Most of the day I spent in Letchworth, resplendent in my new woollen waistcoat. I was there to attend a meeting of infrastructure bodies discussing how best to co-ordinate services across the East of England region.
The context for this meeting was that COVER (the regional infrastructure body) decided they could no longer accept funding from Capacitybuilders for co-ordinating the ChangeUp programme. COVER saw too many strings tied to not enough money. The vacuum left by this decision has in part been filled by MENTER (the Minority Ethnic Network for the East of England Region) who agreed that for one year they would co-ordinate the other five regional networks (on ICT, the elderly, children, advice and guidance and social care) to produce a regional plan.
The Norfolk infrastructure consortium decided not to make a funding submission to Capacitybuilders for 2008-09, and the Cambridge Consortium has had its application referred for a year.
Meanwhile, the CEO at Capacitybuilders has decided to "stand down" - possibly as a result of missing several deadlines and driving a coach and horses through Compact.
With me so far?
Somewhere within all this, in the absence of COVER, those groups still standing have to produce a regional “metaplan” that incorporates all the six county plans plus the regional plan now being produced by MENTER. It was eventually agreed that this “metaplan” should be co-ordinated by representatives of the county Consortia and the regional networks with North Herts CVS acting as banker.
I have three main concerns.
First, why has it taken so long for the county consortia and the regional networks to start working together? I find it astonishing that four years into ChangeUp I still have no knowledge whatsoever about four of the six regional networks (I know only about MENTER and about the ICT network under Paul Ruskin).
Secondly, why are some consortia still content to let Capacitybuilders dictate the agenda and take the lead? Some give the impression that they want to take the money, do the absolute minimum to satisfy Capacitybuilders and no more. Surely we should learn from our neighbours, exchange skills and share tools? Surely we should be planning to raise standards and co-ordinate services better? Some want a personal invitation and a chauffer-driven cadillac to bring them to the table.
Finally, who on earth is responsible for coining the term “Metaplan”? It is my sworn mission to destroy this ugly hideous word and expunge it forever from our language.
Back at home, I did some emergency fencing to make our garden safe for Aged Ken and then spent the evening drafting job descriptions for a part-time Community Accountant and a possible part-time Receptionist.
