REPORT TO:	Tameside Strategic Partnership Board.
DATE:	22^nd September 2006.
REPORTING OFFICER:	Steven Pleasant. Assistant Chief Executive Policy & Performance, Tameside MBC.
SUBJECT:	LAA (Local Area Agreement) Update.
REPORT SUMMARY:	The report provides the TSP Board with a progress update on the development of the Tameside LAA, the priorities identified by the four block negotiating groups and details of performance measures and the associated supporting actions.
RECOMMENDATIONS:	The Board note the content of the report, support progress made in development of the LAA and approve the performance measures and supporting actions.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:	There are no direct financial implications as a result of the report.
POLICY IMPLICATIONS:	The priorities within the LAA are drawn from existing work in the TSP Board and Thematic Partnerships. The effectiveness of the LAA and the achievement of outcomes against these priorities impacts directly on all the themes of the Community Strategy.
NEED FOR DECISION:	There are no specific decisions for the Board to take arising from the report.
LINKS TO COMMUNITY STRATEGY:	The LAA is an important element in the achievement of the Community Strategy and improving the quality of life in Tameside.

1.0 Background Information

1.1 A Local Area Agreement (LAA) is a three year agreement, based on local Community Strategies, that sets out the priorities for a local area agreed between Central Government, represented by the Government Office (GO), and a local area, represented by the lead local authority and other key partners through the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP).

1.2 LAAs are structured around 4 blocks.

· Children & Young People

· Safer & Stronger Communities Fund

· Healthier Communities & Older People

· Economic Development

1.3 An LAA should identify new ways of working to achieve better outcomes against existing priorities. The agreement should include the key issues which the area wishes to address through the LAA and focus on these. Priorities not included in the LAA agreement will continue to be addressed through existing initiatives and activities.

1.4 The national guidance was launched on 31 March 2006. A copy can be downloaded from the DCLG website http://www.odpm.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1161635

1.5 The LAA Steering Group, established in January 2006, oversees and leads the development of Tameside’s agreement, and includes representatives from the Council, PCT, GM Police, Manchester Enterprises, T3SC (local CVS) and GM Fire. This is the second LAA update report from the Steering Group to the TSP Board.

1.6 The smaller individual block negotiating teams will lead on the detailed negotiation of outcomes, indicators, targets, actions to achieve targets, funding streams and enabling measures (where applicable)

1.7 The work of the Steering Group and Negotiating Teams will be based on existing priorities of the TSP and Thematic Partnerships, and ratified by the TSP and Thematic Partnership Boards. It is important to recognise that only a relatively small number of priorities will sit within the LAA but that other priorities will continue to be taken forward by the Thematic Partnerships and other organisations through strategies and action plans. The LAA will sit alongside these existing action plans but will not replace them.

2.0 Progress since the first Board report (23 June 2006)

2.1 Tameside’s LAA Outcomes Framework sets out the priorities and measures we propose to include within our 2007/10 LAA. The document reflects the work undertaken by a wide range of partners who have directly contributed to the LAA Steering Group and four Block Negotiating Groups. The first draft of the outcomes framework was submitted to GONW on 30^th June. Ongoing feedback from GONW and in response to the outcomes framework has been positive. Where necessary amendments and clarifications have been made.

2.2 Through July and August the block negotiating groups have been working on the detail for each of the proposed measures of performance. This includes the data source, measurement system, baseline and three year targets plus the substantive supporting information. The key actions which will deliver achievement of the targets, the partner organisation which will lead on each measure, the Thematic Partnership which will oversee each measure and the funding streams which will support actions.

2.3 Good progress had been made to date, and the work will continue through the rest of September as we draw together the first full draft of the LAA agreement.

3.0 Next Steps

3.1 The next key milestone is 29^th September 2006, by when a full draft of the LAA should be submitted to GONW. Tameside have negotiated an extension of this deadline to the 4^th October 2006 to allow the Steering Group to sign off the draft at it’s meeting earlier that day. The work already started in July will continue with a focus on the developing actions, aligning funding streams and identifying enabling measures (where appropriate).

3.2 Enabling Measures are mechanisms to help overcome potential obstacles to the delivery of LAA outcomes, and are negotiated between local areas and the GO. The four block groups will identify possible enabling measures and prepare a business case for submission at the end of Sept 06.

3.3 Funding Streams should be aligned to each block within the overall LAA agreement. The national guidance lists LAA related funding streams. Where these are received in Tameside the block negotiating groups should report the amounts which will be used to support that block. (Note : this is existing funding. There is no new funding for the Tameside LAA)

3.4 Action plans will be key to the achievement of the outcomes and targets. For each measure there will be a list of actions. These will include existing actions which already support the issue being addressed, plus new actions planned specifically with the LAA target in mind.

3.5 Each measure will have a lead organisation and lead Thematic Partnership. The relevant measures will then sit within the partnership agreements.

