Local Area Agreements (LAA)

Local Area Agreement (LAA’s) - What are they?

A Local Area Agreement (LAA) is a three year agreement that sets out the priorities for Hull agreed between central government and the local area represented by the local authority and One Hull - our Local Strategic Partnership (LSP).

Its purpose is defined by the Government as “to deliver genuinely sustainable communities through better outcomes for local people” (DCLG).

The LAA is about creating the freedom to do things differently by relaxing central government constraints and pooling and aligning different funding streams. This requires us all to think differently on how we deliver services.

The LAA will also aim to:

• Improve relations between central and local government
• Devolve decision making and reduce bureaucracy
• Improve services and outcomes
• Improve performances through more flexible use of resources
• Help partners join up at the local level

In other words, by bringing together the partners and the funding streams, it should be possible to deliver services which better reflect the priorities of the local community and deliver ‘Living, Learning and Working’, Hull’s Community Strategy for 2006 to 2011 which was launched by One Hull on 14th July 2006.

The LAA priorities are grouped around four blocks:

• Children and Young People
• Safer and Stronger Communities
• Healthier Communities and Older People
• Economic Development and Enterprise

Each block sets out a series of outcomes (mandatory and optional), indicators and targets to measure progress against the outcomes, lead partners for delivery of each outcome,  funding streams to be pooled or aligned, and proposed enabling measures (i.e. barriers to the delivery of outcomes which the Government are asked to address).

The LAA is not bringing in new money to Hull ; however there will be  some ‘pump priming’ money (approximately £1 million) associated to deliver 12 agreed ‘stretch’ outcomes and targets (to deliver accelerated improvements above what would have happened without a LAA) , and a reward element (approximately £8 million) if these targets are met.

Neighbourhood Renewal Funding will be pooled as part of the LAA to support the mandatory neighbourhood renewal outcomes of: crime, education, health, housing, liveability and worklessness.

Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) Involvement

The LAA must include a statement of the involvement of the VCS and local people in the design and delivery of the LAA. It should also state how One Hull partners have considered the capacity of the VCS to contribute effectively and how they can best facilitate the involvement of local people.

Although voluntary and community sector organisations will continue to negotiate with individual statutory organisations for delivery of services and funding, they should demonstrate where their work contributes to the LAA and Community Strategy outcomes.

Timetable

Hull’s LAA was signed on 29th March 2007 by Ruth Kelly, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Kim Ryley, Chief Executive, Hull City Council and the chair of ONE HULL, Kath Lavery.

Hull Community Network is supporting and coordinating VCS engagement in the LAA process. To view the LAA and other background information click on the links below:

• LAA Background Paper - An Introduction
• LAA Background Paper - Negotiation
• LAA Background Paper - Outcomes & Targets
• LAA Background Paper - Procurement
• LAA Background Paper - Voice, Representation and Accountability
• LAA Government Guidance 31 March 2006
• LAA Network Forum 19th April 2006
• LSP Delivery Board 9 May 2006 - LAA Update
• Meeting of voluntary groups to discuss LAA 17 July 2006
• LAA Funding Streams to Pool and Align 28 July 2006
• LAA Executive Summary 22nd December 2006
• Government Guidance Developing The Future Arrangements for LAA's
• Hull's LAA 2007 - 2010, April 2007
• The New Performance Framework for Local Authorities & Local Strategic Partnerships: Single Set of 198 National Indicators (October 2007)
• Government Guidance on Negotiating New Local Area Agreements - Government Guidance(September 2007)
• ONE HULL timetable to prepare the new Local Area Agreement (this is the word document)
• Network briefing note of LAA2
• LAA2 – Statutory Targets on Educational Attainment & Early Years
• Government Guidance Development of the new LAA framework Operational Guidance November 2007
• Area Based Grants
• Draft LAA2 - Emerging Story of Place
• Draft LAA2 - Emerging Priority Indicators

For Hull’s Sake Get Involved!