Partnership Work 2011/12

Shropshire Council and the VCS Assembly are currently working together through a number of task groups established to overcome some of the challenges currently impacting upon the public sector and VCS. The work includes a focus on the implications of the Decentralisation and Localism Bill and the Big Society agenda. This page includes a statement known as the Joint Communique established to set the foundation for this joint work and copies of meeting papers for the groups established.

There is a leading group named the VCS Task Group. This is comprised Shropshire Council's Chief Executive, Senior Managers from Shropshire Council, Elected Members and VCS Assembly Representatives nominated by the VCS Assembly Board.

Working to this main group are three sub groups focusing on:
     - Commissioning
     - Performance
     - Community Right to Buy and Community Right to Challenge

Each group includes Shropshire Council and VCS representatives working to consider national policy and identify and deliver projects and initiatives at the local level.

Joint Communique

A copy of the Joint Communique is attached below. It includes the committment to:

• Explore ways to ensure Shropshire has a thriving Civil Society, best able to respond to future needs, demands and funding 
• Develop a shared understanding and approach to exploring the potential from the new powers emerging from the Localism Bill, ensuring Shropshire communities are well prepared to benefit
• Create a new commissioning framework to guide the relationship between the VCS and Council, and as a basis for negotiation with other public sector commissioners, including the forthcoming model for healthcare
• Foster an open and transparent culture of data sharing - both financial and in performance terms, as a basis for negotiating this new relationship
• Explore means of ensuring a measured and pragmatic approach to asset transfer, recognising the need for timely and adequate capacity building to enable long term, high quality service delivery
• Identify demonstration projects as a means of illustrating practical examples of what works and what needs to change in future.

 Joint Communique (22.47KB)

The VCS Leads for the Sub Groups are as follows:

• Commissioning - Anne Seymour.  Anne can be contacted on 01948 841446
• Performance - Hilary McGlynn and Rosemary Collie. Email contact details McGlynn.H@shropshirelg.net   rosemarycollie@yahoo.com
• Right to Buy and Right to Challenge - Bob Morgan.  Bob can be contacted on 01743 354007

Please see the seperate sub pages for more detailed information about the above groups.