Local Area Agreements

A personal perspective

Sean Creighton Development & Manager Worker, Riverside Community Development Trust

At the Lambeth CEN Local Area Agreements meeting 1 December 2005 at Stockwell Resource Centre

Background

·                     Been activist, employee and freelance worker in community and voluntary sector for 34 years

·                     Including in Lambeth for Solon Housing Association, Community Police Consultative Group for Lambeth, Panel of Lay Visitors for Lambeth Police Stations, Lambeth Parent Governors Association, Stockwell Junior & Infant Schools, Lambeth Democratic Services and Lady Margaret Hall Settlement

·                     I also have active interests in the democratic, radical, mutual, community action and UK black and Asian history, including  of the Lambeth area

·                     As Policy Officer for bassac I was involved in compiling the LGA guidance on effective involvement of the CVS is LSPs, and advising and running workshops in engaging in LSPs

·                     I helped get Wandsworth CEN up and running, including its participation in the Community Strategy consultation

·                     I worked with 5 CENs on Tyneside to help them get engaged in the sub-regional economic partnership

·                     I was a member of Merton Council Neighbourhood Renewal working parties

 

The Nature of the Sector

 

·                     Long historic tradition meeting need, pioneering solutions, and countering the non provision/failures of public/private sectors

·                     Independent organisations with legal (charitable and some company) responsibilities

·                     Operate under aims and objectives

·                     Many came into being because of the failures of the public and private sector to meet needs

·                     Funding from Central and local government, public sector bodies and quangos can compromise independence and distort action on aims and objectives

·                     Not tools or agents of government

·                     VCSs cannot make an effective contribution unless they liaise and work together, and have a clear common agenda to take to the partnership table

·                     Whatever the resource and power imbalances if we are to be partners our independence has to be respected, supported, nurtured and valued

·                     We bring to the partnership table all kinds of experience the public and private sectors have not got

·                     Contribution is not just about financial resources

·                     Our representatives at the partnership tables must be treated as equals

 

Government Acknowledges

 

·                     that public and private sectors failed the deprived areas

·                     that the needs of every area and how to deal with them are different

·                     that there are no quick fix one size fits all solutions

·                     that people must be at the heart of decision making

·                     that many of its policy initiatives are interlinked

 

But it also suffers from impatience and short-termism.

 

Local Strategic Partnerships, Community Strategies and Neighbourhood Renewal

 

·                     These were very welcome initiatives

·                     They acknowledged what the CVS had been saying for decades about the lack of joined up working

·                     But putting them into practice has been a challenge for all partners, including the CVS

·                     They involve enormous learning curves among all partners

·                     They challenge all partners inc the CVS to get understanding and implementation into their deliver structures

·                     They challenge all partners to foster genuine community engagement from the bottom up

 

Local Area Agreements

 

·                     Appear to represent a potentially significant step forward in ensuring improved service delivery and community engagement

·                     They seem to strengthen:

o   the community leadership role of local authorities

o   the co-ordinating role of the LSPs

o   the influence of the CVS

·                     The guidance talks about empowering and encouraging representatives of the voluntary and community sectors to be involved.

·                     The CVS cannot afford to ignore LAAs and needs to improve its ability to engage

·                     But LAAs operate at local authority/LSP level

·                     Many CVSs operate at a much smaller local geographic area of the local authority area and the specialist themes also operate and are interlinked at that level

·                     So how can the goals of LAAs be effected at neighbourhood area?

·                     How can the neighbourhood areas influence the goals of LAAs?

