yhrmpBusinessPlan2009-10

8/14/2019 yhrmpBusinessPlan2009-10

1/17

Yorkshire and HumberRegional Migration Partnership

Supporting Local Delivery

Business Plan 2009-10


2/17

1. FOREWORD

By Councillor Olivia Rowley, Chair of the Yorkshire & Humber Strategic Migration Groupand Jeremy Oppenheim, Regional Director, UKBA

Yorkshire and Humber Regional Migration Partnership (YHRMP) has recently restructured,moved to new premises and appointed, in Rob Warm, a new lead officer. Our ambition isto build on our successes and good reputation to become a key part of the way that theregion does business, providing expertise and co-ordination on all issues relating tomigration.

We have a very strong foundation in this region. The Regional Migration Partnership is apartnership of great strength and maturity with a reputation nationally for innovation andexcellence. This is supported by a committed team with great experience and a strongtrack record of delivery. This provides an excellent foundation for the future.

But this is a dynamic and fast changing policy area, and our structures and ways ofworking need to evolve to reflect that. We need to be more responsive to the needs of ourmembers, more intelligent in our understanding of migration trends in the region and moreprofessional in the service we provide. We also need to redefine how the Partnershiprelates to UK Border Agency (UKBA) to establish how we can work more closely togetherto deliver shared objectives.

This business plan sets out how we intend to achieve this change working closely with oneanother.

Olivia Rowley Jeremy OppenheimChair Strategic Migration Group Regional Director, UKBA

2. AIMS OF THIS BUSINESS PLAN

This business plan is a submission to UKBA to draw down the enabling grant which

supports the Partnerships strategic work (this is a grant paid by government to supportregional coordination on migration issues). However, it is important for Government, andthe region, to understand our work in context. As a Partnership, we believe ourcombination of operational delivery and strategic expertise is a key asset. Understandingour strategic role in the context of the operational work is essential if the region, andnational government, are to fully benefit from our activities.

Following discussions with UKBA and other partners, it was agreed that this yearsbusiness plan should reflect the full scope of the Partnerships activities. This provides amore coherent picture of our activities, and enables the Partnership to maximise thesynergies between our strategic and operational work. It will also enable us to

communicate our work more effectively within the region improving buy in from partnersand thereby improving delivery on issues relating to migration.


3/17

3. WHAT IS THE REGIONAL MIGRATION PARTNERSHIP?

Yorkshire and Humber Regional Migration Partnership is a regional organisation whichworks with national, regional and local government to ensure that the region can deal with,

and benefit from, migration.

We work in partnership with all appropriate agencies across the statutory, voluntary,community and private sectors to help support the delivery of high quality services tomigrants in a way that benefits everyone living in the wider region. The YHRMP has 4 keyroles:

Providing strategic leadership and coordination for the region around migrationissues (the enabling role)

To work with partners to deliver effective integration of refugees

To provide central contract management and co-ordination to deliver theagreement between 10 local authorities in this region and Government for meetingthe accommodation needs of asylum seekers.

To ensure that the region has the information, data and research to make surethat the needs of all migrant groups are met in long term local and regionalstrategies.

Although the organisation provides an umbrella for delivering the public sectoraccommodation contract, and for carrying out a broader strategic role, there is a very clearseparation of these functions in terms of both governance and operations. This isimportant in allowing a full and open debate to take place within the region, which is notclouded by conflicts of interest on the part of those Local Authorities involved in deliveringthe contract. The member and staffing structure that we have in place allows us to do this.

4. PARTNERSHIP WORKING

Partnership is not just part of our name it is an integral part of how we work. TheRegional Migration Partnership cannot achieve its aims in isolation, and we will work withthe full range of organisations engaged with our client groups in order to deliver our aims

most effectively. This will help ensure that there is a diversity of voices and experienceguiding our work.

