Joint Work - Fit for the Future

05 Aug 2010

East Midlands Councils, in partnership with East Midlands Regional Improvement and Efficiency partnership commissioned 'Fit for the Future' study to help local authorities share good practice in response to the recession. This project has been overseen by a small Advisory Board comprising:

Cllr Jim Harker, Leader, Northamptonshire County Council (Conservative)
Cllr Martin Hill, Leader Lincolnshire County Council (Conservative)
Cllr Robert Parker, Lincolnshire County Council (Labour)
Cllr David Perkins, Northampton Borough Council (Liberal Democrat)

The report has been based on interviews with the Head of Economic Development, or equivalent, in every Council in the East Midlands, interviews with a range of non-local authority partners and analysis of the impact of the recession and the potential impact of reductions in public sector employment on the East Midlands. It includes the following case studies:

- Derby City Council's ‘Trains, Planes and Automobiles' research into the key sectors underpinning manufacturing in the City
- Bassetlaw District Council's joined up local and small business based response to the recession
- Leicestershire County Council and Leicester City Council's Total Place pilot
- Nottingham City Council's ‘Whole Council' corporate response to the recession
- East Lindsey District Council's Courts Service; a family based service supporting individuals at risk of losing their home developed   specifically in response to the recession
- The iCon centre in Daventry, a national centre of excellence in construction offering opportunities around construction during the recession

The report finds that the recession hit communities and businesses increased demand for services and its impact on public finances has increased the pressure on Councils' budgets. Councils across the region have undertaken a huge range and variety of activity to support communities and business to recover from the recession. Activity ranged from small projects to ambitious multi-agency partnerships. Not everything that Councils have done has been universally effective, but all Councils have responded. The report does not identify one approach to supporting the local economy that would be replicable in every area, but we have uncovered a wealth of good practice that every Council can learn from.

Economic circumstances and the challenges Councils face continue to change and Councils will continue to develop new and innovative ways of responding. This report can only be a snapshot at one point in time. There is scope for local authorities to work together to continue to share good practice in supporting local economies.

Leading the Way by Working Together

28 Jul 2010

The second edition of this annual report shows how local government is working together, and with its partners, to improve services for local people.

This publication provides evidence that, as a sector, local government is ready to take on the increased freedom and responsibility of decentralisation and a more locally accountable performance framework. It is a celebration of how local government has worked together to lead improvement in recent times, supported by:

Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnerships (RIEPs)
Local Government Improvement and Development
Local Government Leadership
Local Government Regulation
Local Government Employers
Local Partnerships.

It is an acknowledgement of how far local government have come over the past year. It provides a flavour of what can be achieved by sharing our collective expertise, learning from each other and looking more widely to form place-based partnerships with other service providers.

EM IEP Support for Making Efficiencies and Transforming Services

13 Jul 2010

The economic outlook remains bleak, with local authorities expecting substantial cuts in government funding. Authorities will need to do 'more for less', taking difficult decisions in order to make vital efficiency savings. In such challenging times, we can't just wait to see what happens; we must act now to improve and strengthen pubic services. But you don't need to do it on your own. The East Midlands Improvement and Efficiency Partnership (EM IEP) exists to support authorities, with a wide range of projects and initiatives. This short document explains how the EM IEP can help authorities make efficiency savings and transform their services. I commend this support to you and your authority.

Councillor Martin Hill, OBE
Leader of Lincolnshire County Council and Chair of the East Midlands Improvement and Efficiency Partnership (EM IEP) Board

EM IEP Improvement Prospectus

13 Jul 2010

Working through the East Midlands Improvement and Efficiency Partnership (EM IEP) authorities have been given the opportunity to manage their own improvement.
The EM IEP is driving forward service improvement, focussing on supporting local authorities to build capacity and to foster innovation and collaborative working.  This short document explains how the EM IEP is helping authorities meet this challenge. The East Midlands Improvement and Efficiency Partnership (EM IEP) is a partnership of all 46 councils and 5 fire & rescue authorities in the region,led by elected Members. It aims to bring lasting improvements to our area and has a budget of just over £35 million over three years to do exactly that. To help make sure that local needs are being met, £19 million of the budget is devolved to five Sub-Regional Partnerships (SRPs) - Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire & Rutland. The money will be used to support the delivery of efficiency savings and service improvements as well as helping struggling councils or services. The partnership will provide local authorities with support to enable them to reach these targets in ways that will benefit their communities. This document is divided into two sections - the first presenting the support that is available regionally, the second presenting the projects being funded by each of the SRPs.

