Here is our latest update, covering:Cardiff Council launches new school attendance drive; Opportunity for sport and community groups in Hailey Park; Socially Responsible Procurement Strategy.

Let's get attendance back on track - Cardiff Council launches new school attendance drive

Cardiff Council has launched a drive to improve standards of school attendance with the aim that all children and young people across the city have the best chance of achieving, despite the disruption to education caused by the pandemic.

In partnership with schools, the new campaign highlights that lost days of learning really do add up and reminds families that every day in school matters, with regular school attendance playing an important part in helping learners to achieve more and improve attainment during their school lives and beyond.

Prior to schools closing in March 2020 due to COVID-19, a statutory report to Welsh Government showed primary school attendance in Cardiff was at 94.8% and secondary school attendance was at 93.2%. The current picture for the period of 2021-22 has declined to 89.4% for primary schools and 88.5% for secondary schools.

This decrease is a familiar picture replicated across Wales with a number of contributing factors identified as reasons for poor attendance. They include:

• a greater number of pupils experiencing anxiety as a barrier to attending school and for those with previous mental health conditions, an exasperated situation due to lock downs which in some cases has resulted in more serious health problems.
• families with a poor attitude to attendance have become further entrenched and often a more casual approach to attendance from other families has emerged.
• More challenging behaviours has led to an increase in exclusions and permanent exclusions.
• illness related absences and many parents feeling overly cautious about sending their children to school.

Read more here

Opportunity for sport and community groups in Hailey Park

Sport and community groups are being offered the opportunity to lease the changing rooms in Hailey Park as Cardiff Council looks to secure investment in the existing facilities and improve opportunities for residents to take part in sport and physical activity.

Expressions of interest in leasing the changing rooms must be submitted by close of business on March 24th.

A council spokesperson said: "Lease arrangements of this type are already in place in many of Cardiff's parks, delivering investment in existing facilities, helping increase participation in sport and enabling local organisations and sports clubs to unlock new funding opportunities."

The council's preferred solution is for an organisation to manage the building as changing rooms and to take on responsibility for the adjoining pitches, with a view to improving the quality of the pitches over time. All existing facility and pitch users have been made aware of the proposals.

In addition to 11 changing rooms the property also includes WC facilities, a reception area and office accommodation. The lease will also include the car park adjoining the changing facilities.

Full details available here

Socially Responsible Procurement Strategy

A new strategy setting out how the Council will use its purchasing power to support the authority's commitment to economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being in the city has been launched.

The Socially Responsible Procurement Strategy 2022-27 sets out the key role that procurement will continue to play in enabling the Council to achieve its Stronger Fairer Greener vision, by maximising the social impact of its spend, accelerating the move to net zero and leading the way as a ‘Fair Work' employer.

The Council delivers a wide and diverse range of statutory and discretionary public services in the city, and last year spent £560m procuring a diverse range of goods, services and works from over 8,000 suppliers and contractors.

As well as ensuring this public spend delivers good value for money, there is increasing importance on procurement that supports key issues such as decarbonisation, fair work, delivering community benefits and providing support for local businesses and communities.

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