www.wiltshire.gov.uk
Wiltshire Local Area Agreement Letter - Issue 4
Introduction
September has brought with it change; David Bareham has moved to pastures new and consequently there is a new boy on the block - Paul Bright. My thanks to David for all his hard work in not only developing the LAA thus far but helping me to get to grips with what is yet to be done. For those who do not know, David has not moved far, Chief Executive of Wiltshire and Swindon Activity and Sports Partnership (WASP), and we wish him well with his new career.
By way of introduction it might be useful to outline a little of my background. I join Wiltshire after serving 31 years in the Hampshire Constabulary, leaving as a Chief Inspector. During my career I have served in Eastleigh, Portsmouth, the Isle of Wight, New Forest, Force Training Department, Southampton, Basingstoke and lastly Police Headquarters at Winchester. I have been fortunate enough to perform a number of roles including Traffic Patrol, Firearms, Training, Management Development, Project and Change Management and Head of a Department. In my latter years I spent the majority of my time working in Crime and Disorder partnerships and then Criminal Justice. Taking on development of the LAA presents a new challenge for me but, against a backdrop of similar challenges in the past, one I look forward to. If we have not met by the time you read this newsletter I look forward to hopefully meeting you soon.
Where are we now?
We are about to begin negotiation of the Local Area Agreement (LAA) with government. WiSB has agreed the long list of outcomes it wants in the LAA – ‘outcomes’ is LAA jargon for the things we wish to improve. It is vital not to lose sight of the timescales for delivery. There are still a number of issues to be reconciled and time is pressing. The forthcoming diary up to the end of 2006 is outlined below. Needless to say it is incumbent upon us all to keep the momentum going.
| 11th September - mid November | We will consult on the list of ‘outcomes’ for the LAA and on the community strategy, at the same time as negotiating the LAA with government. This twin-tracking approach is needed to meet government deadlines. At the same time, we will be working with partners to decide what should be done to achieve the outcomes wanted by WiSB. |
|---|---|
| 18th October | The WiSB Conference will be part of the consultation on the community strategy and the LAA. |
| Early November | The first draft of the LAA document will be submitted to government. This will contain the outcomes, draft targets to be achieved and identify freedoms and flexibilities we would like from government to help us to achieve the targets. The draft will be approved by WiSBEx (the Board’s executive), and placed on the website for information. |
| 4th December | WiSB will receive an update on progress with the LAA, including any comments received from Whitehall. |
| Late January | The nearly finalised LAA will be considered by WiSB, alongside proposals for governance of the agreement (eg agreements between partners, monitoring arrangements etc). Once WiSB approve the LAA this will be submitted to Government for Ministerial approval and signing. |
Consultation and getting involved
We would welcome your feedback on the developing LAA and the community strategy. A draft framework for the revised Sustainable Strategy for Wiltshire 2006-2016 was agreed, as a basis consultation, by the Strategic Board at its September meeting. The document, and guidance on how to respond, will be circulated to consultee’s shortly, and will be available on the Wiltshire Strategic Board area of the website www.wiltshire.gov.uk . All partners are encouraged to stimulate as wide a debate as possible on the draft Strategy Framework over the next two months. The consultation ends on 10th November 2006.
The consultation results, along with the agreed Local Area Agreement, will be used to prepare a final version of the Strategy for the Board to discuss at its meeting on 5th March 2007. It is intended to use the skills of a journalist to produce a version that is easy for the general reader to understand. Contact: davidmaynard@wiltshire.gov.uk.
If you would like to contribute to any of the LAA blocks, please use the contacts shown at the end of this newsletter.
