Agenda item

Purpose: To set out a proposal to merge the Local Strategic Partnership Management Board with the Health and Wellbeing Board.

Andy Day introduced the report, which aimed to enable the Board to consider the proposal to merge the Health and Wellbeing Board with the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP).

Andy Day reported that in the year 2000 legislation had requested that Local Authorities set up LSPs. Part of their role was to develop the Sustainable Community Strategy (SCS). If the Board decided to agree to the recommendations set out within the report there was potential to join the Health and Wellbeing Strategy (HWBS) and SCS together.

The LSP had twelve members and the membership was split up equally between the public, private and voluntary sectors. The real motivation for having LSPs was to drive the Local Area Agreements (LAAs) under the former Labour Government. The aim of the LAA was to identify what areas within the district required improvement. There had been a large amount of funding attached to the LAA.

Since the demise of the LAA the purpose of the Board was less clear. There were three sub-partnerships that sat underneath the LSP and of these only the safer Communities Partnership was statutory. The Skills and Enterprise Sub-Partnership was leading on the City Deal and largely focused on getting young people into work or education. The Greener Sub-Partnership was largely self sustaining. The LSP had also led on the two locality projects in the district, which had been very successful.

Andy Day referred to the report, which was suggesting that the LSP be discontinued. If the Board was minded to agree the proposal then the sub groups that were working well as part of the LSP would be retained. The report also suggested that a new Communities Sub-Partnership be set up, which would lead on community focused work  that had been successful under the LSP including the locality projects. The terms of reference for this group needed to be agreed.

Leila Ferguson reported that she had no problem with the principles of the report however, was concerned that children and young people’s issues were being overlooked. She was also concerned that the private sector representation would be lost if the new plans were agreed. Andy Day stated that if the Board felt that the private sector should sit on the Communities Sub-Partnership then this could be arranged.

Lesley Wyman felt that the Communities Sub-Partnership needed broadening out to include all vulnerable groups and tackling inequalities. She felt that these issues were missing from the subgroups as they currently stood.

Councillor Marcus Franks referred back to his suggestion for the Board to focus on three priorities from the HWBS once agreed. He felt that the Communities Sub-Partnership could support this work. Councillor Franks felt that the governance structure on page 70 of the report was flat. He asked for clarity on what the Board’s purpose was in overseeing the work of the sub-partnerships as some did not fit in with the Health and Wellbeing Board’s agenda. Councillor Franks suggested that the sub-partnerships feed into the Communities Sub-Partnership and then this group feed into the Health and Wellbeing Board.

Andy Day referred to the report which suggested that two additional meetings a year be set up to focus on the wider wellbeing agenda. These events would also help to inform the refresh of the HWBS. He suggested that the sub-partnerships report into the Board every six months at one meeting.

Rachael Wardell expressed her support for discontinuing the LSP however, felt that more work was required to agree the terms of reference for the Communities Sub-Partnership. Rachael Wardell suggested that the Board agree to the recommendations within the report in principle subject to the terms of reference being firmed up in time for when the Board next met in November.

Andy Day stated that he did not expect the membership of the Communities Sub-Partnership to be static as it would need to change depending on the issues being discussed.

Councillor Marcus Franks suggested that the links between Parish Planning and those the Communities Sub-Partnership would deal with should be mapped .

Dr Lise Llewellyn felt that it was important that vulnerable groups and tackling inequalities were issues that fell within the remit of the Communities Sub-Partnership and that the Head of Public Health and Wellbeing should be a standing member of the group. She also felt that it was important that the Sub-Partnerships did not report ongoing work to the Board and that they only reported issues where they needed Board’s support. Otherwise the Board would be at risk of being inundated with information.

Andy Day reported that he would ensure that the Board were only alerted to issues needing support from the Board. The work plans of the sub-partnerships would be shaped to support the HWBS and Joint Strategic Needs Assessment.

RESOLVED that:

1.      The Terms of Reference for the Communities Sub-Partnership to be firmed up in time for the next Health and Wellbeing Board in November

2.      The recommendations as set out in section 5 of the report (Proposal to merge the LSP and HWBB) were agreed subject to the Terms of the Reference for the Communities Sub-Partnership being amended.