DC ÄLVSBORG
www.alvsborg.goteborg.se
Over the past year Älvsborg has invested in initiatives to prevent ill health. Additional sports days, classroom exercise sessions and extra motion training have been introduced in schools, for example. Arts and culture have been promoted in schools and pre-schools by enabling children to meet and work with professional artists. In care of the elderly, the home help service has introduced communal day outings and celebration lunches.
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| The first figure is for the district and the second for Göteborg in total during 2002, unless otherwise stated. | ||
| No. of inhabitants | 18,481 | (474,877) |
| Percentage of children 0–15 | 22.4 | (17.3) |
| Percentage of pensioners over 65 | 14.3 | (14.7) |
| Average income, KSEK (over 16) 2000 | 248.3 | (174.6) |
| Percentage of job applicants 18–64 | 1.8 | (4.1) |
| Percentage of people with higher education (20–64) 2001 | 53.8 | (38.9) |
| Percentage of gainfully employed (20–64) 2000 | 82.5 | (69.5) |
| Percentage on social security benefits | 0.8 | (9.5) |
| Social security benefits paid, SEK per inhabitant* | 165 | (2,128) |
| * Excl. introduction remuneration. | ||
Residents of Älvsborg are to a large extent resourceful people. The district contributes to the sustainability of the Göteborg community through its ability to offer good housing and social services. New building proposals have been put forward during the year, including workshops and office premises in the Nya Varvet area, houses and a bathing site at Stora Billingen, and apartment blocks in the harbour area in Fiskebäck. The district committee wants to preserve green areas in the district as well as the unique setting of Nya Varvet, but has indicated that it welcomes some development, since the district is in need of additional apartment blocks.
In its local targets the district committee has committed itself primarily to early prevention initiatives, especially in health-related areas. The district committee regards health as a strategic issue for the future and will continue to work in this area.
The meetings of the district committee are open to the public. This is one aspect of efforts to improve opportunities for residents of Älvsborg to stay informed and play a part in the activities of the committee. The committee also holds open house meetings one week before each committee meeting. These meetings are sometimes dedicated to certain topical questions such as youth issues and issues concerning the elderly and disabled. Politicians are represented on various user councils in the district, such as school conferences, the local council for people with disabilities, the pensioners’ council and the associations’ council. Work on improving security and safety in the west of the city is carried out by the local crime prevention council.
City services are well developed and have good geographic coverage. There is strong demand for places in schools and pre-schools. There are fourteen City pre-schools and eight independent pre-schools. An open pre-school that caters for young children and their parents is run by a parents’ association with the support of the district committee.
The number of school pupils in the age range 13–15 is rising in Älvsborg. Since Fiskebäcksskolan was extended to cater for children from pre-school up to year 9, almost all pupils in Älvsborg can now be given places in the district’s schools. Pupils achieve good grades and support is given to those who are at risk of failing in a subject. The Statistics Sweden survey carried out during the year shows that pupils and parents are satisfied with the district’s schools. The results were above average for Göteborg, and among the highest in the city.
Throughout the year schools have been working towards the health targets that the district committee set up for 2002. Schools have increased the number of sports days, introduced an extra half-hour of motion training each day, organised a health week on diet and exercise, introduced regular walks, games in the schoolyard, classroom exercise sessions, etc.
There are seven City schools and three independent schools in the district. The number of Älvsborg children in independent schools is at the same level as the average for Göteborg.
Initiatives for children and young peopleConsiderable resources are invested in arts and cultural activities for children and young people in Älvsborg. More than 460 pupils attend KULMUS (culture and music school in western Göteborg), which offers training in musical instruments, dance, visual arts and theatre. KULIS (arts and culture in schools) and KULF (arts and culture in pre-schools) are networks for providing cultural activities in schools and pre-schools. Activities during the year have centred largely on programmes that allow children to meet and work with professional artists. This is one step towards integrating arts and culture into the daily activities of schools.
Älvsborg has a stable youth situation. During the year the district administration has invested in preventive work in cooperation with schools, recreation services and social services. A school welfare officer has been appointed for Fiskebäcksskolan. Lilla Påvelundsskolan, which caters for pupils with special needs, is an important prevention initiative aimed at both pupils and their parents.
The number of elderly people in need of assistance has increased during the year. Demand for home help has increased by 17 percent. On average, 129 residents of Älvsborg required places in special accommodation, an increase of 15 places compared with the previous year. The largest increase was for short-term places, while there was a slight fall in the proportion of hospital places required. The twelve residential places for people with dementia were transferred from Lokatten to a newly opened home for the elderly in Flatås during the year.
A drop-in centre for pensioners in Toredamm is managed in cooperation with a pensioners’ organization. This also provides day care activities for people with dementia, mainly to provide respite for relatives.
Surveys show that pensioners feel they do not get out often enough. The home help service has therefore arranged communal days out and celebration lunches to increase the sense of community and prevent isolation.
The number of people with disabilities is relatively high. Many are of school age or just over and will require assistance in the form of special accommodation and employment in the future. There are seven supported accommodation units spread around the district and more are planned. The planning and expansion of accommodation is a high priority, as is support for relatives. Staff in supported accommodation units have worked on various ways of giving residents more control over their day-to-day activities over the course of the year.