About Us
Our Vision
Our Vision bottom of page
Why YoHr Space?
What is the Improvement and Efficiency Partnership?
The national context
Our Vision
An environment where information and resources are shared, where discussion and challenge is encouraged, and where changes for the better are implemented quickly and effectively.
Our objective is to provide tangible support in ensuring value for money for people, through changing the way we work by design, throughout the region, making every penny we spend matter to the people in our area.
We will do this by:
- Developing and supporting a series of self-directing networks of expert practitioners throughout the region which will provide collaborative learning opportunities and drive innovation in service delivery.
- Creating an accessible, vibrant Hub, owned and governed by its members, which will offer expert advice on improvement and efficiencies.
- Encouraging a culture where diversity and challenge is welcomed and where all authorities are invited to participate and contribute, so that our overall capacity to manage change successfully is enhanced.
The focus will be to add value through collective input, shared experiences and common solutions. We will measure our successes (and learn from our experience) by consistent benchmarking, honest appraisal of what works best, and identification and active dissemination of positive outcomes.
Yorkshire and Humber have created a Space where a large and diverse group of authorities and partners can pool ideas, resources and experience, in order to improve efficiently within the region.
YoHr Space, which is hosted by Local Government Yorkshire and Humber, was launched at the region's 'Making a Difference Awards 2008' and has since been enthusiastically welcomed as a positive influence throughout the Yorkshire and Humber region.
What is the Improvement and Efficiency Partnership?
Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnerships (RIEPs) bring together existing regional centres of excellence and improvement partnerships and will be responsible for developing three-year Regional Improvement and Efficiency Strategies (RIES).
Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnerships (RIEPs) bring together existing regional centres of excellence and improvement partnerships and will be responsible for developing three-year Regional Improvement and Efficiency Strategies (RIES).
The aim of these regional strategies is to support councils and partnerships to deliver effective services and tackle demands such as tight funding settlements, higher efficiency targets, growing public expectation, increased service pressures and ambitious national priorities.
The Yorkshire and Humber RIEP budget for 2008-11 is £17.8m. An additional £1.4m of was identified by CLG (Communities & Local Government) for 2008-09 to ensure the smooth transition of Capacity Building projects into the new arrangements.
Transitional funding from CLG enabled YoHr Space to manage the transition from Capacity Building to the new RIEP structure. A full list of projects can be accessed here.
The National Context
In December 2007 the Local Government Association (LGA) and the CLG launched the National Improvement and Efficiency Strategy (NIES). The strategy sets out a framework for supporting improvement and efficiency work in local authorities over the next three years.
In December 2007 the Local Government Association (LGA) and the CLG launched the National Improvement and Efficiency Strategy (NIES). The strategy sets out a framework for supporting improvement and efficiency work in local authorities over the next three years.
Governance Structures & Members
Who's who? btmpage
YoHr Space Members Board
Partnership Delivery Group
YoHr Space Core Team
Who's who sub-regionally
YoHr Space Members Board
Cllr Tim Cheetham, Barnsley MBC
Cllr Tim Cheetham, Barnsley MBC
Cllr Mohammad Masood, Bradford MDC
Cllr Stephen Baines, Calderdale MBC
Cllr Carol Runciman, City of York Council
Cllr Chris Knowles-Fitton, Craven DC
Cllr Jonathan Wood, Doncaster MBC
Cllr Stephen Parnaby, East Riding of Yorkshire Council
Cllr Brian Philips, Hambleton DC
Cllr Andrew Jones, Harrogate BC
Cllr Sarita Bush, Hull CC
Cllr David Hall, Kirklees MC
Cllr Richard Brett, Leeds CC
Cllr Andrew De Freitas, North East Lincolnshire Council
Cllr Len Foster, North Lincolnshire Council
Cllr John Watson, North Yorkshire CC
Cllr Jane Branch, Richmondshire DC
Cllr Roger Stone, Rotherham MBC (Chair)
Cllr Robert Wainwright, Ryedale DC
Cllr Derek Bastiman, Scarborough BC
Cllr Brian Percival, Selby DC
Cllr Simon Clement-Jones, Sheffield CC
Cllr Graham Stokes, Wakefield MDC
Cllr Mick Coulson, West Yorkshire Fire Authority
Kath Lavery, Hull Primary Care Trust
TBC, Police Authority
Partnership Delivery Group
South Yorkshire Sub-region
Joanne Roney Chief Executive Wakefield Metropolitan District Council (Chair)
West Yorkshire Sub-region
Janet Waggott Chief Executive, Ryedale District Council (Vice Chair)
North Yorkshire Sub-region
Phil Coppard Chief Executive, Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council West Yorkshire Sub-region
Janet Waggott Chief Executive, Ryedale District Council (Vice Chair)
North Yorkshire Sub-region
South Yorkshire Sub-region
Nigel Pearson Chief Executive, East Riding of Yorkshire Council
