Decision details

To approve the establishment of a Maidstone Partnership Board to replace the Maidstone Locality Board (the setting up of local arrangements to replace the Maidstone Locality Board has the support of the Kent County Council).

To approve the arrangements set out in the report of the Director of Regeneration and Communities as the basis for discussion between the Borough and County Councils.

a)  That the formal establishment by Maidstone Borough Council of a Maidstone Partnership Board in partnership with Kent County Council and other partner organisations, which builds on the working arrangements of the previous Maidstone Locality Board, be approved;

b)  That the draft terms of reference of the Maidstone Partnership Board, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report of the Director of Regeneration and Communities, be approved; and

c)  That the review of the delivery groups referred to in paragraph 1.3.14 of the report of the Director of Regeneration and Communities be approved.

The Maidstone Partnership Board will continue to build upon the partnership approach to identifying the priorities for the Borough and a more seamless approach to services for residents. It will replace the Maidstone Locality Board and oversee the delivery of the Maidstone Community Strategy.

Background

The creation of the Maidstone Locality Board was approved in December 2011. Locality Boards set out a plan for how the locality would help meet local priorities within the three ambitions in the ‘Vision for Kent’, Kent County Council’s Community Strategy and the Maidstone Community Strategy.

Locality Boards acted as advisory boards but with the ability to promote the localism agenda through the commissioning and co-ordination of services that had previously been delivered by the County Council using budgets devolved from the County Council.

The Maidstone Locality Board consisted of District Council Cabinet Members and local County Councillors with additional local representatives from key spending partners and the business and voluntary sector.

Maidstone Partnership Board

In May 2013 Kent County Council confirmed existing arrangements for Locality Boards across the County would not continue.

The partnership structure across the County has changed and to ensure Maidstone Borough moves with these changes, Maidstone Borough Council supports the establishment of a Maidstone Partnership Board to continue local action determined at a community level and to improve local accountability and support to residents and local businesses for public services in their totality.

The purpose of the Board will be to steer and oversee the priorities set out in the recently refreshed Maidstone Community Strategy (2009-2020) as well as to consider issues of mutual interest between the two Councils and other partner agencies.

Membership

The proposed core membership of the Maidstone Partnership Board (MPB) will be streamlined and will comprise the following:

·  3 District Councillors (nominated as Chairs of the MPB sub-groups, including the Leader of the Council who will also Chair the MPB);

·  3 County Councillors (nominated as Vice-Chairs of the MPB sub-groups, one of whom will be the Vice-Chair of the MPB);

·  A representative from Kent Police;

·  A representative from Kent Fire and Rescue;

·  A representative from the West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group;

·  A representative from the Kent Association for Local Councils

·  A representative from Jobcentre Plus;

·  A representative from the voluntary and community sector (non-voting); and

·  A representative from the business community (non-voting).

The membership should not exceed 15 individual board members. This does not include the lead support officers and support team.

All members of the MPB and the Chair are to have equal standing. MPB members are valued as committed leaders with a unique contribution to make and as representatives of their respective organisations.

Maidstone Partnership Board Delivery Structure

The priority sub-groups will be the officer level delivery groups for the Partnership Board. The Partnership Board will establish task and finish groups as required.

The Partnership Board will retain its focus on the 3 thematic priority sub-groups previously agreed by the previous Locality Board:

Priority sub-groups:

·  Local Environmental Improvements

·  Maidstone Families Matter (Troubled Families)

·  Tackling Worklessness and Poverty

Both the sub-groups and task and finish groups will report directly to and be subject to review by the Partnership Board.

The delivery groups, previously reporting to the Maidstone Local Strategic Partnership, continue to have a direct reporting line into Maidstone Borough Council and are as follows:

·  Health and Wellbeing Group

·  Children’s Local Operational Group (replacing the Local Children’s Trust Board although subject to confirmation)

The delivery groups will be reviewed to ensure they align with the Partnership Board’s priorities.  The current format of the delivery groups will be reviewed to separate the strategic and operational elements of their work and to mirror the proposed Partnership Board arrangements.

Consultation Undertaken

The individual organisations/agencies on the Maidstone Locality Board have been consulted on the creation of Maidstone Partnership Board. Feedback was sought from the individual agencies represented on the Board and this was taken into account in the final design of the Partnership Board and its sub-group architecture, particularly recognising the points raised about the role and involvement of the business and voluntary and community sectors in delivering the Board’s priorities.

The alternative would be to not establish a Partnership Board for the Borough.  However, the Council would then not have a formal mechanism for delivering the Maidstone Community Strategy priorities.  The lack of a Partnership Board would present a significant missed opportunity forDistrict and County Members to work with the wide range of partners to collectively focus on the needs of the locality in a holistic way and work together to make an impact by delivering more innovative and better services, at less cost.