SW RIEP has separated the 2 areas of support available under this 3 year £5.8m programme into “Authorities in Difficulty” and “Authorities not in Difficulty”.The differences are outlined below.Further details on the goals, objectives and outputs can be found in the programme Delivery Plan.
Approach for Building Capacity for Overall Improvement in Authorities in Difficulty
Potential authority funding:
Description: SW RIEP is targeting specific support at authorities:
- in ‘Engagement’,
- or who have ‘Improvement Notices’ issued,
- or who are in the bottom two CPA categories or CAA equivalent,
- or any who are in danger of falling into that category such as ‘Fair or 2 star’ with a negative Direction of Travel,
- or any authorities with a Use of Resources score of 1.
Funding Criteria: As above, and to be based on the agreement of an ‘Improvement Plan’.This will detail a specific support package between the individual authority and SW RIEP. All Improvement Plans will go forward for approval to the SW RIEP Improvement Programme Board.
Funding Schedule:
2008/09 - £2m
2009/10 - £0.55m, tbc
2010/11 - £0.55m, tbc
Please note that authorities in difficulty will not be eligible to access the general improvement streams documented below, and therefore need to ensure their agreed improvement plan encompasses all their needs.
Please contact Programme Lead Stephen Fletcher for more information: stephen.fletcher@idea.gov.uk (mobile: 07773775904)
Approach for Building Capacity for Overall Improvement in Authorities not in Difficulty
1. Capacity Support programme
SW RIEP will provide up to a maximum of £20,000 to support Councils for preparation for inspections and the new CAA performance framework, including how Councils can best present themselves and their evidence. Depending on take up, we expect to be able to support 16 Councils in total (approx 5 Councils during 2008/09). Click here in order to access a project initiation document where the nature of the support required from SW RIEP can be outlined.
Later in the year there will be a programme to assess and address Councils workforce planning needs with an emphasis on skills shortages. In November 2008 further details about the programme will be provided on this web page covering: a) Workforce planning for Social Care/ Adult Services b) Workforce Challenge (click here in order to access a project initiation document where the nature of the support required from SW RIEP can be outlined) c) the sharing of Best Practice.
SW RIEP will be also developing a programme which will support working with the Third Sector through sharing good practice on Third Sector engagement/ partnership/ contracting etc and the networking of Local Authority officers with a third sector role, COPS/ events/ newsletters. Further details will appear on this web page in December 2008.
In addition we are looking at the possibility of providing a programme of support on Improving Customer Service Development.
We have developed, in conjunction with IDeA and SW Councils, a communications (internal and external) self-assessment and challenge mechanism focussed on raising the reputation of Councils in the region.
As of December 2008, two pilot Communications self assessment / challenges in the region have taken place, with a third planned for early 2009. Once the pilots are complete, the intention is review the proceedure and then roll out the Communications Peer Review across South West local authorities as required.
Potential authority funding:
Description: Authority proposals focused on one of the areas outlined above
Funding Criteria: as outlined above
Funding Schedule:
2008/09 - £241,000
2009/10 - £261,000, tbc
2010/11 - £281,000, tbc
Councils interested in helping to develop any of the areas outlined should contact Stephen Fletcher at stephen.fletcher@idea.gov.uk (mobile: 07773775904). Councils who are interested in becoming a pilot or in future Communications self assessments / challenges should contact Drew Aspinwall at drew.aspinwall@swcouncils.gov.uk to express their interest
2. Overview & Scrutiny Support Programme
The proposed regional scrutiny support programme for the South West is currently being worked up with the SW Scrutiny Network. The proposal is for all scrutiny chairs to have attended the regional Overview and Scrutiny Leadership Academy, ‘Confidence and Ambition’, run by the Centre for Public Scrutiny (CfPS) on behalf of IDeA, which is a bespoke 2-day programme. One Leadership Academy course aimed at Scrutiny Chairs will run on 28th & 29th March 2009 at the Bristol Marriott Hotel. Up to 20 places are available, and the course is currently being designed specifically for the South West region. The closing date for nominations for the course is 31 December 2008. You will be advised in early January whether your nomination has been successful. Please email Ann Penwell, Improvement Business Support Officer, in order to express your interest.
