/34, a rate of 327.1 per 10,000 people. This is a 1% decrease as compared to 330.3 at year end 2022/23 (4992 instances) and -3% down on Quarter 1 2022/23 (1271). However, while there has been a reduction the level of domestic abuse incidents, South Tyneside remains well above other areas in the Northumbria Police Force area, the next highest area being Gateshead (287.9 per 10,000). The rate was 265 incidents per 10,000 people across the Northumbria area.

  The current South Tyneside rate is 7.3% higher than year end 2021/22 (305.0, 4609 instances) and 3.7% higher than the pre-Covid 2019/20 position of (315.4, 4766 instances).

  *It should be noted that given that domestic violence is often not reported because victims can find it difficult to seek help, a rise in the number of incidents reported to police may reflect increased confidence in reporting rather than an actual rise in the number of incidents. However, comparison with regional reporting figures can help to give context about the level of the challenge.

• 1709 children and young people with more complex special needs were being supported through an Education, Health and Care Plan at the end of Quarter 1 (June 2023)

  This includes young people, older than school age and up to the age of 25. This position is marginally up on the end of Quarter 4 / end of March 2022/23 (1707) but is a 5.4% increase on June 2022/23 (1621). 17.6% of South Tyneside pupils have additional Special Educational Needs, requiring additional support, which is also higher than in the North East (13.5%), similar areas (14.3%) and England (12.6%).

What are we doing to strengthen outcomes and performance in this area

Other things we are doing to strengthen outcomes and performance in this area include:

• We have made strong progress on our Children’s improvement journey, having successfully accessed c£926k Government funding to support our Improvement Plan. We continue to work closely with partners and staff, and put the voices of children at the centre of everything we do.
• Our investment in 5 additional early help workers at our social care front door is helping to increase in the number of contacts from the Police being supported by an early help intervention. We continue to include the domestic abuse service in our triage work.
• The first tranche of new Family Hub funding has resulted in an increase in the range of prevention and intervention programmes available for local families.
• The highly successful Mockingbird fostering model, which helps support and advise foster carers, was highlighted as a strength by Ofsted and has been further expanded with the launch of a fourth ‘constellation’, where a home hub foster carer offers peer support and guidance to ‘satellite carers’ alongside social activities to help strengthen support.
• 100% of the council’s children’s homes that have been inspected by Ofsted are rated ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ (with our newest home yet to be inspected)
• A campaign around ‘Fostering Fortnight’ in May has helped recognise and celebrate the important work of foster carers and engage new prospective local foster carers by showcasing the difference they can make to young people who need a stable, loving home.
• A new ‘satellite site’ of Keelman’s Way School, which caters for children with learning disabilities between the ages of two and nineteen, is being set up on the site of the former South Shields School, helping to provide places for 16 students with additional needs who might otherwise have to travel out of the borough for their education.
• Ofsted have awarded a ‘Good’ grading in all areas to The Beacon Centre, the local pupil referral unit for children and young people between the ages of five and sixteen with a range of social, emotional and mental health needs, with the latest inspection report finding the school to be ‘a positive, supportive environment where pupils do well’.

Additional information

See the 'Healthy and Well' Action Plan, which is part of the South Tyneside Council Strategy 2023-26, for more information about plans and activities to support this Ambition.

Age well

Our performance

• Area of strong performance Performing better than other aeras or in the recent past.
• Some concern Performing worse than other areas or in the recent past.
• Concern Performing significantly worse than other areas or in the recent past.

• Increase in number of people with Commissioned Services

  3000 people were receiving a Commissioned Service in Adult Social Care at the end of Quarter 1 (June 2023), up slightly (+0.5%) from 2985 at the end of Quarter 4 (March 2023) and 7% up on the pre-Covid position at March 2020.

  Commissioned services are care, support or supervision that has been arranged and paid for on a client’s behalf by social care.

• Admissions of people aged 18-64 to residential or nursing care

  4 people aged 18-64 (18.3 per 100,000) had their long-term support needs met by being admitted to residential or nursing care in Quarter 1 (April to June 2023). This rate is the same as at the end of Quarter 4 (April 2022 to March 2023), but higher than 2021/22 (7.8 per 100,00 when there were 7 admissions). Our latest figure is higher than the latest regional rate (17.8 per 100,000) and the national rate (13.9 per 100,000). More recent national and regional figures are due to be released in October 2023 for 2022/23 statutory returns.

