CANNOCK CHASE PARTNERSHIP BOARD
LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP GROUP

TERMS OF REFERENCE

  1. PURPOSE

1.1The Cannock Chase Partnership Board is a strategic decision making body where all public and voluntary sector bodies are committed to work together in a collaborative manner to tackle complex multi-faceted issues in Cannock Chase District.

  1. OVERARCHING PRIORITIES

2.1 It is a fact that Cannock Chase District has some of the poorest health status indicators in Staffordshire; some of the lowest skills and educational qualifications and higher than average unemployment rates; and whilst crime levels remain lower than average, there is a public perception that community safety remains a problem. There is a large amount of evidence that continues to demonstrate that health, employment, educational attainment and community safety are issues of concern in the District and that we are below average when compared to other District / Boroughs in Staffordshire and the wider West Midlands.

2.2It follows that no one agency acting on its own can effectively address these issues and that it is only by working together that public and voluntary agencies can hope to make any difference. The following are the enduring priority outcomes for the Partnership:

  • Improved Health and Wellbeing – better health status & healthier lifestyles.
  • Increased Economic Prosperity – more jobs & better skills, training and education.
  • Increased Community safety – more people feel safer.

Across all three priority outcomes, the Board will focus on making a tangible difference to the lives of vulnerable adults and children in the District so that measurable improvements can be made over time.

  1. FUNCTIONS

3.1The specific functions of the Cannock Chase Partnership Board are:

  • To agree an overall strategic partnership plan on an annual basis (the Locality Partnership Plan) which will include the Community Safety Partnership Plan.
  • To determine specific priority issues and outcomes on an ongoing basis.
  • To focus upon the delivery of the shared priorities for Cannock Chase and its communities;
  • To approve the allocation of all relevant financial resources to specific priorities, programmes and projects.
  • To monitor performance against the targets set out in the strategic partnership plan.
  • To challenge partners if performance against the agreed plan is behind target.
  • To hold other parts of the partnership structure to account for their activities.
  • To act as the Community Safety Partnership as per Section 5 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and to work with the Staffordshire Police Commissioner as required.
  • To engage and empower local communities to act for themselves.
  • To act as the key conduit for the Staffordshire Health and Wellbeing Board.
  • To publicise the work of the Partnership Board and the difference it is making.
  • To campaign for change as necessary at local, County, Regional and National level.

The Strategic Board does not retain any legal status and the accountable body in respect

of the LSP reserve funding is Cannock Chase District Council. In respect of the Locality

Commissioning Funding budget for 2015/16 only, the accountable body is Staffordshire

County Council; this will be revisited ahead of the financial year 2016/17.

  1. MEMBERSHIP OF THE BOARD

Membership of this Board should include those with an appropriate level of seniority within their organisations to make decisions and commit organisational resources to Partnership activity. The Board will comprise the following bodies:

  • Cannock Chase Clinical Commissioning Group (Chair / CEO)
  • Chamber of Commerce
  • Staffordshire Police (Chief Inspector)
  • Staffordshire Fire & Rescue Services (Area Commander)
  • Cannock Chase District Council (Leader / MD/ Cabinet Members for Health and Wellbeing, Culture & Sport, Community Safety, Economic Development, Leader of the Opposition)
  • Staffordshire County Council (1 Cabinet Member and 1 local County Councillor/ District Commissioning Lead/Public Health Lead/Education Lead)
  • Staffordshire and West Midlands Community Rehabilitation Company
  • Parish Council Association Representative
  • Support Staffordshire Cannock Chase
  • VAST

The Board may decide to co-opt other organisations as required to deliver the partnerships’ priorities.

Board Members are asked to:

  • Take personal responsibility and challenge each other appropriately;
  • Encourage a culture of innovation and creativity and avoid a culture of blame;
  • Ensure that any agreed actions and decisions are translated effectively through their individual organisations.

The Chairman of the Board should be appointed by the Board itself and reviewed on an annual basis. The Vice-Chairman of the Board shall also be appointed by the Board itself on an annual basis. In the event that the Chairman is not present at any meeting of the Board, the Vice-Chairman shall fulfil the role of Chairman.

The composition of the Board will be reviewed annually. The Board has the power to admit new partners to the Partnership by formal agreement.

