North Yorkshire Council
Scarborough and Whitby Area Committee
6 June 2025
Localities Update 2024/25
Report of the Assistant Chief Executive - Local Engagement
1.0 PURPOSE OF REPORT
1.1 To provide Members with an update on projects and programmes delivered by the Localities service and an overview of progress made in the Scarborough and Whitby Constituency area in 2024/25.
2.0 BACKGROUND
2.1 The Council agreed as part of the arrangements for the establishment of a unitary council a locality-based delivery model with four strong and interconnected pillars:
i. Local services and access – locally based and integrated council, partner and community services.
ii. Local accountability – six Area Committees, political accountability for the discharge of statutory functions and services at local level.
iii. Local action – local people, partners and communities coming together in new Community Networks to identify and deliver against priorities.
iv. Local empowerment – devolution of powers to community groups and town and parish councils who want to, to run assets and services.
2.2 The Localities team has been operational since 1 May 2024, comprising a Communities Team, a Parish Liaison & Local Devolution Team and a Migrant Programmes Team. The Communities Team lead on the delivery of pillars one and three and the Parish Liaison & Local Devolution team lead on pillar 4 of the locality operating model.
2.3 A number of programmes and projects have been agreed as early priorities to help to establish and embed the locality operating model.
3.0 COMMUNITIES UPDATE
3.1 The Communities Team work collaboratively with other services; communities; public sector; and voluntary and community sector partners to deliver the following aims:
i. Prevention - supporting communities to contribute to the Council and public health prevention priority to reduce, prevent or delay the point at which people need to access statutory health and social care services.
ii. Supporting people to live longer, healthier and independent lives within their community and contributing to broader public health priority to reduce health inequalities.
iii. Supporting communities to become more resilient to respond to local challenges.
iv. Social Regeneration - Ensuring that the places where people live, now and in the future, create new opportunities, promote well-being and reduce inequalities so that people have better lives, in stronger communities and achieve their potential.
3.2 The Communities Team is based on three area teams, each including two Area Committee localities: West (Skipton and Ripon; Richmond areas); Central (Harrogate and Knaresborough; Selby and Ainsty areas); and East (Scarborough and Whitby; Thirsk and Malton areas).
Prevention & reducing health inequalities
3.3 Stronger Communities Programme Inspire Fund
This small-scale grant fund supports community and voluntary groups to establish new services, events or activities that promote social action, and improve the wellbeing of individuals and communities. The scheme continued to attract significant interest, with £139,309 awarded in 2024/25 supporting 146 projects. This is higher than 2023/24 when £130,074 was awarded to 137 projects.
3.4 Health Inequalities
During 2024/25. the team continued its involvement in a number of developing work areas that aim to support the reduction of health inequalities across the county. Examples of this included:
i. On-going support for the Transforming Community Mental Health Programme in Hambleton & Richmondshire, Harrogate, Scarborough, Whitby & Ryedale, and Vale of York. Following a number of successful pilots in 2023/24, a number of project extensions were agreed in 2024/25 to enable community led projects to support people experiencing ill mental health in their communities. Discussions are taking place between the Intergrated Care Board (NHS) and North Yorkshire Council’s Health & Adult Services (HAS) regarding the future of this programme and its development into a commissioned service model.
ii. In conjunction with colleagues from Health & Adult Services (HAS) an enhanced prevention pilot - ‘the Nidderdale Service Navigator project’ is underway in partnership with Nidderdale Plus, one of our Community Anchor Organisations. Other opportunities to involve Community Anchors in enhanced prevention are being explored.
Financial Inclusion
3.5 The team continued to lead and coordinate several work areas that are related to financial inclusion.
3.6 Local Food Support
Following a partnership and engagement event to launch the findings of the collaborative food insecurity insight study undertaken in conjunction with City of York Council in September 2023 - four online Community of Practice sessions have now taken place with local free or low cost food providers, and place-based discussions continued with free or low-cost food providers in Scarborough and Harrogate to explore opportunities to create a network and work more collaboratively; this will continue in 2025/2026. A number of dedicated key stakeholder conversations also continue to take place in relation to this work, including with colleagues in Public Health as they continue to develop the North Yorkshire Food Strategy.
As part of the broader fifth and sixth phase of the Household Support Fund, the team administered the Food Support Grants scheme, awarding 52 grants to free or low-cost community food providers across the county to support their provision in 2024/25.
