Wakefield Together is taking the district forward, improving people’s lives and the things that matter most to you.

During 2008/09 Wakefield Together has seen many positive developments and outcomes on our journey to make this district a place we could all be proud of.

Some of the more important improvements that have taken place include:

• A major governance review that led to revised partnership arrangements being put in place at the Wakefield Together Board, Executive and Thematic Partnership level.
• Sign-off of the second generation LAA with central government to focus on the most
  challenging areas of improvement across the district, followed by a review of all
  delivery plans.
• The achievement of significant improvements in district wide targets in relation to the first LAA that will result in approximately £5million in reward funding coming into the district by the end of the year.
• The rebranding of the Local Strategic Partnership as Wakefield Together and the
  development of a revised communication strategy.
• There has been the commissioning of a number of key strategies and frameworks
  which has resulted in the launch of the revised community cohesion framework –
  Wakefield’s Shared Future; the development of an ageing population strategy; the
  development of a third-sector strategy and a strategic commissioning framework.
• The development of plans for a new integrated Community Legal Advice Service for
  the district.
• The establishment of the Wakefield Economic Task Force to respond to the
  difficulties being faced by businesses and citizens during the economic downturn.
  The production of the first State of the District Report by the Partnership Information and Intelligence Group.
• Thirty-four more schools awarded Healthy Schools status during 2008/09, providing
  improved health and well-being of children and young people.
• The production of Wakefield’s first Joint Strategic Needs Assessment to provide local
  people and service providers with an analysis of future health, care and well-being
  needs.
• A 15% reduction in arson across the district in 2008/09 driven by the work of the West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service’s Arson Task Force in partnership with the Police, Council, Wakefield District Housing and others.
• The beginning of developments to produce a Wakefield Observatory that will hold and
  publish a wide range of local data, information and analysis.
• Continued success of Wakefield Speaks, which this year listened to citizens’ views on
  healthier communities. And continued success of Students Speak events which
  discussed environment, community and safety.
• A 57% increase in the number of new businesses assisted by first that go on to
  survive for a year or more.
• A review of the Partnership Engagement Framework to ensure greater coordination
  and efficiency of community-level engagement and the shared findings.
• 430 Year 6 pupils from disadvantaged areas taken through the Wakefield Aimhigher
  Primary Programme to help raise their aspirations, in partnership with the York St.
  John University.
• Agreement on a set of Priority Neighbourhoods on which to focus activities to narrow
  the gap in outcomes between the most deprived parts of the district and the district as a whole, against a backdrop of improvements for all citizens.
• The establishment of a Joint Public Health Unit to strengthen our joint approach to
  tackling health inequalities.
• Pioneer area status and joint work between the police and partners in response to the findings of the Casey review – Engaging Communities in the Fight Against Crime –
  including the signing up of 47 Community Crime Fighters.
• The Children and Young People Partnership has now joined Wakefield Together as
  the fourth Thematic Partnership. Encompassing this statutory partnership within the
  Local Strategic Partnership structure has been an important step, with many of its key priorities cutting across those of the other three thematic partnerships.