At its previous meeting in July Members had agreed the oneSource Improvement Action Plan.

The Improvement Action Plan specified that progress will be reported to the Joint Committee and partner Councils on a quarterly basis. The first quarter update was presented at the 12th July Joint Committee.

The report presented Members with an update on progress with the Improvement Plan for the third quarter: October – December 2019.

The Joint Committee noted the oneSource Improvement Plan Action Plan Q3 progress update attached at Appendix 1 to the report.

It was reported that following May 2018 elections, a consensus emerged across the three partner authorities that oneSource should primarily deliver their corporate priorities and support council services rather than generate external business.  Areas of improvement and re-prioritisation for oneSource emerged from this agreement. 

It was agreed in January that oneSource should prepare an improvement plan to be agreed by the oneSource Joint Committee with effect from 2019-20 noting that a number of the improvements were already underway.

The Improvement and Action Plan, included as an appendix to the report, would be embedded into service plans for each oneSource directorate.  oneSource services have had service plans, service level agreements and performance indicators in place since 2014 and were substantially refreshed in 2017/18.  Service plans and Improvement Plan priorities would be kept under review to reflect partner Council priorities.

It was commented that the culture change programme needed to be more embedded into the improvement plan and that there was insufficient clarity regarding the allocation of resources to support the partners authorities, this was particularly relevant given the differing priorities of the partners and, specifically, the senior management reorganisation at Newham.

It was added also that whilst there had been consensus that oneSource should primarily deliver their corporate priorities and support council services rather than generate external business, the Improvement Plan should nevertheless include a protocol on how requests for oneSource support services by external parties are evaluated.

The Committee resolved:

1.            To agree the oneSource Improvement Plan and Action Plan subject to the amendments as outlined in the body of minute ??

2.    To delegate to the Interim Executive Director, oneSource to finalise the Improvement Plan and Action Plan following consultation with the Chief Executives of the partner Councils (or their nominees).

3.         To note:

a)         Progress on the Action Plan will be reported to the Joint Committee and partner Councils.

b)         Services plans for each oneSource directorate were being completed to reflect the Improvement Plan, taking into account the partner Council corporate priorities, and including agreed performance and service standards.

c)         The partner Councils and the Interim Executive Director would agree the resources available to deliver the Improvement Plan, following the approach outlined in the report.