Indicators to support 'Accessibility'
We have developed two accessibility action plans. With our partners we have identified a basket of indicators that will help us monitor the effectiveness of these action plans.
Action plan 1: Increase knowledge of public transport availability
Comments collected through discussions with key stakeholders and the public have indicated lack of public transport as a cause for people not having access to key services. However, accession analysis has highlighted that generally public transport provision to key services in Bedfordshire is of a good standard suggesting that people are not aware of services available or do not know how to use the services available. Our public involvement exercises also identified improving public transport information as a high priority.
Our first accessibility action plan essentially has two strands. The first is to progress existing plans to make travel information (bus map and timetables) available on the County Council website accessible to anyone with Internet access. The second strand is to develop a tailored and specific web-based package of travel information, with linkages to the Council one. This would be in a format designed for ease of use and understanding by Connexion's client group and for client advisors to use during one-to-one contact sessions. A number of supporting indicators will monitor the effectiveness of this. If this is successful, we hope to produce similar products with other organisations who have already expressed an interest, such as healthcare providers, Jobcentre Plus and the Learning and Skills Council.
Connexions advisors regularly using tailored travel information with their clients (LTP1)
This will be our mandatory indicator and will show whether Connexions advisors are using our package of tailored travel information.
Percentage of NEETs (not in Employment, Education or Training) (Supporting Indicator 2)
The ultimate outcome of our work with Connexions is to reduce the number of young people not in employment, education or training, and to improve their access to services and facilities, support their social inclusion, economic and health aims. However, because there are so many other factors that also affect those given NEET status it will always be difficult to ascertain exactly what impact our action plan has had. For this reason we are not setting a target.
Visits to travel information website (Supporting indicator 2)
Monitoring 'hits' on the general information website will show us whether the general public is aware of, and is using the service. Initially, this figure will rise due to promotion leading people to try out the website for the first time. However, in order to sustain growth in usage and indeed, to prevent a decrease in hits later on, we need to ensure that users return to it.
A well-designed and reliable website will encourage usage.
This has been assessed as a low risk target because we and our partners, with whom we have a good working relationship, are for the main part, in control of all influencing factors.
Action plan 2: Promoting Accessibility considerations in location of residential development.
This action plan looks towards the long-term future. There is significant population and housing growth projected for Bedfordshire over the next decade. By ensuring that accessibility is considered in new developments, we hope to help prevent people living in these areas from becoming socially excluded in the future and reduce the need to travel, and the distances travelled. We also hope this will make such developments more sustainable, tackling local concerns over the sustainability of such developments.
Proportion of new residential development within 30mins public transport time of range of services (GP, hospital, primary school, secondary school, areas of employment and a major retail centre). (Supporting indicator 4)
This indicator can be calculated relatively easily using Accession (an accessibility mapping package). It has already been calculated for Bedford Borough Council (and submitted as LA Core Output Indicator C3b). We are currently collecting data for Mid and South Beds councils.