Oxfordshire Partnership newsletter

Oxfordshire 2030 is go!

The Oxfordshire Partnership agreed its vision for Oxfordshire 2030 on 26 November. The strategy is the culmination of eighteen months dedicated work by partners to gather evidence about the issues affecting Oxfordshire, prioritise the key issues and identify how the Partnership will work to improve quality of life in the county.

Councillor Keith Mitchell, Chairman of Oxfordshire Partnership said “It is a great achievement to have adopted this truly partnership plan to improve the quality of life in the county. The commitment of partners across the public, private, voluntary, community and faith sectors is a testament to the process we have gone through and a shared desire to make Oxfordshire a great place to live, work or study. "

Response to the public consultation period in the summer was extremely positive and has influenced the final draft. A summary of all responses to the consultation and the Partnership’s comments is available at www.oxfordshirepartnership.org.uk/oxfordshire2030.

The strategy will be launched officially early in 2009. Watch this space for more details. Read the strategy on the website.

How are we doing?

We're now over six months into our new Local Area Agreement (LAA) and partnerships recently reported progress to the Public Service Board.

In our final year of delivery performance on our LAA1 stretch targets is generally strong and we are confident of claiming reward grant on a number of targets.

Performance reporting on LAA2 is in the early stages and it has not been possible to report on all indicators to date. Where performance data is available it shows delivery is progressing well. However a number of risks have been identified around some targets including the detrimental impact of the economic downturn. Read the Public Service Board report.

'Refreshing' our LAA

Whilst we’re already delivering on our LAA targets there are a number of indicators that were identified for further attention in year one. These include new indicators where we didn’t have baseline information at the negotiation stage as well as indicators that are being adversely affected by the recent economic downturn. We will be working with target leads and Government Office colleagues to fill in these gaps by March 2009 so that our second year of delivery starts with baselines and targets set for all our chosen indicators. Read the recent PSB report on the refresh.

For more information on the process or to discuss targets please contact Claire Phillips, claire.phillips@oxfordshire.gov.uk, 01865 816029.

Funding to support partnership working

The Public Service Board has asked that bids for the use of LAA1 performance reward grant are brought to their February meeting. A bidding process has been developed and partnerships are invited to submit bids by Friday 23 January 2009.

At this stage it is not known exactly how much reward grant will be available as it is dependent on our performance. The PSB previously agreed that 50% of all reward grant achieved would go back to delivery partners of the targets.

Details of the reward grant bidding process and application forms can be found at www.oxfordshirepartnership.org.uk or from the Partnership team at the county council.

Tackling teenage pregnancy together

In November Oxfordshire Children and Young People's Trust members heard how teenage conceptions in Oxfordshire were predicted to rise again in 2007. As a result of a local Confidential Inquiry into teenage pregnancy held in July members discussed proposed actions that would make the biggest impact on conception rates for 2008 onwards.

Given that up to 80% of conceptions happen in Banbury or Oxford and that most of those conceptions happen in young women aged 16/17 years the Trust agreed to reprioritise existing plans. Members signed up to bold new plans to commission on site sexual health services in Further Education colleges in Oxford and Banbury. They endorsed investment in supporting secondary schools in Oxford and Banbury to provide sex and relationships education that is evaluated well by the young people it targets. They agreed proposals for a new teenage pregnancy ‘leadership team’ to report on progress at every Trust meeting.

Partners agreed that "taking our eye off the ball" of teenage parents would be short-sighted and so as part of wider plans to support young parents into education, employment or training the Trust agreed to support the PCT in bidding to become a pilot for the Family Nurse Partnership project which offers intensive intervention with parents aged under 20 years and which is beginning to show great outcomes for young people in pilot areas.

For more information contact Sarah Breton, sarah.breton@oxfordshire.gov.uk, 01865 815159.

Tackling the fear of crime

At its September 2008 meeting, the Oxfordshire Safer Communities Partnership heard from Natalie Williams, Communications Manager from the award-winning Safer Hastings Partnership (SHP).

Perceptions of crime in Oxfordshire are higher than the reality indicated by crime figures so OSCP was interested to hear how Hastings had turned around public perceptions of rising crime. Four years ago, Hastings had a history of incidents which caught local and national media attention and fear of crime was high.

Using newspaper advertorials, "meet the people" sessions in shopping centres, community television set up in doctors’ surgeries, train stations, shopping centres and a fast food restaurant, schools competitions with storyboard ideas turned into TV clips, and art competitions turned into leaflets, Hastings started to raise awareness of the work of the Partnership.

The number of residents concerned with youth crime has fallen from 92% in 2004 to 29% in 2008 and there has been a 19.9% increase in people who feel safe alone at night, and the biggest fall ever in perception of anti-social behaviour. Research also shows there is increased awareness of the Partnership and its activities.