WiSB Conference – Wednesday 18th October 2006
WiSB’s annual conference will be used to get feedback on the developing community strategy and the LAA. Invitations have been sent out and we are hoping for a lively and useful morning. As you might expect, the Board is focusing the event this year on the draft Strategy for Wiltshire, and on the emerging Local Area Agreement. There will be a particular emphasis on discovering how delegates think that Wiltshire's communities can be made stronger and more sustainable, and there will be an opportunity to explore how the draft Strategy Framework and Local Area Agreement can better reflect this aim. The lead officers for each of the Local Area Agreement blocks will be available to explain how their groups have arrived at current proposals. Contact: paulbright@wiltshire.gov.uk
Stronger Communities
At the recent LAA Project Board meeting, Peter Baxter, Acting Deputy Chief Fire Officer, submitted a two page report supported strongly by Dr Keith Robinson, Chief Executive of the County Council, outlining this important area of the LAA. The key message is that the theme of stronger and sustainable communities, and its potential to build social capital, is important to all the blocks of the LAA. Peter also stressed that a balance needs to be struck between developing ‘tactical’ action and not losing sight of strategic outcomes. The importance of stronger and sustainable communities is very much reflected in the developing Community Strategy.
Developing the Blocks
I have put together a short descriptive note below which shows what each block is concentrating on. This is not meant to be a definitive description or target; these are in the working document.
Children & Young People
- looked after & young care leavers
- disabled children and young people
- the emotional well-being
- environmental awareness
- access to Lifelong Learning
- teenage pregnancy
Safer and Stronger Communities
Safer
- safety of People, Places and Property
- crime and drugs, anti-social behaviour
- harm caused by substance misuse
Stronger
- choice and influence over local decision making/delivery
- enrich individuals lives
- disadvantaged neighbourhoods
- social capital
Healthier Communities
- health inequalities
- binge drinking
- obesity in population (physical activity)
- obesity in population (diet)
- smoking
- mental health/wellbeing
Older People
- socially included & valued citizens
- enjoy healthy active ageing & independence
- access to affordable, flexible and safe transport
- help developing community safety strategies
- contribution to paid and voluntary work
- enjoy flexible retirement
- lifelong learning and personal development
- 'home for life' strategy
Economic Development
- centres, market town, rural hinterland operating within a culture of innovation
- workforce meets labour market demands whilst reflecting equality
- workforce meets current skills needs/anticipated skills future needs of employers
- entrepreneurial activity to affect local purchasing solutions
- business case promoted effectively
- competitive tourism businesses
- globally competitive, sustainable businesses within the food and farming sector
Environment
- waste efficiency
- County's biodiversity
- emissions of greenhouse gases
Block Leads
As a reference point it might be useful to once again detail the blocks and their respective leaders are:
Children and Young People
Jointly led by Lynda Cox and Liz Garrett with The Children’s Trust Board being the lead working group.
lyndacox@wiltshire.gov.uk lizgarrett@wiltshire.gov.uk
Safer and Stronger Communities
Led by Peter Baxter and Lynn Gaskin with The Safer Wiltshire Executive acting as the lead working group.
Peter.Baxter@wiltsfire.gov.uk lynngaskin@wiltshire.gov.uk
Healthier Communities
Led by John Nicholas through the Healthier Wiltshire Steering Group.
johnnicholas@wiltshire.gov.uk http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/council/wiltshire-strategic-board/healthier.htm
Older People
This group is just forming and the LAA leadership will be provided by Heather Ludlow and Liddy Davidson. Jeanette Longhurst has now moved on to pastures new; thank you Jeanette for your contribution.
heatherludlow@wiltshire.gov.uk Liddy.Davidson@ageconcernwiltshire.org.uk
Economic Development and Enterprise
Jointly led by Alistair Cunningham and Caroline Lewis with The Wiltshire and Swindon Economic Partnership acting as the lead group, assisted by the Countryside and Land Based Issues Group.
alistaircunningham@wiltshire.gov.uk carolinelewis@wiltshire.gov.uk
Environment
An extra block containing environmental outcomes has been proposed and development work on this block is being led by Gary Mantle.
GaryMantle@wiltshirewildlife.org eleanornj@wiltshirewildlife.org
Contact details
By Post
Paul Bright
Partnership and Performance Manager
Chief Executive's Office
County Hall
Trowbridge
Wiltshire
BA14 8JF
By Telephone
01225 713094
By Email
Opening hours
Monday - Friday 9am to 5pm
