Local Strategic Partnership Rights, Roles & Responsibilities Paper
The Case for Partnership
Tackling the key issues that determine well-being in a community, like crime, jobs, education, health and housing requires a number of organisations to work together in a concerted and co-ordinated effort. Recognising that many of the issues facing our community are inter-related, we believe we can achieve more working together than any single organisation, community group, or partnership can working on its own.
Our Local Strategic Partnership brings together the commissioners and providers of services from the voluntary, community, private and public sectors to work with the community, to provide the focus and co-ordination needed. Listening to and working with people in our community lies at the heart of the process of community planning. We will utilise this process to devise a Community Strategy. This will capture a long term vision for North East Lincolnshire, which will provide the common purpose for our efforts. It will include an action plan identifying shorter-term priorities and activities that will contribute to achieving the longer-term outcomes. It will help us to devise targets for standards of services and then strive to meet them, by helping service providers join up service provision, make better use of resources and make services more responsive to local need.
The Advantages of Partnership working:
For Partners:
| Make better use of existing mainstream resources by joining up and co-ordinating the activities of public, private, community and voluntary agencies |
| Link the service providers and commissioners of services with the community to make them more responsive to local needs and priorities |
| Improve standards of services to the local community |
| Improve partnership arrangements |
| Improve services, understand organisational needs and joint working to enhance performance as it impacts upon quality of life |
For local communities:
| Get a better quality of life - through receiving better services |
| Be listened to |
| Influence the provision and standard of services |
| Understand the policy and strategy framework which affects service delivery and become aware of how to influence it |
Mission Statement
To develop and establish with the community both a sustainable vision for North East Lincolnshire and the means to achieve it.
To achieve this the Partnership will need:
| 1 |
To establish a Local Strategic Partnership in North East Lincolnshire, recognised by the Partnership itself and members' organisations, the community of North East Lincolnshire and Government as fit for purpose to implement this objective |
| 2 |
To work together and with the community to prepare the community strategy for North East Lincolnshire that says where we are, where we want to be and how we will get there and that is prepared in accordance with the principles of sustainable development |
| 3 |
To work together and with the community to prepare and implement a Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy to close the gap in employment, education, health, crime and housing between our poorest wards and the national average, in line with our priorities and contributing to national targets to tackle deprivation |
| 4 |
Co-ordinate Plans and Partnerships to bring together local plans, partnerships and initiatives for service providers to work together with the community to meet local needs and priorities |
| 5 |
Devise Local Public Service Agreements to set and then meet, performance targets for priority actions selected from the Community and Neighbourhood Renewal Strategies and agree them with central government in return for funding |
| 6 |
Encourage a community ethos in the public and private sector partners to develop schemes where organisations and their workforce are more involved in community development and are encouraged to participate in community programmes through their day to day activities. Encourage the adoption of innovative practices in mainstream services tried out in pilot actions |
| 7 |
Champion North East Lincolnshire by promoting the interests of the area to outside agencies, lobbying and projecting a positive image of the area |
Status of Partnership
The Local Strategic Partnership is a partnership of organisations and a partnership of partnerships based on good will and a shared common purpose. The members are equal partners. As the umbrella partnership for organisations and partnerships it is the senior partnership in the area, with its membership drawn from the most senior decision makers. It is a non-statutory partnership. It does not have a separate legal entity and cannot be an "approved body".
It operates strategically. Implementation will be through its associated partnerships and member organisations and working groups formulated from the organisations and the community as required and agreed by the Partnership.
Organisations and partnerships have existing accountabilities and these remain the same. Individual partners will remain responsible and accountable for decisions on their services and resources. Where an individual partner has goals primarily set by central government, the Partnership will identify the appropriate contribution that its members can make to achieve those goals. Where local and regional or national priorities are not aligned - either in respect of specific outcomes or resource implications, the LSP will seek regional Government Office's advice.
As the Community Strategy and Local Public Service Agreements remain the responsibility of the Local Authority, there is also a line of accountability back to the people of North East Lincolnshire through the Local Authority. Other organisations have lines of accountability and the Partnership will publicise these as part of its communication strategy.
However, members are accountable to the Partnership, in terms of their responsibilities, as set out in this document, and for the strategies and agreements made by the Partnership. In addition they are accountable to the Partnership for the commitments they make to the Partnership with regard to the implementation within their organisations / partnerships of aspects of the Community and Neighbourhood Renewal Strategies.
