Greenwich Civil Society Organisations
Representative Handbook
2011
Contents
1.Foreward: The Changing Context for Local Partnership Working / Page 32 Representation: How it all works & why it matters / Page 4
3 Greenwich Partnership / Page 5
4 Greenwich Partnership & the Four Thematic Partnerships / Page 6-7
5 Representatives from Key Bodies and their Functions / Page 8
5.1 Greenwich Council / Page 8-9
5.2 NHS / Page 10
5.3 Police / Page 11
5.4 Other Agencies / Page 12
6. How to engage with CSOs: The Role of the CSOs Representative / Page 13
7 How Meetings Work / Page 14
7.1 Before the Meeting / Page 15
7.2 During the Meeting / Page 16-17
7.3 After the Meeting / Page 17
8 Support for CSOs Representatives / Page 18
9 Expectations from Partnerships / Page 19
10 Useful Documents / Page 20
Appendix 1 Local Partnership Working: Further Information / Page 20
Appendix 2 CSOs Representative Feedback Form / Page 21
Appendix 3 CSOs Representative Role Description / Page 22
Appendix 4 Jargon Buster / Page 23-26
1. The Changing Context for Local Partnership Working
This guide has been written as a resource to help Civil Society Organisations (hereafter CSOs) effectively represent the sector in Greenwich. CSOs is the new term used by government to describe what was previously known as the Voluntary, Community and Faith /Third Sector.
As a starting point; it is useful to provide the local and national context to this guide.
The context for local partnership working has changed radically since the election of the coalition Government in May 2010. Alongside substantial cuts in public spending, CSOs, councils and their partners are looking to respond to the new national policy agenda of localism, devolution and the Big Society as well as major reforms in Health and Policing.
The Government has started to meet its commitment to remove top-down targets and regulations in order to free up local partners to work together in new ways in response to local circumstances. At the same time, it has also made clear its intention to encourage and promote a greater diversity of local public service providers; in particular from CSOs.
Much of the statutory framework within which local Partnerships previously operated has been dismantled. For the sector and our partners, the uncertainty around these changes means that sometimes being a representative will be challenging. There are of course opportunities that will arise out of these changes. The trick for the sector and partners will be to grab these opportunities as they arise. We hope that this handbook will in some way help with this. For further information on the changing context for local partnership working please refer to Appendix 1.
2. Representation on Greenwich Partnerships and Sub-Partnerships:
How it all works & why it matters
To answer both questions we need to understand the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) and the four thematic sub-boards underneath it. A local strategic partnership is a single body that brings together representatives of the public, private and CSOs, to support each other and work together.
In Greenwich, the LSP is “The Greenwich Partnership”.
The Greenwich Partnership engages in key strategic discussions and local decision making to deliver the Greenwich Strategy (a vision for Greenwich).
To make this happen there are 4 Thematic Partnerships and other Partnerships operating underneath them.
These Partnerships discuss and make decisions on specific issues that have a significant impact on the lives of people who live, work, learn in and visit the borough.
Considering the importance of CSOs (CSOs) contribution towards the quality of life in the London Borough of Greenwich (LBG), it is important that there is representation of CSOs on these Partnerships and that through these representatives, the voice of CSOs is heard and acted upon.
However, effective representation requires networking, coordination, consultation and feedback and CSOs Representatives need to be supported to do this.
This guidance produced by GAVS, has been developed as a resource to help you as a CSOs Representative to play your role with confidence. It complements support you can receive from GAVS staff. Please feel free to contact us on 0208 858 1363 or whenever you require support and a member of the team will get back to you.
3. Greenwich Partnership
The Greenwich Partnership engages in key strategic discussions and local decision making to deliver the Greenwich Strategy (a vision for Greenwich).
Currently, there are representatives on the Greenwich Partnership from members of the local business community, representatives from public sector services such as the Council, NHS and Police, and representatives from the community and CSOs. There are also specialist advisers on race and disability issues.The Partnership meets at least four times a year and is chaired by the Leader of Greenwich Council.
