From 1st April 2009 Bedfordshire is now covered by 2 Local Strategic Partnerships, namely:

• Central Bedfordshire Local Strategic Partnership (covering the old Districts of Mid and South Bedfordshire)
• Bedford Borough Partnership Board (the Borough of Bedford and all North Bedfordshire Communities)

CVS are part of both these partnerships and are one of the partners that represent the interests of the local voluntary and community sector.

What are Local Strategic Partnerships?

• They are Non-Statutory Bodies (which means that the Government does not require each Local Authority to develop a LSP), which brings together Public, Private, Business, Community and Voluntary Sectors. Therefore they could include County and District Councils, Parish & Town Council’s, Community Liaison Forums, Primary Care Trusts, Police Authorities, Education Authorities, Chambers of Trade, Councils for Voluntary Service or Rural Communities Charities.
• They can take strategic decisions
• They are aligned to Local Authority Boundaries.

Why do we need them?

• To improve the quality of life for local communities and this is best achieved when local organisations and people work together.
• So existing partnerships and initiatives are rationalized.
• So service delivery has a local dimension.

What do they do?

• They develop and implement Community Strategies or Plans. Whereas, the Government places no statutory obligation that an LSP should be formed it does require each local authority to develop and implement a Community Strategy under the Local Government Act 2000.
• To take forward Local Area Agreements.

 The Issues that LSP’s face: -

• Difficulties in engaging with community, voluntary and business sectors.
• Difficulties in providing an adequate level of resource to manage and co-ordinate the LSP, particularly in the case of small areas.
• Creating an LSP that is a manageable size to do business, but includes representation from all key partners.
• Getting existing partnerships to recognise the LSP as the overarching partnership.
• Dealing with partners who have boundaries that are not completely co-terminus with the LSP’s (e.g. PCT’s).
• Managing two tier LSP arrangements with separate District and County LSP’s.
• Dealing with partners who will find it difficult to provide senior level representation to all LSP’s in their area.
• Identifying clear priorities for action that have the support of all partners.
• The accountability of the LSP.
• The perception that LSP’s will be seen as yet another level of bureaucracy and another unnecessary layer of government, that bypasses elected representation in a particular area.