Cross Cutting Missions
Some of the mission critical issues that we face cut across each of our priorities and are of such a magnitude that they require a system wide focus on progress without which we cannot realise our vision. To make progress in these areas, we need to take deliberate action.
We have two key cross cutting missions.
- Tackling inequality and enabling inclusive communities and approaches
- Reducing and alleviating poverty
On many measures including educational attainment, access to work and higher education and numbers involved in crime and anti-social behaviour, there are stark differences for people from different communities and social backgrounds. People in the district also face racism and discrimination. These inequalities need to be addressed through a relentless focus on identifying where there is inequality in our district, including racism, and focusing together on actions to address this.
Inequality in the district is evident – In terms of life expectancy, the difference between the richest and the poorest areas is 10 years for men and 8 years for women. Deaths which are considered to have been preventable with public health intervention are higher than the average in England for 17 out of 30 of the Council wards in the Bradford district.
Bradford District has the second highest rate in the UK of children who live in poverty. Over half of the district’s children live in either absolute or relative poverty. We cannot accept this, and we must relentlessly work on this until we change it.
These missions have been chosen because they are fundamental things that need to change to drive the success of the district and for individuals and families. All partnerships and organisations must identify and deliver actions that address these two fundamental missions.