Meeting documents
Cabinet
Wednesday, 11th October, 2006
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Bath & North East Somerset Council |
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MEETING: |
Council Executive |
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MEETING DATE: |
11 October 2006 |
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER |
13 |
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TITLE: |
Bath & North East Somerset's Draft Local Area Agreement |
EXECUTIVE FORWARD PLAN REFERENCE: |
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1389 |
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WARD: |
All |
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AN OPEN PUBLIC ITEM |
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List of attachments to this report: Appendix One: Summary of indicators proposed as stretch targets in first draft LAA Appendix 2: Bath & North East Somerset's Local Area Agreement: First Draft submission to GOSW Appendix 3: Membership of the Local Area Agreement Project Board |
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1 THE ISSUE
1.1 The report contains the first draft of Bath & North East Somerset's Local Area Agreement, which will be subject to negotiation and discussion prior to the development of a second draft by 31st December 2006.
2 RECOMMENDATION
The Council Executive is asked to agree that:
2.1 The draft attached at Appendix Two be adopted as Bath & North East Somerset's first draft LAA, for the purposes of submission to GOSW
2.2 That officers negotiate with GOSW to achieve the best possible outcomes for the local area, based on the stretch targets set out in Appendix One and other indicators set out in the draft
2.3 The Project Board be requested to
(1) Undertake work on options for the potential alignment and pooling of funding streams to ensure delivery of the LAA
(2) Consider options for the detailed governance arrangements for the performance management of the Local Area Agreement
2.4 The outcomes of this work be reported back to the Council Executive in December 2006
3
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
3.1 Bath & North East Somerset's first Local Public Service Agreement (LPSA) attracted £920,000 in pump-priming funds into the area and it is expected that significant performance reward grant will also be gained. Similar sums will potentially be available through the LAA, now that the "reward" element has been incorporated into the LAA process. The Executive has earmarked £50,000 from PSA performance reward grant to `pump-prime' the development of the LAA. The Local Area Agreement provides an opportunity to pool and align funding streams to improve outcomes.
4 COMMUNITY STRATEGY OUTCOMES
4.1 The report to the Council Executive in September set out in detail how the emerging LAA framework contributes to the Community Strategy ambitions. The Community Strategy ambitions to be addressed through the LAA are set below:
Promoting a 'sense of place' so people identify with and take pride in our communities
Celebrating the contributions people from different backgrounds and with different experiences can make, and promoting equality of opportunity
Sharing resources, working together, and finding new ways of doing things
Building communities where people feel safe and secure
Taking responsibility for our environment and natural resources now and over the long term
Improving our local transport
Improving our housing situation for local people
Improving local opportunities for learning and gaining skills
Improving our local economy
Improving our local environment
Improving our local health and social care
5 CORPORATE IMPROVEMENT PRIORITIES
5.1 The report to the Council Executive on September set out in detail how the emerging LAA framework contributes to the Community Strategy ambitions, as follows:
Reducing fear of crime
Promoting independence of older people
Improving life chances for disadvantaged teenagers
Improving the environment for learning
Cultural Development
Reducing Landfill
Increase in Affordable Housing
Improving the Quality of Public Transport/Roads/Pavements and easing congestion
Developing a sustainable economy
Improving the public realm
Improving customer satisfaction
6 CPA KEY LINES OF ENQUIRY
6.1 The LAA blocks contribute significantly to the CPA key lines of inquiry set out below:
Ambition for the community - i.e. What the council, together with its partners, is trying to achieve - the LAA outcome framework is driven by Community Strategy ambitions
Prioritisation of ambitions- work on stretch targets is based on the prioritisation of ambitions
Increasing capacity of the council to deliver ambition for the Community to ensure we achieve what we say we will- the LAA focuses on building capacity in particular under the stronger communities theme
Managing performance of community ambition to ensure we achieve what we say we will- the LAA will be subject to clear performance management
Creating and developing a better quality of life for the area through
o Sustainable Communities and Transport
o Safer and Stronger Communities
o Healthier Communities
(These outcomes are set out under the relevant blocks in the LAA draft)
Improving engagement with and a range of services for Older People and Children and Young People
(This outcome is set out under the relevant blocks)
7 THE REPORT
7.1 The Executive in September received a report setting out the evolving outcomes stretch targets frameworks for the Local Area Agreement. The Executive requested the LAA Project Board to pursue key areas as priorities for inclusion as stretch targets in the first draft LAA document. Stretch targets, the detail of which would be negotiated with GOSW, attract funding for "pump-priming" as well as reward grant if the target is achieved.
7.2 The Project Board have now undertaken detailed work in line with the Executive's prioritisation. The list attached at Appendix One is considered an appropriate set of stretch targets for inclusion in the first draft, to be tested in negotiations with GOSW. There are 14 areas for stretch proposed, with 3 additional areas held "in reserve", should it become necessary to introduce new areas in the negotiations. The list ensures that all the areas of stretch prioritised by the Executive are progressed, with the exception of membership of voluntary sports clubs and the number of quality qualified coaches, which remains in the outcomes framework but not as a stretch target.