3.6 The draft will include supporting narrative and a statement of VCS involvement. The narrative will provide an overview of Tameside and the context in which the LAA is set. Each block will have an introductory narrative summarising the outcomes and actions for that area.

3.7 Statement of Involvement of the VCS. This will state how the VCS has been informed, consulted and given the opportunity to participate in the LAA process and the delivery outcomes. The statement will be prepared by T3SC in consultation with the VCS. For example the VCS LAA Awareness event, organised by T3SC in July. The event brought together over 30 representatives from voluntary and community groups across the Borough. The aim of the event was to provide the VCS with information about LAAs, and consider ways in which the VCS could contribute to actions that will support achievement of targets within Tameside’s LAA.

Alcohol Sub Group

3.8 Preventing excessive alcohol consumption is an issue that cuts across several outcomes within the Tameside LAA. Actions plans to deliver improvements in specific performance measures within three of the blocks will include alcohol prevention strategies; Safer & Stronger Communities, Children & Young People and Healthier Communities & Older People. A working group has been established to take forward joint actions across organisations and LAA blocks regarding alcohol prevention, with particular emphasis on reducing violent crime & criminal damage, increasing feelings of safety at night in town centres, reducing perceptions of anti-social behaviour and reducing premature mortality. The measures developed by the group will sit within the partnership agreements and the Alcohol Strategy.

4.0 Communication

4.1 The quarterly TSP newsletter, Newsline, will include an update on the LAA during 2006/07. The newsletter is electronically distributed to a mailing list of over 100 people, covering all the organisations involved in TSP including the voluntary and community sector. The first LAA article was in the August edition of Newsline following the report to the last TSP Board meeting.

4.2 Regular LAA e-bulletins, keeping people up to date with progress and prompting feedback on any issues, will be circulated to all TSP Newsline contacts. Bulletins have been issued in May (19^th), July (6^th) and August (18^th).

4.3 Both the LAA e-bulletin and TSP Newsline are also posted on the TSP website http://www.tameside-strategic-partnership.org.uk/

4.4 Progress reports will be taken to TSP Board and Thematic Partnership Boards throughout 2006/07.

4.5 The Citizen, Tameside’s quarterly newspaper distributed free to over 100,000 residents and businesses, will also provide information on the LAA. An LAA article was included in the August edition of the Citizen.

5.0 Outcomes & Priorities

5.1 Below is a summary of the outcomes/priorities identified by the four block negotiating groups.

5.2 Children & Young People

- Education - Key Stage 3 Level 5+ English/Maths/Science / 5+ A*-C GCSEs

- Skills - 16-18 year olds not in employment/education/training (NEET) /Level 2&3 (NVQ or equivalent)

- Obesity - travel to school / PE and school sports / treatment and support to overweight children

- Teenage Pregnancy - under 18 conception rates

- Health - young people not smoking

- Exclusions from secondary schools

- Young people engaged in volunteering

- Domestic Violence – impact on CYP

5.3 Healthier Communities & Older People

- Mortality – gap between Tameside and England and variations within Tameside (links to alcohol; smoking; obesity and cardio-vascular disease)

- Smoking - 4 week smoking quitters (focus on deprived areas in Tameside)

- Access to the Tameside’s Connect 4 Life scheme

- Exercise - adults undertaking 30 minutes exercise three times a week

- Energy efficiency interventions for older people (60+)

- Involvement - older people participating volunteering (Denton South & Smallshaw)

- Support/Independence – assistance from the Joint Team (pensions/benefits/welfare rights) and access to sub-threshold/community services

5.4 Safer & Stronger Communities

- Crime - overall crime/hotspot areas/prolific offenders/theft from vehicles/violent crime/criminal damage

- Feelings of safety after dark in town centres and local neighbourhoods

- Drugs - access to drug treatment and retention for 12 weeks or more

- Anti Social Behaviour - perceptions of ASB, respect and consideration

- Empowerment/community – influencing decisions, getting on well together and volunteering

- Satisfaction with neighbourhoods (priority neighbourhoods)

- Housing / Homelessness - prevention of homelessness / non-decent social housing / vulnerable people in non-decent private sector housing

- Accidental household fires

- Clean Environment – street cleanliness - litter & detritus / removal of abandoned vehicles / fly-tipping

- Green Flag & Pennant awards for parks and open spaces

- Waste – recycling (access to facilities) and land fill

5.5 Economic Development

- Employment - areas with the highest rates / people aged 50 or over

- Offenders – ex-offenders without employment or training for 12 months or more

- Dependency on benefits (working age benefits)

- Self-employment (within the Borough and priority areas)

- Supported new business starts trading after 12 months

- Number of supported new social enterprises

- Jobs generated from inward investment filled by people from deprived areas

- Skills - level 2 NVQ or equivalent / basic skills - Skills for Life

5.6 The Thematic Partnerships will be discussing the detailed measures including the actions to support the achievement of targets.