• Admissions of people aged 65+ to residential or nursing care

  65 people aged over 65 were admitted in Quarter 1 2023/24 (867.5 per 100,000). This is 11% lower than in Quarter 1 2022/23 when 75 people were admitted and 6% lower than in 2022/23 as a whole of 899.9 per 10,000. The rate remains higher than the latest regional (738.5 per 100,000) and national (538.5 per 100,000) positions.

• People in long-term residential placements

  883 people were in Long Term residential placements at the end of June, a reduction of 0.8% compared with year end 2022/23 (891). However, this indicator remains significantly higher than both 2020/21 (up 15.5%, 764 people) and 2021/22 (up 4.7%, 843 people) respectively. This is the number of people that were actually living in residential care on the 30th of June, whereas the new admission figures above show new admissions of people who have moved into long-term residential care since the start of April to the end of June 2023.

• People in short-term residential placements

  At the end of June 2023 142 people were in Short Term Residential/Nursing Care, marginally lower than at the end of March 2023 (143). This is a 23% reduction on 2021/22 (184) but remains higher than the position in 2019/20 (124) and 2018/19 (55).

  The indicators above and the performance for (2022/23) are under review against the Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework (ASCOF) and are potentially subject to change pending the findings of a wider data quality exercise. The only outcome we would anticipate as a result of the review would be a positive decrease in the number of people who have been admitted within the period.

• 98.2% of the providers used by the Council for residential, domiciliary care, extra care, specialist care, complex care and supported living, are currently rated as ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission, with only one residential care provider being rated as ‘Requires Improvement’. None are ‘Inadequate’. Of the 60 total providers, 3 are yet to be inspected at this time.

• 62.2% of people who use our Adult Social Care services were satisfied overall with their care and support in 2022/23

  This is below the level in the North East (65.3%) and England (63.9%) in 2021/22 and Iower than the position in South Tyneside that year (67.3%), which had been in the top 25% of Council areas. When considering those who are also ‘quite satisfied’ this shows that 88.3% of people were at least quite satisfied; this is down a little on 2021/22 (89.7%) but remains above the latest published 2022 National average (87.9%). The national and north east 2022/23 positions will be published later this year which will allow us to compare better and show us if there has been a national reduction.

What are we doing to strengthen outcomes and performance in this area

Live well - Health and Leisure

Our performance

• Area of strong performance Performing better than other aeras or in the recent past.
• Some concern Performing worse than other areas or in the recent past.
• Concern Performing significantly worse than other areas or in the recent past.

• Publicly available NHS data states that 15.1% of mothers in South Tyneside were smoking at the time of delivery

  between April 2022 to March 2023, an increase on 12.1% in 2021/22.This remains above both the North East (12.3%) and England (8.8%). This 2022-23 figure is thought to be higher than it should be due to a possible data quality issue effecting quarter three (October to December) which is currently being queried with the NHS. The estimated corrected figure would be broadly similar to 2021/22. The position for December 2022 to March 2023 was showing an improvement at 11.8% (40 smokers in 340 maternities).

• Significant rises in leisure centre usage and concessionary usage

  At the end of Quarter 1 (June 2023), there were 8,602 leisure memberships, up 3.5% from 8,307 at the end of Quarter 4 (March 2023) and up 16% from 7,422 in June 2022 and the numbers are now 19% above those prior to the pandemic in March 2020 (7,227). The number of concessionary members is also up 3% to 2898 at the end of June 2023 from 2810 at March 2023, supporting more older and disabled residents, carers, those with low income or employment related benefits, and students to access leisure centres. We continue to make our leisure offer more accessible, with competitive pricing and improved online booking options for the public.

