Sustainable_Communities

SUSTAiN plays a prominent role, on behalf of Solihull’s Third Sector, in the Solihull Partnership. The Solihull Partnership is Solihull’s LSP (Local Strategic Partnership). It brings together the different parts of the public, private, community and voluntary sectors, to work together and support one another in tackling the top priorities for making the Borough a better place to live. The principle behind working in partnership is that working together on common goals, in a ‘joined up’ way is more effective and has a greater chance of success than individual agencies working in isolation on different aspects of the same issue. The Solihull Partnership has agreed and published a Sustainable Community Strategy. This sets out a shared vision for improvements to the quality of life in Solihull over the period 2008 to 2018. The Partnership is now working to realise the goals set out in that Strategy. Some of these are reflected in the Local Area Agreement. This is an agreement between the Partnership and Government and establishes the targets for the Partnership’s immediate priorities. Governing Board The Solihull Partnership’s governing board determines its strategic direction and is its ultimate decision making body. The Third Sector in Solihull is represented on the Governing Board by two members, one from the frontline network and one from the infrastructure support service. David Mattocks is Chair of the Third Sector Network and the Solihull Compact Champion. David Pinwell is CEO of Solihull SUSTAiN. Strategic Groups There are five Strategic Groups which deliver the thematic elements of the Sustainable COmmunities Strategy on behalf of the Governing Board. The Third Sector has one representative on each of the five Strategic Groups. These are: * Childrens’ and Young People’s Trust Board – Janet Down (Solihull Leisure Opportunities) * Healthier Communities Strategic Group – Martin Wright (Enable Solihull) * Prosperous Communities Strategic Group – Janet Johnson (Solihull SUSTAiN) * Safer Communities Strategic Group – Joanne Mackinnon (Welcome) * Stronger Communities Strategic Group – Dave Pinwell (Solihull SUSTAIN) Safeguarding Boards The Third Sector has a seat on each of the two Safeguarding Boards, which are responsible for protecting from harm and promoting the welfare of those who are vulnerable in the Borough. The current representatives are: * Local Safeguarding Children Board – Vacancy * Local Safeguarding Adults Board – David Williams (Solihull Care Ltd) Linking the Representatives The Sector’s representatives to the Partnership are all members of the Third Sector Reference Group. This is a network in which information is shared and strategic direction is developed on behalf of the wider Third Sector. The Reference Group reports back to the Third Sector Network and is supported/facilitated by Solihull SUSTAiN. Solihull Healthier Communities Strategy 2010 – 2013 A draft Healthier Communities Strategy is now available for comment as part of a three month consultation period that will run until 30th June 2010. It has been produced by the Healthier Communities Board, which is one of the five strategic groups that form the Solihull Partnership, and is aligned with the Sustainable Communities Strategy for Solihull 2008-2018. The Healthier Communities Board is representative of the wide range of interests who contribute to sustaining and improving the health and well-being of the local population. The Solihull Partnership aspires for Solihull to be a place where people can enjoy improved health and well being, both now and in the future. This strategy outlines how the Healthier Communities Board will help make this possible and explains its priorities for improvement over the next three years. Five priority areas for improvement have been chosen for focus in the strategy: * reducing health inequalities; * improving peoples emotional well being and supporting people with mental health needs; * increasing the proportion of people making healthy lifestyle choices particularly on diet, exercise, smoking and alcohol; * enabling older people and disabled people to live with dignity and independence * supporting carers. Additional issues of housing, employment and education are recognised as being vital components impacting on people’s health and are highlighted also Solihull Sustainable Community Strategy  2008 - 2018      Contents  1. Introduction 2. Our vision 3. The Solihull Story in 2008: measuring ourselves against the vision 4. Our priorities for improvement 5. Arrangements for co-operation which support this strategy 6. How we will use our resources 7. How we will measure success 8. How this Strategy fits with other strategies and plans 9. Appendices: a. The Performance Scorecard       1. Introduction  1. This is the Sustainable Community Strategy for Solihull, a vision for what kind of Borough we want in 10 years time, and a map for how we get there.  2. The Strategy has been produced by the Solihull Partnership, and formally agreed by the organisations which make up that Partnership.  3. The Strategy covers …  4.   2. Vision  5. Solihull in 2018: healthier, happier, safer, more prosperous.    or  6. Solihull in 2018: healthier, happier and safer, where everyone has an equal chance to be the best they can be.  3. The Solihull Story in 2008: measuring ourselves against the vision  7.     