Partners come from a range of sectors and include Local Authorities, the voluntary sector,UK Border Agency, health and police. There is no fixed list, or set number of partners thatwe work with although members of Strategic Migration Group include Police, Health,TUC, local authorities and the voluntary sector. Whether we are working with a group ofLocal Authorities to deliver accommodation, carrying out our strategic enabling role orworking to enable effective integration, we bring a range of agencies to the table and helpco-ordinate their delivery activity.

One of our key corporate functions, identified in the How We Work section is arounddeveloping and maintaining the partnership structures. This will include working moreclosely to support the development and operation of multi-agency groups at local and


4/17

regional level, and strengthening our political structures to ensure that Local Authoritiesplay a key role in shaping regional policy discussions.

The way in which our structures work are set out in Annex A.

5. ABOUT OUR REGION

Yorkshire and Humber is the 5th largest of the nine English regions in terms of land area,and the 6th largest by population. It has huge variety, with population density for instancebeing 100 times higher in Hull than in Ryedale. It contains more big towns and cities thanmost English regions (with Leeds, Sheffield, Bradford, Hull and Huddersfield all in thebiggest 24 nationally) but also has more land in National Parks than anywhere else.

Population is around 5.142 million. This figure has been broadly stable for the past decadeif growing slightly, partly as a result of migration into the region. However, the stability ofthe population disguises change within it. The trend is to more older people and fewer

children, and a higher proportion of people from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BME)communities, especially of Pakistani descent. These communities are most concentratedin West Yorkshire, itself the most densely populated part of the region and at thecrossroads of key north-south and east-west transport corridors. Household size isreducing with over half of households now two people or less; whilst rural communities areincreasingly becoming home to a disproportionate number of older and more affluentpeople.

In terms of housing in the region, Yorkshire and Humber has a range of different housingmarkets. Some provide excellent quality homes and environments, but there continues tobe an imbalance between the housing markets in different parts of the region. Popularhigh value areas especially in North Yorkshire, the western parts of Bradford and SouthYorkshire, North Leeds, Harrogate and York and parts of the East Riding areoverheated markets, where housing is inaccessible to many local people, key workersand first time buyers. By contrast, the decline of traditional industries has led to greatchanges to many inner urban areas and to uncertainty about the need for and function ofsome historic settlements. This coupled with increased household mobility and shiftingaspirations has created a complex picture of demand.

This picture has been further complicated by the recent challenges that we have seen indelivering housing in the region. Whilst demand for housing remains extremely high, there

are real difficulties faced by many people in accessing that housing, particularly in accessto finance. In turn, this has had an impact on development in the region from both privateand housing association sectors.

At the same time, the current economic downturn is having a profound impact on theregional economy. The region is experiencing a deterioration in economic activity withmanufacturing production contracting more quickly than at any point since the early1980s. There is a gloomy outlook too for the retail sector in the region, which is sufferingfrom low consumer confidence and a reduction in the availability of credit.

In terms of employment, Oxford Economics forecasts Yorkshire and Humber will lose

67,100 jobs between 2008-2010 with over 90% of the jobs lost likely to be in themanufacturing, business services and retail sectors. The region has already seen majoremployers such as Corus HBOS and Bradford and Bingley making significant job cuts


5/17

Cumulatively, rising unemployment will inevitably have an impact on migration trends inthe region and potentially on wider cohesion issues.

6. IMPLICATIONS AND CHALLENGES FOR OUR WORK

The economic and housing challenges facing the region provide an important context forall of our work.

For our strategic enabling role, the strategic challenges that the region faces arechanging, with reductions of A2 and A8 migrants coming into the region, and somemigrants returning to their native countries.

For our integration role, successful integration will become more of a challenge inan economic downturn, where individuals from host communities are increasinglyconcerned about their own employment and finances.

In delivering the accommodation contract, wider pressures on social housing willmake it increasingly difficult to identify and secure accommodation.

On the information, data and research agenda, our key priority for 2009-10 is tobetter understand the way in which the economic downturn is impacting onmigration trends.