Equalities Statement
The Partnership will seek to achieve the social, economic and environmental sustainability and well-being of the area through a Community Strategy. In doing so it will integrate principles of equality by striving to enable people to participate, on a more equal basis, in social, cultural, political and economic life. For example:
| Decrease social deprivation |
| Promote anti-racism and anti-sexism |
| Address the needs of communities of interest, for example: different age groups; disabled people, to further social inclusion |
| Improve quality and accessibility of services |
The Partnership will seek to implement these principles through the Community and Neighbourhood Strategies.
The Partnership Structure
We are working towards an umbrella Local Strategic Partnership under which are grouped key strategic partnerships and organisations which will both contribute towards and take forward the implementation of our Community and Neighbourhood Renewal Strategies.
We will develop the Partnership structure through a Partnership Protocol which will map out the current partnership arrangements and as an interim measure establish clear linkages between the various partnerships and the partnerships and LSP to avoid duplication and overlap. We will explore the potential for shared working groups and community networks. The Partnership will then adopt this document and finalise its structure.
The diagram attached as Annex One is a starting point for discussions.
Collective Rights, Roles and Responsibilities
All members have certain common rights, roles and responsibilities, regardless of their organisational status. Their responsibilities are a consequence of their rights.
| Rights |
|
To be treated as equal, respected and valued, to be heard and to express views |
| To air differences in the Partnership meetings |
| To expect Members to demonstrate loyalty to the Partnership by taking a collective responsibility for decisions made |
| To express the views, priorities and interests of their organisations / partnerships |
| For the Partnership to understand their organisation / partnership and the constraints under which it operates |
| To expect the Partnership to have a favourable impact on achieving their targets, where they are compatible with the Community Strategy |
| To expect members to take an active role in the Partnership by delivering what is promised and abide by the agreements made |
| To information produced by the Partnership and agreed by the Partnership as available to all members |
| To operate in a positive no blame culture that focuses on results and aims to motivate by achievements |
| Responsibilites |
| To treat each other as equal, with respect and demonstrate that they value contributions by listening and responding and encouraging real dialogue |
| To reach a consensus through forthright debate |
| To promote and support the aims and values of the LSP by leadership and example within their own organisations / partnerships and within the community |
| To focus on the common purpose of the Partnership: the well-being of the community |
| To seek to understand other partners' positions, motivations, constraints and culture |
| To contribute to the achievement of targets of other organisations, through co-operation and identifying and removing barriers to achieving them |
| To make an active contribution - deliver what is promised |
| To provide information as promised to the Partnership within the deadlines set |
| To take a positive approach focused on the desired outcomes of the Community Strategy rather than the problems we have to tackle to achieve them |
Performance, Evaluation, Review and Self Assessment
We will evaluate and review our performance annually as a partnership, comparing our decision making and behaviour against this Rights, Roles and Responsibilities paper as a tool for continuous improvement as a partnership.
We will investigate benchmarks of good practice in partnership working with the aim of selecting a standard to aim for (for example EFQM excellence model).
We undertake to review through annual self assessment our performance against our targets as set out in our implementation plans. We will seek accreditation of our Partnership from the regional Government Office against the national guidelines.
Most importantly, the Partnership will review its progress by comparing progress against the ambitions of the Partnership in terms of the impact it wishes to make in North East Lincolnshire, in particular through implementing the Community Strategy. This will judge progress against "Making a Difference" or how we will judge the ultimate success of the LSP. (See Annex Two).
Partnership Meetings
Sustainability is an integral part of our overall objective. We commit ourselves to work to ensure the decisions we make lead towards a more sustainable future. We will strive to adopt the principles for sustainable decision making (See Annex Three).
The Partnership will work on the basis of consensus. If a consensus cannot be reached a vote will be taken.
Any issues that cannot be resolved within the Partnership meetings in accordance with our rights and responsibilities will be raised initially with the Secretariat with the aim of resolving the issue. Issues that cannot be resolved will then be raised with the Chair. Only then will the mediation role envisaged in the guidance for the Regional Government Office be sought by the Secretariat.
The Partnership will meet four times a year with dates notified in advance by the Secretariat. Members will declare any interests, pecuniary or otherwise, when discussing matters of relevance in the Partnership meetings.