4. Our priorities for improvement  8. Building healthier communities  9. Building safer communities  10. Building stronger communities     | Priorities | Focus areas | 1. | Building healthier communities | * Supporting people to make healthy lifestyle choices (particularly on diet, exercise, smoking and alcohol), and reducing inequalities * Improving people’s emotional well-being and supporting people with mental health needs * Supporting older people to live with dignity and independence * Supporting disabled people to live with dignity and independence * Supporting carers | 2. | Building safer communities | * Reducing crime * Making people feel safer * Reducing bullying * Reducing anti-social behaviour * Preventing violent extremism | 3. | Building stronger communities | * Increasing inter-generational trust and understanding, and increasing cross-community tolerance * Reducing dependency and encouraging independence and resilience * Building community capacity to act on their own needs, concerns, ideas and aspirations, and to tackle the problems they face * Increasing participation in whole life learning * Increase access to employment and training, and reducing worklessness * Increasing access to leisure (Things to do, places to go) * Housing … * Economic development… * Environment… * Transport… * Competitiveness / business development |       5. Arrangements for co-operation which support this Strategy  1. The Solihull Partnership  1. The Solihull Partnership is the strategic partnership responsible for improving outcomes for all people in Solihull.  The Partnership operates on behalf of the public sector organisations which commission services to improve outcomes for the people of Solihull:  * Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council * Solihull NHS Care Trust * West Midlands Police * Learning & Skills Council * West Midlands Fire Service * Probation West Midlands * Advantage West Midlands  2. These seven organisations have formally agreed to use a partnership approach where this will improve outcomes.  3. The Partnership also includes representatives from the Voluntary and Community sector, the Business sector, schools and a range of other organisations which have a contribution to make.  This contribution is grounded in the delivery of services to people in Solihull.   Planning and Commissioning Stakeholder Involvement Performance Management Partnership mission          1. To produce and implement a Community Strategy to improve outcomes for all people in Solihull;  2. To lead commissioning against the Community Strategy where a multi-agency approach will be more effective than single agency;  3. To manage performance against the Community Strategy, providing support and challenge;  4. To inform and involve the public and other stakeholders, and develop shared and inclusive responsibility in delivering the Community Strategy.  1. Partnership approach   1. The Solihull Partnership has been redesigned to equip it to deliver this Strategy.  A new rule book for the Partnership has been published, called the Solihull Partnership Governance Framework, which is available from the Partnership website.  2. The Partnership is a single body with many parts.  Every part of the Partnership shares the vision, mission and priorities set out in this Strategy, and the work of the whole Partnership is supported by a single Partnership Support Team.   Structure | Role | Partner Accountable Bodies  (for example SMBC Cabinet & Council; Solihull NHS Care Trust Board, etc) | * Agree the Governance Framework for the Partnership, and nominate members to the Governing Board * Agree the Sustainable Community Strategy and align own business plans to reflect this * Operate according to an Integrated Commissioning Framework * Scrutinise the effectiveness of the Partnership | Governing Board    The decision-making body of the Solihull Partnership  | * Lead the production and implementation of the Sustainable Community Strategy * Establish the Partnership structure required to deliver this Strategy * Manage performance against this Strategy * Review the use of resources which are committed or aligned to the Strategy * Ensure active stakeholder involvement in Partnership | Strategic Groups  Involves stakeholders to understand the current position and generate commissioning solutions | * Produce 3 year Strategic Plans which support the delivery of the 10 year Community Strategy * Establish the arrangements required to deliver the Strategic Plan, including partnership groups * Involve stakeholders, including the community * Provide support & challenge on performance issues | Localised Commissioning Arrangements  Made up of local people and their elected representatives | * Endorse local neighbourhoods plans * Provide performance support and challenge to local integrated / neighbourhoods team(s) * Support the collection and validation of local commissioning intelligence * Ensure communication with local people about the work of the Solihull Partnership and results * Ensure local stakeholder involvement in the commissioning process. | Partnership Support Team  Multi-agency, co-located team, with reporting lines to both the Head of Partnership and own agency management structure | * Co-ordinate the Partnership work programme * Support the Governing Board, Strategic Groups and Local Community Boards * Produce strategic plans * Preparing commissioning intelligence (The Solihull Observatory) * Involving stakeholders in the work of the Partnership * Co-ordinating Partnership communications * Implementing the Partnership performance management arrangements * Providing strategic investment advice and co-ordinating partnership financial strategy. |   4. Partnership Structure      Children and Young People’s Trust Healthier Communities Strategic Group Safer Communities Strategic Group Stronger Communities Strategic Group Localised commissioning arrangements Partnership Support Team Solihull Partnership Governing Board Partner Accountable Bodies                                                       5. Values and behaviours    We have four partnership values and these are the fundamental principles and beliefs which guide our behaviour when we work in partnership.    