7. THE SIZE OF OUR BUSINESS

Understanding how migration currently impacts on, and will continue to affect our region, iskey to our long term future. We do have some understanding of where migrants currentlylive in the region, and their needs, but the data available to us continues to be imperfectand imprecise. However, we are, in the forthcoming year, the region in which UKBA is

piloting the sharing of a wider range of information and data about migration. Thisdevelopment if successful will be rolled out by UKBA nationally. This is an excellentopportunity to strengthen our thinking around migration trends and ensure that this regionis at the forefront of work nationally in this area.

Our current understanding is stronger in some areas than others. We do know, forexample, the numbers of migrant workers who have registered under the WorkerRegistration Scheme, but in contrast, we know little about migrant workers from outsidethe EU. Similarly, we know the number of asylum seekers living in the region, but we donot know what has happened to those who have received refugee status or the majority ofthose whose claims have been refused. We are working with UKBA and other partners to

try and plug some of the data gaps to develop a much more rounded understanding ofmigrants currently in our region.

Recent policy changes and other influences have changed the composition of migrantsacross the region during the past year and will continue to do so:

Asylum seekers (and failed asylum seekers receiving support) continue to bemainly located in the urban areas, with Leeds, Sheffield, Kirklees, Bradford andRotherham taking the largest numbers. The past year has seen a significantdecrease in the overall number of asylum seekers being accommodated in theregion, falling from around 10000 to 8000, mainly due to the UKBA Case Resolution

Programme. Asylum seekers will continue to be dispersed by the Home Office toYorkshire and Humber, although the overall numbers in our region will be affectedby factors such as instability around the world increasing border controls in the UK


6/17

and the continued progress of the Case Resolution Programme. The UASC reformprogramme may also have an impact in the region.

Resettled refugees - In line with the increased annual quota of 750 refugees to beresettled under the Gateway Protection Programme across the UK, the number ofrefugees arriving in our region under this programme continues to rise slowly. Hull

and Sheffield, the original participating authorities, have received just over 500refugees in total since the programme began in 2004; Bradford is a new participantaccepting a first group in December 2008. In the coming year, we anticipate thataround two-thirds of the national quota will be composed of Iraqi refugees whomay have different needs to previous groups. This is likely to be reflected in futureGateway arrivals in our region.

Migrant workers from the A8 Accession States (those who joined the EU in 2004)continue to arrive and register to work in our region but there has been a significantdecrease in new registrations partly due to the impacts of the recession. 12300workers registered via this route in 2008. Most of our migrant workers areregistering their place of work in the urban areas, with Leeds, Wakefield, Kirklees

and Bradford receiving over 1000 registrations each this past year. However, allLocal Authorities will have felt the effects of new migrants in their area, as workershave registered in every Local Authority across the region (the smallest numberbeing 70 in Craven), reflecting the nature of the work available to these groups.While the typical migrant worker in our region is Polish, aged 18-34 and male,there are other regional trends. For instance, the region hosts significant numbersof workers from Latvia, Lithuania and the Czech Republic (which has an effect onthe demand for translation services) whilst in some local authority areas there arenow more female than male registrations. It is also important to understand betterthe wider pressures that migrant workers may place on local services. 2008registrants brought nearly 1400 dependants to the region which will have putpressure on local services, particularly local schools.

What all of this demonstrates is that, although we have a strong and growingunderstanding of migration in our region, migration patterns are not static, nor are theyeasily predictable. While it is useful to know the current picture of migration in the region,our partners need to be able to plan for possible future changes in coming years. ThePartnership is committed to developing and improving our regional understanding ofmigration in order to enable them to do this.

