Swansea Local Service Board: Seven Questions

Partnership Overview & Scrutiny Committee 11th April 2011

Here are some questions about Swansea LSB

1. What is it?

2. Who’s on it?

3. Where did it come from?

4. What does it do?

5. What has it achieved?

6. What are the challenges?

7. What next?

1. What exactly is a Local Service Board?

Welsh councils describe their LSBs differently

a voluntary arrangement

an executive board

a collection of public and voluntary sector leaders

a non-statutory collaborative body working collectively

the local leadership team

a problem solving group

The Welsh Assembly Government says:

Local Service Boards are where the leaders of local public and third sector organisations come together to take collective action to ensure public services are effective and citizen focussed.

WAG also says:

LSBs are not separate and formal institutions. They should not therefore be seen as distinct delivery mechanisms in themselves. They do not replace the statutory responsibilities of local authorities or the established accountabilities of public bodies and other partners, whether devolved or non-devolved.

LSB’s Frequently asked questions Nov 2009

Swansea Council describes its LSB like this:

“Swansea's Local Service Board is a problem solving group which includes the leaders of Swansea's main service providers as well as representatives of the Voluntary and Business sectors and the Welsh Assembly Government.”

2. Who is on Swansea’s LSB?

There are 22 LSB members

• Four are Councillors

• Six are chairs of Strategic partnerships

• Seven represent the Council

• The Leader of the Council is the Chair

• The Vice Chair will be from a partner agency

12 organisations are on the LSB

Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board

City & County of Swansea

Environment Agency Wales

Gower College Swansea

Job Centre Plus

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service

Swansea Council for Voluntary Services

Swansea Business Forum

Swansea Metropolitan University

Swansea University

Welsh Assembly Government

South Wales Police

Six strategic partnerships are represented

Swansea Economic Regeneration Partnership

Safer Swansea Partnership

Swansea CYP Executive Board

Swansea Environment Forum

Health Challenge Swansea

Swansea Learning Partnership

Everyone has signed up to a Partnership Agreement

3. Where Did Swansea LSB Come From?

In 2006 Sir Jeremy Beecham recommended reform

WAG responded later that year

“We will insist that services for people are more joined up and that the Assembly works more closely with the important service delivery organisations like local councils.”

Sue Essex AM

November 2006: Delivering Beyond Boundaries

The LSB concept was revealed soon after

“We are developing the Local Service Board model in a new way - concentrating on outcomes and encouraging the local partners to design the structures and processes that fit the problems we are trying to solve.”

Sue Essex AM  

January 2007: Local Service Boards in Wales

In Swansea, consultation and engagement took place

• Discussions with 15 groups including all of the main partnerships

• Consultation between December 2007 and February 2008

• Scrutiny looked at governance issues and took evidence from WAG and the Wales Audit Office

The proposal for Swansea’s LSB was agreed by Council in 2008

The Swansea model had some boxes to tick

Build on existing structures – no new bodies

Tackle existing priorities – those already in the Community Strategy

Make a difference through projects

4. What Does Swansea LSB Actually Do?

Swansea LSB focuses on projects

The Local Service Board aims to tackle a small number of service delivery issues. These are typically issues where there is a high number of providers and where citizens may find services confusing and difficult to access. These are also issues which are important to the community but which have proved difficult to resolve.

The LSB has adopted six projects in total

Former Projects• Young People Not in Education, Employment or Training• Consultation and Engagement

Current Projects• Economic Inactivity• Early Prevention & Intervention • Building Neighbourhood Partnerships • Low Carbon

This is how the projects are managed

LOCAL SERVICE BOARD•Monitor progress •Problem solver•Responds to issues that could inhibit delivery

Strategic Partnership•Identify issues / problems that need to go to the LSB•Lead the delivery of the project•Direct the work of the project board

Scrutiny Board•Review progress•Consider citizen perspective•Act as a ‘critical friend’

Individual Organisation

Decision-Making Procedures

LSB Project Boards•Project manage •Engage citizens and communities•Improve co-ordination of services•Contribute to delivering the Community Strategy

5. What has Swansea LSB achieved?

The projects have made a difference for example…

Employment opportunities

Information sharing

Team around the family

NEETs Research & Information

Family Learning Signature Training

Consultation database

Police resources in city centre

Coordination ofNEETs work

It has changed the way that partners work

By 2015, around £750k of grant will have been drawn down

Early Intervention project team

Team around the family

Communities First Links

NEETs project team

Early Intervention research

Consultation database

NEETsresearch

Family Learning Signature

6. What are the challenges?

The democratic deficit is still a concern

It’s not democratically accountable

WAG is trying to take power away from

elected councillors

Councillors don’t know what is happening with the

LSB

Nothing is reported back

Where is the scrutiny?

Priorities are being set away from the Council

Communication and engagement could be better

How informed do you feel about the work

of the BSP/LSB?

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

Very Informed

Farily Informed

Fairly Uninformed

Very Uninformed

Percentage

2009

2010

How informed do you feel about the work of the Better

Swansea Partnership/Local Service Board?

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

Very Informed

Farily Informed

Fairly Uninformed

Very Uninformed

Percentage

2009

2010

Councillors

Staff

People aren’t sure the LSB has made a difference

Councillors (47)2010(%)

2009 (%)

Strongly agree 6 4

Tend to agree 38 51

Tend to disagree 30 22

Strongly disagree 15 8

Council Staff (156)2010(%)

2009(%)

Strongly agree 0 1

Tend to agree 28 32

Tend to disagree 45 41

Strongly disagree 10 9

Do you agree that the Better Swansea Partnership/Local Service Board has made a real difference for Swansea?

7. What Next?

A greater focus on innovation and efficiency?

More effective scrutiny?

A new agenda from a new WAG?

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Swansea Local Service Board: Seven Questions

Partnership Overview & Scrutiny Committee 11th April 2011