Councillor Martin Hill, OBE
Leader of Lincolnshire County Council and Chair of the East Midlands Improvement and Efficiency Partnership (EM IEP) Board

EM IEP Annual Report 2009-10 Out Now!

01 Jul 2010

Local authorities are faced with delivering services in the context of high public expectations and increased fiscal tightening. In many cases this means real-term funding reductions, with local government needing to demonstrate value for money. Councils and local partnerships need to find new ways of responding to these challenges by maintaining and improving the quality of services they provide.

Member engagement and leadership is placed at the very heart of the East Midlands Improvement and Efficiency Partnership (EM IEP) governance arrangements. Elected members have built a strong, shared vision for the region coordinating and supporting  collaborative working, leading to better outcomes and more value for money at a regional and sub-regional level.

To date, the East Midlands Improvement and Efficiency Partnership has received £35.6m from the government and partners, which has provided the opportunity and challenge for local authorities, across the region, to manage their own improvement. The EM IEP is supporting councils to respond to this opportunity and challenge by investing £19m in five sub regional programmes and £14m in regional programmes.

I am delighted to introduce our Annual Report, which provides an overview of progress to date and the challenges that lie ahead. Efficiency projects, funded by the EM IEP, are predicting benefits of £217m over 5 years, with £35m delivered to date. There has also been significant investment in collaborative working and 'area based' activity.

The third year of our programme will include support for a number of projects based on the 'Total Place' concept. These projects will explore how local authorities can work more effectively with partners at a local level, cutting out duplication, sharing resources and targeting their combined effort more effectively for the benefit of their customers.

The EM IEP is celebrating and sharing the 'best practice' identified by the Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) green flags across the region and working closely with local authorities to address the red flags and other identified performance issues. This 'Sector Led Support' is being provided through existing programmes and by working in partnership with the IDeA, Audit Commission and the East Midlands Government Office (GOEM), acting as a regional 'hub' to enable local authorities to access 'Sector-Led Support' when required.

Best wishes

Councillor Martin Hill, OBE
Chair of the EM IEP Board and Leader of Lincolnshire County Counci

A Guide to the East Midlands Improvement and Efficiency Partnership

19 May 2010

A short leaflet explaining who the East Midlands Improvement and Efficiency Partnership (EM IEP) is and it's objectives. The leaflet also contains details of key EM IEP contacts.

EM IEP Interim Report - January 2010

09 Apr 2010

This report is full of information about the money being saved in the region as a result of improvement and efficiency projects taking place.

EM IEP Annual Report 2009

01 Jan 2009

Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS White Paper

01 Dec 2010

The NHS White Paper, Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS, sets out the Government's long-term vision for the future of the NHS. The vision builds on the core values and principles of the NHS - a comprehensive service, available to all, free at the point of use, based on need, not ability to pay.

It sets out how the Department of Health will:
- put patients at the heart of everything the NHS does;
- focus on continuously improving those things that really matter to patients - the outcome of their healthcare; and
- empower and liberate clinicians to innovate, with the freedom to focus on improving healthcare services

Healthy Lives, Healthy People: White Paper

01 Dec 2010

This White Paper sets out the Government's long-term vision for the future of public health in England. The aim is to create a 'wellness' service (Public Health England) and to strengthen both national and local leadership.

User Engagement Report

12 Sep 2010

This User Engagement Report maps the engagement structures in place to gather the views of 4 key groups of disadvantaged people across the East Midlands region.  The groups are:

• offenders
• people with mental health problems
• people with learning disabilities
• care leavers

The report is organised on a sub-regional basis and gives a snap-shot of structures in place in the summer of 2010.

Equality + Efficiency = Excellence

07 Jul 2010

In response to the recession and squeeze on public sector finances, Capital Ambition has been working with London authorities to deepen their understanding of the impact of the recession on London and share information on how councils are responding to the challenge. Earlier this year they produced an innovation and good practice guide called Responding to recession showcasing the actions local authorities in London are taking to help their areas through the recession.

