CtOG Target H

1. CtOG Targets

CtOG Target H

By 2008, improve service delivery in rural areas so that agreed improvements in accessibility and quality are achieved for key services in remote and disadvantaged communities.

Last update 07/11/06 Next update 08/01/07

Why Is This Target Important?

A defining feature of some rural areas is a lack of accessibility for key services. This can have a significant impact on the quality of life of communities and individuals. Research highlights that disadvantage in rural areas is often caused or exacerbated by distance or the uneconomic nature of providing services (due to lower population numbers) and by stigma that can be associated with accessing some services in a small community. Rural services are provided by a number of delivery agents, including the Voluntary Sector, and so the target focuses on coordinating and improving service delivery through innovative approaches, such as co-location, integrated provision, mobile and outreach services. The intended improvements to accessibility and quality should deliver a higher quality of life and enhance opportunities for the most disadvantaged groups and individuals living in rural communities.

How will you define success?

The target is complex in that access and quality targets will be set for key services in each Rural Service Priority Area (RSPA). Since each target will be set as improvements from baseline, success will have been achieved if agreed improvements have been made by 31st March 2008.

Selection of Rural Services Priority Areas (RSPAs)

The aim was to identify rural areas which suffer in terms of both overall disadvantage and service provision. The most widely used tool to identify disadvantaged areas in Scotland is the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2004 (SIMD). SIMD was used to design and measure all the targets in the Closing the Opportunity Gap work programme. For consistency, therefore, SIMD was used to identify RSPAs.

Rural data zones within the SIMD were analysed, giving equal weight to overall disadvantage (as measured by the overall SIMD rank) and low service accessibility (as measured by the access to services domain rank). The 10 data zones with the greatest combined disadvantage were then identified for the Highlands and Islands Enterprise area and the Scottish Enterprise area. These twenty areas fall within 8 Community Planning Partnership (CPP) areas. Two additional areas were added as a result of bids from the 8 CPPs. These twenty two areas are the Rural Services Priority Areas.

Where are we now with the Rural Target?

. The following are the key project milestones:

on 27 January 2005 the Minister for Environment & Rural Development announced the selection of 20 Rural Services Priority Areas (RSPAs). A map of these areas can be accessed here; Ministers agreed to consider designating additional RSPAs in July. This was achieved, and, Argyll and Bute and East Ayrshire were both designated additional RSPAs.
on 19 April 2005 research began, in partnership with RSPA area Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs), to identify priority services for improvement. Focus groups across the RSPAs and CPP expertise were consulted to identify services considered 'key' to sustain thriving rural communities. This research, entitled 'Service Priority, Accessibility and Quality in Rural Scotland' has now been published and can be accessed at www.scotland.gov.uk/socialresearch. The research is now also available in Gaelic at the same website address.
in November 2005, discussions with the CPPs and delivery partners began, beginning the process of community engagement to select target key services. The service targets will be informed by the research results and the local expertise available through CPP.
on 28 December 2005, the Minister for Environment & Rural Development announced funding support for delivery of targets in RSPAs worth a total of £2.2M in financial year 2006/7. This money will be divided equally across the RSPAs, providing £100,000 per area to provide funding for improvements to targeted rural services.
on 9 May 2006 the Minister for Environment & Rural Development announced the 91 service improvement targets that had been agreed with the 8 Community Planning Partnerships with responsibility for the 22 RSPA. The Press Release and an overview of the 91 Target Agreements can be viewed at www.scotland.gov.uk/news/releases/2006/06.
On November 29th 2006 the Rural Service Priority Area's Evaluation and Monitoring Group will review the first 6 monthly monitoring returns from the Community Planning Partnerships.

How will this target be achieved?

Activity to deliver this target included working with other Departments and with key external delivery agents (such as local authorities) to improve services. The main drivers for this work have been the development of partnership working, and, the intended roll out of best practice models across Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs). Now key services and improvements have been agreed we will work with local delivery agents to ensure the target resources are used effectively to facilitate delivery of the targets by March 2008.. A secondee with local delivery experience and close ties with Community Planning has been recruited from the voluntary sector to work with the CPPs.

The following actions may also be relevant:

Develop the evidence base by improving the measurement of rural poverty and deprivation (including the robustness and suitability for disaggregation of existing data sources).

Develop guidance for Departments and Agencies on the identification of rural poverty and deprivation and the disaggregation of rural data.

Review Community Planning arrangements in rural areas to ensure they work effectively, leading to improved service delivery and new and innovative ways of involving local communities. Encourage CPPs to work together to develop best practice and to share ideas on rural development.

Expand the Rural Transport Initiative, invest in lifeline air and ferry links, create better value bus services, and support demand responsive transport schemes to maximise accessibility benefits.

Identify the contribution made by cultural initiatives in tackling rural exclusion and consider how the benefits of this contribution can be maximised.

Identify the scale and nature of childcare provision in rural areas, identify gaps in provision, and consider what action is required to increase accessibility of childcare facilities throughout rural areas.

Explore existing data on the nature of financial exclusion (FE) in rural areas (including that on access to financial services and incomes). Consider whether further work/research is required to identify rural FE and what the most effective mechanisms for tackling it may be.

What resources are being committed?

Resources will focus on optimising funding to meet the needs of rural communities in the most appropriate way. Value for money opportunities for improved service delivery will be sought and encouraged. To this end the Minister for Environment announced £2.2 million of funding for the RSPA to support the targeted rural services work, and, to facilitate the CPPs to identify other sources of funding to support the on going development of access and quality of targeted services in the RSPA.

What Additional Supporting Activities and Targets May Contribute?

Each of the other Closing the Opportunity Gap targets are charged with considering and allowing for the rural dimension, and some will require improvements to services in rural areas to ensure delivery.

The development of partnership working between delivery agencies and the identification of innovative service delivery solutions, such as 'One-Stop-Shops', is likely to be important.

An example of this in our CtOG rural service development work is the Community Shop in Uig, Western Isles, which also houses the Post Office. The Uig Community Shop is to receive £50K from RSPA resources to develop its rural services access point as well as house the Post Office, and, deliver good quality accessible services to its fragile and remote community. The partnership funding for the Uig Community Shop will come from the Local Authority, the Local Enterprise Company and from the communities own resources. This partnership approach has allowed this important community facility to flourish.

What Detailed Data Do You Have To Demonstrate Progress?

At this stage, data collection arrangements are still being put in place. For the key services, baseline data on service access and service quality will be collected and analysed. Access to services will be measured by drive times to services and public transport availability. Quality of services will be measured by customer satisfaction surveys. The targets are subject to robust 6 monthly monitoring and evaluation measures.

What does this target mean?

We seek to improve access to, and quality of targeted services, for people in the Rural Service Priority Areas. By developing a good working relationship with the participating Community Planning Partnerships, and encouraging good community engagement, and, by committing substantial resources we expect to achieve success with all of our Target Agreements. We aim to improve and sustain, those services most needed and valued by our rural communities.

Who can I contact for more information

Samantha Reynolds

Rural Policy Team

Rural Communities

1-D, Pentland House

47 Robb's Loan

Edinburgh

EH14 1TY

samantha.reynolds@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

Tel: 0131 244 6334

Fax: 0131 244 3101

Where can I find related information?