·                     Part of the answer lies in improving the LSP process

 

Community Sector Concerns

(Acre, Community Matters, CDF, NACVS, Urban Forum, Community Sector Coalition)

(see full paper on www.urbanforum.org.uk - Making Local Area Agreements work: a VCS perspective)

 

·                     LAA priorities must be based on community needs and aspirations

·                     More emphasis must be given to building stronger not just safer communities

·                     Stronger communities includes community ability to co-operate, cohere and be productive, not just involvement in public service design and delivery

·                     Stronger communities from this perspective will help to deliver the other LAA objectives

·                     Building stronger communities involves community organisations meeting their own objectives not just involvement in local governance and devolved service delivery

·                     This involves building social capital and community capacity

·                     Area forums, neighbourhood committees and thematic partnerships are required for full community engagement

·                     Community development is critical

 

Some key priorities for the CVS

 

·                     Continually reminding the partners about the independence and value added status of the sector

·                     Improvement of its own liaison and co-ordination at neighbourhood level including between different theme interests

·                     Delegated authority and budgets to Area Committees/Forums

·                     All central departments must operate on their plans and projects at local level through the Area Committees/Forums and their support staff

·                     Area Community Strategy Partnerships to be open and transparent

·                     LSP web areas/sites must be kept up-to-date

·                     CENs should continually ensure that the CVS is not just represented by those with the loudest voices, the most time to give, and a large amount of resources, who are then able to dominate the CVS agenda

·                     CENs to be enablers commissioning CVS organisations to carry out specific pieces of work, especially the liaison and co-ordination at neighbourhood level rather than building up centralised staffing carrying out such work

 

The LAA has to have statement of involvement about community and CVS participation. Guidance on LAAs has been issued by national community and voluntary sector organisations which LCEN could usefully use to inform its work.

 

Sean Creighton

1 December 2005

info@rcdt.org; www.rcdt.org

sean.creighton@btinternet.com; www.seancreighton.co.uk

____________

 

The following sections were not included in the talk

 

Improving the operation of LSPs

 

These are questions that need to be asked about the operation of the LSP and the CEN

 

·                     Are local authority sections working within the letter and spirit of the Community Strategies?

·                     How seriously are the local authorities and other public sector partners seeking to improve their relationships with the CVS

·                     Are there adequate structures for citizen engagement at more local level (e.g. Area Committees/Forums)?

·                     Are there well-established linkages between CEN and smaller local areas

·                     Are consultations meaningful?

·                     Is there adequate access to LSP information?

·                     Are organisations consultation databases inadequate?

·                     Are the tensions and potential conflicts between different aspects of the Community Strategy openly acknowledged?

·                     How adequate is the co-ordination between CVS organisations?

·                     What level of information is needed to enable equal and effective involvement in LSPs?

·                     What community development support is provided?

·                     Are there benchmarks for evaluating community participation in the LSP work and that of the specialist partnerships?

·                     What provision is made to ensure that all partners can learn about effective partnership working, including changes in policy, working and governance of public sector agencies that could dramatically change the nature of a key partner in organisational, resource and priority terms to the potential detriment of existing partnership agreements and future working?

·                     What action is taken to ensure that key individuals in different organisations increase their understanding and confidence in partnership working, and decrease working in ways which seek to undermine potential success?

·                     Are levels of financial and human resources among partner members sufficient to enable proper participation?

·                     How are unexpected crises generated from outside e.g. the decisions of national or multi-national companies to withdraw from the area, which may undermine some of the neighbourhoods covered by the partnership and the partnership’s strategy?

·                     Are representatives reporting back to and consulting with their partnership organisations?

·                     Is there a right of access to meetings for any organisation as an observer?

·                     Is there a right for non-member organisations to request to putting concerns or proposals direct to the LSP?

·                     Is there equal access to the LSP decision-making process for service user, voluntary and community sectors organisations?

·                     Are there rules governing the treatment of information which one partner classifies as confidential?

·                     Is there mediation of conflict between partners?

·                     Has each partner an equal right to a slot at a meeting to bring their issues and difficulties forward?

·         Who sets the agenda?

·         Is there a clear job description that LSP support staff’s prime duties include:

·                     effective servicing to facilitate partnership working

·                     alerting the LSP to problems being created by any of the partners which could undermine the achievement of the strategy or undermine partnership working

·                     facilitating effective involvement and equal status for the voluntary and community sectors?

