Local Strategic Partnership Communications Strategy & Action Plan

Partnership Policy Statement
The Local Strategic Partnerships aims to operate on the basis of openness and to ensure effective communications with partnerships/organisations and the public in NEL about the Community Strategy and the Local Strategic Partnership
The LSP has agreed that "Listening to and working with people in our community lies at the heart of the process of community planning."
Effective communication is essential to the success of the LSP and to fulfilling its roles, in particular its key role in relationship to the Community Strategy.

Fit and Contribution to LSP Role
In its Rights, Roles and Responsibilities document the LSP agreed that this Communications Strategy and Action Plan was needed to ensure that the community of North East Lincolnshire knows about the aims and work of the Partnership, has ready access to it and can influence it.

The Partnership is committed to the principle of openness in its operations. The preparation and implementation of the Community Strategy will be transparent, with information provided in a variety of formats to increase access to it. This will include information about the Partnership itself, including notes of its meetings, the consultation process and feedback on results, the Community Strategy and progress reports on its implementation.

Organisations not on the Partnership will have the right to attend meetings as observers through application to the Chair.

Aims of Strategy
Organisations and Partnerships and people in NEL have information about the Community Strategy

• what it is,
• how it is being prepared,
• how they can get involved and influence it,
• ready access to the Community Strategy when drafted
• reports on progress in implementing it
• involvement in revision to the Community Strategy
• Organisations, Partnerships and people in NEL hav e information about the Local Strategic
• Partnership:
• role
• membership
• papers/discussions and decisions
• accountability

Principles
The LSP will operate on the basis of openness. Papers discussed in the LSP meetings, and notes of the meetings will be made available on the web site and by paper copies on request.

The information to the general public will concentrate on the Community Strategy, a sustainable vision for NEL and the means to achieve it. Information will be provided about the consultation process and how to get involved, how it is shaping up and then following its agreement, progress on the implementation of the Community Strategy.

Information about the LSP is likely to be of interest primarily to the members and other organisations and partnerships, but will still be available to the general public.
Information must be provided in a variety of formats and through different channels of communication, in line with the LSP's equalities statement to enable people to participate, on a more equal basis.
Therefore:
Information available via one medium should be available through all wherever practicable and reasonable.
Information must be kept short and simple, concentrating on what is likely to be of most interest to engage people - information that directly impacts on them in their lives and locality.
Leaflets will utilise question and answer formats - why it effects you, why you need to know etc.
Information will, wherever possible, include local examples and in particular for the Community Strategy include examples of previous consultations and the actions that have followed.
Mechanisms will be identified to provide information quickly on request in other formats e.g. large print, braille, audio or different languages.

Action Plan
1) The two key aims (see above) will be delivered by develop ing information products in a variety of formats to reach a wide range of audiences and then delivered through a variety of two-way channels of communication for these products.

Information Products
Information on the Community Strategy - what it is all about and how to get involved.
Information on the consultation on the Community Strategy - the Community Involvement Plan.
A draft of the Community Strategy.
Information about future revisions to the Community Strategy
Progress reports on the implementation of the Community Strategy.
Information on the LSP, Membership, Roles, values, timetable, how to influence, and contact details.
Information on lines of accountability of member organisations and Partnerships.

Information Channels
LSP Members and through them their organisations and partnerships
Leaflets
LSP member's internal newsletters/intranets
Community and voluntary groups, in particular those dealing with hard to reach groups
Web Site
Local press e.g.: Monthly column (picked up as well on web site, TV and radio) prepared by LSP members.
Local radio
Local television

2) Provide summaries of Partnership meetings to post on the web site and for Members of the LSP to utilise in their key area of responsibility: the two way flow of information between the LSP and their organisations/partnerships.

For example
 Members have summaries of LSP meetings to update their Partnerships/organisations on the work of the LSP after each meeting. Presentations on the work of the LSP have been made, or plans are in hand to give presentations to Early Years Partnership, Tourism Forum, Tenants Assembly, Churches Together.

Key Outcomes
Information about the LSP and Community Strategy and the process of preparing it is readily accessible and available in a variet y of formats and through a variety of channels.

The information provided is readily understood and opportunities are given for feedback, for example feedback slips.

LSP's Communications Group to examine performance measures and targets.