8. 2009-10 HOW WE WILL WORK

Key to the Partnerships future success will be our ability to provide a high quality serviceto members, Partners and the wider region. Therefore, in addition to the specific workstrands identified below there are also 4 organisational objectives which will underpineverything we do:

Develop and Maintain the Partnership Structures

Develop a One Team Approach and Ethos

Communicate Effectively

Provide a Professional Service to our Members, Partners and Clients

More detail on these organisational objectives is provided on the following page:


7/17

RMPPartnership

Team

Develop and maintain the partnership structures

Develop and maintain the Strategic MigrationGroup, associated subgroups, RIES Board(Refugee Integration and Employment Service),and the Public Sector Contract Group

Work with Local Partnership Structures to

support better delivery Work with Yorkshire Forward and Local

Government Yorkshire and Humber to establish aclear space in the new regional structures

Develop a on

Suppocommdelive

Estab

Providthey n

Provide a professional service to our members,partners and clients

Establish an organisation wide secretariatfunction to provide a more professional service tomembers.

Agree and implementing corporate templates and

quality standards for all meeting papers andmaterials circulated to members.

Establish a schedule for the production andcirculation of meeting papers to provide memberswith timely information to inform decision

Communicate effectively

Launch the new website, and establish it as a key

regional resource Develop a communications strategy

Produce accessible information sheets whichform the basis of a briefing pack for electedmembers and partners.

Visit each member of SMG and PSG and otherLAs, to discuss the work and future direction ofthe Partnershi .


8/17

9. 2009-10 OUR AIMS AND ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES

For 2009-10, we will focus our work on 4 key strands: Providing strategic leadership and co-ordination (the enabling role) Supporting effective integration of refugees

Central Contract Management for Local Authority Asylum Seeker Accommodation Improving our research and intelligence

Detailed activity and milestones for these key strands are set out in the activity tablesincluded as Annex B.

10. OUR FINANCES

Yorkshire & Humber Regional Migration Partnership is funded from three main sources:

We receive a grant from the UK Border Agency to support our strategic leadership roleand most of our research activities.

We receive a central management fee to cover our work in delivering theaccommodation contract (this is a commercial contract)

Our refugee integration work is supported by a contract with Yorkshire Forward, andour work on Refugee Integration and Employment Service is funded by a contract withthe Home Office.

A more detailed financial breakdown of how we use our resource to deliver our enabling rolehas been submitted to UKBA with this Business Plan.

11. CONCLUSION

This Business Plan represents a new way of working for the region. At its heart is a muchmore integrated approach to migration issues reflecting the range of work that our regionalpartnership is responsible for. As a strategic partnership, it makes sense for us to understandour activities as a coherent whole, and to represent them to the wider region as a package.This makes is clear where we are adding value to local delivery activity.

The business plan is also underpinned by an awareness that future ways of working arecurrently evolving. The RMP in Yorkshire and Humber has always been regarded as a strongand effective partnership with its roots in effective delivery of the accommodation contract.Our track record, and our strong relationships with local government and other partners,makes us well placed to develop future ways of working that build upon past successes. Key

to this will be a redefined and stronger relationship with UKBA working in partnership withthe Agency to deliver our shared priorities for the region.

Finally, the business plan sets out for the first time, not just what we are going to do, but alsohow we are going to work. This is important, not just for the staff team, but also for thepartnership activities themselves. If we are to be recognised as an important and influentialpart of the wider regional arrangements then it is vital that officers can understand andrepresent the work of the partnership in a professional and consistent way.


9/17

1

Annex A: The Shape of Our Structures

Strategic MigrationGroup

SMG Subgroups

Public SectorContract Group

LOCAL AUTHORITIES

Refugee IntegrationGroup

Asylum Impacts Group

Migration ImpactsGroup

Migrant Health InterestGroup

Employment and Skills

GroupChildren and Young

People Group

RIES ContractBoard

Delivery Strategy

OTHER DELIVERY PARTNERS

Partners

Regional LocalAuthority Leaders

Local Authority Group

10 LocalAuthorityaccommodationproviders

7 RIES Sub-contractors

UKBA

UKBA

MULTI-AGENCY GROUPS


10/17

2

Annex B: Detailed Activities and Outcomes

I. Providing strategic leadership and co-ordination (the enabling role)

Process/Activity Outputs and PIs Outcome/Change on theground

Delivery byWhom

Provide strategic leadership viaSMG and associatedstructures

Establish robust politicalstructure for LA engagement inmigration issues

SMG to meet quarterlyAttendance to be over 75%

LA group to identify memberrepresentation from all LAsin the region.

