1

Directorate Commissioning Strategy 2013-2016 Environment and Neighbourhoods: Building a Community

in Which All Can Take Part and Take Pride

‘Commissioning is the process of specifying, securing and

monitoring services to meet people’s needs at a

strategic level’

Agenda Item 8Page 141

2

Contents

Introduction ..................................................................................... Page 3

Strategic Commissioning Outcomes ........................................... Page 3

Current Position ............................................................................. Page 4

Future Delivery and Implementation ............................................ Page 5

Commissioning Plans and Priorities ........................................... Page 5

Current Service and Delivery Models ........................................... Page 6

Overview of Key Areas of Expenditure ........................................ Page 7

Resident Satisfaction ..................................................................... Page 8

Current Satisfaction with E&N Services ...................................... Page 9

Environment & Neighbourhoods High Level Commissioning

Plan .................................................................................................. Page 10

Year One: Outcomes ..................................................................... Page 11

Years Two – Five: Outcomes ....................................................... Page 12

Governance and Implementation ................................................. Page 14

Integrated Impact Assessment ..................................................... Page 15

Directorate Structure ..................................................................... Appendix A

Agenda Item 8 Page 142

3

1. Introduction This is the first Environment and Neighbourhoods (E&N) Commissioning Strategy. It represents an important milestone on our journey to becoming a Commissioning Directorate and explains how we are rising to the challenge presented by today’s economic, legal, political and social pressures in order to effectively commission services for the 21st century. In line with the Council’s vision ‘to build a community in which all can take part and can take pride’ this Strategy explains our commissioning intentions to residents, Members, partners and service providers and to staff and colleagues, so they can understand the way we do business and contribute to the development of our commissioning agenda. The Directorate is responsible for commissioning and delivering a diverse range of services: - from the registration of births and deaths to the management of burial plots and parks and allotments; the development of a sustainable Transport Strategy to the implementation of local parking schemes; the management of libraries and custodianship of cultural assets to the disposal of waste and development of the Green Energy agenda. E&N services are at the heart of community life, and the staff who commission, manage and deliver them ensure that thousands of people can live, work and play in Sutton fairly, safely and sustainably. In addition to a directly managed budget of £40.6m, the Environment and Neighbourhoods Directorate has considerable opportunities to attract inward investment and to use the influence of its purchasing power more widely to secure benefits for all those who live, work and visit Sutton.

2. Strategic Commissioning Objectives Over the next three years our strategic commissioning objectives are to:

• Achieve economies of scale through our commissioning arrangements , while securing service flexibility at a local level

• Identify and commission the optimum service delivery model for each service, to achieve value for money and reduce direct costs, whilst maintaining resident satisfaction

• Integrate identified local needs and priorities into service delivery outcomes, by more fully involving residents in the shaping and delivery of services and public realm initiatives, using the Council’s commissioning framework to engage residents across the whole commissioning cycle

• Realise the value of our social and community assets in order to sustain and improve the delivery of services

Agenda Item 8Page 143

4

• Develop an inclusive approach to community engagement, using Local Committees as a vehicle to promote dialogue between Members and residents

• Enable the evolution of local committees to support them commission public realm services in their area and to become more efficient and responsive decision-making bodies

• Continue to enhance Sutton’s reputation as a great place to live, work and invest through the Opportunity Sutton programme, building prosperity; enabling local people and businesses; and unlocking the potential of each place within the borough

• Ensure that our commissioning activities incorporate the principles of One Planet Sutton and contribute to the realisation of our commitment to environmental sustainability

3. Current Position

The E&N Directorate has strategic responsibility for the delivery of environmental, planning and cultural services to the residents and businesses of Sutton, as well as being responsible for much of its physical infrastructure and many of its assets. Pages 6 & 7 give an overview of the services commissioned and managed through this Directorate, their delivery models and budgets. Universal services are used by the whole population within and across the Borough and operate within a complex framework of statutory regulation, local policies and strategies. This link shows the breadth of national policy and statutory regulation within which the Directorate works. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-local-government-statutory-duties-summary-of-responses--2

E&N leads the Council’s approach on the regeneration, localism and neighbourhood agenda, delivered through Opportunity Sutton, the Neighbourhoods, Localities and Public Realm project, the administration and programme management of public realm projects through Local Committees and the Hackbridge, Beddington and Wallington programmes. We have recently re-aligned the Directorate structure, (Appendix A) to better support us in delivering this agenda and realising our ambition to deliver industry best-class commissioning in environmental services. Working with our strategic partner, Bio-Regional, we use the principles of One Planet Sutton to achieve the Council’s overall ambition to be a fairer, safer, greener borough and to develop mutually beneficial relationships with other key partners, such as Sports Active, Chelsea Football Club, TfL and the Wandle Trust, to deliver our strategic and business objectives. We engage residents in service delivery in a variety of ways, from leisure centre user panels and library volunteer programmes, to Litter Champions and Tree Wardens.

Agenda Item 8 Page 144

5

Pages 8 & 9 show resident satisfaction with services remains high, despite the challenges posed by reducing budgets. Innovations such as double-shifting waste collections have enabled us to deliver cost-savings without compromising service quality.

Since 2010/11, we have delivered £5.4m savings as a result of the Smarter Services Sutton Programme. In the next two years we must deliver further savings of over £6m, with additional savings from 2015/16 onwards, within an overall reduced budget for the Council of - 2.2% in 2013/14 and -3% in 2014/15 (Ref: Local Govt Finance Settlement).

