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Partnership Working with Adur District Council

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Partnership working with Adur and Worthing

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Adur District Council Logo

Photo: Ian Lowrie (Interim Chief Executive)

Partnership Working Contents

Introduction

In 2007, two West Sussex district councils - Adur District Council and Worthing Borough Council - formally agreed to enter into a joint working partnership for the delivery of their local services using a single workforce and senior officer structure.

This is the first arrangement of its kind in local government in England, driven by the need to maintain and improve key local services at an acceptable level and cost to both local communities. The overall initiative was driven by the need of two small councils to preserve essential local services in the face of reduced central government funding and the efficiency demands of the 2007 comprehensive spending review.

In April 2008 a new, joint, senior management structure was implemented, incorporating a joint Chief Executive, three Strategic Directors and ten Executive Heads of Service.

The key objective since then has been the completion of high level business cases for each of the new service blocks now managed by the new Executive Heads of Service. (The last is to be considered by Members in April 2009). These set out teams could be brought together over the next two years; how shared services could be delivered in the future and clear indications of where further savings can be made.

These will now be followed by a comprehensive programme of individual service reviews which, by 2011/12 and covering all services across the two councils, are set to achieve net savings on revenue budgets of over £860,000 in 2009/10 (representing over 3% of the combined net General Fund budgets of Adur and Worthing of £26m) and expecting to rise to over £1.2m by 2011/12, generating a total net revenue saving of £4.4m in the period to 2012/13.

Ian Lowrie, Joint Chief Executive, Adur District Council and Worthing Borough Council:

“When we embarked on our joint officer structure, many commentators expressed doubt that it would work. The fact that it is now in place at management level and is already delivering real savings and improvements is why so many other councils are considering our lead.

In the difficult times ahead local government needs to demonstrate its worth and I know that in Adur and Worthing, the single officer structure makes substantial savings in our overheads and builds in an imperative to drive further savings in all service areas.”

Please see the links below which will automatically take you to the relevant committee reports including the rationale behind this project, strategic hurdles and considerations we have overcome, a progress report one year on, as well as copies of each of the high level business cases available to date.

If you require any further information on this project you may wish to contact :

  • Ian Lowrie, Joint Chief Executive : for questions on the senior management structure and the strategic decision taken by both Councils:

    Telephone : 01903 221001
    E-mail : ian.lowrie@worthing.gov.uk

  • Carol Stephenson, Adur and Worthing Partnership Programme Manager : for more detailed information about the programme of activity and the processes we have put in place.

    Telephone : 01273 263205
    E-mail : carol.stephenson@adur.gov.uk

  • Heather Lumby, Improvement and Efficiency South East : for the involvement and support provided by IESE and an overview of the project as a whole.

    Telephone : 07738 194 957
    E-mail : heather.lumby@southeastiep.gov.uk

High Level Business Cases

For the high level business cases please see the High Level Business Cases page.

Committee Information

Joint Committees with Adur District Council

Simultaneous Executive Meetings

Council Meetings

Ordered with the most recent reports first.

Press Releases

Ordered with the most recent press releases first:

Contact Democratic Services

Contact Information for Democratic Services
Phone, E-mail and Location Maps

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Worthing Borough Council, Town Hall, Chapel Road. Worthing. BN11 1HA. 01903 (239999)