1. An equal chance for all   * Solihull is a diverse place.  We celebrate this diversity, and will build tolerance and respect for difference.    * We also strongly believe that everyone should have the chance to be the best they can be.  We will strive to close gaps in outcomes for people in Solihull, and to provide routes out of poverty for the least well off in the Borough.      2. Nothing without the Community  * The Solihull Partnership is a community partnership with a community strategy.  We can only succeed if the ideas and aspirations of the community drive our partnership.  This means listening well, and actively involving members of the community in every aspect of the Partnership, including decision-making.  3. Sustainable change  * We believe in real change, for the long-term.  We’re not interested in talk that doesn’t lead to action.  The measure of success for our Partnership will be improved outcomes for people in Solihull that stand the test of time.    * Sustainable change is change that is demanded and created by communities themselves.  We will strive to support our communities and citizens to be independent and resilient, ambitious for a high quality of life.  4. Partnership with respect  * How we operate in partnership; open and transparent, Honest about what we can and can’t do; * how services behave in partnership; integrated working, welcoming, no wrong door, connectivity  5. These values and how they are demonstrated will be described in more detail in the Partnership Code of Ethical Conduct.  6. Stakeholder involvement  2. General approach  3. Structures * Annual Partnership Assembly' * Events * Commissioning ‘laboratories’ * Board and Strategic Group meetings open to observers, and reports published in advance * Website, newsletters and briefings * Public meetings * Feedback hotline * Consultations * VCS forum      6. How we will use our resources  1. Resources for public services in Solihull – whole envelope; best value; joint planning…  2. Public sector organisations are expected to act as commissioners to get the best outcomes for citizens and communities.  Commissioning is the process of specifying, securing and monitoring services to improve outcomes for citizens and communities. This is also known more commonly as ‘analyse, plan, do, review’.  3. A commissioning approach has significant benefits:  * A better understanding of the current and future needs of local communities; * Services designed around the current and future needs of communities, rather than  based on historic service configurations; * Services provided by the organisations which are able to secure the best outcomes for local people – right sourcing.  * Results and performance judged by whether it made a difference for local people. * More ownership and involvement of local communities in the development of services which meet their needs.   4. Implementing the Sustainable Community Strategy requires a coherent approach across partners which recognises when elements of commissioning are best done in partnership or as single agency.  Applying this coherent approach will help us to consistently focus on the effect of services rather than the effort put into providing them  5. Which resources (ABG etc)  6. Integrated Commissioning Framework, Commissioning Project,   7. Solihull Observatory / commissioning intelligence  8. ‘Turning the Curve’ methodology  9. The development of NHS World Class Commissioning is significant for the development of integrated commissioning in Solihull.  Solihull Care Trust is expected to “state what their vision for world class commissioning is locally, and what they will achieve through continually commissioning better services and delivering better outcomes based on their local priorities.” (NHS World Class Commissioning Vision) This is to be done in conjunction with local people and partners.        1. How we will measure success  1. Managing performance starts with being clear about what we want to achieve.  This is the purpose of this over-arching Strategy, and the Strategic Plans which will be published against the three priorities.  2. The indicators we will use to measure progress against our priorities will be set out in the Partnership Scorecard.  The Scorecard will include the indicators agreed in the Local Area Agreement, as well as other indicators which are important locally to understand how successful the Partnership is in making progress against the three priorities.  3. The Scorecard will be monitored on a quarterly basis by the Governing Board, Strategic Groups and Local Community Boards.  Where performance is unsatisfactory lead officers will be called in to account for performance and plans to make improvements.  4. The Local Community Boards are responsible for monitoring performance against a set of neighbourhood specific indicators and targets.  Their focus is particularly on the ability of locally integrated neighbourhood services to deliver results against the agreed neighbourhood measures.  5. Concerns which are raised at Local Community Boards which either cannot be resolved or have a wider impact are escalated to Strategic Groups.  Issues which cannot be resolved by the Strategic Groups are escalated to the Governing Board.  6. The Solihull Observatory will collect local intelligence about the impact of local services so as to better inform commissioning decisions.  7. The Partnership will publish an annual Outcomes Review, using performance data, research and local views to form an honest picture of life in Solihull.  This Outcomes Review will look at trends over time, as well as comparing outcomes in Solihull to other