Issue - meetings

Partnerships

Meeting: 08/11/2011 - Cabinet (Item 57)

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Blamire)

Report of the Head of Community Engagement

Minutes:

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Blamire)

Cabinet received a report from the Head of Community Engagement to provide members with the background to and recommendations for the Council’s future approach to working in partnership in the district, including the use of uncommitted Performance Reward Grant funds.

The options, options analysis, including risk assessment and officer preferred option, were set out in the report as follows:

	Option 1: Continue support for key partnerships within a streamlined and more informal structure	Option 2: Do Nothing - Retain the council’s existing LSP structures
Advantages	Ability to be more focused on areas of partnership working that are a priority. Clearer added value from working in partnership where this brings additional benefits. More flexible model with the ability to adapt to new requirements in the new future. Reduced administrative burden. Opportunity to free officer and partner time to deal with outcome focused work.	Current structures are inclusive and offer the opportunity to engage with a broad range of partners regularly.
Disadvantages	Council will need to take on a stronger central co-ordinating and enabling role, which is currently undertaken by the LSP.	A number of meetings are considered to be overly bureaucratic. Future funding to LSP’s is uncertain and means that longer term planning is not possible. The requirement for governance at the strategic partnership level is no longer necessary.
Risks	Managing the recommended changes whilst maintaining positive relationships with partners. Possible impact on level of communications between partners if requirement for regular scheduled meetings is reduced.	Partners are affected by resource pressures and it is possible that attendance and participation in routine LSP meetings and events may drop considerably, undermining possible achievements.

Option 1 was the officer preferred option. Whilst the time for the formal LSP had now passed the need for strong partnership working was more important than ever. Focusing on a number of key partnerships would allow the Council and its partners to fulfil their responsibilities and deliver their priorities efficiently and effectively.

Councillor Barry proposed, seconded by Councillor Hanson:-

“(1) That Cabinet approve the new partnership arrangements proposed in the report.

(2) That the uncommitted Performance Reward Grant funding of £27,535 revenue and £89,910 capital revert back to the city council.”

Councillors then voted:-

Resolved unanimously:

(1) That Cabinet approve the new partnership arrangements proposed in the report.

(2) That the uncommitted Performance Reward Grant funding of £27,535 revenue and £89,910 capital revert back to the city council.

Officers responsible for effecting the decision:

Head of Community Engagement

Reasons for making the decision:

Partnership working forms one of the Council’s current Corporate Plan priorities. The decision supports the refocusing of efforts on a number of key partnerships that are likely to add significant value in the district in the future and will allow the council and its partners to fulfil their responsibilities and deliver their priorities efficiently and effectively.