Warrington Partnership

1. Warrington Partnership Steve Cullen 3rd Sector Representative

2. The Warrington Partnership is a local strategic partnership ( LSP) It is a collection of key public, private and third sector organisations from across Warrington. We develop plans and work together to help improve and shape Warrington�s future. One of our main tasks has been to develop a Sustainable Community Strategy following consultation with partners stakeholders and residents.

3. Due to the size and nature of its work the Partnership splits the work between different groups. Partnership Board:- is the visioning group, charged with consulting the local community and local businesses. Able to call on experts from different fields e.g. Older People, Children, Community Safety, Transport, Disability, Faith, 3rd Sector etc.

4. Delivery Board:- is focused on making sure that agreed actions actually happen. Membership is in the main Chief Executives from Public Sector with one representative from the Private Sector and one from the 3rd Sector. Members can bring to the table some of the major resources and can pull together and monitor Local Agreements.

5. Thematic Groups:- help the Partnership to target work on specific projects and issues. Four thematic groups meet; Children and Young Peoples Trust Healthier Communities and Older People Safer and Stronger Communities Transport, Enterprise and Economic Development.

6. Community Network:- The Partnership links in to a number of partnership organisations within and outside of Warrington. This network plays a key role in the work of the Partnership and provides a voice for the 3rd Sector, who not only deliver services, but more importantly to influence and shape local policies and priorities.

7. Neighbourhood Management Boards:- Provide an effective way of working at a local level, involving residents, service providers and community representatives.

8. Warrington has a very vibrant and diverse 3rd Sector 1100 voluntary, community or faith organisations. Over 22000 volunteers and many vital service providers and support groups. 23% of residents use a service or facility provided by the sector. 97% said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the service/facility used.

9. The 3rd Sector is a vital partner, not only for the delivery of services, but for the expertise we bring to the table. We are often much closer to the most vulnerable in our communities. We are a vital link to those hard to reach individuals and groups who need to be heard. We are the key to meaningful engagement.

10. A major ambition for us all is to improve the health and well being, social inclusion, quality of life and happiness of our residents. We need to develop social capital in local communities. Easier said than done when funders are overly focussed on hard outcomes and measures.

11. If you work in the field of social care, housing, health and disability, children and young people, or faith based projects you will be changing lives in ways which few funders or policy makers fully appreciate. How do you measure growth in self esteem? How do you put a value on independence? How do you calibrate hope?

12. How do we measure soft outcomes? Those changes in individual capacity and quality of life to which crude numbers and statistics will never do justice. In reality it is what we do best. The answer is to work in Partnership. To inform and influence funders and policy makers to develop new measures and tools to capture these benefits. To ensure that services are designed and resourced to meet the needs of those who need them most. It is why we are active members of The Warrington Partnership.