Tameside Strategic Partnership

Terms of Reference

Background

The Tameside Strategic Partnership was established in 1999. It consists of a Board of 30 representatives from the public, private, voluntary and community sectors. In accordance with Government Guidance (below), the Tameside Strategic Partnership is the Local Strategic Partnership for the borough.

Government Guidance

Government Guidance on Local Strategic Partnerships (DETR, March 2001) states that they are a single body that:

• Brings together at a local level the different parts of the public sector as well as the private, business, community and voluntary sectors so that different initiatives and services support each other and work together;
• Is a non-statutory, non-executive organisation;
• Operates at a level which enables strategic decisions to be taken and is close enough to individual neighbourhoods to allow actions to be determined at a community level;
• Should be aligned with local authority boundaries.

1. Strategic Vision of the Tameside Partnership

"Tameside is a good place to live, and we want to make it even better. We want it to be a place where people of all ages and backgrounds feel at home and able to get involved in the life of the community, where they can contribute to a prosperous local economy, feel safe and healthy, and take active responsibility for the environment in which they live." (Tameside Community Strategy 2007/17)

2. Aims

To promote the economic, social and environmental well-being of the Borough and contribute to the achievement of sustainable development.

To bring together leaders of key partnerships and organisations from the public, private and voluntary and community sectors in Tameside.

To provide leadership and long-term vision and form an overarching strategic partnership in order to serve the interests of all local people.

To create, implement, monitor and review a Community Strategy with specific aims and measures which reflect the needs and priorities of the people of Tameside.

To utilise existing partnerships and organisations and seek to reduce the bureaucratic burden by rationalising structures and partnerships operating in Tameside where there is overlap.

3. Key Tasks

To agree a delivery framework to ensure implementation of the Community Strategy with the strategic partnerships (Culture and Community Cohesion Partnership, Children & Young People's Partnership, Lifelong Learning Partnership, Crime & Disorder Reduction Partnership, Health & Social Care Partnership & Modernisation Board, Housing Partnership, Economic Forum).

To monitor and review the work of the strategic partnerships responsible for the delivery of the six key themes of the Community Strategy.

To act as a co-ordinating framework through which local activity, plans and partnership working can be routed and organised.

To develop a policy framework for bending mainstream budgets and services to target communities of greatest need.

To engage and involve local communities in the development of the Borough's vision, short term priorities and actions and reporting progress to local communities.

To develop a Local Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy which is fully integrated into the Community Strategy to ensure a joined-up and crosscutting approach to tackling the areas of greatest deprivation.

To act as the lead partnership in developing initiatives that depend on local partnerships for their implementation such as the Public Service Agreement and Local Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy.

To jointly identify opportunities for joining-up policies and action across organisations/ sectors.

To provide a collective voice for Tameside in order to raise the Borough's profile and influence external policies and decisions.

4. Membership

Membership of the Tameside Partnership Board consists of:

• Better Government for Older People - 1 seat
• Centrica PLC - 1 seat
• Government Office North West - 1 seat
• Greater Manchester Enterprises - 1 seat
• Greater Manchester Learning & Skills Council - 1 seat
• Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive - 1 seat
• Greater Manchester Fire Service - 1 seat
• Greater Manchester Police - 1 seat
• Hyde Group Limited - 1 seat
• Job Centre Plus - 1 seat
• Kerry Foods - 1 seat
• Manchester Chamber of Commerce and Industry - 2 seats
• Members of Parliament - 2 seats
• New Charter Housing - 1 seat
• North West Development Agency - 1 seat
• Pennine Care NHS Trust - 1 seat
• Tameside and Glossop Primary Care Trust - 2 seats
• Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council - 4 seats
• Tameside Race Equality Council - 1 seat
• Tameside Voice - 3 seats
• Tame Valley Partnership - 1 seat
• The Stamford Group - 1 seat

Membership of the Tameside Strategic Partnership Board will be comprehensively reviewed every three years to ensure sectoral representation and strategic effectiveness.

Any member may propose to the Partnership Board that an invitation to become a member be extended to another organisation or individual. The proposal should be made in writing with supporting information setting out the benefits to the Partnership Board and circulated with papers for the meeting.