Scrutiny Reviews are also available via the CfPS over the course of the next 12 months. One review per quarter worth up to £5k will be offered regionally using the Centre for Public Scrutiny's Evaluation Framework, and interested authorities in the south west need to apply to SW RIEP in the form of a brief Project Initiation Document . Please contact ann.penwell@swcouncils.gov.uk with the completed document in order to express your interest. The deadlines are: 31st December 2008 for the Improvement Programme Board 08 January 2009; 31 March 2009 for the Programme Board 14 April 2009; 30 June 2009 for the Programme Board 07 July 2009, and 30 September 2009 for the Programme Board 12 October 2009.
There will also be support for the regional scrutiny network to develop its capacity for further improvement. This may include events, publications, action learning sets and a dedicated web-resource for scrutiny.
Other areas for development include targeted support for new unitaries in the region to help them develop new and innovative scrutiny functions as part of the new councils, and a full review of councils’ scrutiny functions to check fitness-for-purpose for the new agenda.
Potential authority funding:
Description: Subsidised scrutiny support/ training/ best practice dissemination
Funding Criteria: as outlined above
Funding Schedule (total funding):
2008/09 - £33,300
2009/10 - £33,300, tbc
2010/11 - £33,300, tbc
Councils interested in helping to develop any of the areas outlined above should contact Stephen Fletcher at stephen.fletcher@idea.gov.uk (mobile: 07773775904).
3. Mechanism to Support Existing General Improvement Programmes.
SW RIEP will fund a limited number of accredited peers for Peer support, Mentoring, coaching and buddy schemes for key managers and councillors e.g. the use of IDeA accredited member and officer peers to provide advice and guidance. Please click here for more information on the IDeA's Peer Mentoring scheme. There is funding in 2008/ 9 for approximately 10 Councils to each have 15 days at £350 per day. Please email paul.clarke@idea.gov.uk in order to register your interest.
Every Authority will have the opportunity to partake in a free Peer Review or Peer Challenge during the 3 year period of this strategy - a subsidy is available up to a maximum of £20,000 for Unitary and County Councils and £10,000 for Districts.
SW RIEP will fully fund 20 places per year on either the national Leadership Academy or Fast Track programmes, excluding travel costs (with a maximum of 2 places per authority over the 3 year period, depending on take up). Please note that most of the Leadership Academy/ Fast Track places for 2008/ 9 have already been awarded due to high demand. Further information can be accessed here.
SW RIEP will fund a limited number of places on existing successful national programmes such as the National Graduate Development Programme (NGDP) and Academy for Executive Leadership (AEL). Please click on the links for further information and note that places on both NGDP and AEL for 2008/9 have already been taken up.
SW RIEP will also subsidise approximately 23 places per year on the SW Councils regional BTEC programme leading to a level 4 qualification in Local Governance by 50%, making the price to Local Authorities £520 per candidate for an open event, or £420 for an in-house event. Please note that places for 2008/9 have already been taken up.
SW RIEP will subsidize a maximum of 10 places per year on the SW Councils regional BTEC Level 3 qualification for Member Champions course by £400 per person, making the price £250 per candidate. Please email ann.penwell@swcouncils.gov.uk in order to register your interest.
Potential authority funding:
Description: Subsidised peer reviews & skills development training
Funding Criteria: tbc – details of how to access peer review support will be produced by 30 Nov 2008. Skills development training opportunities will be advertised via the bi-weekly newsletter and on the web.
Funding Schedule (total funding):
2008/09 - £326,000
2009/10 - £326,000, tbc
2010/11 - £326,000, tbc
Please contact Ann Penwell, Improvement Business Support Officer, at ann.penwell@swcouncils.gov.uk in order to express your interest (mobile: 07917557366).
4. Leadership Development Programme
Funding has recently been approved for up to £20k per authority for bespoke leadership programmes. The focus will be on building the managerial and political capacity in up to 20 authorities during 2009. These bids could cover, for example:
• Top Team Development - Cabinet and / or senior management team
• Community Leadership - Developing Skills of councillors as community leaders
• Leadership of Place - Leading of, and through, partnerships
• Leadership of Change - Enhance middle managers capacity – especially for joint working
• Strategic Leadership - Visioning, strategy and prioritising skills
The deadlines are: 31 March 2009 for consideration by the Improvement Programme Board (IPB) taking place on 14 April 2009; 30 June 2009 for the IPB 07 July 2009, and 30 September 2009 for the IPB 12 October 2009.
In order to apply, please complete the Project Initiation Document (PID), and send to ann.penwell@swcouncils.gov.uk
