Agenda item

To submit a joint report by the Health & Social Care Impact Officer and the Scrutiny Officer.

Submitted – a joint report by the Health and Social Care Impact Officer and the Scrutiny Officer.

The Portfolio Holder (Executive Business Manager, Performance Transformation, Corporate Plan and Human Resources) said that the report sets out the importance of working in partnership as it is an integral part of Local Authorities’ working practices; it further affords better services for local communities.  He noted that the Executive at its meeting held on 14 March, 2016 approved the Policy Document as a robust foundation for partnership working.

The Assistant Chief Executive said that work has been undertaken recently to identify a list of partnerships between the Council and other organisations in the private, public or voluntary sector.  To date over 200 possible partnerships have been identified.  Work will now be undertaken to clarify the role and added value of possible partnerships identified.

The Health and Social Care Impact Officer and the Scrutiny Officer gave a brief presentation to the Committee on the Partnership Policy Document and the Role of the Scrutiny Committee in Monitoring the Partnerships.  The Health and Social Care Impact Officer reported that the Partnership Policy Document summaries the Council’s vision for partnership working and supplements the individual partnership statements that already exist, for example  Isle of Anglesey Compact (partnership agreement with the Voluntary Sector), the Shared Community Charter with the Town and Community Councils on the Island.   The Policy Document (which was appended as Appendix 1 to the report) focuses on partnerships where the Council choose to work with other organisations in the private, public or voluntary sector. She reported that the Audit and Governance Committee also has a role reviewing the Authority’s risk management arrangements. They will focus on seeking assurance that key partnerships adequately manage risk but does not include reviewing the contribution and outcomes of partnerships, which is the remit of Scrutiny Members.   

The Officer further referred to the reasons why working in partnership benefits the Council and communities of Anglesey and also the criteria the Council uses for selecting partnerships, which were highlighted within the report.

The Scrutiny Officer reported that the Partnership and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee has an important role to ensure that there is an appropriate level of democratic engagement with partnerships and to ensure that the work and performance is responsive to and consistent with the Council’s key priorities and the needs of the local communities.    In performing its role the Scrutiny Committee has a number of possible areas it could consider to include :-

·        Scrutinising governance arrangements;

·        Scrutinising the Council’s contribution;

·        Evaluating the overall effectiveness of the partnership;

·        Ensuring public engagement and citizen focused partnerships and strategies.

The Committee considered the report and raised the following main issues :-

·           Questions raised regarding possible duplication of services offered by the partner organisations identified.  The Officers responded that each partner organisation will be reviewed and evaluated for value for money, added value and any possible duplication of provision. This exercise will enable Officers to have a complete and full list of partnership organisations representing future partnership working with the Council;

Questions were raised as to whether a ‘risk assessment’ exercise will be undertaken in evaluating the partnership working with organisations.  The Officers responded that the role of the Audit and Governance Committee will include the review of risk management arrangements associated with partnership working.

·           Questions were raised regarding partnership working with Town/Community Councils and a local Social Alliance which have been set up to take over the possible running of non-statutory services provided by the Council. The Assistant Chief Executive responded that a Town and Community Councils Liaison Forum and stakeholders will be consulted regarding the Partnership Policy Document and the ‘toolkit’ associated with the document in due course.  The Chair said that it is important that Local Members should inform the Officers regarding any local social alliance or group that works within their community.  This will allow the Officers to approach such organisations to evaluate the possible partnership working with the Council.  The Leader of the Council expressed that partnership working regarding the local communities taking over cultural services should be further investigated; first contact with Town/Community Council and thereafter with local organisations should be considered.

RESOLVED to confirm :-

·           That the Partnerships Policy Document is a sound foundation for partnership working by the Council;

·           That the task of scrutinising partnerships be undertaken initially by incorporating the work into the Forward Work Programme of this Committee;

·           Arrangements should be made to review the effectiveness of this approach to Elected Member scrutiny of partnerships towards the end of the current financial year (this review to include consideration of the merits of a scrutiny outcome panel model).

ACTION : As noted above.