Business Transformation and Humber Sub-region
Business Transformation and Humber Sub-region
Frank Duffield Chief Fire Officer, Humber Fire Authority
Fire Authorities
Fire Authorities
Peter Simpson Chief Executive, Hambleton District Council
Procurement and North Yorkshire Sub-region
Procurement and North Yorkshire Sub-region
Rob Vincent Chief Executive, Kirklees Metropolitan Council
Economic Growth and West Yorkshire Sub-region
Fraser Sampson Chief Executive, West Yorkshire Police Authority
Police Authorities
Economic Growth and West Yorkshire Sub-region
Fraser Sampson Chief Executive, West Yorkshire Police Authority
Police Authorities
Sue Proctor Director of Patient Care & Partnerships, NHS Yorks & Humber
Health
John Mothersole Chief Executive, Sheffield City Council
Climate Change and South Yorkshire Sub-region
Health
John Mothersole Chief Executive, Sheffield City Council
Climate Change and South Yorkshire Sub-region
Tony Hunter Chief Executive, North East Lincolnshire Council
JIP and Humber Sub-region
Sir Norman Bettison, Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police
Police Force
Police Force
Rebecca Baran, Assistant Director
Karen Fletcher, Co-ordinator
Amy Speight, Business Administration Apprentice
Who's who sub-regionally
Find out who's representing your sub-region on YoHr Space boards and networks.
The Humber
North Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
Checklist of engagment with YoHr Space
For general enquiries in relation to subregional representation and engaging with YoHr Space please visit the funding process page or contact us directly.
How We Work
How we work bottom of page
The YoHr Space Member Board
The Partnership Delivery Group
The YoHr Space Hub
Programme Boards
The YoHr Space Board consists of 22 senior Elected Members from all councils in the region, together with member representatives from the Police, Fire and Rescue Service, and Strategic Health Authorities. The Board facilitates the development of effective cross party relationships on matters of regional significance and Members’ involvement has been a key element in the development of the Regional Improvement and Efficiency Strategy.
Outcomes to date
- Deeper understanding and engagement of our sector led improvement agenda.
- Wider member engagement and leadership of the improvement agenda by the involvement of cabinet portfolio holders, deputy leaders and leaders.
- Engagement of all sub-regions in the regional improvement and efficiency agenda, through meetings in each area and holding workshops that share learning at each Improvement Board.
- Greater understanding of the role of the RIEP in supporting fire service improvement, through engagement of Fire Authority members and a Board workshop.
- Creation of cross party, cross council trust and co-operation, through valuing each council's achievements and recognising the different issues facing each local authority area.
- Dialogue on major issues that offer solutions and ideas to politicians across the region.
- Support and development for portfolio holders responsible for improvement.
- Greater understanding of what we need to do to improve our performance and deliver on the region's common strategic priorities particularly on economic growth.
Next Steps 2009/10
At its meeting in June 2009, the Board will consider this annual report on the RIEP's initial progress, and will be asked to agree the comprehensive Business Plan and overall resources allocations for 2009-10.
The Partnership Delivery Group (PDG) is comprised of Local Authority Chief Executives nominated by the four sub-regions. They each have a lead role on a specific area of improvement or strategic priority. The PCTs have nominated Chief Executive Officers to join the group, and Fire and Police Authorities are also represented at a senior level. This is the key strategic management group of the partnership, which will drive progress and monitor implementation of our regional strategy.
Outcomes to date
Greater understanding of our sector led improvement agenda amongst chief executives and senior managers.
Improved quality of RIEP programmes of projects and activities, through challenge and support.
Greater connection of RIEP programmes with local and regional priorities.
The Group has agreed and published a set of quality assurance criteria for all funding allocations:-
- Support transformation, not just improve existing practice.
- Add real value, not just be a substitute for other funding lost.
- Encourage risk taking and innovation.
- Encourage collaborative working across councils and across sectors.
- Support the development of new public sector skilld and professionalism.
- Make a real difference on the things that matter in the region.
Next Steps 2009/10
For 2009-10, decisions will be taken early in the new financial year on directing common elements of our delivery agenda through commissioning regional solutions, where applicable.
Based on an analysis of the final CPA judgements for each of the region's local authorities, the PDG will review the Regional Improvement Strategy, to ensure that more councils are improving well or strongly. This work will be supported by use of the PWC Benchmarking tool, which uniquely YoHr Space has procured and supplied to each local authority, to provide useful comparative data and economies of scale.
