As well as dealing with the organisational and service delivery changes that reorganisation will involve, the county faces a number of key challenges including:
- poor economic performance
- low levels of income
- worklessness
- employability
- high levels of young people not in education, employment or training
- poor health
- high levels of teenage pregnancy
- housing affordability
- poor educational performance at Key Stage 2
- accessibility of public transport.
We provide support to the county in dealing with these challenges by providing advice, guidance and support to local partners.
Local government reorganisation
We have and continue to build and maintain relationships with the Northumberland County Council senior management, Joint Implementation Team management and work streams.
We also participate in Northumberland Strategic Partnership (NSP) Board meetings, which include discussions on the new structures, area partnerships and the community forum's working arrangements.
We also:
- observe full county council meetings
- participate in local consultation events and workshops
- sit on the Independent Commission of Northumberland and the national Joint Implementation Team
- liaise with Communities and Local Government.
Local area agreements (LAA)
We have negotiated 35 evidence-based designated national indicators with Northumberland County Council and Northumberland Strategic Partnership (NSP) for the new LAA 2008-11.
We participate in the Northumberland Coordination and Implementation Group, NSP Board and Executive meetings and the three new area partnership meetings.
We also:
- communicate local views and intelligence to colleagues and liaise with all government departments
- maintain close working relationships with the Audit Commission on place shaping and comprehensive area assessment
- build links with the Tyne and Wear City Region Multi Area Agreement to help deliver improved economic prosperity in Northumberland.
Partnerships
We are building and maintaining effective working relationships with our partners and stakeholders across all our priorities and themes including:
- Northumberland County Council
- NSP (including thematic partnerships)
- area partnerships in North Northumberland, South East Northumberland and West Northumberland
- community forums and parish councils
- Berwick’s Future Steering Group
- Improving Croft and Cowpen Quay
- Northumberland Community Safety Strategy Group plus new Safer Northumberland Partnership
- Families and Children's Trust (FACT)
- South East Northumberland and North Tyneside Regeneration Initiative (SENNTRi)
- Northumberland Voluntary Community Sector Consortium.
Performance management
We continue to monitor the performance of local area agreements against agreed targets and continue partnership work to strengthen existing arrangements.
We facilitate performance improvement through locality knowledge, policy expertise and best practice.
We carry out an annual review and refresh to:
- assess performance
- agree evidence-based changes to indicators where needed
- review and agree milestones
- seek to remove barriers to performance improvement.
We also contribute to the review of the sustainable community strategy.
Data interchange hub
We use the hub as a secure mechanism for data interchange between local authorities, partnerships and government departments on national indicator baselines and targets.
For more information contact:
Andrew Cartwright
0191 202 3570
andrew.cartwright@gone.gsi.gov.uk