What are we doing to strengthen outcomes and performance in this area

• South Tyneside has secured £1.6m in funding from the fourth round of the Active Travel Fund which will help to support improvements to the cycling and walking network that runs along the Coast Road.
• Families and schools across the borough have taken part in the Active Travel Challenge, which encourages thousands of school children and their parents or carers and teachers to walk or cycle to school to boost their health and help the environment.
• A new ‘green gym’ that converts user movements into electricity has been opened at Monkton Stadium, as part of a £700k investment which will expand the space available for exercise, introduce more smart technology and fund new showers and a sauna.
• The newly established North Marine Junior Parkrun has welcomed over 2000 young runners in its first four months.
• Four primary schools across South Tyneside have taken part in the pilot of the ‘Teach Active’ programme which aims to make core curriculum classes such as Maths and English lessons less sedentary and support children to do at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day.
• Nine life-saving trauma packs supplied by St John’s Ambulance have been installed in publicly accessible locations across South Tyneside to help local people support first aid efforts in an emergency before response services can reach the scene.
• Funding has been secured for local health partners to deliver a new targeted Healthy Homes pilot which helps match households with relevant partner services such as money and debt advice, home safety checks, eco-housing improvements and fuel poverty training.

Homelessness

Our performance

• Area of strong performance Performing better than other aeras or in the recent past.
• Some concern Performing worse than other areas or in the recent past.
• Concern Performing significantly worse than other areas or in the recent past.

• People presenting as being at risk of homelessnes

  There were 723 homelessness presentations in Quarter 1 2023/24. This would provide a projected figure of 2892 for the year, which is lower than the full year 2022/23 (3096) but higher than any other year within our records. These were mostly people contacting the Council as they were concerned or at risk of becoming homeless, e.g. people at risk of losing their private tenancy or people who do not currently have a permanent place of residence, rather than being homeless at the point of contact.

• The number of rough sleepers throughout the month (18 in June 2023) is higher than June 2022 (14)

  However, the number sleeping rough at the end of the month has reduced to 4 compared to 7 in June 2022.

  Rough sleeping rates are published nationally and compared in autumn as the level tends to be higher in warmer months and often reduces in winter. South Tyneside’s rate of rough sleepers was 2.7 per 100,000 residents in autumn 2022, up from 0.7 in autumn 2021. Our rate was below the region (2.3 per 100,000) and England (5,4 per 100,000). This is a national issue with rises being witnessed overall in England in both rough sleeping and people requiring support with homelessness.

  People sleeping rough are defined as those sleeping or about to bed down in open air locations and other places including tents and makeshift shelters. The snapshot does not include people in hostels or shelters, sofa surfers or those in recreational or organised protest, squatter, or traveller campsites.

What are we doing to strengthen outcomes and performance in this area

• The Council commissions on-the-street outreach support which is supporting morning and late-night engagement with potential rough sleepers at known hot spots.
• Multi-agency work is also underway to respond to increases in rough sleeping. A fortnightly rough sleepers action group enables internal and external partners to share intelligence on individuals known to be sleeping rough or at serious risk of rough sleeping, to help coordinate support and action.
• The Housing Strategy team is continuing work to develop a new homelessness and rough sleeper strategy, as well as working with other services to strengthen support for people to prevent them reaching the point where they are homeless.
• The new cross-service Homelessness Prevention Group is supporting an ongoing assessment of homelessness services, with findings planned to support an Action Plan to promote support and prevention. A review of private supported housing used by harder-to-house residents with substance abuse and other needs is also underway to help improve the offer in this market.
• Additional funding has been secured from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to pay for additional outreach workers over the coming year to work with individuals living on the streets who have the most complex needs.

• Dedicated resource has been agreed for a programme of work with supported housing providers that will seek to drive up standards for those living within supported accommodation and that will develop pathways to more sustainable housing options.
• We are also working to improve supported housing that is available for young people, including care experienced young people.
• The Council is additionally working with regional colleagues to ensure that practical action to address homelessness is a priority for the new North East Mayoral Combined Authority

Additional information

For more information on the wider activities planned around promoting health and wellbeing, please see the ‘Healthy and Well’ Action Plan, which is part of the South Tyneside Council Strategy 2023-26. South Tyneside’s Health and Wellbeing Board also oversees the delivery of the detailed Healthy and Wellbeing Strategy www.southtyneside.gov.uk/healthstrategy which includes comprehensive plans around themes including ‘Best Start for Life’, ‘Good Mental health and Social Networks Throughout Life’, ‘Financial Security to Lead Healthy Fulfilling Lives’, and ‘Safe and Healthy Places to Live, Learn and Work’.

At each Health and Wellbeing Board meeting there is a detailed exploration of one outcome.

Our performance

• Area of strong performance Performing better than other aeras or in the recent past.
• Some concern Performing worse than other areas or in the recent past.
• Concern Performing significantly worse than other areas or in the recent past.

