Agenda item

To consider the Annual Report from the Portfolio Holder for Community Leadership and Partnership.

(Report attached)

The Chair welcomed Councillor Gandy, the Portfolio Holder for Community Leadership and Partnership, to the meeting.  Councillor Gandy presented her report in accordance with the questions set out by the Committee.

a)         What was your view of the LSP Task and Finish Group’s recommendations?

Councillor Gandy explained that many of the recommendations had already been implemented and confirmed that the Redditch Partnership Manager, who had recently been appointed, would assist the LSP with the delivery of work that had previously proved difficult to undertake.  The Constitutional Review Working Party had recommended that from May 2010 ‘Leader’s Items’ should be a standing item on the agenda for full Council and the minutes of LSP management board meetings attached to the full Council agenda papers.

Concerns had been raised during the Executive Committee meeting over how the recommendations should be presented to the LSP as it was felt that the Council could not tell the LSP that it must adopt the recommendations made by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.  It was therefore felt they should go directly to the LSP for endorsement.  This view was subject to question because the Council was the lead organisation for the LSP.  However, Councillor Gandy was confident that the recommendations would be accepted.

b)         What do you feel should be the priority of your Portfolio?

            Councillor Gandy felt that communicating with residents and promoting all the good things that the Council was doing in the town was a priority.  This could be either on an individual basis, through the Redditch Community Forum or through third sector organisations.  She expressed the view that the Council must continue to explain to residents what it was trying to achieve.  Therefore, to date there had been seven road shows and she hoped to organise more of these events after the elections to provide an opportunity to talk to residents on a one to one basis.  Members were also advised that the Leader’s column in the local newspaper had been useful in promoting the good things that had been achieved in the town.

c)         What do you believe are the (of working in partnership):

            i)          Strengths

Councillor Gandy felt that partnership working helped to avoid duplication and provided an opportunity to pool resources and knowledge, gained through input from a wider group of experts.  Partnership working also spread the load and helped to encourage a shared ambition.  Through working in partnership local organisations could develop greater understanding of local problems.

            ii)         Weaknesses

A lack of finance and staff capacity together with limited accountability and dissemination of information were felt to be weaknesses.

            iii)        Opportunities

Councillor Gandy felt the opportunities available included improved joint working and being able to get across a single message that the Council would not be able to achieve alone.

            iv)        Threats

Financial cuts were a serious threat and there was a possibility under those circumstances that people would retreat to “silo working”.  Consequently, there was a danger that the partnership would become a talking shop.

d)         What approach do you intend to take to disseminate information about and performance details for the Local Area Agreement (LAA)?

            The Partnership was committed to introducing a Communications Strategy, which would address the dissemination of information.  Local LAA targets had to be adhered to and monitored on at least a quarterly basis to ensure they were maintained.  However, the Council had no control over the number of LAA targets, which were reported annually to Council.  Furthermore, Councillor Gandy confirmed that the Council had no control over the national targets.

e)         What has been most challenging about your role as Portfolio Holder for Community Leadership and Partnership?

            Councillor Gandy advised that the biggest challenge was to encouraging people to believe that the Council did want to listen to and take notice of them.  In addition, she had been working hard to gain a more powerful voice for Redditch at a regional level.  In particular, this was being attempted through participating in regional/county partnerships as increasingly this was the most effective way to obtain additional funding for and attention to the area.

After general discussion, the Chair thanked Councillor Gandy for attending the meeting and for providing Members with a comprehensive response to the questions that had been raised.

RESOLVED that

the report be noted.