www.wiltshire.gov.uk
Wiltshire Local Area Agreement Newsletter - Issue 7
Introduction
This Newsletter provides an overview of what is happening with Wiltshire’s current LAA and the national changes to the LAA regime which means that we will negotiate a new LAA by June 2008. A great deal has happened over the last few months that will help shape the way we work together to take the Local Area Agreement (LAA) forward over the next few years.
Some of the developments include:
- New LAA regime and national indicator set published
- One Council for Wiltshire
- Partnership Governance Project
- Development of the Sustainable Community Strategy
The WCC team (the Performance and Risk Team) which manages the monitoring and reporting of the LAA has some new team members; Karen Spence and Annie Child are Performance Managers and will be working closely with block leads on the 07/08 LAA and the new regime. Chris Cooper is the team’s assistant and provides technical support to the team.
Our LAA - First Quarter Report
The first quarter of the 07/08 LAA has now been reported on. The overall headline news is; “Progress in most areas” – something is happening in nearly all activities towards the targets. Some of the highlights are listed below.
For some areas and some blocks the process of working through the LAA process has been a positive outcome in its own right. The development of the LAA has worked to bring organisations together around common priorities.
Some of the highlights as at end of Quarter 1
- 74 (31%) schools have achieved Platinum Smoke Free Award (target 61 (25%))
- Roll out of Alternate Weekly collections in Kennet district have been very successful, leading to an impressive increase in the recycling rate
- District ecologists appointed as a job share with Natural England and WCC support.
- The LAA process has helped the Wiltshire Biodiversity Forum to consider its priorities and work programmes, and helped to identify needs
- Performance at the Household Recycling Centres continues to be high
- A Time Bank coordinator has been appointed to co-ordinate Wiltshire’s first Time Bank
- Direct Payment Sub Group has been formed to increase number of people receiving direct payment
- The military – civilian study whose outcomes will be far-reaching and will impact across the whole LAA is underway
- Opening on-time and on-budget of 9 Children’s’ Centres with another 6 due to open before Christmas
- Successful roll-out of extended schools initiatives with 83 schools now meeting the full core offer
- Securing £250,000 from Sport England, matched by local partnerships, for sport and physical activity projects
More details of performance will be available on the LAA Website on the Wiltshire County Council website, http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/council/wiltshire-strategic-board.htm
Developing Governance Arrangements
The Wiltshire Improvement Partnership (WIP) commissioned SOLACE Enterprises to undertake a review of partnership working in Wiltshire.
This review focused on:
- Interim arrangements for the Local Area Agreement (LAA).
- Governance arrangements for partnership working in Wiltshire.
- Cultural aspects of partnership working.
During the consultation phase, it was noted that:
- Whilst local good practice was found, the existing partnership structure is not fit for purpose to deliver the emerging policy agenda.
- The partnerships do not work together as they should because of duplication and lack of clarity of roles.
The review was summarized in a report on the findings of the consultations and proposed changes to the existing governance structure of the Wiltshire partnerships. The proposals included:
- Interim arrangements for the LAA.
- Suggested governance framework and terms of reference.
- Changes across the Wiltshire ‘Family of Partnerships’, particularly highlighting the need for clearer roles and responsibilities.
- Arrangements for performance management and reporting.
- Implementation of the changes to be supported through facilitated workshops with established transition teams from each partnership.
The report – Review of Partnership Working in Wiltshire: Governance, Performance
Management and Risk and summary are available from Paul Mountford or Liz Richardson at West Wiltshire District Council on (01225) 776655.
The concept of a family of partnerships was welcomed but there is not a consensus amongst partners on the detail of the proposals. The WIP project board has now appointed The Tavistock Institute to work with partners to take forward the second phase of the governance project to help us to reach agreement and put in place appropriate arrangements for the future.
Negotiating the New LAA
The government is establishing a new LAA regime from 2008/09 and outline guidance is now available about how the new LAA will be developed. The link is: http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/negotiatingnewlaas. Full guidance is expected soon.
The LAA should be driven by our long term ambitions for Wiltshire, based on the Sustainable Community Strategy. As the LAA covers a three year period, we will need to convert these ambitions into priorities for the next 3-5 years for agreement with the Government Office South West (GOSW). The next stage will be for local partners to agree the action that will help deliver these priorities. We can then use the new National Indicator Set (NIS) to see which indicators we would like to use to measure high level progress against our priorities. Although all 198 indicators in the NIS will be reported on to government, only 51 will be shown in the LAA - we will negotiate targets with GOSW to include up to 35 of indicators that are important to government and to local people, and another 16 statutory education and early years targets will also be included in the LAA. We are also able to add locally agreed targets. It is important that our targets are realistic and so should be based on action agreed between local partners.
Next Steps
|
Date |
Whats happening? (these dates are provisional, the timetable is to be finalised) |
|---|---|
|
18 Oct 07 |
WiSB LAA Workshop – to start to develop the high level outcomes for the new LAA |
|
Mid Oct/Nov |
Further guidance will be published by government with more help about how to negotiate the LAA with partnerships, ensuring a good mix between national and local priorities |
|
12 Nov 07 |
Block Leads Meeting – to report on current LAA and to consider cross cutting themes across LAA from the new LAA regime This is one of an ongoing series of monthly meetings |
|
By end of year |
½ yearly report on first 6 months performance of 07/08 LAA to be submitted to GOSW |
|
Spring 2007 |
Continuing negotiation of priorities, action plans, targets and indicators across LAA themes |
|
April |
The new LAA will be backdated to April (it will be signed in June). In April, Local Authorities will submit draft LAA to Government Offices |
|
June |
LAA signed off by Government Office and Local Authority |
Block Leads
Children and Young People
Jointly led by Lynda Cox and Liz Garrett with The Children’s Trust Board being the lead working group.
Safer
Led by Lynn Gaskin with The Safer Wiltshire Executive acting as the lead working group.
Stronger Communities
Led by Niki Lewis, with Margaret West
Margaret@voluntary-action-kennet.org.uk
Healthy Communities
Led by Maggie Rae through the Healthier Wiltshire Steering Group, supported by Sarah Fussell
Maggie.Rae@wiltshire-pct.nhs.uk
http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/council/wiltshire-strategic-board/healthier.htm
Older People
Joint Block Leads are Heather Ludlow and Liddy Davidson.
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
Block Lead is Gary Mantle, supported by Simon Smith
GaryMantle@wiltshirewildlife.org
simonsmith@wiltshirewildlife.org
More information about the LAA can be found on the LAA area of the WiSB website to be found at
http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/council/wiltshire-strategic-board.htm
Other useful contacts:
Sharon Britton – Assistant Director, Performance and Risk, Wiltshire County Council
sharonbritton@wiltshire.gov.uk
Direct Line: 01255 713170
Annie Child – Performance Manager, Wiltshire County Council and newsletter author
anniechild@wiltshire.gov.uk
Direct Line: 01225 713094
Karen Spence – Performance Manager, Wiltshire County Council
karenspence@wiltshire.gov.uk
Direct Line: 01225 713094
If you have any suggestions for articles for inclusion in this Newsletter, please contact Annie Child as above, thank you.