• 95.3% of pupils were attending South Tyneside primary schools which were rated ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Good’ (at the end of the summer term in July)

  This is higher than across the North East (94.3%) and England (91.1%). There is currently one Primary that Requires Improvement.

• There has been a rise in the level of 16-17-year-olds who were Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) to 7.1% in Quarter 1 2023/24

  Which is higher than at the end of March 2023 (6.7%) and the end of June 2022 (5.6%). NEET levels continue to be above the national average (5%) and the North East average (6.1%). We continue to have higher rates of NEET in Year 13 (Upper Sixth Form) at 8.3% with NEET in this age group rising compared to Year 12 (Lower Sixth Form) at 6%.

• 59.4% of South Tyneside’s 19-21 year-old Care Leavers were in Education, Employment or Training (EET) in June 2023

  The EET rate is showing a drop of 2% compared with the 2022/23 year end figure of 60.6%. This is a 15% increase on the Quarter 1 2022/23 figure of 51.6% and remains higher than in England (55%) or the region (52%) but is down on 2021/22 when 68% were EET, which was in the top 16 Councils nationally.

• 100% of South Tyneside’s four Special schools are rated ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Good’ (at the end of the summer term in July).

  This is higher than across the North East (87%) and England (89%). Special schools are not included in the measures of pupils above, as many provide both primary and secondary education. The proportion of children in Good or Outstanding special schools is not published for the region or nationally by Ofsted.

• 72.7% of our secondary school pupils attended schools rated as ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Good’

  This is lower than across the North East (75.9%) and England (83.1%). This percentage changes only when a school or academy is inspected by Ofsted, generally on a 2 -4 year cycle. Given the relatively low number of secondary schools the % of pupils in Good or Outstanding schools can change quite significantly based on a single inspection. There are eight secondary schools in South Tyneside, four of which are academies where the accountability for school improvement sits with the Trusts. There are currently two Secondary schools that Require Improvement. Regardless of this the Council’s School Improvement Team monitors performance and risks within all settings in order to provide appropriate support and challenge to school leaders.

• The estimated employment rate in the borough in April 2022 to March 2023 was 62.3% (latest published)

  This is a marginal increase (0.3 percentage points) to 57,400 people since January to December 2022. Regionally, the 16-64 employment rate has risen to 70.8% in the 12 months to March 2023, compared to 70.5% in 2021/22. England wide, the 16-64 employment rate for the most recent period was 75.7%, compared to 75.8% in the previous period.

  Note: This rate is based on an Office of National Statistics (ONS) survey of the population and a small local sample size for South Tyneside. The data has been queried with ONS who confirm that they are not aware of any quality issues, but also that the data is subject to confidence issues based on small sample sizes. The margin of error for South Tyneside is +/- 4.5% as compared with +/- 1.1% in the North East and +/- 0.3% in England. The change in South Tyneside’s employment rate is not statistically significantly different to the preceding four quarters but is highlighted as an ongoing trend. There have not been any large-scale redundancies or major movements in the labour market locally.

• The estimated Unemployment Rate has increased to 7.6% at the end of March (4,700 people), from 7.2% at the end of December 2022 and is on a rising trend

  Up from 5.8% at the end of September and 6.2% at the end of June. This is the highest level since the mid pandemic period (July 20-Jun 21 - 7.8%). The unemployment rate remains higher than in the region (which has fallen to 4.3% from 4.6% in December) and England (which has risen from 3.6% to 3.7% in the same time period). As with the Employment Rate, this measure is estimated.

What are we doing to strengthen outcomes and performance in this area

Other things we are doing to strengthen outcomes and performance in this area include:

• A new South Tyneside Works course has been set up to give young people between the ages of 16-19 the skills they need to succeed as teaching assistants and get their start in a career in education.
• Eight primary schools across South Tyneside have begun work to identify career champions as part of in the ‘Start Small Dream Big’ programme which is raising the profile of careers advice in schools.
• Young inventors from primary schools across the borough have had an opportunity to learn more about renewable energy and expand their skills in science, technology, engineering and maths by taking part in the ‘Invention Challenge’, part of the Council and Dogger Bank Wind Farm-led ‘Powering the Future: South Tyneside and Beyond!’ Programme.
• A new Volunteer Skills programme has been developed to support South Tyneside volunteers to access a range of free training around safeguarding, first aid, fire safety and more, to help them develop their skills, apply them to community initiatives and volunteer opportunities, and progress in their careers.
• Public support has been secured to move forward with an expanded Devolution Deal for the North East that will unlock £4.2m of additional investment for the region, after an eight-week, fifteen-event consultation which involved 3,235 residents and businesses across the region. Work is also underway to develop the new North East Mayoral Combined Authority’s Skills, Education and Inclusion portfolio, which South Tyneside Council is expected to lead.