Visit: www.greenwichpartnership.org.uk for further information
Responsibilities of the Greenwich Partnership
As well as discussing borough-wide issues Greenwich Partnershipis responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Greenwich Compact; a code of conduct for the public and Civil Society Organisations. It also manages the contract for the host of Greenwich Local Involvement Network (LINk) (likely to be re-named ‘Healthwatch’) http://www.greenwichlink.org.uk/
Below the Greenwich Partnership are four key ‘thematic strategic Partnerships, tasked with implementing the strategic direction set out by the Greenwich Partnership. These are:
1. Safer Greenwich Partnership
2. Children’s Trust
3. Health and Well Being Board
4. Greenwich Employment and Skills Partnership (GESP)
4. Greenwich Partnership and the Four Thematic Partnerships.
The diagram below shows the current Strategic Partnership Structure in Greenwich
Below is a summary of each of these Partnerships.
The Four Thematic Partnerships
1. The Safer Greenwich Partnership (SGP) is the Community Safety Partnership for Greenwich and brings together various agencies to tackle crime, anti-social behaviour, drug or alcohol misuse and re-offending within the Borough. The SGP is governed by a strategic body that agrees priorities for each year and oversees all Community Safety activity within the Borough. Members include representatives from the Crown Prosecution Service, Greenwich Council, Greater London Authority, Greenwich Community Engagement Board, HMP Belmarsh, HMP Isis, Southeastern Railway, Transport for London and Woolwich Barracks.
2. The Children's Trust is a partnership led by the Local Authority involving a range of partners including Health, CSOs and the Police. It is responsible for integrated strategy planning and delivery to improve outcomes for Children and Young People in Greenwich.
3. Health & Wellbeing Board aims to improve the overall health and wellbeing of residents of Greenwich. It has an ongoing role in agreeing the key strategic priorities for improving health and wellbeing, tackling health inequalities, and for ensuring that joint strategies are in place to address these priorities. The membership and Terms of Reference of the Health and Well-being Board are being reviewed to reflect the changes to NHS commissioning and Public Health responsibilities
4. Greenwich Employment & Skills Partnership (GESP) aims to provide a local platform to respond to challenges, drive change and make a significant impact on worklessness in the Borough. The partnership works to maximise the opportunities for local residents to benefit from new and growing employment, to reduce barriers to work, and to raise the aspirations of young people and local residents.
Currently the above four thematic Partnerships have a range of associated Partnerships and working groups underneath them.
5. Representatives from Key Bodies and Their Functions
Having looked at the basic structure of Partnerships in Greenwich, the next section will explain a bit more about the bodies which are represented on these Partnerships and the various Partnerships underneath. As a CSOs representative, you will be working alongside representatives of many of these bodies. Understanding who these people are, how they fit into their own hierarchy and the role they play on the board will go a considerable way to helping you in your role as a CSOs representative.
5.1 Greenwich Council
Greenwich Council is the local authority for Greenwich and is composed of 51 councillors. Councillors are people elected by residents in each of the 17s areas of Greenwich (known as wards) to represent them in the Council's decision-making process about local services. The services directly provided or contracted by local authorities are enormous, ranging from housing, adult and children's services through to libraries, refuse collection and street cleaning.
All 51 Councillors meet together at regular Full Council Meetings to decide the Council’s policy framework and set the budget each year.
Greenwich Council - Management Arrangements
Political management of Greenwich Council is via the Council Cabinet which leads Council-wide policy and strategy development on issues that cover all Council departments.
Each Cabinet member is responsible for particular aspects of the Council’s priorities often carrying cross-cutting responsibilities. As a group, the Cabinet has to make decisions which are in line with the Council’s overall policies and budget. In Greenwich many decisions have now been delegated to individual Cabinet members
There are some areas where the Cabinet does not have responsibility. Regulatory functions such as development control, planning applications and licensing decisions are delegated from the Council to separate decision-making committees.