This booklet continues to build on this work showcasing local perspectives on tackling inequality for greater efficiency. It provides innovative and practical examples of how authorities have been promoting equality to deliver efficient and effective everyday services.

The Audit Commission is clear that promoting equality and tackling discrimination is central to their core role of assessing whether public services provide value for money. Councils and their partners will be judged in the Comprehensive Area Assessment upon how well they understand the local impact of the recession and are responding to mitigate the impact on their communities and prepare for the upturn. This booklet is intended to kick start local and Londonwide thinking on how equality and efficiency is reconciled to deliver excellent and effective public services.

East Midland’s Police Forces- Steps to becoming an equality purchaser, Guidance for Contractors and Suppliers

07 Jul 2010

 This Steps to becoming an equality purchaser, Guidance for Contractors and Suppliers is an example of good practice around the equalities and diversity and procurement agenda. This East Midlands Forces are committed to providing an excellent service in all that we do. We desire to have a national reputation that is second to none. We fully acknowledge our influence as a positive force for good within communities and our ability to build community cohesion, provide re-assurance and tackle criminality.

Delivering through people: The Local Government Workforce Strategy

07 Jul 2010

The strategy aims to support councils in achieving the skilled, motivated, flexible and diverse workforces they need to deliver value for money services that make a difference to the communities they serve.

Equality, Diversity and the Procurement Process: A guide for Contractors, Suppliers and Consultants

07 Jul 2010

Leed City Council demonstrates good practice in integrating equality and diversity principles into their procurement practices.

Leeds is a cosmopolitan city. It is a city of many cultures, languages, races, religions and lifestyles. It is a welcoming city to immigrants and there is a mix of very different neighbourhoods. Despite this there is still evidence of unfair discrimination against people because of their race, faith, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation or lifestyle. Equality is about treating people fairly and ensuring that we do not unfairly discriminate against particular individuals, groups or communities. Diversity is about understanding that each individual is unique and will have different experiences, expectations and needs.

Leeds City Council spends millions of pounds every year on contracts with private and voluntary organisations for goods, works and services. All groups in our communities have a right to expect that public money is spent on local services, which suit their needs. And that it is spent in a way which promotes equality of opportunity and delivers high quality goods and services. Promoting equality and diversity through procurement is important and it is considered as an integral part of the contract. Where one or more of the council’s functions is carried out by an external contractor, the council remains responsible for ensuring discrimination does not occur. Contractors themselves must not discriminate, but they do not have the same legal obligation to promote equality of opportunity. So the council builds relevant equality considerations into the procurement process to ensure that contractor meet our requirements.

This guidance document explains the different ways that the council addresses equality and diversity issues in the procurement process. If you need further guidance in any of these areas please do not hesitate to contact the Procurement Unit

Equality Impact Assessment Form

07 Jul 2010

Leicestershire Constabulary demonstrate good practice in a simple Equality Impact Assessment Form.

Public Procurement: A valuable tool for equality

07 Jul 2010

Public Procurement: A Valuable Tool for Equality has been published by the Equality and Diveristy Forum.

Very useful guide describing how equalities fits into procurement, laws regulatiing public procurement, the power of public procurement and value for money issuses.

Tackling Violence against Women and Girls: A Guide to Good Practice Communications

07 Jul 2010

This guidance is intended to support communicators in their work to deliver the national strategy and all communications in the area of violence against women. Campaign and other activity must take conscious steps not to contradict the aims and beliefs contained in the strategy.

Equality and diversity communities of practice (CoPs)

07 Jul 2010

Communities of practice support professional networking across local government and the public sector. These communities of practice (CoPs) enable practitioners and staff working with the Equality Framework for Local Government (EFLG) and other related equality issues to share experience and good practice.

CLICK HERE to access CoPs

Mainstreaming Equality Impact Assessments (EqIAs)- IDeA Case Study

07 Jul 2010

Norfolk County Council and Central Bedfordshire Council have been looking at ways to address some of the barriers to mainstreaming their approach to EqIAs. The work demonstrates how an evidence-based, systematic approach to EqIAs helps to deliver excellent services for all, assist with preparation for a comprehensive area assessment (CAA) inspection and shift organisational culture to the next level.

CLICK HERE to read more