Name to be decided

Partnership Agreement ~ DRAFT

Stoke City Football Club & NHS Stoke on Trent

June 2011 (ver 1.0)

Introduction

This document provides a basis on which Stoke City Football Club (SCFC) and NHS Stoke on Trent (NHS) will work together to maximise their individual brand power and provide a basis on which to merge the unique offers and opportunities each organisation have available to work together to impact on the health of communities within Stoke on Trent.

The agreement describes the principles of collective working that will result in both organisations increasing reach and their ability to communicate key organisational messages through various initiatives delivered at the strategic and grassroots level. The agreement also outlines how the partnership formed will promote and celebrate health and wellbeing activity and achievements across the City of Stoke on Trent and beyond.

This document is not intended to be a legally binding agreement and does not commit either party to a specific course of action.Nor does it require the parties to form a formal or associated partnership. It is however, a statement of intent that will act as a framework to support the way each organisation aims to work together on matters of joint interest.

Overview

Stoke on Trent has many health challenges. Reducing inequalities within specific communities and population groups is high on the local health priority list as is improving and sustaining the health of the city population as a whole. More specifically, it is a key objective to increase participation in quality assured physical activity, including sport opportunities and to help individuals, groups and communities to make informed and positive health related decisions. To help tackle these challenges we must work innovatively, using evidence were available and in synchronicity with other organisations that provide the opportunities to better engage and communicate with those groups of the population that require a combination of approaches and effort. We therefore must work effectively in partnership to improve health and wellbeing at the personal, community and population levels.

Effective Joint Working

From the outset this agreement must have at it’s heart the intention to develop a successful and beneficial working relationship that in turn builds trust and recognises the responsibilities of each organisation as individuals. Where possible, such responsibilities should be shared across a common agreement that enables outcomes to be achieved that otherwise would be difficult to achieve if an organisation acted alone. To this end it is agreed that all parties commit to adopt the following principals in their dealings with each other:

  • Top level commitment
  • A positive, solution focussed approach to joint activity
  • Openness, honesty and transparency in communications
  • Issue management and resolution is at the forefront of all discussions
  • Commitment to an Action Learning culture is encouraged
  • The achievement of high quality activity that drives common outcomes and achieves results
  • Assured relationships that adhere to individual confidentiality requirements and recognises external positioning and perception management
  • To work in the interest of the partnership providing resource when required to achieve common outputs, impacts and outcomes

Realising Common Benefits

Productive partnerships have the ability to produce efficient, effective and sustainable outcomes. Common benefits for SCFC and the NHS working together will generally include:

  • The combination of the two brands; Stoke City Football Club and Stoke on Trent NHS, will act as a catalyst for increasing the reach and impact that the individual brands could not achieve alone
  • Harnessing the power of the SCFC badge and the trust of the NHS brand will attract investment into partnership driven activity
  • The local NHS has an extensive resource to offer grass roots activity including: expertise in community engagement, identifying local priorities, health intelligence, complimentary information and people, the combination of which can assist Stoke City Football Club to respond to the ever increasing opportunities the Premier League offer their community team activity
  • Provide opportunities to share and understand the different engagement methods and communication formats / channels
  • Opportunities for the NHS to access high quality facilities for meetings and events, and for these facilities to reinforce health messages
  • Common alignment of individual / joint initiatives to help achieve strategic priorities
  • Agreed communication approaches that ensure each partner achieves their communication objectives

Working Arrangements

Oneof the key Effective Joint Working statements asks for ‘top level commitment’. It is recognised that commitment to joint initiatives comes from different levels within organisations, but without top level (executive) commitment it is likely that activity will fail. This agreement calls for those at the top of each organisation to come together and demonstrate their commitment to the future success of joint activity.

Below this tier of sign up will come the operational level of the partnership and where actual activity is determined and delivered. It is important that this level of the partnership is represented by those that can effect change and make decisions on behalf of the organisations without having to engage other decision makers. It is appreciated that major initiatives, ones that require significant resource or activity, will require a more encompassing decision making approach and this will be activated as and when required.

At the operational level the Community Manager will represent the interests of SCFC and a Health Improvement Commissioner will represent the NHS interests. To assist these individuals other senior managers and communication support will be available so as to ensure decisions can be made quickly and thus results in efficient and effective activity at the point of delivery. Regular outcome focussed meetings will be arranged so that current and planned activity can be actioned quickly and communicated internally and externally efficiently.

