South West Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnership News Bulletin 6 February 2009
SW RIEP Redirects Efforts to Respond the Recession
In the light of the recession Members have agreed to refocus the priorities, funding and activity of the South West RIEP.
The RIEP will now focus on six core areas, in place of the previous fifteen, accounting for over 80% of the RIEP’s funding:
The six core areas are:
• Corporate Capacity
• Driving Value for Money
• Sustainable Economy
• Social Care
• Fire and Rescue
• Innovation Funding
Please click here to view the latest SW RIEP Update document
Opportunity for Support to Deliver LAA Outcomes from SW RIEP
The Local Improvement Adviser (LIA) Service is a £3 million programme funded by Communities and Local Government and managed regionally by Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnerships.
The RIEPs are taking a strong lead on performance and improvement and are at the heart of local arrangements for support. LIAs are being recruited as part of this provision.
LIAs can support local partnerships to deliver public services and improve outcomes through the new performance framework and LAA/MAAs. They can provide advice, coaching, training and mentoring to support local partnerships to deliver public services through the new performance framework and LAA/MAAs. The initiative builds upon the work of Neighbourhood Renewal Advisers.
Click here for the LIA Overview and here for the LIA Procedures for Accessing Support.
“Hi Vis” Newsletter
The Construction Framework South West will be available to all public organisations within the South West, including Local Authorities, Primary Care Trusts, Higher/Further Education Institutes, Fire and Rescue, and Police Authorities
The Framework expects to attract a throughput of over £500 million and 18 public bodies have already pledged their support. Devon CC (which hosts the activity) will start using it as soon as it becomes available in June 2009.
The Hi Vis Newsletter will bring you up-to-date with the Framework, including the significant benefits to users.
The Framework is supported by SW RIEP and will make available a range of construction contractors who are being thoroughly selected using an extensive European Union regulated tendering exercise.
To view the Hi Vis Newsletter click here or visit the Construction Framework South West’s website.
Worklessness Event - 27 January 2009
Kingsholm Rugby Stadium, Gloucester
On 27 January 2009, Gloucestershire First hosted a region-wide seminar on ‘Tackling Worklessness’. The event, which was facilitated jointly by Gloucestershire First, South West Councils, Jobcentre Plus and the South West Regional Employment and Skills Partnership, brought together delegates from across the region to discuss the evolving legislative context and the measures being put in place to deliver better employment and skills services.
The main aim of the day was to encourage joint working and sharing of good practice, critical as worklessness becomes an ever more prevalent issue during the current economic downturn. To complement the wider discussions, delegates also explored the day-to-day issues faced by key groups of people including lone parents, older people, volunteers and people with disabilities.
Worklessness is a complex issue that cuts across the remit of a number of organisations in the region. The key message to emerge from the day was the importance of a strategic, ‘joined up’ approach to planning and service delivery.
Following the event, South West Councils will undertake further work to draw together a regional action plan to co-ordinate activity across organisations to address worklessness issues.
For more information on SW RIEP’s Local Economy programme click here.
What Lessons Can South West Fire and Rescue Services’
Learn from the 2008 Local Area Agreement Round?
We are all working ever more closely with Local Government Partners, but how do we know what they feel the contribution of Fire Services should be and how well do we get our safety message across?
Comprehensive Area Assessment brings the need to be able to define how we influence our partners for the benefit of our communities and one of the key elements in this is how we interact with and within the Local Strategic Partnerships (LSP), and how we aid the achievement of the 35 priority targets set by each Local Area Agreement (LAA).
However, if Fire and Rescue Services cannot influence our LSP partners and get our core community safety message across and into 35 priority targets we will have missed a real opportunity to make our communities safer. To read more click here.
Fire and Rescue Service – Elected Member Development
Two case studies are now available showing how Elected Member development yield bring benefits.
• Role of Members’ for Officers - Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service
• ‘A Conversation about Fire’ (Members’ Personal Development and Review Plans) - Dorset Fire and Rescue Service
To view the case studies click here.