7.3 As well as stretch targets, the first draft of LAA outcomes and indicators attached at Appendix Two contains "non-stretch" indicators, including mandatory outcomes relevant to our LAA (for example, following on from receipt of particular funding streams). Taken together, these outcomes and indicators provide a draft framework for partners to work together to improve local outcomes. These have been developed through work across the Council and with partners, as well as through engagement at local level: for example; with Brighter Futures in Norton- Radstock and the surrounding area; with local partners, including the Town Council, in Keynsham; with the Bath South Local Committee and with Town and Parish Councils.
7.4 As highlighted at the September Council Executive, GOSW have been kept fully informed of the progress of our LAA and are clear that the draft presented to them by the deadline of 29th September will be subject to the Executive's determination. GOSW will also be provided with a detailed statement of how the community has been involved in the development of the LAA and the outcomes of initial discussions by the LAA Project Board on ensuring there are robust performance management arrangements for the LAA. Further work will be undertaken by the Project Board on performance management arrangements and this will be reported to the Council Executive in December. GOSW will also receive detailed performance data on the proposed stretch targets.
7.5 As part of the LAA process, a so-called "enabling measure" has been developed to help improve the way in which the performance is reported in the area of health and social care. This is designed to help with plans for Council and PCT integration, focussing on a common assessment framework to deliver clear improvements in health and social care outcomes.
7.6 The evolving LAA framework has been tested with a range of bodies, including the following:
A7 Bath South Local Committee, 5th September 2006
The committee received a report on the LAA South Bath consultation day in July and agreed that it provided an opportunity to build a local framework to help implement the LAA. It was also agreed that the Local Committee could provide a conduit for LAA development and for local decision-making.
A7 Bath & North East Somerset Local Strategic Partnership, 20 September 2006.
The LSP considered the draft LAA in detail and endorsed the proposed areas for stretch. It also discussed how partnership working could be further strengthened and developed to ensure shared ownership and effective performance management of all of the LAA outcomes.
A7 Corporate Issues and Partnerships Overview and Scrutiny Panel, 21 September 2006.
The Panel resolved to note the arrangements for the next stages of the LAA project. It was also resolved to note the potential stretch targets that fall within the Corporate Issues & Partnerships O&S Panel remit with the comment that the potential stretch target on neighbourhood policing should be within the Housing and Community Safety O&S Panel's remit
7.7 A second draft LAA will be required by the end of December, following a period of negotiation with GOSW. In addition to refinement of targets, the following work will also be undertaken to produce this second draft:
(1) Assessment of options regarding pooling and aligning funds, to ensure optimum use of all resources available to deliver the LAA
(2) Engagement with Overview and Scrutiny Panels on the relevant areas of the LAA
(3) Detailed work on performance management and governance arrangements
7.8 The Executive at its meeting of 8th February agreed to establish a Local Area Agreement Project Board comprising elected members, partners (including the Police and PCT), representatives from the voluntary and community sectors, and from the LSP. The membership of this Board is set out in Appendix 3. This will continue to co-ordinate work on the LAA and a further report will be brought to the Executive in December 2006. A finalised LAA document will be agreed in February 2007, ready for implementation in April 2007. The LAA lasts for three years, with an annual "refresh".
8 RISK MANAGEMENT
8.1 The report author and Lead Executive member have fully reviewed the risk assessment related to the issue and recommendations, in compliance with the Council's decision making risk management guidance. The LAA Project has been subject to risk assessment procedures.
9 RATIONALE
9.1 Bath & North East Somerset Council is the accountable body for the LAA and, through its Community Leadership role, has a key interest in ensuring that the LAA outcome framework and potential stretch targets are robust. It is important therefore that the Council Executive considers the first draft LAA at this stage
10 OTHER OPTIONS CONSIDERED
10.1 None
11 CONSULTATION
11.1 Executive councillor, Parish council, Town council, Overview & Scrutiny Panel, Trades unions, Other B&NES Services, Local residents, Community Interest Groups, Youth Council, Stakeholders/Partners, Other public sector bodies, Section 151 Finance Officer, Chief Executive, Monitoring Officer
11.2 Significant engagement with partners and local communities has taken place on the development of the LAA. As well as detailed discussions with partner and voluntary and community sector agencies, specific events have been held, including community events in Bath, Midsomer Norton and Keynsham. A mobile event in the Chew Valley was also held on 22nd and 23rd August. A "roundtable" event for Town and Parish Councils was held on August 8th and a community event organised by the Bath South Local Committee took place on 11th July. A draft of this report has been circulated to Trades Unions.
12 ISSUES TO CONSIDER IN REACHING THE DECISION
Social Inclusion; Customer Focus; Sustainability; Young People; Equality (age, race, disability, religion/belief, gender, sexual orientation); Corporate; Other Legal Considerations
13 ADVICE SOUGHT
13.1 The Council's Monitoring Officer (Council Solicitor) and Section 151 Officer (Resources Director) have had the opportunity to input to this report and have cleared it for publication. Advice has also been sought from the Director-level sponsor for the LAA and from Strategic Directors.
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Contact person |
Andy Thomas - 01225 394322 |
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Background papers |
Local Area Agreements - Guidance for Round Three and Refresh of Rounds One and Two, ODPM Bath & North East Somerset's Draft Local Area Agreement: Update, Report to Council Executive, 6th September 2006 |
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Please contact the report author if you need to access this report in an alternative format |
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