Agenda item

Report of the Assistant Head of Community Engagement (Partnerships).

Consideration of this report was deferred from the meeting of the Panel held on 23 October 2012 (minute no. 27 refers).

The Panel received the report of the Assistant Head of Community Engagement (Partnerships) to update the Budget and Performance Panel on current partnership arrangements and recent developments.

The Panel was advised that throughout the past 12 months significant changes and new developments had taken place which had reinforced the importance of working together, but had also emphasised the need to ensure that arrangements added value and helped to achieve results. 

It was advised that in November 2011, Cabinet had agreed the Council’s approach to future partnership working. It was agreed that partnerships needed to be cost effective, purposeful, offer clear added value, and have a sharp focus on achieving outcomes. Cabinet had agreed that partnership working was more important than ever, but that the time for the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) had passed. As such the LSP had dissolved itself in early 2012. 

The partnership arrangements which would be continued in the future were outlined to the Panel, these were as follows:

·  District Children’s Trust

·  Community Safety Partnership

·  Health and Well Being Partnership

·  Economy (working with the Chamber of Commerce)

·  Public sector Leader’s Group

·  Arts Partnership

·  Community Leader’s Group (now Communities Together)

·  Lancaster Area Committee of Parish Council’s

·  Voluntary, community and faith sector (developing around existing forums and an infrastructure group)

The Council was also working with partners and families to develop and deliver an initiative known as Working with Families. This work was outlined to the Panel. It was queried whether it was possible to provide information to illustrate the financial benefits of the partnership to the Council and other authorities.

It was reported that financial evaluation was a key part of Working with Families, and that this information should be available for member’s consideration in approximately twelve months time.

The Panel queried the level of the Council’s financial contribution to each of the partnerships.  It was advised that the level of contribution was in the main officer support time with the exception of the community safety partnership where the Council provided funding for PCSO’s. 

It was requested that the cabinet members with responsibility for voluntary, community and faith sector and the arts/leisure partners be invited to attend a future meeting of the panel as the Council did provide grant support to those organisations, and that a report which considers these two partnerships be presented to a future meeting of the Panel.

The Principal Democratic Support Officer advised that a Lancashire County Council scrutiny task group considering the state of the arts in Lancashire following recent funding decisions taken by the Arts Council England, had recently completed its final report.  Councillor Mumford would report the recommendations of the Task Group to this Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 5 December 2012. The report was titled Towards a Stronger Sense of Place (Pan Lancashire Arts Culture and Entertainment): Arts Development Task Group Report. It was agreed that the report be circulated to the Panel for information. 

The Panel was advised of a database that had been created that provided an overview of key partnerships helping the Council to achieve its priorities. It was agreed that this would be helpful in assisting the Panel to fulfil its Terms of Reference and that this be added to the Panel’s Work Programme.

The Panel discussed arrangements for the Council’s shared services.  It was advised that the Revenues and Benefits Service now shared governance arrangements with Preston City Council via a joint Cabinet Committee.  The arrangement was monitored through the PRT reports process and by the Cabinet member with responsibility for finance.  It was requested that information regarding the shared service partnership arrangements for the Council’s shared Property Service with Lancashire County Council be provided to the Panel. 

Resolved:

(1)        That the Cabinet members with responsibility for arts and culture, and the Cabinet member with responsibility for the voluntary sector, be invited to attend a future meeting of the Panel to discuss partnerships within their respective portfolios.

(2)        That a report which considers partnership arrangements relating to arts and culture, and the voluntary sector be presented to a future meeting of the Panel. 

(3)        That the monitoring of partnerships database be used to provide an overview of key partnerships helping the Council to achieve its priorities and that this be added to the Panel's Work Programme. 

(4)        That information regarding the partnership arrangements for the shared service Property Services with Lancashire County Council be provided to the Panel.