We want to improve our website and online services, and your feedback will help us understand the needs of our citizens and community.

Learn more about our Online Services Survey

mobile menu mobile search

Performance Improvement Plan 2025 - 2026 Quarter 2 Update Report

Performance Improvement Plan 2025 - 2026 Quarter 2 Update Report

In this Section

Performance Improvement Plan 2025 - 2026 Quarter 2 Update Report page 2

Contents

Improvement Objectives and Progress Update

  • Our objectives for 2025/26 are:
    • People: We will help prevent violence against women and girls.
    • Place: We will help boost our local economy and town centres.
    • Planet: We will all play our part in making Mid and East Antrim a great place to live in and visit.
       
  • We use outcomes (what you will see) and measures (key performance indicators) to monitor the delivery of our objectives.
     
  • Of 15 measures:
    • 93% are achieved or on track (14 of 15)
    • 7% are not achieved (1 of 15)

Objective 1 - People: We will help to prevent violence against women and girls

Why this objective was chosen:

  • Most women and girls in Northern Ireland have experienced some form of gender-based violence, from everyday misogyny and sexual harassment to extreme physical and sexual violence.
    There have been over 20 domestic homicides with a female victim since January 2020, and these numbers continue to rise.
    There is something everyone can do to end this.

  • The Northern Ireland Executive launched The Ending Violence Against Women and Girls Strategic Framework in September 2024, focusing on tackling the underlying causes of violence, abuse and harm towards women and girls and stopping it before it starts.
    The Ending Violence Against Women and Girls Change Fund has been made available to local councils for rollout within the community and voluntary sector.
  • Our citizens support programmes and activities to address this issue.

Progress update:

Outcome

 Roll out of the Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (EVAWG) Change Fund.

Measure

 Change Fund delivered by 31/3/26.
Status: On track

A total of £100,000 in funding has been awarded across 5 organisations for projects aimed at preventing violence against women and girls.

These projects will be delivered within local primary and secondary schools, and through community, sporting and youth organisations.

Activities will range from education (focusing on healthy and respectful relationships, exploring root causes, challenging harmful norms, consent, digital safety, addiction and more), to front-line services and therapeutic support.

Further details will be shared as projects progress

Outcome

 Everyone understands what violence against women and girls is, including its root causes, and plays an active role in preventing it.

Measure

 Training programme delivered by 31/3/26.
Status: On track

‘Power to Change’ and ‘Be the Change’ training programmes are being delivered across our 3 leisure centres.

The aim is to ensure our facilities and gyms are somewhere women and girls feel safe and will be safe.

Our staff will be trained to challenge abuse or harassment, and to deliver effective responses to anyone who may have experienced it.

It is hoped these programmes will be rolled out within the private leisure sector in the near future.

Two further training programmes will be delivered this year, one within Community Groups on why we need to talk about violence against women and girls, and another within the Health Trust on coercive control and mental health.

The Northern Domestic and Sexual Violence Partnership (NDSVP) website will also be updated to include the provision of an online toolkit and other useful resources, including information on signposting.
Outcome

Our organisation will know how to recognise and respond to domestic violence or abuse.
Measure

Platinum level Workplace Charter on Domestic Violence by 31/3/26.
Status: On track

A total of 58 staff attended Domestic Violence Charter training during September and October. There were 3 types of training delivered:

  1. Domestic Abuse Awareness Raising – Safe Place: This training explored what domestic abuse is, who is affected and what is a Safe Place, including information on where to signpost.
  2. Safe Employer – A Safe Place for Employees: This training looked at becoming a Safe Place for staff, recognising economic abuse and risk in the workplace.
  3. Safe Employer – Supporting Employees: This training looked at understanding our policy, practical supports in the workplace and supporting inclusive practice.

Training will now be offered to our Elected Members.

The assessment for Council’s re-accreditation of the Workplace Charter on Domestic Violence has been scheduled for November.

If successful, our Platinum status as a Safe Place and a Safe Employer will be confirmed.

Next: Objective 2 - Place