The Group will also introduce a robust Performance Management framework, to demonstrate and quantify our collective progress, and to ensure that continuing project funding is dependent on meeting agreed targets/milestones for delivery.
Full Performance Management reports will be presented, on a quarterly basis, to the PDG and YoHr Space Member Board, including information from the sub-regional improvement partnerships.
In addition, a new communication strategy will be devised and implemented, to ensure that our activities, priorities, progress and successes are widely understood by all local authorities and key partner agencies in the region.
The Hub comprises the YoHr Space support staff team, advisors from Government Office, IDeA and LGYH, sub regional representatives and representatives from the programme boards. The Hub is the strategic advisory body for all regional improvement and efficiency matters. The Hub has agreed its role in supporting collaboration, co-ordinating the RIEP’s business, providing intelligence to inform decision making around commissioning and the performance management process, ensuring effective governance, and in promoting the RIEP locally, regionally and nationally.
Programme Boards:
The Corporate Improvement/Value for Money Board (CIVfM) drives the programmes relating to corporate improvement and efficiency. Each programme, performance managed by the Board, has specific targets and delivers outcomes relating to the overall strategy and the targets set in the Delivery Plan.
The Corporate Improvement/Value for Money Board (CIVfM) drives the programmes relating to corporate improvement and efficiency. Each programme, performance managed by the Board, has specific targets and delivers outcomes relating to the overall strategy and the targets set in the Delivery Plan.
There are programmes on:
- Procurement (led by Leeds City Council).
- Workforce Development and Planning (led by the Regional Human Resource/Organisational Development (HR/OD)Network).
- Partnership Working (led by LGYH).
- Business Transformation and Lean Systems Review.
The Board has established the process for strategic commissioning and is working with councils and partners to develop a range of local, sub regional, cross boundary and regional projects, to achieve a coherent programme of support which will build on previous experience and knowledge, be innovative, and provide value for money.
The Joint Improvement Partnership (JIP) leads on personalisation, social care, health and wellbeing, and criminal justice. The ‘People Matter’ strategy outlines how it will deliver and performance manage the four elements within the overall programme: personalisation, improving performance, community inclusion, and commissioning and procurement.
The Children’s Services Group. YoHr Space has established an infrastructure to support the Children’s Services agenda. This group comprises: Chairs of the DCS and Lead Member networks, senior representatives from LGYH, Government Office and the IDeA. Its initial focus is on putting in place a framework for improving practice in those authorities that are currently underperforming.
The Climate Change Board is working on the Regional Climate Change Plan, identifying and agreeing key priorities. Membership comprises Local Authorities, Police, Fire and Rescue, and Health Services.
The work on Economic Growth is being commissioned through the City Regions and the Yorkshire Cities group, through a robust process which includes target setting, facilitated by ERBEDU (European Regional Business Economic Development Unit) from Leeds Metropolitan University. We will develop economic growth capacity at the sub regional level through individual projects, to respond to the current recession and ensure the region is well placed to take advantage of the subsequent recovery.
Outcomes to date
- Effective peer challenge on sub-regional programmes and VfM projects.
- Better engagement with the wider sector led improvement agenda.
- Councils driving the RIEP improvement and VfM agenda.
- Greater partnership working between all councils.
- A shared vision for the delivery of the personalisation agenda between Department of Health (DOH) and local council's Directors of Adult Services (DAS).
- Enhanced capacity to support more effective leadership of the regional improvement agenda.
- Integration of related improvement programmes funded and developed by DOH and YoHr Space.
- Wider understanding of capacity issues, for example how we deliver better on economic growth.
For Our People & Our Partners
For our people & our partners bottom of page
Aligning to Local Area Agreements
Leadership
How we are working with partners
Successful collaboration
For our people
Our goal is to bring about a lasting change in organisational culture. We understand that to achieve this we must focus on key cultural drivers and identify incentives for change. Put more simply, we will identify what methods of approach create benefits across workgroups, organisations, localities and sub-regions, and capitalise on these methods.
Local Area Agreements (LAAs) are helping to clarify common priorities within our region and, by understanding our shared change agenda, we can work together collaboratively on common solutions.
We have analysed information from our current LAAs to help us understand:
- How our strategy supports achievement of those LAA priorities.
- Which specific priorities are shared and by whom.
- Whether key priorities in the LAAs will provide a focus for new partnerships and networks.
- What kind of support might be needed to bring people together around shared concerns and interests.
Early results demonstrated a significant degree in commonality of National Indicators (NIs) between LA localities. As of June 2008:
- 60 NIs had been selected by between 4 and 15 localities.
- 31 NIs had been selected by 2 or 3 localities.
