Governance and Partnerships Audit Committee Member Workshop: 21 January 2010 Appendix 1

Overall aim  To develop an efficient and consistent approach for partner bodies and Local Strategic Partnerships to both gain and provide relevant assurance that their governance arrangements are robust.

An introduction to Local Strategic Partnerships Audit Committee Member Workshop: Governance and Partnerships: 21 January 2010

Index  What is a Local Strategic Partnership (LSP)  What is it’s role and responsibilities  Southend Together – an example family!  Governance & funding  The risks

What is a Local Strategic Partnership (LSP)  In simplest terms: An LSP is an agreement between the public sector agencies within an area to work together with the private, voluntary and community sectors to improve the quality of life for people to live, work and play in that area.

The Partnership’s Role Sustainable Community Strategy Local Area Agreement

and responsibilities?  Leadership and governing role - identifying and articulating the needs and aspirations of local communities and reconciling or arbitrating between competing interests.  Community consultation - Coordinate and monitor community consultation and engagement activities of individual partners and, where appropriate, combine them.  Oversee the planning and alignment of resources - Alignment resources in the area to deliver the sustainable community strategies and LAA, achieve more effective and efficient commissioning and ultimately better outcomes.  Performance manage progress - Review and challenge performance of the priorities and targets agreed in the SCS & LAA and ensure delivery arrangements are in place.

Safer Comm- unities Stronger Comm- unities Safer & Stronger Enterprise & Community Environment Health & Wellbeing Children & Young People ST Performance Management Group Cross Partnership Working Groups Data Observatory Internal Audit Consultation and Engagement Community Cohesion Communications Area Based Grant/Procurement Equalities Partnership Advisory Network ST Executive Police NAPs Turning Tides Elected members Faith Groups, Tenants & Residents Assoc Children’s Centres SOUTHEND TOGETHER BOARD Renaissance Southend Thames Gateway Partnership Regional Cities East SAVs Further/Higher Education SEEC University Adult Colleges Community Safety Agencies Police Probation Service Fire & Rescue Local Authority Southend Borough Council P A R T N E E A R M S H I P Disability Forum Older People Forum Ethnic Minority Forum Carers Forum CYP Forum Membership of Vol & Community GPs GEO- GRAPHICAL DIMENSION COMMUNITYFORUMCOMMUNITYFORUM BUSINESS & PRIVATE SECTOR Business networks Business & Tourism Partnership Health Agencies NHS SEE Southend Hospital SEPT Southend Together – an example family VOLUNTARY & COMMUNITY SECTOR Voluntary & Community Groups STATUTORY SECTOR

Under review Sustainable Community Strategy  To be a borough that has a safer, more accessible and affordable means of getting about, which supports the potential for regeneration and growth;  To provide visionary leadership and enable inclusive, active and effective participation by individuals and organisations;  To create a safer community for all;  To be recognised as the cultural capital of the East of England;  To create a thriving and sustainable local economy, which extends opportunity for local residents and promotes prosperity throughout the borough;  To continue improving outcomes for all children and young people;  To protect the borough for current and future generations and to remain an attractive place for residents, businesses and visitors;  To provide opportunities, support and information to people of all ages and abilities to enable them to take responsibility for their health and choose a healthy lifestyle;  To be a borough with decent housing, in safe and attractive residential areas, that meets the needs of those who want to live here. 9 ambitions

 Strengthening the local economy  Raising aspirations and achievement  Making a safer place to live  Leading a cohesive community  Tackling health inequalities  Safeguarding a high quality, sustainable environment  Revitalising Southend’s image LAA priorities 35 targets from National Indicator Set 19 ‘local’ targets

Governance & accountability  Board - Leader of the Council = Chair, 17 partner agencies, 5 Community Forum strands, Faith Forum, Elected Members, MPs, regional body reps (e.g. Highways Agency)  Exec – SBC – Leader & Chief Exec; PCT – Chair & Chief Exec; Essex Police – Assistant Chief Constable & Divisional Commander; SAVS – Chief Officer;  Performance Management Group Chaired by Deputy Leader

Funding  LSPs are non-statutory bodies and as such are not able to spend public money, enter into contracts or employ staff, other than through one of the partner bodies in the partnership.  LSP’s attract no real funding of their own and rely on strong relationship management to realign individual agencies resources and assets accordingly for the best needs of the area (Total Place).  They can attract: Specific grant funding for joint activity £m reward for achieving ‘stretch’ targets by 2010 (LAA 2007)

The Partnership and CAA CAA focuses on…  Quality of life for local people  Priority setting that demonstrates genuine understanding of drivers local need  Participation and engagement – more and better quality  Delivery of agreed LAA and SCS improvement priorities in partnership  How well partnerships work to deliver very local cross cutting targets and initiatives outside of the LAA and SCS  Duty to involve private and third sector bodies in delivering services

Areas of risk for any LSP:  Poor delivery of reward grant (stretch) targets  Ineffective use of assets & resources  Poor engagement with communities  Inadequate data quality and data sharing  Poor accountability and performance management  Weak joint working

Questions? Lysanne Eddy, Partnership Manager, Southend Together E: T:

Local Strategic Partnerships: What assurance are we looking for? Audit Committee Member Workshop: Governance and Partnerships: 21 January 2010

Local Strategic Partnerships  Are not statutory entities  Are not required to report annually on governance arrangements  Do not have an equivalent audit committee type function  Are an increasingly important service delivery mechanism

Significant Partners  Produce annual Governance Statements or Statements of Internal Control  Are subject to the Audit Commission’s annual organisational assessments  Remain accountable for service provision regardless of how it is delivered e.g.: By partnership working Via contracts with the private sector Via contracts with other significant public sector bodies e.g. NHS Trusts and Housing Arms Length Management Organisation?

So what assurance do we need?

So what are the risks?  Potential duplication as each partner: requests the same assurance from each other designs different processes for doing this  Assurance available will be incomplete  Different expectations regarding standards required  Different assessments produced of key strategic partnerships / LSPs arrangements  Good practice is not shared

How could we do this? Require our LSPs to:  Adopt a Code of Governance?  Produce periodic reports on the robustness of their governance arrangements?  Produce an annual governance statement?  Produce an annual third party assurance statement covering key business processes?  Share results of independent assessments / inspections of partners?

What could internal audit do?  Assess the adequacy of partnership working arrangements in each partner organisation - and share this?  Work together across the partners to: assess the adequacy and effectiveness of the LSPs governance arrangements? review areas where service improvements could be made by better joint working (Total Place) share good practice

Is there a role for an audit committee?  Across LSPs, for an informal audit committee forum to set expectations, establish common standards, share learning opportunities?  Within your LSP structure to focus on governance arrangements?

Questions  What assurance do we require from: each other our LSPs significant contractors (NHS Trusts, South Essex Homes, private firms)  What assurance should we be providing to our LSPs?  How are we going to do this?  Is there a role for a cross LSP audit committee forum and if so what is it?

Putting individuals and their relationships at the heart of service design…