• Local prospective entrepreneurs, including people who are out of work or living in areas with high deprivation, are being supported through the new ‘Start Up South Tyneside’ project, which is being supported by £495,000 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The TEDCO-run project, which aims to support 200 new start-ups, is giving entrepreneurs free advice and support around issues like accessing loans and finance, legal, marketing and more, to help them nurture their ideas into business opportunities.
• The South Tyneside Pledge, which has supported 200+ local organisations to add at least £3m a year to the South Tyneside economy by using more local suppliers and recruiting more local people, has been showcased at the national Local Government Association conference’s ‘innovation zone’ so that other areas across the country can learn from its success.
• Among other ongoing work to encourage inward investment, this quarter saw the sites, supply chains and skills capabilities of South Tyneside and other ‘Tyne Powered’ public and private partners along the River Tyne promoted to over 5000 delegates at the Global Offshore Wind 2023 conference in London.

Additional information

For more information on the activities planned to progress this Ambition, you can access the ‘Connected to Jobs’ Action Plan, which is part of the South Tyneside Council Strategy 2023-26.

In addition, there are a suite of plans and strategies associated with this ambition area accessible online on the Council’s website, including the South Tyneside Economic Recovery Plan.

The South Tyneside Works website provides more information about local support available to residents looking to get into work, change career path or boost skills and Invest South Tyneside provides more information on inward investment activity and major job creation schemes.

Our performance

• Area of strong performance Performing better than other aeras or in the recent past.
• Some concern Performing worse than other areas or in the recent past.
• Concern Performing significantly worse than other areas or in the recent past.

Community Safety

• The overall number of crimes in South Tyneside has increased by 24% in April to June 2023 with 4266 crimes reported compared to 3440 in April to June 2022, (an increase of 826 crimes)*. Force-wide there was a 11% increase in total crime. Violence against the person - without injury was the highest crime type in April to June 2023 with 1,124 offences and has increased by 18% compared to April to June 2022 where there were 955 offences. Force wide violence against the Person without injury increased by 12%. South Tyneside had a 22% increase in violence against the person - with injury, this is greater than the force wide increase of 10%. South Tyneside has seen a 48% increase in Theft and Handling and an 28% increase in Public Disorder.

  * The Police provide comparison data based to the position at the same point ion each financial year. Much of the violence within South Tyneside is linked to Domestic Abuse. The Council’s Public Health team and the Police are working closely to tackle this at source as we recognise that this is disproportionately made up of repeat victims and offenders.. The increase in theft and handling is likely to be related to the overall economic climate, however Northumbria Police have targeted prolific individuals and carried out hotspot policing to tackle shop lifting directly. We have worked with the businesses in Hebburn to introduce a Shopwatch scheme and the early feedback has suggested that one retailer has already seen a significant reduction in theft.

• There has been an 2% decrease in Anti-Social Behaviour incidents in April to June 2023 to 1208compared with the same period in the previous year. Our rate of incidents was 817 per 100,000 residents which falls between Gateshead and Sunderland, which are both our statistical neighbours. Partners have delivered a programme of summer diversionary activities similar to last year, which proved effective.

Waste

• 62,336 tonnes of household waste was produced and collected in South Tyneside in 2022/23 (latest available*) down 6.8% from 66,859 tonnes in 2021/22

• The level of residual waste produced per household between April-March 2023 (latest available data) has reduced, by 5% to 592.49 Kg/household compared to 2021/22 (624.82 Kg/household). The rate had previously been one of the highest urban areas nationally in 2019/20, at 703.8 Kg. This ongoing reduction means our performance is now better than the latest (2021/22) published position in the North East (623 Kg), but remains higher than in England (546.8 Kg).Note: over 95% of this waste is not landfilled but is sent to produce energy at a specialist ‘waste to energy’ power station. Whilst these reductions are very positive, there is still a long way to go to comply with the Government’s Environment Plan which sets out mandatory targets for the local authorities to reduce residual waste by 24% per person by 2028 and reduce overall waste tonnage by 25%.