Economic Diagnostic Tool
This diagnostic tool is designed to help councils fulfil their enhanced role in place shaping and promoting economic prosperity. It provides a framework and a set of diagnostic questions for use in self-assessment or peer review.
This new tool is intended to identify gaps in knowledge or interventions, and help councils improve their local economy, it also provides questions to help direct inquiries or interventions, and gives case studies from other councils tackling the issues.
To find out more about this tool click here.
Equality Impact Assessments In Practice
The Equality Impact Assessments (EqIA) Support Network (community of practice or CoP) ran a series of 'hotseat' events, where a variety of service experts working in local government were available on the CoP forum, to answer questions around EqIA issues and challenges.
A poll held on the CoP highlighted human resources, children services and planning and development as the top three service areas members wanted to discuss at these events. Key questions and answers captured during these sessions can be viewed on the I&DeA website by clicking here
The Social Enterprise Mark
Buying public services externally - do you decide what to buy, or from which deliverer? The Social Enterprise Mark, a new label which tells customers that a product or service comes from a social enterprise creating a social or environmental benefit, could help you get results.
RISEa not-for-profit membership organisation, who designed The Social Enterprise Mark, would like your opinion. Click here to complete their survey by 26 February and you could win an iPOD Touch, Nano, or Shuffle in their prize draw.
For further information click here.
Mapping Project Supporting the National Highways Benchmarking Club
Public Satisfaction Survey
SW RIEP has supported the development of a mapping system designed to make the most effective use of the data gathered by the National Highways and Transport Public Satisfaction Survey.
The Benchmarking Club commissioned the development of a uniform Survey that could be used nationwide. This survey allows all participating councils to accurately benchmark their performance and identify best practice.
The mapping software has had the effect of transforming the data, enabling it to be displayed spatially, so that officers can quickly and easily compare performance. It is anticipated that this will foster collaboration both in terms of sharing Best Practice and in identifying and tackling cross-border issues such as economic and social regeneration.
Participating Authorities have benefited in a number of ways:
• The ability to view data at a parish level enables councils to target improvements more effectively
• The mapping software is designed to allow the public satisfaction information to be compared with a myriad of other datasets enabling cross-service reviews to be made and providing the opportunity to strengthen inter-agency working
• The ability of the software to handle unlimited quantities of data makes it a valuable monitoring tool, because it will be possible to measure the impact of service changes on public opinion
Fourteen of the fifteen Transport Authorities within the South West participated in the project.
The survey results and mapping software are available online at: www.nhtsurvey.org.
Job Vacancy – Bristol City Council
Placement Finding and Commissioning Manager, Children and Young Peoples Services
Salary: £38,463 - £41,083
This full time permanent position, based in Redfield, is a unique opportunity to lead this award winning team and be at the forefront of children’s placement commissioning in Bristol.
You will be responsible for commissioning high quality foster care and residential placements from a mixed economy of external and internal providers. You will develop innovative and creative solutions to ensure Bristol City achieve good outcomes for children by improving placement matching and stability and maintain value for money.
For more information on this post, or to apply click here - closing date: 11 February 2009.
Events (please click on the title of the event for further information)
Member Development Conference and Presentation Ceremony
27 February 2009 (09:30 - 14:00)
Hilton Hotel, Swindon
'Making It Personal' One Day Conference
27 February 2009 (09:00 - 16:30)
Gloucester Rugby Club
Category Management Event
3 March 2009 (10:00 - 15:00)
Taunton Rugby Club, Somerset
National Efficiency and Improvement Conference
12 March 2009 (08:45 - 17:00)
Inmarsat Conference Centre, London EC1
Waste Roadshow (RIEP, DeFRA & WIN)
13 March 2009 (12:00 -16:30)
Lyngford House, Taunton
EC Procurement Update and Case Law Seminar
17 March 2009 (10:00 - 13:00)
Taunton Rugby Club, Somerset
South West Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnership (SW RIEP)
tel: 01823270101
email: karen.ball@swcouncils.gov.uk