LA group to meet quarterlywith a 50% improvement inelected member attendance

National and regionaldecision making that reflectsthe broader views of theregion

RMP Manager

Provide a regional focus forcross departmental

engagement in regionalmigration issues.

Develop bettercommunication and

dissemination routes forinformation throughGovernment Office

Broader ownership ofmigration issues across a

range of policy areas.

RMP Manager

Participate in the review ofenabling role and move toimplement outcomes of thereview

Business plan agreed byUKBA

Participation in LGAnetwork relating to review

An effective structure forfuture working that is widelyunderstood and reflects theneeds of the region

A Partnership recognisednationally as strong andeffective

RMP Manager

Represent the views of theregion to Government

Ensure consistent andinformed representation onthe LGA Asylum andRefugee Task Group

Use SMG and associatedstructures to provide aregional structure for UKBAto engage with in broaderdiscussions around deliveryof future contract delivery

Respond as appropriate to

Government consultation onmigration issues

Continued regionalparticipation in nationalgroups and networks e.g.National Migration Group,Migration Impacts Forumetc

National and regionaldecision making that reflectsthe broader views of theregion

RMP Manager


11/17

3

Work with LAs and UKBA tomove forward the UASCreform programme.

Provide LAs with theinformation and supportthey need to make informeddecisions on participation inthe UASC reformprogramme

Provide, if appropriate,regionalresponse to UASC reform tounderpin the work ofindividual local authorities

A coherent regional responseto the UASC agenda whichreflects and responds to theneeds of LAs

RMP Manager

Monitor and manage the waythat asylum seekers aredispersed in the region.

Monitor the cluster numbersagainst the agreed 1:300 Yand H policy guideline,identifying areas ofoverpopulation andadjusting numbers andproportions

A clear and fair system tominimize the impact on LAsof dispersal and to ensurenumbers reflect the localcircumstances

RMP Manager

Support local partnershiparrangements which tangiblysupport local delivery

Work with localities toencourage and maintain thedevelopment of multi-agency groups.

Attend at least one meetingof each multi-agency groupin year

Provide accurate andaccessible tailored briefingnotes to each locality on

relevant issues at least 4annually

Effective local deliveryunderpinned by good qualityinformation

RMP Manager

Key Risks for Strategic Enabling and Co-ordination roleRisk Risk Level Mitigating Action

i. Weak member engagement in structures Medium We will be working proactively with LAsto clarify the benefits that participationbrings

ii. Loss of confidence in structures duringtransition to new working arrangements

Low We will aim to move to newarrangements as quickly as practical

once the outcomes of the review of theenabling grant are known

iii. UKBA review of enabling role leads tosignificant loss of budget

Low/Medium We will work to influence the currentreview to ensure continuity. We willalso continue to try and diversify ourfunding base.

iv. Housing pressures mean that it is difficultto maintain the 1:300 cluster ratio

Medium We will work through theaccommodation contract to expand thenumbers of LAs involved in dispersal tohelp build in flexibility.


12/17

4

v. Lack of local support to develop multi-agency structures

Medium We will make sure localities understandthe benefits to developing strong multi-agency structures and help sharepractice between different areas.

vi. Lack of central capacity within the RMPteam to deliver local expectations ofsupport for multi-agency arrangements

Medium/High Work with partners to try and secureadditional resource to provide moretailored support


13/17

5

II. Supporting Effective Integration of Refugees


Delivery byWhom

Publish the final RefugeeIntegration strategy

Strategy completed andpublished

Conference to launch strategy

Strategy distributed to keyregional, local and nationalpartners and organisations

Improved strategic co-ordination of refugeeintegration in the region.