• 31% of household waste was recycled, reused or composted between April-March 2022/23 (latest available data*) which is lower than in 2021/22 (32.4%) and is below the average across other metropolitan councils (39.4% in 2021/22). This does not include the remaining residual waste re-used to create energy.

• The proportion of recycling bins waste that was contaminated as of March 2023 was 19.1%, this is down on the previous year end position of 20.95%

  but remains higher than pre-Covid 2019/20 (14.8%).

  * Waste data is requires many checks during the processing journey as part of the national data collections and is always provided a quarter later than most other data.

• Number of trees planted

  4,201 trees were planted in April to March 2022/23 which is above our target of 3,000 trees per year. 270 of these trees were replacements, giving a net total of 3,931 new trees planted. This includes trees planted in hedges.

What are we doing to strengthen outcomes and performance in this area

Other things we are doing to strengthen outcomes and performance in this area include:

• A range of new waste and recycling policies have been brought in, following consultation with residents, to help the Council deliver a more effective, efficient and consistent collection service for the 70,000+ household bins that are collected from each week. Approaches such as replacing lost or stolen bins, and improving advice and engagement on which materials should be placed in which bin, will all help to improve services and support residents to reduce household waste and contamination.
• Two new Community Engagement Officers are due to start in September and will have a strong focus on waste minimisation and reducing contamination of recycling.
• Influencing behaviour change is key to waste minimisation and we are developing a Waste Communications Strategy to support messaging around this area of work.
• 15 local volunteers have been trained to monitor endangered coastal nesting birds as part of the ‘Ringed Plover’ coastal project.
• Over 100 visitors took part in activities and exhibitions organised for International Earth Day 2023 at Cleadon Park Library, with the Council’s Carbon Reduction and Sustainability Team visiting three primary schools to help support learning about climate change.
• Sandhaven Beach, the Sunday Times ‘Best Beach of the Year 2022’, again secured a Seaside Award, and a programme of sand clearance and beach reinstatement works, including painting of the ‘blue waves’ footpath, has been carried out along the foreshore in anticipation of the busy summer season.
• Six South Tyneside Parks – South Marine Park, West Park (South Shields), Monkton Dene, North Marine, Readhead Park and West Park (Jarrow) – all won a ‘Green Flag’ award this summer, an accolade placing them among the best green spaces in the country.
• A new blue plaque honouring the contribution of South Shields Sea Cadets to local maritime history has been installed at the T.S. Collingwood Sea Cadets base, adding to the over 30 plaques placed across borough to recognise people and places who have played a key role in the borough’s culture and heritage.

• F amilies across South Tyneside took part in an action packed programme of activities and entertainment across the ten-day 2023 Jarrow Festival.
• June saw the beginning of the 2023 ‘This Is South Tyneside Festival’, which yet again was wildly successful in bringing residents together and drawing visitors to the area. 1500 residents of all ages, interests and backgrounds came together for preparations and rehearsals ahead of the annual Summer Parade, which drew over 18,000 residents and visitors. A further 5,000 people enjoyed the fun of the Sandhaven Promenade Programme which took place that same weekend, with 2,000 spectators turning out for the annual Proms in the Park event. Later in the summer, huge numbers also made the most of the beloved Sunday Concert series in spite of the challenges of summer wind and rain, including 5,000 attendees at Bjorn Again and12,000 spectators at the Boyzlife concert.
• The Elections Team managed another smooth local election in May, with over 35,000 votes cast. The team worked hard to raise awareness of the new national voter ID requirements.
• The annual #LoveSouthTyneside awards recognised champions of civic pride and community spirit for making a difference to the local area.

Additional information

For more information on the activities planned to progress this Ambition, access the 'Part of Strong Communities' Action Plan, which is part of the South Tyneside Council Strategy 2023-26.

In addition, there are a suite of plans and strategies associated with this ambition area that are accessible online on the Council's website, including the Sustainable South Tyneside Strategy, the Making Waves South Tyneside Cultural Strategy, the South Tyneside Local Plan, the Integrated Housing Strategy and the Community Safety Partnership Plan.