5.DECISION MAKING AND RELATED MATTERS

5.1At least seven of the partner organisations need to be present for the Board meeting to be quorate. Should a Board member be unable to attend a meeting, he/she shall appoint an appropriate representative to participate fully in his/her place.

5.2Decisionswill normally be reached by consensus. On the rare occasion when this is not possible, a simple majority of those present will represent the formal decision based on one organisation /one vote irrespective of how many representatives that organisation may have. The vote will be exercised by the most senior person from each organisation. Any organisation voting against will have their objection recorded in the minutes of that meeting.

5.3The meeting dates, minutes and agenda will be co-ordinated by Cannock Chase District Council.

5.4Where an urgent decision is required on either Partnership resource allocation or of a strategic nature in respect of Partnership activity, the Chair will circulate a virtual request for a decision from Partnership Board members.

5.5The Board will meet on a quarterly basis (4 meetings per annum) to approve the strategic partnership plan, to allocate resources and to manage performance.

5.6Agendas and papers will be circulated no less than 5 clear working days before the meeting.

6.ACCOUNTABLE PARTNERSHIP STRUCTURES

6.1The following are the agreed partnership structures accountable directly or indirectly to the Board for their activities and progress:

  • LOCALITY PARTNERSHIP GROUP

A Locality Partnership Group (LPG) will lead the development and implementation of the strategic Locality Partnership Plan for the Board. All partner organisations identified as members of the Partnership Board will be entitled to send a representative to participate in the LPG.The work of the LPG may involve both commissioning and direct delivery of specific projects and programmes by one or more of the partner organisations. The Chair of the LPG shall be accountable to the Chair of the Board for the delivery of the plan and for effective use of partnership budgets and will be required to provide quarterly updates on progress to the Board. The LPG is not a decision making body and must submit recommendations and performance reports to the Partnership Board.The Chair of the LSP is empowered to make a delegated decision in relation to a recommendation from the LPG outside of formal LSP Board meeting if a decision is time critical and urgent in nature.

At least seven of the partner organisations need to be present for the LPG meeting to be quorate. Should a member be unable to attend a meeting, he/she shall appoint an appropriate representative to participate fully in his/her place.

The Locality Partnership group will also monitor performance and use of Payment by results monies for the Building Resilient Families programme in Cannock Chase.

  • COMMUNITY SAFETY HUB STEERING GROUP

A Community Safety Hub Steering Group will be the tactical steering group of the CSH which will meet for a maximum of 2 hours every three months reporting directly into the LSP Strategic Board on exception.

The steering group will oversee the work of the CSH and will be represented by service managers of the CSH. The role of the steering group will be to unblock any gaps or barriers which prevent problem solving at the CSH, and allocate resources as and when required to fulfil the successful delivery of the Community Safety Delivery Plan, Community Safety Calendar and the finances.

  • COMMUNITY SAFETY HUB (CSH)

A Community Safety Hub (CSH) will carry out a multi agency tasking and co-ordinating role weekly. This will be achieved by identifying and addressing short term crime and disorder issues, including:-

  • Vulnerable Residents
  • Child Sexual Exploitation
  • Mental Health Updates / patients subject to trigger plans
  • Domestic Abuse
  • Criminal Damage trends
  • Other emerging crime trends
  • Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) referrals
  • Evictions
  • Forthcoming operations / events / campaigns
  • Anti – Social Behaviour

Part 1 Civil Injunctions – expected March tbc

Part 2 Criminal Behaviour Orders

Part 3 Dispersal Notices

Part 4 - Community Protection Notices

Public Space Protection Orders

Closure Notices & Orders

Part 5 Absolute ground for possession

  • Let’s Work Together referrals
  • Finance update
  • Gaps / Barriers to problem solving

CSH meetings shall be held once a week; 10.00am on a Tuesday at Cannock Police Station lasting no longer than 1hour.

All partner organisations identified as members of the CSH will be required to use available real time intelligence, to identify short term community safety priorities and apply problem solving approaches to determine appropriate interventions, and agree actions plans to achieve these outcomes.

Once a month the CSH will be extended to a maximum of two hours in order to manage progress on the Community Safety Delivery Plan, Community Safety Calendar and the People Power Fund.

Work on both the Community Safety Delivery Plan, the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy and the Community Safety Calendar will be progressedand monitored outside of the 1 hour CSH meeting via the Chair and the Vice Chair, with support and input from CSH members.

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