Kent
Thameside Local Strategic Partnership
(LSP) Terms of Reference
1.0 Role
The partnership's primary role is to drive forward and oversee the development of a Community Strategy for the people of Kent Thameside. This will mean focusing the activity of all the organisations involved to address the aspirations and priorities of Kent Thameside's communities, present and future.
2.0 Geographical Area
The area encompassed by Gravesham and Dartford Borough Councils is to be covered by the LSP.
3.0 Objectives
"To improve the quality of life of the people of Kent Thameside
by involving all key stakeholders and communities in the development
of a vision for the area and in the co-ordinated implementation
of agreed programmes of action to achieve that vision"
Strategic Objectives:
- To keep under review a structure for the Kent Thameside Local Strategic Partnership
- To deliver a community strategy for Kent Thameside, achieving consensus on the themes, focus and priorities for the area, as a basis for making the best use of the expertise and resources of organisations in Kent Thameside
- With reference to the area investment framework and other relevant strategic documents, to identify gaps in current funding and to devise means of attracting additional external funding
- To develop and maintain a detailed analytical overview of the needs of the area and to utilise this to promote the priorities for Kent Thameside
- To secure a robust framework for purposeful engagement between the Partnership, the business sector, and the voluntary and community sectors.
Consultation Objectives:
- To develop a variety of means to work with and consult local people to identify their aspirations and priorities, including faith, minority ethnic communities and other hard to reach groups
- To develop methods of partnership engagement so as to avoid consultation fatigue
- To nurture stakeholder representation on LSP and ownership of community strategy
Rationalisation Objectives:
- To agree mechanisms and processes for reviewing existing structures and partnerships with reference to the delivery of services, new project development, funding streams and the perspectives of the community
- To influence the planning and resource decisions of key partners to ensure that resources contribute to the shared objectives for Kent Thameside
4.0 Overall Partnership Structure
Executive Group - In due course will meet twice yearly but at present will meet as required. The chair for each meeting will be nominated at the previous meeting. Current members of the group are as follows:
- Kent County Council
- Dartford BC
- Gravesham BC
- North West Kent Council for Voluntary Services
- North West Kent Racial Equality Council
- Kent Thameside Association
- Kent Thameside Chamber of Commerce
- Gravesham Chamber of Commerce
- Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley Primary Care Trust
- Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust
- North Kent Police
- Greenwich University
- North West Kent College
- Learning & Skills Council
- Groundwork Kent Thameside
Themes for community strategy
- Lifelong Learning
- Health
- Safety
- Transport and development
- Jobs/Business
- Sustainable Communities
- Environment
- Housing and the Built Environment
- Lifestyle/Leisure
Suggested groups to progress each theme -
- Health - HIMP group
- Safety - LRA partnerships
- Transport and Development - Kent Thameside Association
- Remainder - Kent Thameside Joint Executive Committee working group with sub-groups convened as required on sector specific issues
Community Forum - Annual public meeting/event open to all
5.0 Flexibility
This area of work is set within a highly sensitive, politically important and constantly evolving context. The partnership will therefore have the opportunity to reconsider or review these terms of reference in 12 month's time, aiming to remain flexible and proactive so that it can respond to new initiatives, learn from mistakes and take advantage of new opportunities.
6.0 Accountability
All meetings of the local strategic partnership will be held in public and appropriately publicised. Minutes of meetings will also be made publicly available.
