Issue - meetings

11.20

This report provides an update with regards to the progress of the joint working partnership between Oxfordshire County and Cherwell District Councils. 

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to note the report and progress made through the Partnership.

The report was introduced by Claire Taylor.  With Councillor Ian Corkin, Cabinet Member for the Cherwell Partnership, she responded to Members’ questions as follows:

·         The Cherwell-South Northamptonshire joint working saved £15-20m which could not have been achieved by outsourcing for example.

·         The lessons learned include tackling IT issues early – these are likely to be more challenging in the CDC/OCC partnership.

·         Joint working is seen as normal now by CDC staff.  Supporting staff is key to the process.

·         CDC staff are excited at the possibilities offered by a stronger relationship between housing and social care.

·         The partnership and transformation programmes are being integrated to avoid double-change.  The main challenge is with the capacity to do both.

·         Table 2 on Agenda Page 22 is not a complete list of joint working between council – there are hundreds of examples.

·         Partnership working doesn’t just deliver greater efficiencies but improves effectiveness too.

·         Looking at the models of joint working outlined in Table 1 on Agenda Page 22, the partnership is currently somewhere between models 1 and 2 but the ambition so to achieve model 3.

RESOLVED: to note the report and progress made through the Partnership.

Cabinet Member: Leader

Forward Plan Ref: 2019/039

Contact: Claire Taylor, Interim Assistant Chief Executive, Transformation Tel: 07919 367072 

Report by Assistant Chief Executive (Interim) (CA7).

The report provides an update with regards to the progress of the joint working partnership between Cherwell District and Oxfordshire County Councils. 

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)      note the report attached at appendix 1.

(b)   endorse the recommendations in the report (appendix 1) and agree (subject to agreement by Cherwell District Council Executive) to establish a project team to develop the next phase of partnership working.

Recommendations agreed.

Cabinet had before them an update on the progress of the joint working partnership between Cherwell District and Oxfordshire County Councils. 

Councillor Liz Brighouse, Opposition Leader commented that this piece of work had not been going very long but was having an enormous impact on Oxfordshire and its residents. The work showed local government at its best with two councils coming together to grow and develop. The last meeting of the Partnership Working Group had been exciting with real examples of how things could be different. Councillor Brighouse stated that her Group wanted to work hard with Cabinet and others to see something special not only for Oxfordshire, but more widely given the challenges faced by local government.

Councillor Ian Hudspeth agreed that exciting joint working was taking lace referring to the work between housing and adult social care. It was vital that the focus be on the best outcomes for residents.

Councillor Ian Corkin, Cabinet Member for Cherwell partnership introduced the contents of the report and moved the recommendations.

During discussion Cabinet commended the work taking place which was exciting and unique. The regular updates following the Partnership Working Groups were welcomed. Councillor Corkin added that following the review he intended that the work would move into the mainstream governance arrangements and monitoring would sit with the usual scrutiny arrangements. He was happy to consider the provision of an annual report.

RESOLVED:             to:

(a)      note the report attached at appendix 1.

(b)      endorse the recommendations in the report (appendix 1) and agree (subject to agreement by Cherwell District Council Executive) to establish a project team to develop the next phase of partnership working.