Greenwich has a range of Overview and Scrutiny committees through which non-executive councillors can question and challenge the performance of the Cabinet in a manner that will enable public debate.
While councillors set the direction of the Council, Council officers (employees of the Council) advise the Council, put policies into effect and organise the provision of services.
Key Roles within Greenwich Council
The Chief Executive is responsible to councillors for the Council officers, ensuring the work of the different departments is co-ordinated and Council offices run efficiently. The Chief Executive is the main link between the senior managers of Council departments and between senior managers and councillors. He/she leads a management team: the Greenwich Management team (GMT that meets frequently to discuss the corporate management of the Council.
Directors lead the individual departments of the council. They each have a management team of senior officers.
A Management Team of Senior Officers is supported by other officers and employees. Council officers and employees include a wide range of responsibilities, from librarians, housing workers refuse collectors, social workers to home carers.
Public Sector Representation on Greenwich Partnerships
Nearly all the Partnerships and working groups in Greenwich are led by the Council. Those directly reporting to the Greenwich Partnership tend to be chaired by a Cabinet member and are seen to provide political direction for a particular area. These meetings are likely to be very formal and have large agendas.
Below this is a range of Partnerships and working groups attended and /or chaired by council officers of various levels.
5.2 NHS Greenwich
NHS Greenwich is the lead organisation for the National Health Service in Greenwich and is often represented at partnership meetings. NHS Greenwich is currently responsible for commissioning (arranging and paying for) the healthcare services for local people, however, this is likely to change in the coming months. Its aim is to significantly improve health solutions and reduce health inequalities across Greenwichso that local people feel positive about the care and support they experience. The NHS locally and nationally is currently undergoing major restructuring. Please contact GAVS for further information on 0208 858 1363, .
5.3 Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust provides mental health and learning disability services in Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich, community health services in Bexley and Greenwich, and specialist services to Lewisham.Greenwich Community Health Servicesjoined Oxleas in April 2011.Community health services are provided in a range of settings, including health centres, schools and nurseries, community centres and in people's own homes, by nurses, therapists and other health care processionals. For more information about community health, mental health and learning disability services available in Greenwich, please visit www.oxleas.nhs.uk or call PALS (PatientAdvice and Liaison Service) freephone on 0800 917 7159.
You should be able to keep up with developments at any stage, by reading the latest edition of Oxleas newspapers‘In the Mean Time’ and Oxleas Exchange.
5.3 Greenwich Borough Police
The Metropolitan Police Service is the largest of the police services that operate in greater London (the others include the City of London Police and the British Transport Police).
Following a recent restructuring, most of the day-to-day policing of London are the responsibility of 33 borough operational command units (BOCUs) one of which is the Greenwich OCU. There are currently 5 stations within the borough; Woolwich, Greenwich, Thamesmead, Abbeywood, Plumstead and Eltham.
The police place great importance in the concept of partnership and neighbourhood policing and relationships with the local authority and other agencies in the borough. They are generally well represented on a variety of Partnerships in the borough.
Safer Neighbourhood Teams
Each ward in Greenwich has a Safer Neighbourhood Police Team and a Safer Neighbourhood Panel made up of members of the community who live or work within that ward. This panel meets regularly to discuss the concerns facing the local community around crime and anti-social behaviour, and set the priorities the local police team will tackle. They also get involved in working with the police team and local partner agencies such as the Council to find lasting solutions to these priorities.
Youth Ward Panels
Every Safer Neighbourhood team is now looking to set up a youth ward panel similar to the adult ward panel above. Young people on this panel will be involved in setting policing priorities that matter to them and work with the police and wider community to address them.
5.4 Other Agencies likely to be represented on Partnerships & sub-Partnerships
· Job Centre Plus – a government agency (part of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)) supporting people of working age from welfare into work, and helping employers to fill their vacancies.