 

Extracts from NACVS: Getting involved in local area agreements. Guidance for local voluntary and community organisations. (July 2005) (Full text on www.nacvs.org.uk)

 

4          Why get involved?

LAAs are evolving and the benefits and challenges of VCS involvement are still emerging. However, even at this early stage it is evident that they represent an opportunity to:

l  demonstrate the role and potential of the VCS within the shared agenda;

l  influence service design and delivery for the benefit of local communities, particularly the most disadvantaged;

l  get VCS priorities on the local agenda;

l  access funding and support for community activities to improve quality of life;

l  strengthen infrastructure and streamline networks;

l  enhance collaboration between voluntary and community groups with common interests and objectives.

………

 

The VCS has a key role; it could, for instance, contribute to the evaluation of how local people are able to influence the service design and delivery and how they access them. and existing activities. These could range from capacity building, service delivery and providing a voice for local people and groups, perhaps through the development of community empowerment like activities outside the Neighbourhood Renewal Areas.

5          The role of the LSP

Where the VCS have a strong voice on the LSP it is a chance to enhance the sector’s role. Where the LSP has failed to involve the VCS there is a compelling case for change and the LAA provides an opportunity for the VCS to challenge existing practices with the Government Office, which is charged with ensuring effective VCS involvement.

……….

 

It is an opportunity to put forward priorities, highlight their contribution and experience of partnership and improve the democratic accountability and inclusiveness of the LSP.

 

7          Statement of VCS involvement

 

The VCS should not only be involved in developing the practice that informs the LAA and its statement of involvement of the VCS but in signing off the final document. It might include:

·         how residents have been involved in identifying the local priorities for the LAA;

·         how the voluntary and community sector were involved in the process of drawing up and negotiating the LAA;

·         the scope of the VCS role in the final LAA;

·         how the VCS will benefit from and contribute to the LAA outcomes;

·         the links to the local strategy for community engagement and VCS involvement, including investment in capacity building, community development and the VCS infrastructure;

·         how the VCS will be involved in monitoring LAA activities;

·         how the VCS will be involved in the governance of the LAA.

……

 

Appendix A

VCS involvement: some things to think about:

·         Identify scope for intermediate outcomes to develop mechanisms for community engagement.

·         Utilise LAA negotiations to tackle lack of capacity for engagement within the local VCS.

·         Should partners develop specific LAA targets for the VCS or should the sector have a role that cuts across all targets?

·         Be clear about the VCS offer and the cost and value of involvement.

·         Ensure that the local strategic partnership is ‘fit for purpose’ and has ownership of the community strategy.

·         Be sure that agreed outcomes reflect an identified and verifiable need – the LSP must have evidence for all targets.

·         Make sure you know the official at your Government Office responsible for overseeing LAA negotiations.

·         Be aware of how successful your local authority is at meeting its ‘floor targets’ – you can find out here: http://www.neighbourhood.gov.uk/page.asp?id=21

·         Know your local authority’s CPA: http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/cpa/index.asp?page=index.asp&area=hpcpa

·         What are the local priorities as set out in the community strategy?

·         Make sure that there are clear links between the LAA and the local plans for ChangeUp investment.

·         Ensure appropriate VCS partners are involved at an early stage, particularly where they have specialist knowledge.

·         Make sure the LSP reviews the capacity of VCS organisations and communities to engage in the LAA process and makes resources available to build that capacity where necessary. Is the LSP involved in a ChangeUp consortium?

·         Do not simply rely on old established relationships; look to involve a wider range of community groups and citizens, especially the most disadvantaged. (Can you demonstrate your reach and accountability?)

·         Make use of government guidance to support the case for VCS involvement, see:

Local Area Agreements: Advice Note 1

Local Area Agreements Guidance

Safer and Stronger Communities Fund: Implementation Guidance
http://www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/groups/odpm_control/documents/contentservertemplate/odpm_index.hcst?n=5899&l=3

The IDeA website, where you will find the LAA Toolkit:
http://www.idea-knowledge.gov.uk/idk/core/page.do?pageId=817524

If you are involved in the reward element (previously LPSA):

·         Be prepared in advance – develop proposals for the use of a pump priming grant.

·         Agree reward grant allocation at an early stage to avoid unnecessary disputes.