Implementation Plans
The Partnership will take forward its work by agreeing Implementation Plans for each objective:
| Establishing the LSP |
| Preparing the Community Strategy |
| Co-ordinating plans and partnerships |
| Preparing the Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy |
| Devising Local Public Service Agreements |
These will include performance indicators, targets / standards and timetables.
The Secretariat
The Local Strategic Partnership will be supported by a Secretariat. The Local Authority will provide the Co-ordinator and provide the administrative support. The wider work of the Partnership will call upon staff in a number of member organisations, as and when required and with the agreement of the Partnership. (For example Partnership Co-ordinators Group working on a Partnership Protocol, or a shared Consultation Group working to the Partnership).
Consultation
The Partnership will develop a consultation strategy to support the work of community planning and will include a Community Involvement Plan to allow hard to reach groups the opportunity to influence the process.
The Strategy and Action Plan will set a standard for consultation work undertaken in the name of the Partnership. This will make it possible to undertake joint consultation exercises and promote shared use of the results, to reduce duplication, avoid consultation fatigue and make the best use of scarce resources.
A Consultation Group reporting to the Partnership will lead the work.
Capacity building for voluntary and community sectors
The success of the Partnership and Community Strategy requires a contribution from the voluntary and community sectors in terms of playing a full role in the Partnership and in community planning. The Partnership is committed to playing its part in building this capacity locally in order to benefit the Partnership as a whole and the people of North East Lincolnshire.
A Capacity Building Group will investigate what is required to build the capacity and report to the Partnership.
Communication
A Communication Strategy and Action Plan will be developed by the Partnership 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.
A Communications Group reporting to the Partnership will lead the work.
Annex One - Prosposed LSP Structure (Please Contact the LSP Secretariat for a copy)
Annex Two - Making a Difference or How would we know if the LSP were a success?
Is the process working?
| Assessments demonstrate that we are working within our own value statements, terms of reference and project plans, achieving our goals or learning from our mistakes |
| We have identified with the community a common purpose and each organisation's / partnership's own contribution to that common purpose, recognised by all through a Community Strategy |
| Our community is involved and participating in devising and implementing our Community and Neighbourhood Renewal Strategies |
| The targets and standards in our Community and Neighbourhood Renewal Strategies are incorporated into organisations' and partnerships' plans |
| We operate on the basis of agreed information about where we are, where we are going and how we are doing in terms of getting there |
| We consult jointly with the community to avoid duplication, to a recognised standard and we share the results of consultation to make best use of our resources |
| Our performance management systems are aligned to allow the community to see the progress made in implementing our community strategy |
| We report jointly to the community on progress made in implementing the Community |
Is it producing results?
| The targets in our Community Strategy for the key quality of life or well-being indicators selected through the Community and Neighbourhood Renewal Strategies are being met |
| The gaps in deprivation are not growing and are on target to reduce |
| Services are provided which are customer focused and responsive to local need and priorities rather than determined by organisational barriers |
| Perception surveys show increased satisfaction with services |
| We have evidence of resource allocations being changed according to our Community and Neighbourhood Renewal Strategies' priorities |
| We are making a contribution to local, regional, national and global sustainable well-being |
Annex Three - The Prinicipals of Sustainable Decision Making
Partnership
Seek common purpose and work to create long-lasting and shared solutions.
The Future
Recognise the long term implications of policies and actions, including potential effects on the quality of life for future generations by working towards a vision for the longer term and setting longer term targets as well as shorter term ones in the Community Strategy.
Integration of issues
Understand how economic, social and environmental issues are interlinked, seeking to integrate these issues in the Community Strategy, to achieve the most sustainable outcomes possible, given existing constraints. Current barriers to achieving full sustainability should not stop us taking action to achieve a more sustainable community than the one we presently live in.
Joining up
Think beyond your own organisational mission and goals (to identify with the common purpose).
Information
Research current knowledge as far as possible before making a decision (utilising research as well as consultation, looking at what trends tell us about likely future). Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage (arising from an activity or proposal), lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation.
Think global
Identify global impacts of actions and protect the long term health of the planet (think outside of North East Lincolnshire's boundary).
Creativity
Encourage innovation and avoid a blame culture.
Participation
Make decisions through a transparent process, ensuring information is available and that all those who need to participate are included. (Pick up in communication strategy).
Subsidiarity
Allow decisions to be made and give responsibility at the right level in society, whether at the national, regional, borough, community, family or individual level. (Pick up in consultation strategy).
Review
Measure success and value outcomes in economic, environmental and social terms.