Joint Improvement Strategy

1
Joint Improvement Strategy

• Paul Downie Local Improvement Support

2
The need for a strategy

• Spending Review 2004 period, c 720m invested by
  Government in supporting local improvement
• Confusion within authorities on support
  available
• offers of help distracting from delivery (eg
  Stockton, 35 visits in 3 months in relation to
  childrens services alone)
• Strategic approach needed to improve focus,
  increase efficiency and support new performance
  framework

3
Focus and scope of the strategy

• Equipping local places with the skills to
  implement excellent local area agreements
• Clear priorities for improvement
• Shared by local and national government
• linked to LAA outcomes, together with a number of
  enabling priorities
• Supported by departmental and sector resources
  (ie including top-sliced RSG)
• Streamlined delivery mechanisms
• Shared understanding of how support is best
  delivered and clarity on roles of each
  organisation
• Fewer organisations
• Remaining support made more coherent

4
Local Challenges and Ambitions Sustainable
Community Strategy
Local consultation through the LSP with Partners
and Stakeholders
LSP view of local priorities
CSR07 national priority outcomes 200 national
indicators
Negotiation and agreement
Cross Govt view through GOs on local priorities
local priorities targets
Better outcomes for citizens
18 statutory DfES targets
Local and National Improvement Priorities
35 targets
LAA
National Improvement Strategy
National, Regional and Local Support programmes
5
Improvement Partnerships

• Authority-led improvement partnerships now in
  place in each region,
• coming together with Regional Centres for
  efficiency and procurement, strengthening
  capacity and broadening role
• Regional partnerships can
• agree a vision and priorities for improvement
• jointly commission the support they need
• Join up support regionally
• encourage sharing of capacity and skills
• provide first line of external support e.g.
  through peer challenge

6
Regional Improvement Strategies

• Regional Strategy
• Clear priorities and targets
• Linked to the LAA outcomes of member LSPs
• Resources agreed and devolved from centre
• Supporting places in most need of help
• Sharing of expertise, talent, and resources from
  within partnership
• Commitment from partners to achieving regional
  targets, with robust performance management in
  place

Regional priorities, from LSPs in consultation
with regional and national bodies, e.g. RDA ASC
Agreed priorities from National Improvement
Strategy
7
Other Roles

• National government bodies (eg ASC)
• Raise awareness understanding of priority
  issues
• Work to improve supplier market to strengthen
  clients
• Government
• Departments agreeing priorities and resources,
  and GOs supporting and co-ordinating the
  relationship with places, including - where
  necessary - interventions
• National sector bodies (eg IDeA, 4Ps, LACORS,
  LGE)
• Client strengthening accrediting suppliers
  promoting peer challenge and support national
  knowledge infrastructure some national
  commissioning
• Local Government strong sector challenge and
  support role

8
Worked example support for empowerment
Priority outcome More individuals, particularly
from Disadvantaged groups feel empowered
Success Measure A increase in people who
feel that they belong in their neighbourhood
feel able to influence local decision making. A
decrease in differential gaps in civic
participation
WHAT
Strategic Improvement Objective Strengthen
advice to LAs, and their partners on good
empowerment practice and ensure they take
strategic approach and provide support for
citizens and community groups


HOW
REGIONAL
Undertake projects with local partners to
co-ordinate approach and share best practice in
empowerment
Establish communities of practice with RIPs
(building on civic pioneers work e.g. NW) to
identify good practice, share learning on
empowerment (and provide peer challenge?)
NATIONAL Advice, client market strengthening,
peer support, (CDF Consortium with ASC/IDeA etc)
LSP needs support on empowerment in order to meet
LAA target
9
Worked example support for Supporting People
Priority outcome More vulnerable people living
independently
Success Measure increase in the number of
vulnerable people, and supported older people
living independently
WHAT
Strategic Improvement Objective Strengthen
skills and knowledge of procurement and
commissioning to deliver more efficient and
effective housing support services


HOW
REGIONAL
NATIONAL Advice to local authorities on
commissioning and market strengthening
Peer Review challenge to identify issues
share good practice
LSP needs support on helping vulnerable people
live independently in order to meet LAA target
10
Worked example support for Community Cohesion
Priority outcome Improving Community Cohesion
Success Measure increase in the number of
people who feel they belong in their
neighbourhood, can influence decisions in their
area
WHAT

• Strategic Improvement Objective
• ensuring that council top teams understand how to
  assess and address local cohesion challenges, and
  forecast/plan for the future

HOW
REGIONAL
NATIONAL Advice, client market strengthening,
peer support
providing specialist, peer and tailored support
to local partnerships
LSP needs support on community cohesion in order
to meet LAA target
11
Next steps

• Continue bilaterals with departments, and sector
  engagement on the strategy
• Establish strong governance arrangements
  including a key role for Executive group of CEs
• Departmental Implementation Plans
• Firm up priorities and resources
• CLP meeting to discuss/ endorse the strategy
  early July
• Best Review findings to be considered and fed
  into the strategy
• LGA conference Angela Smith meeting Improvement
  Partnership chief officers/ members
• Preliminary work with IPs on guidance and
  criteria for regional strategies July
• Commission Improvement and Efficiency
  Partnerships to draft regional strategies -
  Autumn