Agenda item

10.1

The Executive Director, Communities submitted a report seeking to reshape the Council’s current local partnership arrangements and community engagement work with our geographic communities. These replace the previous Community Assembly arrangements.

10.2

RESOLVED: That Cabinet:-

(a)

approves the creation of a Ward Pot Budget of £300,000 to be allocated between the City’s 28 electoral wards as described in paragraph 3.3 of the report;

(b)

notes that the appointment of the Lead Ward Member for each ward and their resulting appointments to sit on an appropriate Local Area Partnership, will be matters for the Full Council to determine, and that the Council had now appointed the 7 Local Area Partnership Chairs;

(c)

recommends to the Council that, in view of the role profile attached to the report now submitted, it confirms that the role of the Local Area Partnership Chair be established with a Special Responsibility Allowance included in the new Band C (old Band B2) of Schedule 1 to its Members’ Allowances Scheme, and that the payment of this allowance be backdated to 16^th May 2013 in recognition that the Chairs had been operating in shadow form since that date, helping to lay the foundations for the new ways of locality working;

(d)

requests that the Chief Executive establishes a pool of 14 senior officers and allocates them to an area/s to support the work of each Local Area Partnership;

(e)

authorises the Director of Community Services:-

(i)

to determine how the Ward Pot Budget for each ward is spent, subject to the proviso that this authority must be exercised in close consultation with all the elected Members for the ward concerned with a view to wherever possible achieving consensus over the use of funds, and to determine the terms on which such expenditure is incurred including authorising the completion of any related funding agreement or other legal documentation, subject to compliance with Contracts Standing Orders and Financial Regulations;

(ii)

to determine the composition of and settle the terms of reference and rules of procedure for the Local Area Partnerships, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Communities and Inclusion;

(iii)

agrees the detailed arrangements for the Local Area Team, subject to Council policies and procedures and due consideration of the outcome of any related consultations, and provided the arrangements were within the maximum available initial budget; and

(g)

requests that the Chief Executive make appropriate arrangements, in consultation with the Chair of the Scrutiny Management Committee and the Chair of the LAP Chairs’ Group to facilitate the consideration of issues of local concern through the Council’s scrutiny arrangements.

10.3

Reasons for Decision

10.3.1

The proposed model is recommended on the basis that it:

·         targets support to communities where engagement and involvement was most needed and where capacity for self-support may be limited;

·         develops the community leadership role of Councillors in working with communities to support their interests;

·         makes the ward and neighbourhood the focus of most activity rather than the much larger former Community Assembly area/meetings which few residents identified with, while acknowledging that some partnership working was required at a wider area level;

·         would enable the ward pot arrangements to be up and running before the summer to ensure that the small investments that make a big difference can enhance provision during the summer holidays. These proposals would establish the Ward Pot guidance and decision making process as soon as possible;

·         has taken into account the consultation and equalities impact assessment; and

·         is within the budget set by the Council.

10.4

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

10.4.1

No alternative options were put forward for consideration.

10.5

Any Interest Declared or Dispensation Granted

None

10.6

Reason for Exemption if Public/Press Excluded During Consideration

None

10.7

Respective Director Responsible for Implementation

Richard Webb, Executive Director, Communities

10.8

Relevant Scrutiny and Policy Development Committee If Decision Called In

Safer and Stronger Communities

10.1

The Executive Director, Communities submitted a report seeking to reshape the Council’s current local partnership arrangements and community engagement work with our geographic communities. These replace the previous Community Assembly arrangements.

10.2

RESOLVED: That Cabinet:-

(a)

approves the creation of a Ward Pot Budget of £300,000 to be allocated between the City’s 28 electoral wards as described in paragraph 3.3 of the report;

(b)

notes that the appointment of the Lead Ward Member for each ward and their resulting appointments to sit on an appropriate Local Area Partnership, will be matters for the Full Council to determine, and that the Council had now appointed the 7 Local Area Partnership Chairs;

(c)

recommends to the Council that, in view of the role profile attached to the report now submitted, it confirms that the role of the Local Area Partnership Chair be established with a Special Responsibility Allowance included in the new Band C (old Band B2) of Schedule 1 to its Members’ Allowances Scheme, and that the payment of this allowance be backdated to 16^th May 2013 in recognition that the Chairs had been operating in shadow form since that date, helping to lay the foundations for the new ways of locality working;

(d)

requests that the Chief Executive establishes a pool of 14 senior officers and allocates them to an area/s to support the work of each Local Area Partnership;

(e)

authorises the Director of Community Services:-

(i)

to determine how the Ward Pot Budget for each ward is spent, subject to the proviso that this authority must be exercised in close consultation with all the elected Members for the ward concerned with a view to wherever possible achieving consensus over the use of funds, and to determine the terms on which such expenditure is incurred including authorising the completion of any related funding agreement or other legal documentation, subject to compliance with Contracts Standing Orders and Financial Regulations;

(ii)

to determine the composition of and settle the terms of reference and rules of procedure for the Local Area Partnerships, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Communities and Inclusion;

(iii)

agrees the detailed arrangements for the Local Area Team, subject to Council policies and procedures and due consideration of the outcome of any related consultations, and provided the arrangements were within the maximum available initial budget; and

(g)

requests that the Chief Executive make appropriate arrangements, in consultation with the Chair of the Scrutiny Management Committee and the Chair of the LAP Chairs’ Group to facilitate the consideration of issues of local concern through the Council’s scrutiny arrangements.

10.3

Reasons for Decision

10.3.1

The proposed model is recommended on the basis that it:

·         targets support to communities where engagement and involvement was most needed and where capacity for self-support may be limited;

·         develops the community leadership role of Councillors in working with communities to support their interests;

·         makes the ward and neighbourhood the focus of most activity rather than the much larger former Community Assembly area/meetings which few residents identified with, while acknowledging that some partnership working was required at a wider area level;

·         would enable the ward pot arrangements to be up and running before the summer to ensure that the small investments that make a big difference can enhance provision during the summer holidays. These proposals would establish the Ward Pot guidance and decision making process as soon as possible;

·         has taken into account the consultation and equalities impact assessment; and

·         is within the budget set by the Council.

10.4

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

10.4.1

No alternative options were put forward for consideration.