Communities First, the Welsh Government’s controversial programme to tackle poverty and support vulnerable people in deprived areas across the country, is set to be dropped.
More than £300 million has been spent on the scheme, which has several outlets across Caerphilly County Borough, since its inception in 2001.
Communities First has not been without its critics up and down Wales, and speaking in the Senedd on Tuesday, October 11, Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children Carl Sargeant told Assembly Members he was not convinced “continuing to focus on 52 small areas is the most effective way to deliver for Wales”.
Mr Sargeant added: “We are committed to improving and reforming our public services and we are intent on building a united, connected and sustainable Wales… To do that, I firmly believe it’s time for a new approach to build resilient communities.
“I am minded to phase out the Communities First programme while establishing a new approach to meet the challenges of the future.
“The new approach will focus on three key areas of employment, early years, and empowerment.”
He continued by saying that the Welsh Government would, over the coming months, look at how it could support resilient communities – those that were ready and able to work and that could offer children the best start in life.
He said: “On employment, I want to see resilient communities that have access to jobs and people with the right skills to fill them. Employment offers the best, most sustainable way of escaping poverty, and is fundamental to the new approach to communities.
“For early years, more resilient communities prevent and protect children from the impact of adverse childhood experiences… which are a major threat to well-being and economic prosperity.
“In terms of empowerment, I want resilient communities to have strong local infrastructure and strong and inclusive leadership… Local authorities also have a key role to play in finding ways to improve local communities’ well-being, embedding integrated, collaborative, long-term and preventative approaches, while reflecting the full diversity of the communities that they serve.”
Speaking in response to the announcement, Plaid Cymru’s Shadow Communities Secretary, Bethan Jenkins, said: “If the goal here is the eradication of poverty, then the government needs to bring forward fresh ideas.”
Conservative Shadow Secretary for Communities, Mark Isherwood added: “It is gratifying to see the Welsh Government proposing a re-think on the Communities First programme – the reform of which Welsh Conservatives have long called for.
“With one in four people in Wales still living in poverty, it is clear the programme is not fit for purpose; has largely fallen short of its stated aims, and has been the target of concern for many of Labour’s own AMs.
“If the Welsh Government is serious about making up for its past failures then it should give serious thought to delivering locally-led regeneration schemes, which would strip away bureaucracy while delivering targeted and effective support, while saving tens of millions.”
Meanwhile, the Chair of the Equalities, Local Government and Communities Committee, John Griffiths, issued a statement which read: “The committee intends on having a major focus on tackling poverty and inequality in Wales.
“We will be inviting the Cabinet Secretary to provide further information to the Committee at the earliest opportunity to update us on Communities First and Welsh Government plans for tackling poverty.”
The only people that have benefited from communities first are the ones who are on the payroll and then they believe they are fulfilling their duties by simply turning up which for many is a challenge in itself, communities first had one big problem – public sector mentality, give public sector workers massive salaries, endless holidays, unquestioned sick leave, a bottomless pit of money and there will be only one outcome – failure.