Issue - meetings

To consider a joint report of the Director of Finance and Business Services (Cheshire East) and the Director of Resources (Cheshire West and Chester) on the current position of the shared service arrangements between Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester Councils

The Joint Committee considered a report summarising the current position of the shard services arrangements between Cheshire East Council (CE) and Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWAC).  In particular, the report highlighted those short term services that had recently disaggregated to enable a transition to separate delivery arrangements in each Council.

An overview providing a current position statement one each shared service was contained in Appendix 1 to the report.

The Joint Committee had previously requested that the benefits be explored of linking the rural touring network, now Cheshire Rural Touring Arts, with the Cheshire Youth Orchestra and Cheshire Youth Choirs to create a new charitable organisation with the ability to attract additional grant funding.  A study had been undertaken which concluded that given the different requirements of the organisations, greater collaboration would offer little in terms of additional benefits.  The Cheshire Rural Touring Arts operated in a very different way to the Youth Orchestra and Choirs as it was a professional arts touring circuit and community engagement model of work.  When applying for funding it did so to different bodies in line with its very different needs and operational requirements.  There were no obvious areas of shared working with the Youth Orchestra and Choirs.

However, the new Cheshire Rural Touring Arts partnership with Spot On Lancashire, did provide the opportunity for shared efficiencies.  Cheshire Rural Touring Arts received 50% of its funding from the Arts Council England, who had suggested that the Cheshire and Lancashire schemes joint together to create a partnership.  Both organisations would operate independently but they would report back jointly to the Arts Council England and have elements of shared working in their programmes, training and administrative areas.  

The disaggregation of the Sensory Impairment Production Unit had been completed and the transition log was presented for endorsement.  It was noted that the appointment to a Technician post in CWAC was currently outstanding and the Joint Committee was requested to endorse the transition log as it stood and delegate the final sign off to the Joint Officer Board once an appointment had been confirmed.

RESOLVED: That

1          the overall position statement relating to current shared service arrangements and particularly the work undertaken by the Rural Touring Network Shared Service to explore closer linkages to the Cheshire Youth Orchestra and Cheshire Youth Choir be noted

2          the Sensory Impairment Production Unit Transition Log be endorsed subject to an outstanding recruitment issue and final sign off be delegated to the Joint Officer Board.