Barking & Dagenham - The Place

The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham is located at the heart of the Thames Gateway, 11 miles east of central London.

The population of Barking and Dagenham rose from 166,000 in 2001 to 187,000 in 2011, and to an estimated 214,000 in 2020. The population is forecast to be 227,000 by 2024, rising to 295,000 by 2039.

Change is everywhere, and the Council remains committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all and establishing a ‘one borough’ sense of community.
We are proud to be a diverse and inclusive borough. Between the 2001 and 2011 censuses the proportion of the population from black and minority ethnic backgrounds increased from 19% to 51%. That proportion is estimated as 67% in 2021.

Like other London boroughs, there is also rapid movement of people: between 1st July 2018 and 30th June 2020 approximately 35,000 residents came to the borough, and roughly 38,000 left, meaning that the proportion of population churn during these two years equated to just over a third (34%) of the total population.

The age profile of the population is also changing. Barking & Dagenham has the highest proportion of people aged under 16 in the whole of the United Kingdom.

We are a young, rapidly growing and increasingly diverse borough. Diversity brings a range of challenges and we know our aspirations need to reflect that, to achieve the borough’s potential for the benefit of all, so that no one is left behind.

To find out more about our borough, wards and residents, click on this link: About the borough.

Our vision and priorities

The 20-year vision for the borough is ‘One Borough, One Community, No-one left behind’.

The Borough’s vision and priorities are set out in Barking and Dagenham Together - Borough Manifesto 

The Barking and Dagenham Delivery Partnership jointly owns the Borough Manifesto and its targets. This partnership is made up of public, private, community and voluntary sector organisations.

 Click on graph to view enlarged.

Corporate plan

The borough vision feeds into the Council’s vision and priorities in the Corporate Plan.

Our vision for the borough is ‘One Borough, One Community, London’s Growth Opportunity’ & 'No-one left behind'

The Corporate Plan outlines the approach we will take over the next 4 years in order to fully establish our new kind of council, and to work towards the targets outlined in the Borough Manifesto. We have been on a journey over the last few years that has seen us transform the council, our relationship with residents, and the way in which we deliver our services. The Corporate Plan co-ordinates our priorities and addresses the challenges we are facing as a result of budget cuts and a rapidly diversifying and growing population. The Corporate Plan covers all aspects of the council, from digitisation to cultural events to enforcement, and outlines what our upcoming approach will mean for our residents.

Central to the Corporate Plan is our vision of no-one left behind. We are committed to harnessing growth in the right way; so that equality gaps are closed and opportunities around skills, employment and housing are created for our existing residents. Our approach to growth will continue to be guided by principles of inclusive design and urban planning along with consultation and engagement with residents about what they want for their community. Our four priorities will help us achieve this. 

They are:                                 

• Encouraging civic pride
• Enabling social responsibility
• Growing together
• Well-run organisation

Subject to pending Assembly approval, the new 2018/22 Corporate Plan can be found here: Corporate Plan 2018 - 2022

Progress reports will be presented every three months to Cabinet members.

Our Key Partners

The Council utilises a number of partnership boards, which are aligned to the Borough Manifesto targets and priorities outlined in the Corporate Plan. Each board has its own plans and is responsible for monitoring performance and progress towards these key documents and ensuring appropriate representation from key partners at each board. In order to promote transparency and community engagement, members of the public are encouraged to attend meetings to give their views and speak with regards to the business of the Board. Meetings are also webcast online.

Four key partnerships are outlined below, however for more information on partnerships generally and other boards, visit the following link: https://www.lbbd.gov.uk/council/councillors-and-committees/meetings-agendas-and-minutes/overview/

1. Health and Wellbeing Board

The Health and Wellbeing Board brings together key health and social care partners, such as the Council, Clinical Commissioning Groups and NHS Provider Trusts, and is chaired by the Portfolio holder for health and social care. The Health and Wellbeing Board – which is a statutory requirement – meets on a quarterly basis.

The objectives of the Health and Wellbeing Board are:

• To deliver priorities set out in the Health and Wellbeing Strategy
• Work towards Borough Manifesto targets and Corporate Plan priorities
• Strengthen the working relationships between health and social care, and more generally, to encourage the integration of commissioning services
• Improve health outcomes for local people and reduce health inequalities               

  2. Community Safety Partnership

The Community Safety Partnership brings together key partners, such as Council, NHS, Police and Probation, and is chaired by the Director of Law and Governance. Together the partners address complex issues and have worked openly to develop and implement solutions to create a safer, stronger and more cohesive borough.

