IMPROVING LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS IN MIDDLESBROUGH

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IMPROVING LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS IN MIDDLESBROUGH

• Dinah Lane
• Middlesbrough Voluntary Development Agency
• Bren McGowan
• Middlesbrough Partnership

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WHERE WE ARE NOW
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WHERE WE ARE NOW

• Core support for Community Network NRF funded
• MVDA Planning Partnership Team
• VCS represented on
• Childrens Trust Board
• Responsible Authorities Group (Safer
  Middlesbrough Partnership)
• VCS leading Partnership projects
• New Stronger Communities Action Group
• Homophobic Transphobic hate crime theme group
  (SMP)
• Community Network Chair Vice-chair of LSP

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WHERE WE WERE
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WHERE WE WERE

• Legacy of past
• Mistrust between sectors
• Lack of understanding about VCS
• VCS poor relation junior partner amateur
• Council rich relative, senior partner
  professional provider
• Middlesbrough time warp
• Pockets of good practice

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CHALLENGES FOR THE PARTNERSHIP

• Lack of clearly expressed vision common
  purpose
• Priorities based around themes rather than
  overall needs assessment
• Variable engagement of partners at different
  levels

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CHALLENGES FOR VCS

• Lack of cohesion within sector
• Lack of understanding about VCS beyond sector
• Newness of MVDA
• Capacity to engage
• Culture of learned helplessness

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WORKING WITHIN LAA

• Buy-in at a senior level in public sector
• VCS Capacity ability to deliver
• Staying power
• Risk-taking
• Playing to VCS strengths -Stronger Communities
• Be proactive

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LEARNING POINTS

• Need to influence the agenda, not just respond to
  it
• Clear brief needed
• Agreed and understood - process
• Keep channels of communication open especially
  when things get difficult
• Build allies everywhere
• Know the wood from the trees

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THINGS WE WOULD KEEP

• Development of the separate Stronger Communities
  theme
• VCS reference group for LAA
• Dedicated staff resource
• Work towards bigger picture
• Flexibility and openness
• Raised expectations of VCS involvement

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THINGS WE WOULD CHANGE

• Clearer definition of process roles and
  responsibilities
• Overall timescale
• Clearer timeframe for project work
• Muddling through
• and..

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AND....

• The producers of Location, Location, Location

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BRIDGING THE DIVIDE