Priority Area: 2. A Fairer West Berkshire with opportunities for all

A Fairer West Berkshire with Opportunities for All - details about goals, outcomes and actions

2.A. Prioritise support for those who need it most

2.1. Good or better (with ambition for excellent) Adult Social Care and Children and Family Services (Ofsted and Care Quality Commission ratings)

2.2. Vulnerable children and families supported at early stages to prevent the need for more critical or statutory social services

2.2.1. Ensure care packages are in place as early as possible through earlier initial care assessments
2.2.2. Work with families and stakeholders to keep children safe in their homes. If children do have to go into care, we will increase the number of successful Children in Care placements

2.3. Solutions are identified to prevent homelessness and avoid rough sleeping

2.3.1. Offer accommodation to verified rough sleepers in West Berkshire and support households at risk of homelessness

2.4. Improved enforcement of good standards in rented and supported housing

2.4.1. Create a housing forum to take place in public (to include registered providers of housing and licensed houses for multiple occupancy within West Berkshire), to give tenants a greater voice

2.5. Residents are supported to access the mental health services that they need

2.5.1. Prioritise funding to reduce wait times for children's mental heath services
2.5.2. Conduct a full review of Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND) capacity and model in West Berkshire

2.6. Residents facing the greatest challenges are prioritised by wellbeing and social care services

2.6.1. Increase the number of foster carers
2.6.2. Tackle hunger-related poverty in young people

2.7. Review the way that we provide services for those requiring Adult Social Care to ensure that we provide the highest quality services, in the most sustainable way, in the medium and long term. The review and the resulting strategy to be published by March 2024

2.B. Deliver more homes that people can afford

2.8. Increased number of homes that people can afford

2.8.1. Deliver over 1000 affordable new homes by 2030
2.8.2. Work with housing providers to develop local home ownership models
2.8.3. Bring more empty homes back into use
2.8.4. Deliver more social rent and affordable housing ourselves and with housing associations through joint ventures with partners
2.8.5. Review the share of dwellings that are affordable rent (versus social rent) and consider changing the policy

2.C. Support our local authority maintained schools to drive up standards

2.9. Good education attainment results, exceeding National levels

2.9.1. Work hard to close the attainment gap across the district in our Local Authority maintained schools, as we believe that education is the key to future life-chances. We will focus on early years attainment especially in areas of deprivation. We will develop a clear plan in 2024 and start to implement it in 2025
2.9.2. Review the way the Council provides support to our Local Authority maintained schools in 2024, and start to implement improvements from 2025

2.10. Good and Outstanding schools (Ofsted rating)

2.10.1. Strive for all our Local Authority maintained schools to be Ofsted rated 'good' or 'outstanding', and supporting academies to do the same. We will support school staff and governors with additional preparation and checks prior to their Ofsted inspections. In 2024, we will develop a clear plan with agreed targets and start to implement it in 2025

2.11. Endeavor to retain all current Local Authority maintained schools within the Local Authority, rather than becoming academies or part of a multi academy trust