Decisions on Membership will be made by the Partnership Board at a meeting; proposed members may be invited to attend prior to the decision in an observer capacity.

Members invited will be in a position of authority and can influence change in their organisation or sector. Departing members will normally be replaced by their workplace successor.

Members are encouraged to send a named deputy to meetings which they are unable to attend.

5. Chairing and Servicing Arrangements

Tameside's Strategic Partnership Board will meet on a quarterly basis and special meetings will be held as and when required.

The administration and work of the Board will be organised on the financial year.

In its community leadership role, the Chair of Tameside Strategic Partnership shall be appointed by the Leader of the Council.

Each financial year, the Board will elect two Deputy Chairs.

The Chair and Deputy Chairs will chair Board meetings.

Members of the Partnership may appoint from among its members (or from their organisations on the recommendation of the relevant member) other staff to undertake specific responsibilities to achieve the Partnerships key tasks

Any member of the Partnership may request that an item is placed on the agenda of a forthcoming meeting. This should be notified to the Secretariat at least four weeks prior to the meeting concerned. Late items may be accepted at the discretion of the Chair.

Whenever practicable, reports to the Partnership will be made in advance in writing enabling the time available at Board meetings to be devoted to matters in which members input can make a difference.

The quorum for the Tameside Partnership will be ten Board members.

The Board will make its decisions by consensus. When this cannot be achieved, a majority vote of Board members present will be taken. In the event of a split vote, the Chair will have the deciding vote.

Attendance at Board meetings is open to guests of Board members in an `observer' capacity. Observers will not have speaking rights unless invited to do so through the Chair.

Agenda items may be classed as confidential with the agreement of the Board Chair. Such items will be discussed at the end of a meeting with observers excluded.

Minutes of Board meetings will be produced and circulated within two weeks of the meeting and presented for approval at the next meeting.

Summaries of Board meetings will be produced in the form of a newsletter and made available on the Internet.

Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council will provide the secretariat for the Board and will support the overall management of its strategic agenda.

6. Format of Meetings

Board meetings will include a formal business section which will include reports from the strategic partnerships. This will allow Board to learn more about specific issues and debate the implications for Tameside.

The work of the Board will retain a focus on progress on Tameside Community strategy key measures and government deprivation floor targets.

Each strategic partnership will be asked to report on progress to the Board once per annum.

7. Development and Support

Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council will encourage the active collaboration of its partners in making a contribution to the development and servicing of the Tameside Strategic Partnership.

The Partnership Board will take collective responsibility for ensuring that adequate resources are available to enable the Tameside Strategic Partnership to function effectively and develop its role.

8. Roles and Competencies of Board Members

The roles and competencies likely to be expected from Board members in the development and implementation of strategic policy are set out below. Support and training to develop and enhance these skills will be made available by the partnership for Board Members if necessary.

Roles

• To be in a position to make strategic decisions and influence decision making, resource allocation and delivery within their own organisation and/ or the community.
• To actively participate in Partnership debate and decision making.
• To have a sound understanding of the quality of life issues in Tameside, particularly in respect to their sectors.
• To act as champions to advise and facilitate key work areas for the Partnership.
• To represent the Partnership at meetings, events, etc when appropriate.
• To cascade information regarding the work and role of the Tameside Strategic Partnership within their own organisations/ networks.

Competencies

• Ability to develop and agree policy
• Decision making skills
• Negotiation skills
• Creative and strategic thinking
• Problem solving
• Presentation skills
• Understanding of data and statistics
• Analytical skills
• Willingness and ability to drive change

9. Monitoring and Reporting Progress

The Terms of Reference will be comprehensively reviewed every three years.

The Board will report on progress against the Community Strategy in an annual public report. This will include a session to review progress and discuss the development of the Tameside Strategic Partnership.

The Partnership will undertake, where feasible, comparative work on the operation and effectiveness of local strategic partnerships.

The Partnership will endeavour to achieve best practice in its work.

The Tameside Strategic Partnership will continue to develop a performance management framework and performance indicators to demonstrate progress and added value.