Background We are committed to working with partners in many different areas. Partnerships are a significant feature of delivering high quality public services. Flexibility, innovation and many other benefits allow partnerships to address issues that individual organisations could not tackle alone.
The council is involved in many partnerships and our involvement is guided by the corporate partnership framework which sets out our strategy for the way we work in partnership.
Strategic partnerships
At the highest level sits the South Gloucestershire partnership our local strategic partnership (SGP). The partnership brings together many different organisations to work with the community to identify and tackle key issues in a more co-ordinated way which enables both strategic decisions and local action. Members of the partnership come from voluntary and community groups, local businesses, the council and other public sector agencies.
Under the SGP sit five themed strategic partnerships:
- Children and young people
- Health and well-being
- Environment
- Economy and skills
- Communities
Below these strategic partnerships sit locality or further themed partnerships.
The purpose, aims and functions are set out in the partnership frameworks for each partnership. These have been approved and adopted by each partnership and are contained in the council’s constitution. They can be found through the links contained in the constitution under the local democracy page.
Each partnership produces an annual report on its work and achievements which is issued to all organisations represented on the partnership.
The sustainable community strategy
The sustainable community strategy is the driver for the local area agreement. Its purpose is to set out a strategic vision. The strategy reflects the views of, and is approved by all partners on the SGP.
The strategy aims to find the best ways of meeting today’s requirements without damaging the ability of future generations to meet their needs and is committed to making sure that in 2026 South Gloucestershire is a place where everyone is fulfilling their potential and experiencing an excellent quality of life. It is supported by clear priorities set against seven themes that will make the vision a reality.
This strategy is currently being updated in response to the new opportunities and challenges presented by local and national policy and socio-economic change. It will be used to meet the needs and deliver the aspirations of local people, maintaining the area as ‘a great place to live and work’.
The consultation on the draft strategy runs from 6th September 2011 until 18th November 2011 – please get involved and let us know what you think the priorities of the area are by
view the draft strategy and completing the online survey by clicking the link in 'Have your say' (you can also skip directly to the survey by clicking the link in the 'Do it now' section)
requesting and completing a hard copy (to be returned FREEPOST), or
by writing to *FREEPOST PLUS RRZE - CTRG - TJLJ The South Gloucestershire Partnership, Council Offices, Castle Street, Thornbury BS35 1HF.
If you would like a hard copy or have any questions about the survey or the consultation please ring the Strategic Partnerships and Planning team on 01454 863868.
Local area agreement
The local area agreement (LAA) is an agreement between the council, government and partner agencies to deliver the key priorities within the locality. It is ‘owned’ by the SGP which is responsible for developing and monitoring the LAA.
The LAA contains targets within it. The monitoring and achievement of these targets is the responsibility of the appropriate strategic partnership listed above and the appropriate partner agencies. Achievement of these targets will contribute to the improvement of South Gloucestershire’s quality of life.