Work in Hastings, although a smaller area than Oxfordshire, provided our Partnership with food for thought, and plans are afoot to build some of these ideas into community safety communications and awareness raising of the wide range of work being done to keep residents safe.

For more information contact Ruth Wyhte, ruth.whyte@oxfordshire.gov.uk, 01865 258423.

Going from strength to strength

Progress through Partnership is a south east initiative to improve the capacity of Local Strategic Partnerships in the region. Each LSP in Oxfordshire has completed individual self assessments which have highlighted that we are all improving well. We have all bid for funding to support further development activities and have agreed to pool some of the funding available for joint activities focusing on development of performance management in partnership and a communications strategy.

Look out for further details of events and activities provided through the PtP programme - www.progressthroughpartnership.org.uk/.

Reviewing the partnership family

Having agreed our priorities for the Partnership in Oxfordshire 2030 we are taking a look at our governance structures to ensure that we are set up to deliver on the pledges we have made. A partnership project group is leading the work for the PSB and is currently meeting with all thematic partnerships to discuss the proposals. Issues for discussion include membership, engagement with councillors and the public and reporting mechanisms. The intention is to take proposals to the February meeting of the PSB.

For more information on the review contact Claire Evans, claire.evans@oxfordshire.gov.uk, 01865 816077.

Community led planning

Oxfordshire 2030 includes a pledge to increase the number of community-led plans and also the number of actions that are implemented.

Village/parish, market town and neighbourhood action plans are developed by local volunteers, consulting widely within their own communities in order to establish local priorities. Based on their research and discussion with service providers an action plan is agreed.

Examples include:

• North Newington: Four groups were set up to take the action points, they met over the next few months and involved residents. As a result an information pack has been sent to newcomers in the village, a helping hands group has been set up, a walking group formed and keep fit and yoga classes take place in the school.
• Elsfield: Their history project has given them a heightened sense of community, started a village newspaper - the Village Voice - and are bringing the web site up to date. The Parish Plan has also provided an opportunity to meet and talk to neighbours.
• Filkins and Broughton Poggs: The biggest benefit of the Parish Plan has been the development of the village shop. This was the number one request from the consultation process in the plan and now we have a fantastic resource, right in the centre of the village.

Other plans have led to the development of new affordable housing, help for young people, footpaths and much more.

The group of organisations leading on delivery of this target, which includes Oxfordshire Rural Community Council, district and county councils and the Primary Care Trust, on behalf of the Oxfordshire Voluntary Sector Development Partnership is looking forward to working with partners, for example to help:

• develop 'bridging protocols' explaining an organisation’s commitment to responding to and working with community-led plans
• promote the benefits of community-led planning to communities and service providers alike.

Please contact meryl.smith@oxonrcc.org.uk at ORCC for more information (01865 883488).

Oxfordshire Voluntary Sector Development Partnership

OVSDP has put on a successful programme of forum events this autumn with the support of our statutory partners in the district and county councils and the primary care trust. In all, over 300 people attended the events which are an opportunity for voluntary sector groups to come together to learn more about developments in the voluntary sector that may affect them and updates on what is happening locally. Forum events are also valued as a means of learning through workshops that offer bite-sized training for groups, and as an opportunity for networking.

OVSDP has also supported the election of a new voluntary sector representative to the Oxfordshire Partnership, and is in the process of electing a second. Another election is underway for a representative to the Children and Young People's Trust.

Work has also begun towards a research project looking for the first time at the contribution that faith groups make to their local communities in Oxfordshire.

For more information contact Kate Hill, kate.hill@ocva.org.uk 01865 251946.

LAA manager post

The Partnership is currently recruiting an LAA manager for a two year fixed period. The closing date for applications is Monday 22 December. For particulars of the post and application details please visit www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/jobs.

Events

Better Governance and Accountability in Partnerships

Empowering, enabling and directing your partnerships to deliver on local priorities.
Thursday 15 January, 2009
www.emapconferences.co.uk/governanceaccountability/

Roundtable discussion on Migrant Workers (Progress through Partnership event)

Tuesday 20 January 2009, 3 - 6pm
www.progressthroughpartnership.org.uk/events-lsp.htm?eventid=13872&stdate=

Delivering Joined-Up Community Engagement

Working in partnership to inform, consult and involve.
Wednesday 21 January 2009
www.emapconferences.co.uk/communityengagement/

Comprehensive Area Assessment (A Capita Interactive Seminar)

The Framework and its Implementation.
Thursday 26 February 2009, London
www.capitaconferences.co.uk/NR/rdonlyres/F2E44846-F852-4005-B30D-6DAF8D7FD8A3/0/TSABCAAs.pdf