Being and feeling safe is important to both residents and visitors to our County Borough and the city centre, and can have a profound influence on people’s quality of life and their ability to engage in a positive and mutually rewarding way with their community. It is important that we create an environment in which all people not only are safe, but feel safe.
Working with our public sector partners, we aim to build a community where fewer people are affected by crime and to safeguard people, especially those who are vulnerable, from exploitation, violence and abuse. We will work to ensure that where crime does occur victims receive the support that they need, and that more people are aware of the signs of exploitation and abuse and know how to report their concerns if they are worried about someone’s safety or well-being.
We recognise the importance of a fair, equitable and inclusive community and will strive to build a community in which all people can access the services that they need to thrive and fully realise their potential. We will promote and celebrate the diversity and cultures of our communities to ensure that they are inclusive, involved and welcoming; and we will ensure that people seeking sanctuary in the County Borough from war or humanitarian crisis are supported to build a secure and sustainable future.
A safe and secure home is vital to well-being and we will work to enable people, particularly the most vulnerable, to access good quality accommodation appropriate to their needs, whether in the public or private housing sector. We will help people access support to sustain their tenancies where needed, reducing the risk of people experiencing homeless and rough sleeping.
In 2021 there were 57,915 total households in Wrexham County Borough. Of these, 53.1% were deprived in at least one of the four deprivation dimensions as defined by the Census 2021. In the present cost of living crisis we recognise the need to be responsive to challenges that arise from people’s changing circumstances. We will work to ensure that everyone, especially anyone who is vulnerable, experiencing poverty, or dealing with cost of living challenges, can access support and services, including digital, to enable greater financial resilience, better health and living conditions, and an improved quality of life.
Our Priority Outcomes; what we want to work towards:
*indicates a Strategic Equality Objective
- Effective partnership working supports communities to feel and be safer, with improved support for victims of crime.
- *People are safeguarded from exploitation, violence and all forms of abuse, through working in partnership to increase awareness of the victims of exploitation and the available reporting pathways.
- *Our communities are welcoming, and we promote and celebrate our communities’ diversity and cultures and ensure appropriate access to all services for everyone.
- *Our customers are able to contact us easily, through digital systems which are built around their needs. Our services are inclusive and we ensure that we support those customers who would like to use our digital services, as well as continuing to offer more traditional ways of contacting us, for those who need it.
- *Wrexham is a place where everyone knows they can get involved to influence the planning and delivery of services. People are engaged, and consulted with on decisions which affect them, and where we can, we work to design and deliver services, and make things happen together.
- *People seeking sanctuary from war or humanitarian crisis are supported to build a sustainable future in the County Borough.
- Our council housing contract holders can access more high quality housing, and sheltered housing supported by modern, efficient and responsive services.
- More people are living in better quality private and public sector accommodation, which complies with national housing standards and legislation.
- People will be supported to find suitable accommodation and to sustain their tenancies, so that fewer people experience homelessness and fewer people are rough sleeping.
- All communities and people, in particular the vulnerable and those experiencing poverty and/or the effects of the cost of living crisis, will have access to advice and support services which support financial wellbeing and good health and living conditions, along with opportunities to participate in leisure, social and employment opportunities, to improve their quality of life.
This Priority contributes directly to the following Wales Well-being Goals:
- A prosperous Wales
- A resilient Wales
- A healthier Wales
- A more equal Wales
- A Wales of cohesive communities
- A Wales of vibrant culture and thriving Welsh language
- A globally responsible Wales