Introduction to Local Area Agreements

What is a local area agreement?

A local area agreement (LAA) is a three year agreement between government and a local area. It is negotiated by the local authority (in Oxfordshire's case, the county council) on behalf of the Oxfordshire Partnership and the Government Office for the South East on behalf of central government.

Local area agreements contain a range of improvement targets which are based on local and national outcomes. These targets are agreed by negotiation with the Government Office.

Outcomes are delivered jointly in partnership giving local areas greater responsibility for delivery of priority outcomes.

Why is the LAA important?

• It gives us the opportunity to make local delivery more effective
• It provides us with greater freedom and flexibility to join up budgets and services
• It allows better use of resources through greater pooling of localised funding streams
• Central government direction is reduced
• It reduces bureaucracy
• In future it will form part of the Comprehensive Area Assessment

Incentives

In the first LAA Pump priming grant of over £1 million is available to help 'kick-start' projects whose outcomes we have agreed to stretch our performance.

Approximately £16 million is available to us if we achieve all of our stretch targets.

We are currently waiting to find out what the plans are for pump priming and reward grant in the second generation of LAAs.

Structure

Currently Local area agreements are structured around four blocks, or subject areas. These are:

• Children and Young People
• Economic Development and the Environment (previously economic development and enterprise)
• Healthier Communities and Older People
• Safer and Stronger Communities

Each block has a lead officer who is responsible for overseeing their block which is responsible for developing, delivering and monitoring outcomes in the agreement.

In Oxfordshire the following groups link into the LAA:

• Children and Young People's Board - Mike Simm
• Economy and Enterprise Delivery Group - Dave Waller
• Oxfordshire Waste Partnership - Ian Davies
• Healthier Communities and Older People Board - Jackie Wilderspin
• Safer Communities Partnership - Nigel Strick
• Oxfordshire Voluntary Sector Development Partnership - Paul James

Public Service Board

The Public Service Board was set up by the Oxfordshire Partnership in 2005 to oversee development of the local area agreement. It is responsible for the development and delivery of our priority outcomes.

All the key public sector organisations in Oxfordshire are represented on the public service board. More information about the PSB.

Programme Board

Block leads come together through the Programme Board which meets quarterly to discuss common programme issues such as risk and performance management arrangements

Local Area Agreement team

The Oxfordshire Partnership team is responsible for managing and supporting the development and delivery of the LAA. The team works closely with colleagues from corporate performance and finance at the county council to support the LAA programme effectively. There are regular link meetings to ensure that the programme is on track and new developments are planned for.