Within individual services, a huge range of work has taken place over the last quarter that will support improved access and inclusion for different groups of our community.

This has ranged from work to include and celebrate a wide range of people with with different backgrounds and characteristics in the Summer Parade, to work to expand, to work to support people from deprived areas to develop business ideas, to work to expand provision for young people with special educational needs by establishing a new satellite unit of Keelman’s Way School, as well as work to refresh an action plan to target support for our armed forces community, including support for employees who are veterans or reservists and wider support and signposting for veterans, reservists and their families across South Tyneside.

The Council is also continuing to lead by example, supporting and celebrating different identities and experiences across the workforce. In the last quarter, this has included supporting newly established employee networks, including the Carer’s Network, Neurodiversity/Pan Disability Network, LGBTQ+ Network and Women’s Network, with training and support as they grow.

Work has also continued over recent months to review and strengthen the Council’s wider strategic approach to equality, diversity and inclusion and to identify new corporate objectives to drive further improvements in this area.

Additional information

The new 'Our South Tyneside' report - has been published on the Council's website and made available to Elected Members, council employees and wider stakeholders, drawing together the latest data and intelligence on the local population, including demographics, health, independence, children and families, and the economy.

View the latest 'Targeting Support to Make Things Fairer' Action Plan, which is part of the South Tyneside Council Strategy 2023-26 for more information on the activities planned to progress this Ambition.

Additional publicly available data can be found here:

• The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities publishes a range of public health range and profiles, including some at local authority level, which can be explored using the 'Fingertips' tool.
• The Office for National Statistic's 'NOMIS' service publishes a range of official statistics related to population, society, and the labour market at national, regional and local levels, including data from current and previous censuses. View the latest Labour Market Profile for South Tyneside.
• The Local Authority Interactive Tool presents information on topics ranging from children looked after by local authorities, to pupil attainment, Ofsted judgements, youth justice statistics and more, in the form of interactive tables and charts with different local authorities rank and positions.
• The Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework contains a range of measures of how well care and services in different local authorities do on a range of quality of life measures.
• LG Inform is the local area benchmarking tool from the Local Government Association

Annual Review (including Q2 2023-24)

Borough Council 18 January 2024

Q3 2023-24 Performance Update to Cabinet

15 May 2024

Q4 2023-24 Performance Update to Cabinet

July 2024 (exact date tbc)

Care Leaver

The Care Leavers’ Association has a simple definition of a care leaver – any adult who has spent time in care. The legal definition of a care leaver comes from The Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 which states that a Care Leaver is someone who has been in the care of the Local Authority for a period of 13 weeks or more spanning their 16th birthday.

Care Leavers EET

This indicator is the percentage of 19 to 21 year-old care leavers in education, training or employment. It covers young people whose 19th, 20th or 21st birthday falls between 1 April and 31 March (each given year) who were previously looked after for least 13 weeks after their 14th birthday, including some time after their 16th birthday, are considered. The national measure is based on the situation around the young person birthday.

Child in Need

Under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989, Local Authorities have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children within their area if they are in need. A child is in need when they are disabled, or they are unlikely to achieve a reasonable standard of health or development or if a child’s health or development is likely to be significantly impaired if services are not offered to him or her.

Child Protection

The safeguarding of children from violence, exploitation, abuse, and neglect. It involves identifying signs of potential harm, responding to allegations or suspicions of abuse and providing support and services to protect children.

Child Protection Plan

For all those children who have been identified at a Child Protection Conference as being at a continuing risk of significant harm, a Child Protection Plan will be created. This is a plan setting out what steps and provisions are needed to safeguard a child’s welfare and minimize all risks of harm to a child.

Children Cared For

Cared for children are children in the care of the local authority (also known as a child in care, looked after child or child looked after). They might be living: with foster parents; at home with their parents under the supervision of social services; in residential children’s homes; other residential settings like schools or secure units; or in 16+ provision such as supported lodgings or supported accommodation. They might have been placed in care voluntarily by parents struggling to cope.

Children's Residential Homes

A type of residential care, which refers to long-term care given to children who cannot stay in their birth family home.

Claimant rate

Claimant Count measures the number of unemployed people receiving unemployment benefits.

