Community and living

Introduction

Croydon has produced a series of case studies on aspects of the work of the Croydon Strategic Partnership. The case studies deal with the process of setting up and running a strategic partnership and its various component parts. Initially they do not deal directly with the service improvements that are resulting from this high level of partnership working. These will be illustrated at a later date.

There is not necessarily a right way or a wrong way to do many of these things - but the aspects included in these examples are those that Croydon feels have helped it with its own partnership working. Croydon hopes that other strategic partnerships will do likewise and we can thus learn from the case examples.

The case studies cover many of the aspects highlighted as issues and dilemmas for LSPs in recent research commissioned by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM), and issues highlighted in a recent study of LSPs in London.

They also cover those areas where Croydon has been featured as an example of good practice by external bodies.

Issues and dilemmas

The 'Evaluation of LSPs' conducted on behalf of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) has highlighted a number of issues and dilemmas facing LSPs.  The case study examples provide details of how Croydon is tackling these issues. The main aspects highlighted and the case study that deals with them are:

• structure and rationalising partnership, and working processes (case study 1)
• gaining ownership and commitment by partner agencies (case studies 1 and 2)
• staff resources (case study 3)
• planning frameworks (case study 4)
• establishing shared priorities (case study 4)
• effective delivery and demonstrating value (case study 5)
• communications - internal and external (case study 6)
• developing wider and successful community engagement (case study 7)
• business involvement (case study 9)
• performance monitoring and management (case study 10)
• relationship with central government (case study 10)
• accountability and local democratic issues (case study 11 and 13)
• establishing a role and purpose (case study 12)
• resources and joint funding (case study 14)
• mainstreaming and neighbourhood renewal (case study forthcoming). 

Croydon good practice examples

Croydon has been featured as an example of good practice in a number of publications, and events. These include:

• featured as an example of a partnership in the Government's guidance on local strategic partnerships (case study 1)
• beacon council status for health strategies / health partnership (case study 2)
• the IDeA identified the partnership management role as a model of good practice, and the Office of Public Management included Croydon's partnership managers in their publication on joint appointments. (case study 3)
• Croydon's health planning and its relationship with the community strategy has been identified as good practice by the Health Development Agency, National Institute of Clinical Excellence, and others. (case study 4)
• Government Office for London has featured Croydon's cultural strategy as a good practice example. (case study 5)
• Croydon's health improvement and modernisation plan has been featured as a good example of a joint strategy. (case study 5)
• report by London Churches Group highlights inclusion of faith communities in the strategy partnership. (case study 7)
• Neighbourhood Renewal Unit identified the Croydon community network as an example of good practice. (case study 7)
• business involvement in the Croydon Strategic Partnership was cited in a study of London LSPs as a model of good practice, and in a Business in the Community Publication on LSPs working with businesses. (case study 9)
• The Office of Public Management has featured Croydon's performance management of the community strategy in a study they have undertaken for the ODPM. (case study 10)
• The role Croydon Council Members play in the LSP was explained at an LSP National Conference. (case study 11)
• Croydon participated in a national LSP Learning Set on Governance and Accountability. (case study 13)
• Croydon's use of pooled resources has been used as a case study co-ordinated by the Health Development Agency on behalf of a range of agencies. (case study 14).

The Case Study Examples are:

Partnership Structures

(01) Croydon Strategic Partnership Structure
(02) Healthy Croydon Partnership
(03) Partnership Managers
(15) Safer Croydon (forthcoming)
(16) Environment and Sustainability Partnership (forthcoming)
(17) Early Years Development and Children Partnership (forthcoming)
(18) Community Legal Services Partnership (forthcoming)
(19) Lifelong Learning Partnership (forthcoming)
(20) Cultural Partnership (forthcoming)
(24) Sure Start Partnership (forthcoming)
(25) Croydon Education Business Partnership (forthcoming)
(26) Croydon Marketing and Development (forthcoming)
(27) Children and Young Peoples Partnership/Children’s Trust (forthcoming)
(28) Housing Partnerships (forthcoming) 

Strategies

(04) Community Strategy and Supporting Plans
(05) Theme Strategies

Involvement

(07) Community Involvement and Community Network
(08) Neighbourhood Partnerships
(09) Business Involvement
(11) Role of Council Members
(29) Corporate Social Responsibility (forthcoming)
(30) Professional Networks (forthcoming)

Partnership Functioning

(06) Communications Plan
(10) Performance Management
(12) Role, Purpose and Achievements
(13) Governance and Accountability
(14) Pooled Resources
(23) Protocol with Community Network (forthcoming)

Partnership Issues

(31) Neighbourhood Renewal (forthcoming)
(32) Tackling Health Inequalities (forthcoming)
(39) Civil Renewal (forthcoming)
(40) Race Equality (forthcoming)

Partnership Skills

(33) The Learning Plan (forthcoming)
(34) Partnership members skills (forthcoming)
(35) Partnership Management skills (forthcoming)
(36) Developing partnership (forthcoming)
(37) Maintaining a partnership (forthcoming)

Partnership Projects

(38) Integrated Domestic Violence Court (forthcoming)