3.7 Cost of Living Communications Campaign
Led by Localities in conjunction with Communications, and Customer, Revenues and Benefits, the annual Cost-of-Living Communications campaign was delivered in winter 2024/25. Work has now commenced to review the campaign, and to start planning for winter 2025/26. In the meantime, the reconfigured cost-of-living web page (www.northyorks.gov.uk/costofliving), will remain live, offering a one stop shop of information about a wide range of local schemes and organisations offering support.
3.8 Holiday Activities Fund/FEAST
The team continued to lead the delivery of FEAST, which is North Yorkshire’s Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme. The scheme offers enriching activities with healthy meals to children and young people during the Easter, summer and Christmas school holidays. Coordinated by North Yorkshire Together and funded by the Department for Education, FEAST supports families by providing access to safe, community-led activities that are free for those receiving benefits-related Free School Meals.
FEAST is delivered by a diverse range of over 100 local providers, including sports clubs, arts organisations, youth clubs and schools. This model not only helps ensure coverage across North Yorkshire’s vast geography but is more responsive to community need and interest and strengthens the local voluntary and community sector through direct investment and development opportunities. To date (since 2021), these providers have delivered nearly 150,000 activities – and at least as many nutritious meals – to thousands of children and young people across North Yorkshire. FEAST continues in 2025/26 however it is likely this will be the final year of funding from DfE for this programme.
Digital Inclusion
3.9 UK Shared Prosperity Fund
Quarter 4 saw £600,000 of the 2024/25 UK Shared Prosperity funded investment into digital inclusion reach its planned completion. The scheme developed a network of hubs across North Yorkshire creating 287 new digital champions supporting 2826 people. This successful programme will continue for a further year across North Yorkshire and York in 2025/26.
3.10 Reboot North Yorkshire
Reboot North Yorkshire (the Council digital devices re-use scheme) has provided 125 pieces of equipment in 2024/25 to help people get connected, supporting individuals to improve social connectedness or to promote access to training and/or continue their education. The cross council steering group have also reviewed and redesigned a roadmap for the development of the scheme to maximise its potential.
Community Resilience
3.11 Community Anchor Organisations (CAOs)
The 25 place-based organisations from across the county have continued to work with Localities and other service teams to progress a Community Anchor model for North Yorkshire. This included the progression of organisational development action plans and participating in the UKSPF funded collaborative support programme for CAOs, delivered by Community First Yorkshire (CFY) and Better Connect.
In addition, following research in the larger urban areas of Harrogate and Scarborough to help us identify the typologies of a Community Anchor model that will best serve those larger urban areas (town centres and their distinctive neighbourhoods) we have invited applications for two ‘Community Anchor Collectives’ – awards have been made in Harrogate (Harrogate & District Community Association & Harrogate Neighbours) and discussions continue to take place in Scarborough.
3.12 Local Assistance Centre – Knaresborough & Kirkbymoorside
2024/2025 saw a focus on community resilience with two unexpected flooding events occurring in Knaresborough, and various sites in and around Kirkbymoorside, in May and December 2024 respectively. The Communities team took a pivotal role in establishing Local Assistance Centres and supporting response and recovery efforts alongside the Resilience and Emergencies Team and local partners including the CAO for Knaresborough, Chain Lane Community Hub.
To build on this model further and that of the community led response to both flooding events, a range of VCSE organisations, local Flood Groups and Community Anchors were invited to planning events in March 2025 to look at the roles that they play in responding to emergency events in their area and the resources available for longer term support for communities as they recover.
Capacity Building
3.13 The Communities team continued to strengthen local community assets and infrastructure; this has included encouraging relationships and collaborations between voluntary and community sector organisations as well as stabilising, and / or building capacity within them if required. A competitive grant process for Infrastructure Support Grant in conjunction with Humber & North Yorkshire ICB was undertaken in 2024/25, with Community First Yorkshire continuing to provide infrastructure support from April 2025. The team also continues to work with partners such as Two Ridings Community Foundation, The National Lottery and other stakeholders to identify issues and concerns and develop joint responses as appropriate.
3.14 Work commenced on developing the NYC voluntary sector ‘offer’, including a Council wide review on service areas working with the voluntary and community sector in Q1 2025/26. It is anticipated that this will outline how the Council will collaborate and partner with the sector, and our approach to investment, including access to grants and funding opportunities, and capacity and capability building activity.
