Public Notices

 

The Department for Social Development (DSD) has published a ‘Westside Regeneration District Draft Regeneration Masterplan. The draft plan sets out a vision and preferred concept masterplan for the future regeneration of the Castle Street/Fountain Street area of Belfast City Centre

DSD is now seeking views from members of the public, all interested parties and stakeholders in the area, on the preferred option set out in the draft report.

Additional copies of the report can be obtained by telephoning (028) 9027 7643 or by writing to the address below. The document is also available on our website, by going to www.dsdni.gov.uk and clicking on the consultation zone in the main menu.

Alternative formats of the document will be available on request.

Please contact the address below.

The consultation process starts on 26 June 2008 and continues until 30 September 2008.

Written comments on the report should be sent to:

Department for Social Development,
Belfast City Centre Regeneration Directorate,
2nd Floor, Lesley House,
25 Wellington Place,
Belfast, BT1 6GD

Tel: (028) 9027 7643
Fax: (028) 9027 7655
Text phone: (028) 9082 9446
Email: Business.SupportUnit@dsdni.gov.uk

To provide a focus for consultation, DSD has set out 3 key themes below. This is not intended to curtail or limit the scope of consultation responses. Responses are encouraged and all those received within the time period prescribed will be taken into account in finalising the masterplan for the area.

We would welcome you comments on:

DSD intends to carry out an Equality Impact Assessment on the Draft Regeneration Masterplan The Department wishes to establish whether you or your organisation/group would like to be consulted with regards to the Equality Impact Assessment. If you or your organisation/group would like to be included then please write to us at the address above to express your interest in the process.

 

The Department for Social Development (DSD) has a vacancy for an Independent Board Member on the Departmental Management Board. The Social Security Agency, an executive agency within DSD, may also decide to appoint an independent board member through this competition.

This appointment represents an exciting opportunity to contribute to the good governance of the Department for Social Development, which directly and indirectly, delivers an essential range of services to some of the most disadvantaged in our society.

The post will involve offering constructive challenge across all of the Board’s business, with a view to ensuring that all aspects of strategy and delivery of policy are consistent with effectiveness and efficiency. This is not a public appointment, nor does it constitute employment, but is subject to civil service rules on conduct and political activity. The appointment will be for a two year period, with a typical time commitment of 1-2 days per month.

The fees payable in relation to this appointment will be £500 per day plus expenses.

The successful candidate must have no work related, charitable, voluntary, private, representational or political interest which would conflict with the role of Board Members. Any applicant who has, in the past five years, held an elected or appointed position at senior level in an organization related to the Department is not eligible to apply. Serving and former civil servants are also ineligible.

Those interested in applying should request an application form, detailed person specification and information on the work of the department from:

Emma Kelly, WIG (The Whitehall & Industry Group )
Peopleexchange@wig.co.uk
020 7222 1166

DSD is committed to equality of opportunity and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified people irrespective of religious belief, gender, disability, race, political opinion, age, marital status, sexual orientation, or whether or not they have dependents. Applications are particularly welcome from women, as they are currently under-represented at Board level.

 

Under the Government’s Welfare Reform and Modernisation Programme, the Social Security Agency and Department for Employment and Learning are jointly running a project (Jobs & Benefits) to improve the service offered to customers of working age. The project co-locates the Social Security Office and Jobcentre on a single site, integrating services around the customer and focusing on their welfare and labour market needs.

To date 25 offices have been co-located throughout Northern Ireland and a procurement exercise is presently underway to identify appropriate sites and developers for the final 10 Jobs & Benefit offices. A number of sites have already been considered for location of Downpatrick’s Jobs & Benefits office although to date this has not resulted in an appropriate site being identified. The Social Security Agency and the Department for Employment and Learning are now considering a number of new sites as potential options. Two of the sites are within the Downshire complex, one at Struell Well Road and one to the rear of the main building and the third site is at English Street.

Under Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 all Departments in carrying out their functions must have due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity in relation to religion and political opinion, gender, race, disability, age, marital status, dependants and sexual orientation. To assist in meeting this obligation, the Social Security Agency and the Department for Employment and Learning, are inviting the public to consider each of the potential sites and provide their views to Leonora McLaughlin, Jobs & Benefit Project, 4th Floor West, Design Centre, 39 Corporation Street, Belfast. (Tel No 028 90376256 or e-mail leonora.mclaughlin@dsdni.gov.uk).

The deadline for submission of comments is Friday 4th July 2008.