Case Study

As one of Trafford’s most deprived areas, Sale West was selected. As important to this decision though, was that the area already had a strong community partnership. This was felt important to ensure sustainability of activity and outcomes.

The area covered by the Sale West and Ashton Partnership includes the Sale West Estate and two housing estates north of this, the Manor estate and the Devon estate.

By Trafford’s standards, the employment rate is poor with about 27% of those of working age unemployed, on sickness benefit or economically inactive. The area is made up primarily of Registered Social Landlord Housing provided by Irwell Valley Housing Association, who own 77.9% of the social housing stock in the area. Trafford Housing Trust provides housing on the Devon Estate.

The Sale West and Ashton Partnership (SWAP) is a strong partnership led by local community members and supported by representatives from Trafford MBC, Trafford PCT, Irwell Valley Housing Association, Sale West Community Church, Trafford Housing Trust, Trafford College, Trafford Community Leisure Trust, BluSCI and local schools, amongst other agencies working in this area. SWAP had produced a detailed needs assessment for the area that incorporated residents’ views from a survey they carried out in May 2010, from which they developed an action plan to take forward for the future. Together they had achieved many successes for the people in Sale West. Furthermore, the Sale West area had also been chosen for the Healthy Places, Healthy Lives initiative, funded jointly by Trafford Council and the PCT to focus on reducing health inequalities in the area, and SWAP had also managed to secure additional funding from the Strategic Health Authority.

In November 2010, at a well attended meeting at the Community Centre, the SWAP identified a number of priority outcomes that they would like the Partnership Executive to support them to achieve. These tended to focus on specific areas where they had struggled for some time, or where there were blockages within the partner organisations that the Trafford Partnership Executive could resolve. The seven areas they wished the Executive to address were (see Appendix A);

• employment and skills
• learning centre
• gym renovation
• centre management
• environment
• communications and
• childcare provision.

Key successes

The Partnership Executive has delivered some significant improvements in Sale West:

• Trafford College will deliver a package of courses to local residents from September 2011. This will take place from the newly refurbished Learning Centre, in the Community Centre. The internet connection has been restored and the old computers replaced with newer ones. In addition, SWAP are in discussions with JobCentrePlus to provide an outreach service to the centre as well as a JobsPoint machine for residents to use.
• With the support of the Leisure Trust, Council and PCT, the old gym equipment has been replaced with new and useable machinery. The Leisure Trust is employing two local young people on an apprenticeship scheme to work at the gym. These apprentices will be supported by Trafford College to achieve NVQ Level 2 in Instructing Exercise and Fitness
• The Environment Partnership conducted an inspection of the play areas in the Sale West area to ensure that all sections are being monitored by Trafford Council and are consulting with residents in the area around the future of the parks in the area. In conjunction with the Healthy Places, Healthy Lives project, SWAP have commissioned Groundwork to build a community allotment in land that was created from the demolishment of a disused pub in the area. Local residents will be responsible for the future sustainability of the allotments and have been involved from the start
• SWAP identified a need for a coordinated approach to the delivery of the many different activities that go on in the area. They felt that a solution to this would be a community development worker, to tie all the activities together and also provide a strategic direction for future plans for the community centre and surrounding area. The Executive have secured funding from the Council, Sale West Community Church, Trafford Housing Trust and Irwell Valley Housing Association to support this position for three years
• The new Sale West Preschool Playgroup will open in the Autumn. Based at the community centre, this group will address a gap in local service provision, and also utilise the currently under-used sensory room.

In addition to these specific actions, the Partnership support has further strengthened the SWAP, who now feel more empowered to support themselves in the future. Additional agencies have joined the partnership, increasing their ability to deliver and unblock issues in the future.