Commissioned service

Care, support or supervision that has been arranged and paid for on a client’s behalf by a public authority such as: In the case of personal care, a local authority adult social care department.

Community shops

Shops that trade as businesses, but they trade primarily for community benefit. An example of this could be Lucie’s Laundry, a launderette for anyone in the community to use free of charge.

CQC

Care Quality Commission. CQC is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England. CQC make sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care and we encourage care services to improve. They monitor, inspect, and regulate services and publish what we find. Where we find poor care, we will use our powers to act.

Economically Active

Those aged 16 and over who are either in employment or unemployed. Economically inactive people are those who are neither employed nor unemployed; they’re not in paid work, but they’re also not looking for a job or available to start work (this includes people who are retired, looking after family or sick/disabled)

Education Health and Care Plan

An education, health and care (EHC) plan is for children and young people aged up to 25 who need more support than is available through special educational needs support. EHC plans identify educational, health and social needs and set out the additional support to meet those needs.

Employment rate

Employment rate: the employment rate is the percentage of the population who are working age (16-64) who who did some paid work in the reference week (whether as an employee or self-employed), including those who had a job that they were temporarily away from (e.g. on holiday), those on government-supported training and employment programmes, and those doing unpaid family work.

Enterprise Zones

Geographically defined areas, hosted by Local Enterprise Partnerships in which commercial and industrial businesses can receive incentives to set up or expand. Businesses locating to an Enterprise Zone can receive business tax of up to 100% over a five-year period.

Fuel poor

Households are considered fuel poor if they are living in a property with an energy efficiency rating of band D or below and after housing and energy costs, their income is below the poverty line.

Grades 9-4

GCSE Grades are now numbered with 9 being the highest grade. Grade 4 or above is the equivalent of a C, a strong C is a grade 5.

Harder-to-house

Residents whose special needs and multiple risk factors make them complicated to serve and who are involved in an organized supportive services program(s).

Homeless presentations

Those who have no home or permanent place of residence.

Legacy Benefits

A legacy benefit is a benefit which is being replaced by Universal Credit. There are six legacy benefits: income-based jobseekers’ allowance, incomerelated employment and support allowance, income support, housing benefit, child tax credit and working tax credit.

Liason role

A Liason facilitates communication between two or more parties to help their organisation reach a beneficial decision for their needs.

Long-term residential placement

Means a placement in a where there is an intention that the placement shall become the Resident's permanent residence.

Out of work benefits

Employment and Support Allowance and other incapacity benefits, and Income SUpport and Pension Credit.

Reablement facilities

Reablement is an intensive short service, which is offered to those recovering from an illness or injury or after discharge from hospital. The aim is to help recover some or all of their independence.

Referral

The referring of concerns to local authority children's social care services, where the referrer believes or suspects that a child may be a Child in Need, including that he or she

Residential Care

Residential care refers to long-term care given to people who stay in a residential setting rather than in their own home or family home. In Adult Social Care this includes residential care homes and nursing homes.

Rough sleepers

People sleeping rough are defined as those sleeping or about to bed down in open air locations and other places including tents and makeshift shelters. The snapshot does not include people in hostels or shelters, sofa surfers or those in recreational or organised protest, squatter or traveller campsites.

Short term residential care

A person moves into a residential or nursing home temporarily.

Special Free School

A school which is a free to attend and is specially organised to make special educational provision for pupils with SEN. EHCP’s replaced Statements for children and young people with additional needs under the Children & Families Act 2014.

The National Child Measurement Programme

A nationally mandated public health programme. It provides the data for the child excess weight indicators in the Public Health Outcomes Framework and is part of the government’s approach to tackling child obesity.

Unaccompanied asylum-seeking-child

A child who is under 18 years, does not have any parent or responsible older adult to look after them, and is making a claim for asylum can be described as an unaccompanied asylum seeking child (UASC). The local authority will be responsible for their care and providing them with a home if the child’s age is accepted as being under 18.

Unemployment rate

The unemployment rate is the proportion of working aged people (aged 16+) without a job who were available to start work in the two weeks following their interview and who had either looked for work in the four weeks prior to interview or were waiting to start a job they had already obtained. As Annual Population Survey estimates for local authorities are based on very small sample sizes, modelbased unemployment estimates produced by the Office for National Statistics, which also factor in Claimant Count figures, are used to get more precise estimates.