We are responding to the economic slowdown both at community and business level.

The word bank with a split down the middle Actions being taken include:

Support for businesses

  • We have committed to processing invoices within ten days of receipt - as of April 2009, we now pay 84 percent of invoices within ten days from a baseline of 40 percent previously
  • We have recently contracted Larch consultants to undertake a fundamental review of our procurement practices to ensure that economic development and regeneration outcomes are maximised, particularly in respect of local SME access to contracts. Business representative organisations will participate in the reference group for the review.
  • We are providing financial support towards advice events for businesses – ten 'Ride Out the Recession' events ran throughout June/July – jointly with Business Link
  • We have a continuing and healthy dialogue with the Chamber of Commerce and Federation of Small Businesses on how the County Council can deliver additional support for the local economy
  • In light of the Government’s Business Support Simplification Programme, we plan to explore with partners and delivery agencies the scope to have business support sub-group under the new Nottinghamshire Economic Development Partnership to ensure that the Partnership is better informed about business support activities in Nottinghamshire and their impact and is able to take informed decisions and actions as a result.

Return to top

Debt and Welfare Rights Advice to individuals

  • We are creating an additional welfare rights officer post to support the increased workload in this area
  • We are increasing promotional campaigns to target benefit availability to ensure people are accessing their full entitlement and the lowest energy tariffs available
  • An additional grant of £50,000 has been approved to provide increased training for volunteers at Citizen Advice Bureaus across Nottinghamshire to increase debt advice
  • We are promoting tax credit take-up by local government employees (NCC is already taking part in a national pilot being run jointly with HMRC)
  • We have worked with our partners in the Employment and Skills Boards to publish The Extended Nottinghamshire Offer for redundancies [PDF 244KB] booklet which outlines the different support packages available to individuals who have been made redundant or who are under threat
  • We are supporting Credit Union development and will be developing a financial inclusion action plan.

Return to top

Increasing access to employment

  • A newspaper clipping showing job opportunites We continue to coordinate the Nottinghamshire Worklessness Forum. The Forum is latterly concentrating efforts on understanding the impact of the recession on worklessness in order to inform interventions. JobCentre Plus and the County Council provide regular updates on the latest data and trends
  • We are continuing to support initiatives such as the Family Employment Initiative which looks at sustainable employment solutions for people who are long-term unemployed
  • We have provided funding to the Flexible Learning and the Legal Drivers projects (delivered by the Nottinghamshire Probation Service) aimed at enhancing the employability of ex-offenders by providing a range of skills building and vocational courses that are not available through mainstream training providers
  • We are reviewing our Making the Connection (MtC) project (focused on employer-led solutions to recruitment and training which prioritises local jobs for local people) to ensure it is more business responsive and has sufficient resources to meet demand
  • We are currently coordinating, on behalf of the Nottinghamshire Partnership and potentially in collaboration with One Nottingham, the development of a business case in respect of a bid for Future Jobs Fund - targeted at unemployed 18 to 24-year-olds and unemployed people in the most disadvantaged wards. This will create a number of six month+ jobs in community beneficial fields for target groups of individuals.

Return to top

Economic Prosperity Summit - Follow up events

  • We jointly hosted (with the City Council and NDE) Our Future Prosperity summit in January 2009 to share with 120+ business leaders and 30+ stakeholder organisations an understanding of the impact of the recession on the local economy and to consider additional support and developments for businesses and the local economy
  • We hosted a series of follow-up breakfast events in June and July covering the key themes (identified at the Summit) of Science and Innovation, Enterprise and Skills, Reputation and Aspiration, Transport and Infrastructure
  • We are planning for a second summit in January 2010
  • Our Chief Executive has recently accepted an invitation to join the high-level Nottingham Economic Resilience Forum and will provide a bridge to wider County partners and issues.

Return to top

Corporate Recession Responses

  • We have established a cross-departmental Economic Development and Regeneration Board, to be sponsored by the Chief Executive and chaired by the Corporate Director for Communities, to ensure the County Council is in a position to lead and respond to changing economic circumstances in Nottinghamshire
  • We are developing a corporate economic resilience plan which will outline our short, medium and longer term vision, ambitions and plans to support the local economy and maximise the economic outcomes of all that we do as a major employer, provider of services, procurer and holder of assets
  • We have developed extensive recession related web pages which signpost individuals, communities and businesses to where they can receive support and advice
  • We are reviewing our interaction and communication with businesses to ensure that our services are as accessible as possible (work being undertaken under the lead of the corporate Business Improvement Board).

Return to top

Two men shaking hands

Evidence, Information and Intelligence

We are working with Nottingham City Council and district and borough councils to prepare a joint outline Economic Assessment for Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. The assessment will provide a current evidence and policy base which will form the basis for strategy development and investment planning across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

A County economic monitor is under preparation which will provide hard and soft information/intelligence on a range of economic indicators and with input from partners and business intermediaries. This will provide an evidence base for intervention and a means of conveying actions undertaken. The economic monitor will be produced on a regular basis.

Return to top

Efficiencies

We are improving our drive for efficiencies thereby providing options on expenditure and reducing pressures on council tax.

Return to top

Public sector 'compact'

The County Council's senior HR officer is chairing the Nottinghamshire 'compact' group, which is tasked with addressing issues around public sector procurement, training and recruitment in a more joined-up way across Nottinghamshire public sector organisations.

Return to top

Nottinghamshire Partnership

We are leading the development of a number of Nottinghamshire Partnership 'Big Ideas' for responding to the recession including:

  • Young people - increased apprenticeship opportunities to be created through the establishment of a company/service to which all public sector organisations in the County commit/contract
  • Adults - multiagency intervention and targeted support in areas of high adult unemployment and deprivation
  • Business survival - unblocking stalled infrastructure schemes and increasing access to public sector contracts by local businesses (especially SMEs)
  • Business start-up - development of social economy solutions to address future demands related to the personal care agenda for older people (from 2010 individuals needing care will have personal accounts to employ directly and there will be a need for additional carers)
  • We are establishing a Partnership economic resilience subgroup which will proactively monitor recession responses across the county, examining gaps and scope for the development of a Nottinghamshire Partnership economic resilience plan.

Return to top

How do you rate this information / service?