Social regeneration
3.15 UKSPF (Communities & Place)
3.16 The Localities team continued to take on the lead role in the collection of monitoring and evaluation information from the projects which have been funded through the Communities strand of the Council’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) programme. Following the success of the UKSPF Village Hall and Community Building Fund, additional funds were secured through the Mayoral Investment Fund. A pipeline of 20 projects worth £600,000 are now able to go ahead, building upon the hard work and success of the original SPF programme. Discussions about Year 4 UKSPF monies are currently ongoing.
3.17 Community Partnerships
The team continues to develop the ambition of supporting local partnership and multi-agency working through the establishment of local Community Partnerships, focussing on principal towns and surrounding areas, and reflecting natural communities.
3.18 This roll out of Community Partnerships continues to take a phased approach. There are four established Partnerships following the pilot work – Easingwold & Villages, Uredale, Forest and Dale and We are Sherburn, which are all developing and delivering priority projects that the partnerships have identified. The fifth pilot - Leyburn and Middleham Partnership (which has existed for a number of years) - has spent some time exploring its function and has been reinvigorated and relaunched as Mid Wensleydale Community Partnership. Ten potential new partnerships are also being explored with member support.
3.19 Town Investment Plans
The team has been supporting colleagues from Regeneration on developing the Town Investment Plans programme, a co-ordinated approach to regeneration and investment across the county. The plans will align with the ‘Local Action Plans’ being developed through the Community Partnerships programme and could act as a catalyst to the formation of partnerships where they don’t currently operate. They will be created over the next three years, with significant engagement with local stakeholders, community groups and business networks to ensure a collaborative approach to identifying the investment needs of each town.
4.0 PARISH LIAISON & LOCAL DEVOLUTION UPDATE
4.1 North Yorkshire Council is one of only 6 councils with over 200 Parish Sector organisations within its boundary and is unique in having twice as many as the next nearest council with over 600.
4.2 Working closely with Legal and Democratic Services, the Parish Liaison and Local Devolution Team works alongside the county’s Parish Sector organisations offering a range of support including the development and implementation of the Parish Charter; arrangements for effective engagement, consultation and parish liaison; and providing a single ‘front’ door interface for town and parish councils.
4.3 The team is also responsible for managing the Council’s corporate arrangements for the devolution of council assets and services to town and parish councils and community groups and the Council’s statutory Community Rights responsibilities including Assets of Community Value and Community Right to Challenge.
Parish Charter
4.4 In 2024/25 a review of the Parish Charter was undertaken and reported to the Parish Charter Working Group on 11 November 2024, this included a review of the commitments within the charter and how they were being applied. The working group supported the work to date and the action plan.
4.5 A further review is being undertaken in 2025/26 to embed the Parish Liaison work that has been developed within the Charter. This will also confirm and further develop/embed commitments within the Charter throughout NYC and will help establish baseline information for performance and service monitoring.
Parish Liaison
4.6 The work to develop Parish Liaison in 2024/25 included the establishment of a programme of area-based Parish Liaison drop-in sessions/meetings. These took place across North Yorkshire with the main Parish Liaison meetings supported by Democratic Services, Highways and Planning. They have been extremely well attended with representation, in person, from over 100 Parish Councils.
4.7 In 2025/26 there will be a review of format and content, and a regular programme of further meetings will be organised commencing late summer 2025.
4.8 A regular update to all Parish Councils started in August, this is now monthly and brings together all information relevant to Parish Councils from across NYC. At the end of 2024/25 there had been 7 updates distributed. Separate e-mail updates for individual services were also introduced to ensure consistency and accuracy and at the end of 2024/25, 21 Council communications had been sent out.
4.9 A single Parish Liaison contact e-mail address for Parish liaison and Democratic services was introduced in August that has been extremely successful with over 300 e-mail enquiries dealt with by the Parish Liaison Team. The single e-mail contact also provides a consistent point of contact for Parish Councils for services to have a consistent consultation/contact with Parish Councils with support from the Parish Liaison Team.
Parish Consultation Panel
4.10 In 2024/25 a representative group of Parish/Town/City Councils and Parish Meetings was established to provide regular informal dialogue with the Parish Sector. This panel has been consulted regularly on a range of issues with the latest being content and format for a dedicated Parish Council web site web pages etc. as well as broader Parish Liaison activities.