We have analysed those 60 NIs which are most reflected in LAAs in the 15 localities in the region and the programme that each relates to. This broad analysis confirmed that our priorities are consistent with LAA priorities and drivers in the region.
We recognise, from feedback received from those involved in delivering LAAs, that alongside developing an understanding of shared priorities, we also need to support delivery against specific NIs. This is especially the case where an indicator is felt to be of particular importance to a locality's overall strategy.
We are working closely with those involved in local delivery to identify NIs of this type, making sure that commonality is not the only criterion for providing support.
Our partners
- We have identified four key strategic priorities, each of which is supported by a Lead Member and a Lead Chief Executive.
- A number of our members are leading on issues around the National Agenda and regularly represent the region in this context.
- Individual YoHr Space Members Board and Partnership Delivery Group Members have attended the National RIEP Member Forum and the Chief Executives joint meetings with the RIEP Directors at the Improvement and Efficiency Advisory Network.
- The YoHr Space team represents Yorkshire and Humber at a number of cross REIP events. From April 2008, the Chair of the Board, Chief Executive of LGYH and, in recent months, the YoHr Space Director, have visited Chief Executives and Leaders in all the region’s councils to build on existing good relationships and create even greater ownership of the RIEP agenda. Local improvement and efficiency priorities and LAAs have been discussed and opportunities identified to turn aspirations into operational reality. Each local authority has identified aspects of delivery they perform well and has made a commitment, at Leader and Chief Executive levels, to assist other councils on this basis.
- To share experiences and learning from a number of neighbourhood regeneration projects, a study tour for Elected Members, in partnership with Wakefield Council, took place in September. Some of the projects were chosen to coincide with Channel 4’s series ‘Kevin McCloud and the Big Town Plan’.
- In year one, we have paticularly developed our relationship with IDeA and Government Office. These relationships have been key to the collective approach and success of the Year 1 programme.
- Over the next twelve months we will be working closely also with the Audit Commission and Yorkshire Forward, as well as extending the involvement of our key partners (Police, Fire and Rescue, and Health) in the activities of the RIEP at all levels.
- Building a stronger relationship with IDeA, Government Office, and the Audit Commission will be a priority for 2009-10, particularly in relation to tackling underperformance in particular authorities, in sharing information, and in joint working/planning. These bodies will be represented on the Performance Delivery Group and the Members Board.
- Yorkshire Futures have assisted with baselines and data for monitoring progress against all the targets. The work commissioned has been reported to the Board and will be performance managed by the City Region governance structures and the PDG.
- The Sub-Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnerships will continue their current arrangements in leading authority initiatives on corporate improvement and efficiency and playing a key role in driving work across these programmes.
- We have recruited a number of Strategic Advisors who are drawn upon to provide guidance and advice and undertake specific pieces YoHr Space of work on our behalf.
- Supported by YoHr Space, LGYH’s Partnership Project has prepared the way for support to Local Strategic Partnerships in the delivery of ambitious Local Area Agreement targets for improvement.
- Research has been commissioned around NEETS (people Not in Employment, Education or Training) and outcomes were presented at a regional workshop.
- A collaboration model for effective partnership working with the four Fire and Rescue Services has been developed and similar work for Police Authorities is now being undertaken.
- Support has been provided for roll out of the Regional Small Area Information Project (Local Area Statistics Online Service - LASOS) developed by Sheffield City Council to support better Neighbourhood Management.
- The IDeA's Partnership Improvement Programme is working with councils in the region and will then hold, with the RIEP an event to share the learning about how to work better with the community and voluntary sector.
- Requests from LSPs for direct support around capacity and strength of leadership and governance within the partnership, challenges in communicating the LAA more widely to citizens and better performance management of LAA indicators has been provided. Benefiting so far from the project have been Hull, Rotherham, Calderdale and Barnsley, but learning from all projects will be shared regionally.
- In 2009-10, further funding will be provided to LSPs to support delivery of their Improvement Plans, in preparation for the new CAA regime.
- In partnership with Yorkshire Futures, research has been carried out around migrant workers to identify the gaps in current information, the needs of the migrant population and their impact on council services, both now and in the future. As a result, LGYH established a Regional Cohesion Network, which was launched in December 2008. The network is evidence of increased collaboration between local authorities on issues around community cohesion and integration. The sharing of good practice and joint commissioning of future research will lead to further improvements.
- The Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Bradford University (acting on behalf of the Association ofWest Yorkshire Authorities) has carried out research to help understand the extent of cohesion issues and challenges facing the sub region. Findings in the report ‘Made in West Yorkshire’ will help drive policies on community cohesion to prevent violent extremism and help increase understanding of these issues throughout region. This research will contribute to policy debate at a national level and influence wider public involvement.