Local Strategic Partnership
WELCOME TO THE LOCAL STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WEBSITE
(Please click on the headings below and this will help you navigate through the page more easily)
What is the Local Strategic Partnership?
What is a Local Area Agreement?
What are the Governance arrangements for the Local Area Agreement?
Our Four Thematic Groups
Membership of the LSP
LSP Annual Meeting and State of the Borough Debate
Sustainable Community Strategy 2007-2020
Minutes of the Local Delivery Board and the Four Thematic Groups
General Information
What is the Local Strategic Partnership?
The Local Strategic Partnership for Stafford Borough was originally formed in 2001 and consists of a wide range of organisations from the public, private, voluntary, community and environmental sectors that provide services and activities for the benefit of the community in Stafford Borough.
The work of this Partnership was embodied in two former Community Plans covering the periods 2002/3 and 2003/6.
In March 2007 the Local Strategic Partnership for Stafford Borough was revised to reflect governance arrangements required for implementing the Local Area Agreement for Staffordshire which became effective from 1 April 2007.
What is a Local Area Agreement?
A Local Area Agreement consists of a number of outcomes and targets around four service areas, these being:-
· children and young people
· safe and stronger communities
· healthier communities and older people
· economic development and enterprise
In addition the Local Area Agreement for Staffordshire has a fifth area relating to sustainable development. The Agreement is primarily between Government Office and the County Council. However, in order to achieve the various targets within the Agreement the County Council must work with a number of partners at both County and District level across the public, private, community, voluntary and environmental sectors.
Staffordshire's Local Area Agreement has 28 high level outcomes and over 150 specific targets.
The Government has indicated that from 1 April 2008 Local Area Agreements will be simplified with a maximum of 35 targets together with 18 statutory targets relating to education and early years. Staffordshire County Council's Local Area Agreement is being refreshed at present to reflect the need for greatly reduced targets.
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What are the Governance arrangements for the Local Area Agreement?
As part of the Local Area Agreement for Staffordshire local authorities agreed that a Local Delivery Board would be set up in each of the Districts. This has been undertaken by Stafford Borough Council and the Delivery Board is chaired by the Leader of Stafford Borough Council.
The Local Delivery Board is also the executive of the Local Strategic Partnership as there is a direct link between the Local Area Agreement and the formation of a Sustainable Community Strategy (formerly the Community Plan) for the area.
The Local Delivery Board is primarily responsible for:-
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Identifying, gathering evidence and agreeing the long term strategic aspirations for the Borough as captured in the Sustainable Community Strategy for the area, ensuring that it reflects the County-wide Community Strategy. |
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Providing strategic leadership, direction and decision making to ensure the delivery of the three year Local Area Agreement within the district. |
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Implementing effective performance management of the Local Area Agreement to deliver the long term objectives of the Borough's Sustainable Community Strategy. |
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Encouraging the alignment of the funding of Partnership Organisations towards the achievement of the outcomes in the Local Area Agreement for the Borough. |
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Consulting with, involving and informing, Local Area Agreement block leads and partnerships and the Local Strategic Partnership stakeholder network. |
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To influence the Development Plans of each partner organisation and hold them to account in accordance with the performance management arrangements. |
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Provide support and guidance to the theme groups on the Local Area Agreement block high level outcomes, ensuring that the plans are delivered in a cohesive strategic framework. |
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Ensure that the four thematic groups can refer matters for consideration and that they are kept informed of plans and decisions made by this Board. |
Membership of the Local Delivery Board consists of the main public service organisations together with Stafford College, the University and voluntary and environmental sector concerns.
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Our Four Thematic Groups
As well as the Local Delivery Board which incorporates the Local Strategic Partnership Executive there are four themed groups. These are:-
· Children's Locality Board
· Community Safety Partnership Board
· Economic and Sustainable Development Board
· Health and Social Care Board
The primary role of each of the thematic boards is to oversee the delivery of initiatives contained within the Local Area Agreement blocks on behalf of the Local Delivery Board, advising the Board of needs and aspirations within the blocks and ensuring there is proper co-ordination for the delivery of other specific projects.
The Linkage Between the Local Area Agreement and the Proposed Sustainable Community Strategy
The Local Government White Paper entitled 'Strong and Prosperous Communities' indicated that the sub outcomes and targets within the Local Area Agreement should become the action plan of the Sustainable Community Strategy for a particular area. In addition to these projects other initiatives from an area's LA21 Strategy should also be incorporated within the Sustainable Community Strategy for the district.
The thematic groups have identified 24 projects which are specific to Stafford Borough and which assist in the achievement of Local Area Agreement sub outcomes and targets. These can be found in the documents referred to below.
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Membership of the LSP
Membership of the Local Delivery Board, which incorporates the LSP Executive and the four themed groups can be found using this link: Current Membership of the Local Delivery Board and Thematic Groups. In addition the Local Strategic Partnership has a wider network of consultees, approximately 300 in number, which are available for debate and consultation purposes.
LSP Annual Meeting and State of the Borough Debate
This wider network of LSP members are invited to the Annual Meeting of the Partnership which is scheduled to take place each September. Progress on formulating and implementing the Sustainable Community Strategy together with progress on LAA projects is reported at this meeting.
In addition each March the LSP holds its State of the Borough Debate. Here Members of the public and any of the associated organisations of the Local Strategic Partnership can express their views on the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of the Borough and on initiatives to enhance these aspects of our society.
Sustainable Community Strategy 2007-2020
The Stafford Borough Partnership comprising over 300 key local organisations from the public, private, voluntary, community and environmental sectors have agreed a proposed Sustainable Community Plan for the period 2007 - 2020. The Plan has six themes these being:-
- Economic Development
- Prosperity
- Community Safety
- Health
- Community and Voluntary Capacity
- Biodiversity and the Environment
It is the intention of the Local Delivery Board to recommend to the Borough Council a Sustainable Community Plan for 2007-2020 with a rolling three year programme. This will be recommended to the Council for approval and be used by the Local Delivery Board to ensure that targets within the Local Area Agreement are met.
*It is proposed that this year's annual meeting will take place on 8 September 2008 at the Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Eastgate Street, Stafford commencing at 5.30pm.
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General Information
For further information on the Partnership, including applying for membership, please contact:-
Norman Jones
Tel: 01785 619199
Email: npjones@staffordbc.gov.uk
To view the documents below just click on the relevant one.
(If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader you can download your free version from the website www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html .)
Minutes of the Local Delivery Board and the Four Thematic Groups
The Minutes of the Four Thematic Groups are published when they are agreed by the Local Delivery board.
Please click on the links below for the latest minutes.
The Stafford Children's Locality Board
The Community Safety Partnership Board
Economic and Sustainable Development Board
24 Projects identified by the Local Delivery Board for the Sustainable Community Strategy
* Annual Meeting in September
The LSP will hold its annual meeting in September based in the Gatehouse Theatre, Stafford. Progress against specific initiatives are considered at the annual meeting in due course progress on the sustainable community plan will also be recorded accordingly.