Greater awareness ofrefugee integration

Improved information andstrategic direction

RefugeeIntegrationManager

Implement the RefugeeIntegration strategy

Action Plan agreed andimplemented

Role of RIG changed to overseeimplementation of strategy.

Quarterly reports onimplementation to RIG andSMG

Clear refugee integrationresponsibilities fororganisations and strategicbodies.

Improved integration of

refugees and asylumseekers in the region.

RefugeeIntegrationManager

Develop RIES to delivereffective services to refugeesacross the region

KPIs as defined by the contract

Service established andpartners engaged.

Information produced regularlyfor partners

Improved integration ofeligible refugees in theregion.

Improved processes andinformation for integratingrefugees.

More positive public

perceptions of refugees

RIESManager

Work with partners to helpensure the region delivers aneffective resettlementprogramme

Ensure that all LAs are madeaware of the potential positivebenefits of participation in theGateway Protection Programme

Wider understanding of,and participation in, theregional resettlementprogramme

RMPManager


14/17

6

Key Risks for Refugee Integration role

Risk Risk Level Mitigating Action

ii. Disengagement of key partners in integrationstrategy

Low We will work closely with partnersthrough regular progress reporting,access to strategic documents andlinking to wider regional objectives

iii. Difficulties with implementation of IntegrationStrategy Action Plan leading to lack of realchange for refugees.

Medium/high We will support partners in deliveringtheir actions and identifying potentialproblems. We will review the strategytaking into account organisational andexternal factors which could affectprogress

ix. RIES does not meet targets and KPIs Medium We will work with delivery partners toidentify potential difficulties and plansolutions

x. Resettlement programme fails to identify andsupport new delivery partnerships in theregion.

Medium Individual decisions do rest with LAsbut we will work with them and othersto ensure that decisions are informedby best quality information.


15/17


16/17


17/17

9

IV Information, data and Research


Delivery byWhom

Share information on impactand implications of asylumdispersal in the region

Monthly updates on numbers andimplications

Quarterly accessible policybriefings produced for SMG,placed on website and circulatedwidely

Management informationproduced monthly to supportdelivery of the target contract.

Better decision makingreflecting the needs of thelocality and region

Policy Officer

PerformanceManagementOfficer

Ensure the region has theinformation, data and researchto make sure the needs of allmigrant groups are met in long

term strategies.

Develop, and keep updated,regional web-based database ofresearch about migration toprovide a comprehensive and

accessible resource for relevantagencies and researchers.


Policy Officer

Provide policy, statistical andpractice information to LAsand other partners to enablethem to deliver more effectiveservices at local level.

Develop mechanisms to produceregular district level information onmigration trends to LAs and otherpartners.

Quarterly accessible policybriefings produced for SMG,placed on website and circulatedwidely

Develop a LA policy officernetwork to share approaches andinformation on monitoring impactsof migration


Better practice withpooling and sharing ofexpertise.

Policy Officer

Launch the new website, andestablish it as a key regionalresource

Website launched and used toshare all information oninformation, data and research

Information accessible toall partners

InformationManager

Key Risks for Information, data and research Role

Risk Risk Level Mitigating Action

xv. Lack of resource to carry out this role Medium/High Working with partners to secure additionalresource to carry out this work

xvi. Gaps or timelags in data undermine usefulnessof data

Medium Working with UKBA to develop ways tostrengthen existing data sets to improverelevance

xvii. Policy changes or revision of UKBA publishedstatistics could reduce information available tous and causes a gap in understanding

Low/medium Consider alternative means of collectingdata e.g. new research or monitoring

yhrmpBusinessPlan2009-10

Documents

Transcript of yhrmpBusinessPlan2009-10