White Paper 2006: Implications for Local Strategic Partnerships (Lgiuandsteer)

White Paper 2006: Implications for Local Strategic Partnerships (LGIUandSTEER)

3/11/2006 Author: Jo Dungey Reference No: PB 1228/06L This covers: England Overview

The main new developments proposed in the White Paper are:

 creating a statutory duty on local authorities to prepare a Local Area Agreement in consultation with others, and a legal duty on specified public organisations to co-operate with this  emphasising the leadership role of councils in the LSP and its thematic sub- partnerships  extending local authority scrutiny to a wide range of other local agencies  clarifying the need to integrate strategies and the community engagement which contributes to strategies.

These changes will strengthen the council's community leadership role. Some will require legislation, which may be announced in the Queen's Speech on Wednesday 15 November 2006. Briefing in full

Context

Local authorities have been leading the development of Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs) for a number of years, and there has recently been consultation initiated by the then Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on their future (see related briefings). There are also a range of statutory partnerships which generally are integrated into LSPs, for example, Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships and Children's Trusts. Other thematic partnerships are a matter of local choice.

The roles of LSPs have generally been seen as:

 supporting the development and implementation of a Community Strategy for the area (including a Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy, where relevant)  integrating and co-ordinating local partnership arrangements between agencies, and also involving the community, voluntary and business sectors  providing a mechanism to negotiate Local Public Service Agreements (LPSAs) and more recently Local Area Agreements (LAAs) involving a range of agencies.

The new local government White Paper, Strong and prosperous communities, sets out a range of new developments for Local Strategic Partnerships. New developments for Local Strategic Partnerships

The main new developments proposed in the White Paper are:

 creating a statutory duty on local authorities to prepare a Local Area Agreement in consultation with others, and a legal duty on specified public organisations to co-operate with this  emphasising the leadership role of councils in the LSP and its thematic sub- partnerships  extending local authority scrutiny to a wide range of other local agencies  clarifying the need to integrate strategies and the community engagement which contributes to strategies.

These changes will strengthen the council's role as the democratic community leader, developing vision for the area and leading its implementation. There will need to be legislation on some of this, and there will be one piece of guidance.

Developing partnership and scrutiny

The leadership role of the council in relation to the LSP is emphasised. Council leaders will be expected to agree the chair of the LSP (if they do not take the chair themselves), and to play a key role. Members of the council's cabinet should also play key roles, for example in sub-partnerships related to their portfolio.

It will be essential to engage other public services in LSPs and this will be supported by the new duty to co-operate discussed later. Voluntary, community and business sector involvement must also be promoted.

LSPs will provide an overarching framework for thematic partnerships, some of which are required by statute, such as Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships. There will be new legislation creating health and well-being partnerships (although health improvement partnerships are already very common).

Districts, as well as county councils, will continue to be required to produce a Sustainable Community Strategy for their area. There will be flexibility and local choice about how strategies are inter-related at the two levels, and tackle cross- boundary issues. Counties should involve districts in developing the LAA and including district level priorities.

In Greater London, boroughs should have regard to the Mayor's statutory strategies and targets, in developing their Sustainable Community Strategies and LAAs.

The community leadership role of the council will also be developed by strengthened scrutiny powers. The public agencies required to cooperate in setting LAA targets, listed below, will also be given a new legal duty to take part in council scrutiny, appearing before scrutiny reviews and/or providing information, and having regard to recommendations made by scrutiny committees. Area-based scrutiny will also be encouraged, and greater focus by scrutiny committees on the strategic issues set out in the Sustainable Community Strategy and LAA. Integrating strategy development

Steps will be taken to ensure coherence and integration between the strategies required locally and regionally. In particular, spatial planning aims should be better integrated within the Sustainable Community Strategy (see related briefing on economic development and planning). It will be required that the Sustainable Community Strategy and other strategies, particularly the Local Development Framework (LDF) should be drawn up with regard to each other. The consultation requirements for the Sustainable Community Strategy, the Local Area Agreement and the Local Development Framework should have the potential to be integrated. Councils and partners will be encouraged to have a comprehensive community engagement strategy, which includes involvement in developing the local strategic vision.

To support this, the requirement of an independent examination on the Local Development Framework's Statement of Community Involvement will be repealed. The Housing and Homelessness Strategy should be integrated within the Sustainable Community Strategy, where possible. Greater integration of housing and regeneration is encouraged.

Joint commissioning of services by the council and partner agencies is encouraged. The new Best Value guidance will set out key commissioning principles.

Local Area Agreements

Local Area Agreements (LAAs) will be put on a statutory basis. The council (the county council in two tier areas) will have a duty to prepare a LAA in consultation with others. Named partners will have a new duty to co-operate with each other to agree targets in the LAA, and to have regard to relevant LAA targets in implementation. The LAA becomes a delivery plan for the Sustainable Community Strategy. Targets will reflect a mix of national and local priorities. The council will not be able to impose LAA targets on partner organisations.

The organisations which will have this duty to co-operate are: county, district and unitary authorities, Chief Officer of Police, Police authority, Local Probation Boards, Youth Offending Teams, Primary Care Trusts, NHS Foundation Trusts, NHS Health Trusts, the Learning and Skills Council in England, Jobcentre Plus, Health and Safety Executive, Fire and rescue authorities, Metropolitan Passenger Transport Authorities, Highways Agency, Environment Agency, Natural England, Regional Development Agencies, National Park Authorities, The Broads Authority, Joint Waste Disposal Authorities.

More details about LAA targets within the wider performance management framework are explained in our earlier briefing, link above.

The government will strive to pool more area-based funding streams within LAAs. Currently, LAAs are structured into four blocks: Children and Young People, Healthier Communities and Older People, Safer and Stronger Communities, and Economic Development. These will be retained, although the fourth block will become Economic Development and the Environment. Alongside the new performance framework to be introduced in April 2009, all funding being distributed through LAAs will be unringfenced. The Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 will consider whether targets should be incentivised through a third generation of reward grant.

Issues requiring legislation

Issues discussed here which require legislation include the new overview and scrutiny powers; the duty to prepare a LAA in consultation with others andthe duty on named partners to co-operate on LAAs, and the changes to the LDF Statement of Community Involvement. There will be guidance on the Sustainable Community Strategy. The Queen's Speech to the Opening of Parliament on Wednesday 15 November 2006 will clarify whether there will be a Local Government Bill in 2006-7.

Comment

This is one of the stronger areas of the White Paper. Although Local Strategic Partnerships are not new, this clarifies the leadership role councils should play in them. In responding to the government's consultation on the future of LSPs, earlier this year, LGIU emphasised the need for a duty to co-operate for other agencies, the need for flexibility in arrangements, particularly in two-tier areas, and that LSPs should remain non-statutory, strategic bodies, which do not become over-engaged with direct delivery. These principles have emerged in the White Paper, which we welcome.

The duty to co-operate with Local Area Agreements and with council scrutiny covers a wide range of local public agencies. Councils must take up the leadership role this offers, defining strong and distinctive Sustainable Community Strategies and Local Development Frameworks, which genuinely reflect local priorities. Strong community involvement, of citizens and organisations, must be evident in this development. This will then provide a clearly defined local context within which Local Area Agreements are agreed. If this does not happen, the duty to co-operate with the Local Area Agreement, based on negotiation with the Government Office for the Region as well as local partners, will become the vehicle for only national priorities.

One area which our response to the LSP consultation advocated, was a stronger framework for probity, including access to information, in the governance arrangements of LSPs. We will continue to promote this.