The objectives of the Community Safety Partnership are:

• Work towards Borough Manifesto targets and Corporate Plan priorities
• Promote collaborative working between key partners
• Reduce levels of crime and antisocial behaviour in the Borough

 3.Barking and Dagenham Delivery Partnership

The Barking and Dagenham Delivery Partnership (BDDP) owns and is responsible for the delivery of the Borough Manifesto; which is our 20-year vision for the Borough. The BDDP is comprised of local partners from across the public, private and third sectors, and will collectively be responsible for providing oversight, direction, and leadership in order to achieve the aspirations for the borough outlined in the Manifesto.

The BDDP meets on a quarterly basis and is chaired by the Deputy Leader of the Council.

The objectives of the BDDP are:

• To ensure the Borough Manifesto remains a truly ‘place-based’ community owned collaboration
• Ensure all partners remain accountable and work towards shared aims
• Monitor and analyse progress towards delivering the Manifesto vision
• Ensure the aims and aspirations of the Manifesto are embedded as the everyday business of all strategic partners

Explore partnership working in Barking and Dagenham, and horizon-scan new avenues for collaboration

4. Local London

Local London is a group of eight London Boroughs: Barking and Dagenham, Bexley, Enfield, Greenwich, Havering, Newham, Redbridge and Waltham Forest. The group works towards the shared vision of a dynamic, vibrant and prosperous sub-region and focuses on progressing devolution for the region. In addition to its work on devolution, Local London is developing a joint approach to tackling challenges and opportunities across key areas such as housing, employment and economic growth. For example, Local London has recently developed a Skills Strategy.

The vision for Local London is ‘a place which is considered ambitious for its economy, aspirational for its residents and courageous in its reforms’

The objectives of Local London are:

• Identify opportunities for devolution in this London sub-region
• Strengthen inter-borough collaboration and integration across East London
• Capitalise on economic growth while promoting opportunities for the most vulnerable

Community Organisations

Introduction

In Barking and Dagenham there are a range of groups, for example local voluntary and community groups, faith groups, sports and social clubs, social enterprises etc. They are sometimes also referred to as the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) ‘Not for Profit’ sector or Civil Society. This sector is incredibly diverse and the organisations within it help and support many residents in lots of different ways.

The sector locally is supported by Barking and Dagenham Council for Voluntary Service (BDCVS) and the Barking Enterprise Centre (BEC). If local groups in your ward are looking for support, then these organisations would be able to help.

Barking and Dagenham CVS focuses on supporting local charities. Further information can be found:https://www.bdcvs.org.uk/

The BEC supports local businesses, which includes not for profit companies and community interest companies. Further information can be found: http://beccic.co.uk

BandD Together Routemaster

The Routemaster is a fantastic tool that Members and residents can use to easily find those support organisations working in Barking and Dagenham which offer support and help to local people. Types of support include benefits, local agencies and other support organisations.

http://bandtogether.co.uk

The tool diagnoses a resident’s need by asking a series of questions to accurately filter them through to a personalised pathway of available support from community organisations that operate in the borough. Members can be confident that the organisation contact information is up to date, because all organisations listed in the Routemaster receive a telephone call every month to check that all information is still relevant.

Key Community Organisations

Below are  the details of key voluntary and community organisations operating within Barking and Dagenham, including their contact details and a brief description of what services they offer:

Community and Voluntary Sector Organisations and Contact Details 

Tenants and Residents Associations

Information on local tenants and residents forums can be found: Housing Forms

Care and Support

There are a range of community and council social care services that are available for residents who would like help with their health, recovery and wellbeing. Further information for adults can be found on the following link:

http://careandsupport.lbbd.gov.uk/kb5/barkingdagenham/asch/home.page

For the families of children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) or who are disabled (SEND) further information can be found:Local Offer

 

 

Borough Data Explorer

The Borough Data Explorer is an interactive online platform which allows everyone from residents to community groups to access and analyse a vast array of data about their borough. The platform hosts a range of data sets including the Borough Manifesto targets as well as the Social Progress Index.

The Borough Data Explorer can be used to analyse performance within the 17 Barking and Dagenham wards. The platform can also compare the borough of Barking and Dagenham to other London boroughs

The platform is available to everyone and can be used to help us plan and deliver excellent services.