Background
North Yorkshire County Council and Community First Yorkshire, have previously jointly led the voluntary and community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector and public sector North Yorkshire Liaison Group. The scope and agenda was being reviewed at the end of 2019, to take forward a new approach in 2020. Given the amount of emergency planning, collaboration and new structures put in place in response to Covid-19 from early 2020, it was agreed as an interim measure to suspend the group.
Throughout Covid-19 there has been increased collaboration and collective planning at all levels across North Yorkshire. Partners are keen to maintain the momentum and build on the shared learning and understanding which has developed over this period.
The overarching purpose of the Partnership is to work collaboratively towards a shared vision for community and VCSE development.
Aims:
- to develop an increased understanding of respective sector and organisational priorities and challenges
- to increase closer working and collaboration between organisations, individually and collectively
- to identify shared and joint priorities, and processes for taking action
- to establish and work to a number of principles for joint planning and co-investment.
Proposed approach
- three meetings a year
- meetings will take a theme/topic approach, with topics agreed for the year or from one meeting to the next
- North Yorkshire County Council to provide administration
- Chair - Jane Colthup, Chief Executive, Community First Yorkshire and Neil Irving, North Yorkshire County Council and/or lead officer relevant to the topic.
Meeting structure:
- scene setting briefing/s on the theme/topic, with issues identified for discussion, from relevant partners
- general observations
- discussion of specific issues highlighted in any context papers from the sharing of observations
- agree collective/collaborative actions.
Task and finish groups will be encouraged to take forward particular actions.
The group will have links with and routes into strategic and leadership structures, for example:
- Chief Executives' Group - North Yorkshire and York – dependent on topic
- North Yorkshire VCSE Leaders group and other VCSE structures relevant to the topic
- NYCC Health and Adult Services Transformation Board
- Humber Coast and Vale (HCV) Health and Care Partnership VCSE Leadership Group and York and North Yorkshire HCV Partnership
- Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Social Inclusion and Skills, communities and environment structures
- Other relevant partnership structures will be dependent on the topic and messages from the meeting e.g. Cultural Group, North Yorkshire Rural Commission.
The Group will adhere to four simple principles of partnership working in North Yorkshire:
- the minimum number and simplest of partnership structures, consistent with delivering the required outcomes and statutory requirements
- a North Yorkshire and York approach to county/sub-regional partnership structures as far as possible, recognising that a degree of pragmatism will be required given the different local authority structures in North Yorkshire and York
- local partnerships, including shared community engagement arrangements, at the most appropriate local level
- the use of task and finish groups to deal with particular issues, rather than standing thematic partnerships or sub-groups.
Membership
- Up to 12 VCSE reps to be members, substitutes will be allowed
- Public sector membership from North Yorkshire County Council, district and borough councils and York and North Yorkshire CCGs, North Yorkshire Police – again aiming for 12 representatives, substitutes allowed
- members may change and additional partners be involved determined by the agenda for each meeting.
