Agenda item

To receive a presentation, including initial feedback from the elected Member briefing sessions on place based working that have been held to date.

The Cabinet Member for HR and Reform led a presentation updating the Board on progress made to date in developing the Council’s Place Based approach to service delivery based in five Areas or ‘Clusters’ in conjunction with partners in the public and voluntary sectors.  The need to develop integration of services was put in a context of budget challenge over coming years that would be exacerbated by the impacts of Covid.  Difficult challenges would be faced taking the approach forward, with Council staffing and budgets not increasing and cuts being most likely.  It was clear that Council would not look the same in five years time.

The Strategic Director introduced the presentation that reflected on progress made to date in developing the approach and defined the features and characteristics of Place Based Integration in Oldham.  It was noted that examples of good practice could be identified across the five identified areas, notably around the health and social care sectors, reflecting accelerated work undertaken as a result of Covid-19.  Notwithstanding, it was recognised that there was still some way to go to join up and deliver across the system, and a number of key activities being led by senior Council Officers were highlighted.  Considering the Place Based approach in responding to the financial challenge, examples of a number of costs and benefits considered in developing a Business Case were presented.

Resources for the five Areas would be targeted by using evidence-based profiles, and headline profiles for each of the five areas were presented.  Operational leadership and the democratic roles within the five Areas was considered.  Early thinking on the composition and the roles and responsibilities of Operational Leadership Teams, which would include representation from across partners and sectors and which were subject to further discussion with partners, was presented.  The roles of elected Members within the Place Based approach was currently under consideration via a number of elected Member briefings, initial feedback from which was provided.

In responding to questions from Members, it was advised that the new structure should enhance responses to issues raised as services were intended to be more connected: this would be through making better use of the people we have, not through employing more staff.  The diversity of need between the five Areas was recognised, as was the possible need for differing partners to be involved between areas.  It was envisaged that there would be a ‘Core Team’, but importantly there would be services unique to the particular Area.  There would in time be a need for a Communications Strategy but there remained some detailed design work to be done.  It was however recognised that some developments would come sooner than others so an incremental approach to communications could be seen.

Issues were raised with regard to the voluntary sector whose importance as an integral part of the system was noted.  It was suggested that there were issues of support and training to consider, as well as the failure of Community Asset Transfer.  Reference was made to a previous overview and scrutiny consideration of related matters that might be referred to in this regard.  Considering the financial challenge, there were questions around funding that groups and organisations could bring into the Areas but which would require support in the form of advice and assistance with the writing of bids.  It was confirmed that the integral nature of the voluntary sector was recognised, and this was visible from the presentation content and in the vital role played in the Covid response.  It was noted that funding issues were considered within the Thriving Communities Update item elsewhere on the Board agenda, but the Board was advised that work was being undertaken with Action Together to look strategically at how funds are brought into the Borough.

The role and capacity of elected Members was raised, including the support that might be needed and be available.  It was acknowledged that Members would need administrative and casework support and that there was a need to consider the most effective model for this while acknowledging that the needs of individual Members would vary. 

The Board noted the draft timeline and milestones for delivery in 2021 that had been shared in the presentation, considering when the Board might usefully receive a further update.  In considering a proposal that the update would most usefully be made in 12 months time when scrutiny could undertake a whole system review, it was noted that this should not preclude the Board from asking for an earlier update or being consulted on a particular matter should circumstances so dictate, and that discussions would be ongoing with elected Members at the local level.

RESOLVED that

1.            the update on the development of the Place Based Model be noted;

2.            a further update be provided in 12 months time.