Parish Portal/Parish Website
4.11 From December 2024 the Parish Portal became unsupported and therefore was unavailable to existing Parish Councils. The Parish Liaison Team successfully supported the transition of Parish Councils to the Customer Portal for Highways reporting.
4.12 A dedicated Parish Council website is being developed that will be available in 2025/26.
Local Devolution
4.13 In 2024/25 the work to support and empower town and parish councils and community groups focused on the double devolution pilot proposals. Progress has been dependent on the availability of information due to restructures and the capacity of Parish Councils to develop and submit full business cases. Following detailed operational discussions, revised, and in some cases reduced, proposals have emerged with larger proposals including elements of asset transfers with smaller service-based proposals and double devolution proposals at varying stages of development. There is one double devolution proposal due for agreement that will be reported by the Assistant Director for Local Engagement in June 2025. This will also include a review of all approved Expressions of Interest and recommendations for future arrangements.
4.14 The Parish Liaison Team has been working to develop a new Community Asset Transfer process and a consistent approach to devolution proposals for Parish Councils and Community Groups with Property Services, this will be completed in 2025/26.
Community Rights
4.15 The transfer of responsibility from the previous district area based transitional arrangements took place in 2024/25. A single NYC e-mail and contact form was introduced together with a central assessment and decision-making process introduced.
5.0 MIGRANT PROGRAMMES UPDATE
5.1 The Migrant Programmes Team brought together a number of existing refugee and asylum seeker programmes alongside the Home for Ukraine programme to form a single integrated service and is positioned in the Localities Service.
Integrated Community Support
5.2 In partnership with a range of voluntary sector organisations, work has continued around the Swift initiative, built on the successful Pomoc programme that operated in the former Scarborough and Ryedale areas, which aims to welcome and empower migrant communities across North Yorkshire. By enabling equitable access to services and encouraging wider social connections, individuals and families will be supported to positively re-build their lives. Lottery Funding has now been secured and the scheme will launched in April 2025, with place-based partnerships now developing in Scarborough, Selby and Harrogate/Knaresborough to collectively support identified needs in those communities.
Resettlement
5.3 As of 31 March 2025, North Yorkshire has resettled 484 persons (97 households) under the Afghan resettlement schemes (since August 2021). From that figure, 43 persons (nine households) had moved out of county. Over half of the households are being accommodated in Ministry of Defence Service Family Accommodation on three-year leases. North Yorkshire Council will be responsible for re-housing those families should they wish to remain in North Yorkshire. Discussions will commence shortly with the families to ascertain where they would like to live in the UK and to plan to move the earliest arrivals out of the MOD properties.
The United Kingdom Resettlement Scheme (UKRS) is a scheme that can be used for the UK to respond to refugee crises anywhere in the globe and has been operational locally since February 2021. To date 180 people (46 households) have been resettled in North Yorkshire.
Integration support for the resettlement schemes arrivals continues to be provided in partnership with the Refugee Council with initial tenancy support being provided by North Yorkshire Council’s dedicated refugee housing officers.
The MOD transitional facility at Catterick Garrison, to house Afghan families after arrival in the UK, prior to settled accommodation being identified for them, remains in place but will close in May 2025, with all families moved either into settled accommodation elsewhere in the UK or moved to other transitional MOD sites outside of North Yorkshire. North Yorkshire Council, in partnership with the Refugee Council, is supporting families during this time.
Asylum
5.4 Local Authorities have a statutory duty to provide school places for school-aged children and to carry out age-related assessments for those claiming to be below the age of 18. Other support and signposting is provided by Migrant Help, a Home Office contracted provider via a telephone helpline.
When asylum seekers are granted a decision they have 56 days to leave the Mears accommodation (if the decision is positive), or 21 days where they have had a negative decision (unless they choose to appeal, in which case they are eligible to stay in the accommodation during this time). The Migrant Programmes team is developing move-on support options and other services to help with their long-term integration, where a positive decision is granted. Along with Housing Options staff a monthly meeting is now in place with Mears, the Home Office commissioned provider for accommodation, to discuss support requirements for individuals and families that have recently received a positive decision.
Homes for Ukraine
5.5 The number of individual Ukrainians arriving in North Yorkshire on this scheme, since March 2022 (as their first point of arrival) is 1598.
The Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme (UPE) launched in February 2025, which, if granted, gives guests a further 18 months visa to stay in the UK. In North Yorkshire, to the end of March 2025, there has had 1 approved application and a further 19 applied for[1]. North Yorkshire Council is not provided with information relating to guests that have moved to different accommodation.
With support from North Yorkshire Council, guests continue to move on from their UK sponsors. Many have been successful in securing private rental accommodation (177 individuals) and social housing (13 individuals). In addition, 76 individuals have left the scheme and returned to Ukraine, although they are able to return to the UK during the time that their visa is valid.
5.6 Translation and Interpretation
Translation and Interpretation contracts are now managed by the Migrant Programmes Team; this includes British Sign Language (BSL).
Across the Council, use of the contracts has increased in the last 12 months. The total cost of the services in 2023/24 was £167,000, increasing to £208,000 in 2024/25. The cost is covered by the services that access it.
To improve internal processes, the team has created a training package to ensure all Council staff know how and when to access translation and interpretation services.
Working with the Transformation team, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) translation tool has been piloted, ready for imminent launch next financial year. Although it will not be possible to use this tool for all translations, it is anticipated that it will provide an overall saving against this element of the service.
6.0 PROGRESS IN SCARBOROUGH AND WHITBY CONSTITUENCY AREA
6.1 In Scarborough, the Communities team continues to work alongside the VCSE and other stakeholders to strengthen partnerships and resident involvement in order to shape resilient communities that meet local need, both now and in the future. In Eastfield, we are reviewing Eastfield PACT, and how it can become integrated at place to sustainably reflect the interests and opportunities of those living and working in the area, given its on-going expansion. Other areas, such as Barrowcliff and the villages surrounding Scarborough are being supported with networking opportunities, advice and guidance around funding and support to reach new audiences.
6.2 The team is also exploring with the Lottery funded project SeeCHANGE, how SeeCHANGE’s work can promote an understanding by stakeholders about the range and versatility of offer from the VCSE sector in Scarborough, and how it can most effectively be used to influence funding patterns for delivery in the future. The Communities team’s involvement in SeeCHANGE’s associated work in relation to acknowledging the importance of, and capturing the voice of, vulnerable communities is also ongoing. The next stage of evaluation will take place over the summer to capture best practice and develop some of the links that have been established and flourished since this project started.
6.3 In Whitby, the team has supported the development of the Whitby Pump Track, which was completed in spring 2025. This popular project exemplifies public and community sector partnerships and collaborative funding, enhancing the West Cliff area and attracting both locals and tourists. The team is also working with community partners in the Whitby area to build skills and capacity in the voluntary sector through volunteering. This includes upskilling trustees, offering training and support from infrastructure organisations, developing a ‘help-out’ initiative, and encouraging volunteering in vital areas such as community transport and youth activities.
6.4 In the Esk Valley and Coast areas, the CAO Revival North Yorkshire continues to be a key partner for the Council. Their collaboration with Health and Adult Services has helped drive the Council’s enhanced prevention aspirations, aiming to improve support for older people in rural areas. This includes exploring the adoption of the Integrated Neighbourhood Team approach, the application of the Individual Support Fund, and assessment and signposting roles to enhance collaboration with adult social care.
7.0 ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED
7.1 As this is an update report, no alternative options were considered.
8.0 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
8.1 No financial implications to note.
9.0 LEGAL IMPLICATIONS
9.1 No legal implications to note.
10.0 EQUALITIES IMPLICATIONS
10.1 No equalities implications to note.
11.0 CLIMATE CHANGE IMPLICATIONS
11.1 No climate change implications to note.
12.0 REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS
12.1 As part of annual reporting arrangements to Area Committees, Members are asked to review and note progress made by the Localities service in 2024/25.
|
13.0 |
RECOMMENDATIONS
|
|
|
i) It is recommended that Members note the content of this report, outlining progress of the Localities service in 2024/25.
|
Rachel Joyce
Assistant Chief Executive – Local Engagement
County Hall
Northallerton
28 May 2025
Marie-Ann Jackson – Head of Localities
Adele Wilson Hope – Communities Area Manager (East)
Karen Atkinson – Locality Lead (Scarborough, Malton and the Vale) & Paddy Chandler - Locality Lead (Thirsk, Whitby and the Moors)
Presenter of Report – Adele Wilson Hope – Communities Area Manager (East)