It is in the interest of the partnership to become embedded in the emerging NHS and Public Health landscape. New NHS structures are being introduced and decisions are being made that affect the current picture of the local NHS. When structures and decisions are agreed they will consider this partnership agreement and embedded the principals contained herein where values and benefits of association align.

Roles and Responsibilities

Effective partnerships require clear and defined roles so that each member of the partnership can define their role in the achievement of common objectives. It is also crucial that the roles of each organisation can be clearly communicated internally and externally so that it is clear what each are doing / have done to achieve the outputs, impacts and outcomes generated. The following points (not exhaustive) clarify certain roles and responsibilities in relation to the partnership objectives:

  • SCFC will manage the day to day deliverables of the (name of to be decided) initiative
  • SCFC will include the NHS as a key partner, where appropriate, in funding applications to the Premier League, Football Foundation and other sources. SCFC will engage the NHS as early as possible in any funding application if it is recognised that it is important to associate the NHS brand to the funding application process
  • SCFC will manage the use of the SCFC brand and associated media links in line with agreed guidelines
  • The NHS will partner the delivery of (name to be decided) objectives and will use the brand of SCFC to help increase market reach and impact
  • The NHS will manage the use of the NHS brand and take the lead in health communication, ensuring full engagement of SCFC is achieved when common goals are planned for
  • The NHS will include and seek the involvement of SCFC in all relevant initiatives and opportunities
  • The NHS will provide all appropriate health information and intelligence to inform the successful and targeted delivery of health initiatives and will provide the relevant health information to support funding applications that are of joint interest
  • Both SCFC and the NHS will ensure that the future success of the partnership remains on the radar of both organisations moving forward, especially in light of the national / local changes to the NHS
  • SCFC and the NHS will do all their power to build on the partnership by communicating the achievements of the partnership and celebrating success
  • SCFC will identify a current first team player to hold the position of ‘Health Champion’. The Health Champion will be required to represent the partnership in all media communications if appropriate / available.

Day to Day Activity

Each partner will nominate a lead contact who will co-ordinate responses to requests and organise the involvement of relevant representatives and actions (a list of contacts is available in appendix i).

Confidentiality

It is the duty of the NHS to comply with disclosure requests and requirements. To ensure the interests of SCFC are protected at all times any documentation that is considered ‘commercial’ in nature must be marked ‘in confidence’ or ‘commercially sensitive’.

In any circumstances, communications marked in this way from either organisation will not be disclosed to other parties unless explicit permissions have been sought and granted.

Freedom of Information

The NHS operates within the boundaries of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. As such, formal bids and correspondence between parties it engages will be subject to the requirements under this Act. Both organisations understand the obligations to disclosure and will conduct business accordingly.

Consultation

It is important to recognise each organisations capacity to respond to consultation requests. In the challenging times both organisations face it is important to recognise that each organisation has a certain amount of capacity to respond to joint activity requests. To ensure both organisations respond appropriately to this partnership agreement any activity planned or considered will require communication as early in the ‘thinking’ period as possible.

Appendix i

List of Contacts

Carl Bennett ~ Senior Health Improvement Specialist, Health Improvement Team, Directorate of Public Health, NHS Stoke on Trent

Telephone: 01782 298181

Adrian Hurst ~ Head of Community, Stoke City Football Club

Telephone: 01782 592273

Tamsin Carr ~ Communications Manager, NHS Stoke on Trent

Telephone: 01782 401048

Appendix ii

Current Activity

Project / Initiative / Core Activity / Joint Roles & Support
Launch of Partnership Agreement / Positive media attention drawn to the launch of the partnership / Lead (joint) – SCFC and NHS Media teams
Support – as determined
SCFC Health Coach / Supporting people to develop personalised health improvement plans / Lead – SCFC Health Coach
Support – Community Manager (SCFC), Senior Health Improvement Specialist (NHS) and Head of Operations (VAST)
Imagine Your Goals / Provision of a PA programme for those accessing community MH services (Changes) / Lead –PA Advisors & Changes
Support – Community Manager (SCFC), Senior Health Improvement Specialist and Changes CEO
Smoking Cessation Awareness / Communication of smoking cessation services and support / TBA
Family Weight Management Service / SCFC to become the Sub Commissioner for FWMS activity / TBC