4. Future Delivery and Implementation

Over the next three years, E&N will complete the journey from being a provider of services to a strategic Commissioning Directorate. To ensure success, we will provide staff and residents with a clearly articulated vision for services through the development of clear commissioning plans. We will manage the relationships between strategy, policy and implementation through Service and Local Committees.

We will work collaboratively with colleagues across Directorates to:

• develop the necessary conditions to grow localism and manage the devolution of sustainable decision making, when appropriate

• maximise our influence to support the Council’s broader commissioning objectives around asset realisation

• build capacity and resilience in the third sector and the wider community

• acknowledge the importance of social value and community assets to the realisation of our objectives for developing a sustainable community

5. Commissioning Plans and Priorities Having established our overall strategic commissioning objectives in section 2, page 10 sets out our high level commissioning plan, within which our immediate priorities are to:

• Deliver on the objectives of the Opportunity Sutton programme

• Review current arrangements for waste collection

• Develop our expertise in citizen commissioning through the Beddington Park project

• Develop shared services with neighbouring Boroughs

• Deliver medium term financial savings through a series of service reviews

• Maximise opportunities for realising our community asset sites

Agenda Item 8Page 145

6

6. Current Services and Delivery Models

Key

1 Weed killing contract (external)

2 Waste collection includes Vine Project (social enterprise) undertaking bulky collections

3

South London Waste Partnership procures all disposal contracts & management of Refuse and Recycling Centre

Service In-house Volunteering or citizen

participation

Contracted elements

Shared elements

Fully Outsourced (external delivery)

Partnership

Leisure √ √

Arts and theatres √ √

Libraries √ √

Heritage and museums √ √

Life Centre √

Registration √

Sutton catering √

Environmental control √

Parks (including biodiversity education)

√ √ √ √

Highways and transport √ √

Street cleansing √ √ √ *1

Recycling √ √

Waste collection √ √ √ *2

Waste disposal √ *3 √

Environmental Sustainability (EMAS)

Development control √

Strategic planning √

Economic Development √

Parking √

Safer Sutton Partnership √

Ag

end

a Ite

m 8

Pag

e 1

46

7

Overview of Key Areas of Expenditure

The chart below shows the main areas of expenditure within the E&N Directorate. The figures shown are 2012/13 outturn.1 This revenue services' chart excludes Parking (£1.8m net revenue income service generated from Off-Street Parking), Schools Catering DSO Service (£2.7m service run on behalf of LBS for Contracted schools - no cost to revenue) and Fleet Service (£2.9m service fully recharged to Revenue Service Users throughout the Council).

1 Source: 2012/13 actual outturn

Leisure Services, £1,584

Libraries, Heritage & Registration,

£3,457

Business Regulation, £634

Planning, £1,353

Transportation, £2,647

Environmental Control, £919

Environmental Sustainability,

£328

Directorate, £561

Hackbridge Project, £108

Parks Services, £2,807

Highways Services, £1,754

Waste Management, £16,932

Street Cleansing, £3,595

Summary of Environment &

Neighbourhood Revenue Services -

Provisional Outturn 2012/13 - £'000

Agen

da Ite

m 8

Page 1

47

8

7. Resident Satisfaction

Analysis of resident satisfaction with E&N services demonstrates there was little change in levels of satisfaction with Council services between 2011 and 2012. Residents are generally most satisfied with Parks and Open Spaces, and least satisfied with Parking.2

The chart below showing satisfaction by Local Committee area suggests that residents are most satisfied with refuse collection and street lighting services, with parking and road maintenance being consistently lower3. Satisfaction levels are broadly similar for all Local Committee areas, although Sutton is slightly lower than the other areas.

2 Source: Residents Tracker Survey Wave 2: 2012 provided on 3

rd May 2013 by Rebecca Escott-New.

3 Source: 2011 Borough-wide Residents Survey

Base size:

508 (2012)

500 (2011)

How satisfied are you with the quality of the following services in your local area?

69 70

4643

76 76

3836

30

40

50

60

70

80

2011 2012

% satisfied / very satisfied

Street Cleaning Road Maintenance

Parks & Open Spaces Parking

14 15

3331

86

3941

0

10

20

30

40

50

2011 2012

% dissatisfied / very dissatisfied

Street Cleaning Road Maintenance

Parks & Open Spaces Parking

% Satisfied % Dissatisfied

Ag

end

a Ite

m 8

Pag

e 1

48

9

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Beddington &

Wallington

Sutton Sutton South,

Cheam & Belmont

Carshalton &

Clockhouse

St Helier, the

Wrythe & Wandle

Valley

Cheam North &

Worcester Park

Pe

rce

nta

ge

of

resi

de

nts

sa

tisf

ied

Local Committee area

Current satisfaction with E&N services

Refuse collection

Recycling

Street lighting

Street cleaning

Pavement maintenance

Road maintenance

Parking

Agen

da Ite

m 8

Page 1

49

10

9. Environment and Neighbourhoods High Level Commissioning Plan 2013 - 2016

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

Leisure Services

Leisure Centres (Live Contract until 2026)

Libraries

Arts and Theatres

Life Centre

Heritage and Museums

Sutton Catering

Parks and biodiversity education

Street Cleansing

Highways and Transport

Recycling

Waste Collection

Waste Disposal

Development Control

Strategic Planning

Economic Development (post Opportunity Sutton)

Key:Analyse (Initiat and Investigate)Plan (Collaborate and Incubate)Do (Negotiate and Activate)Review (Consolidate and Evaluate)

20162013 2014 2015

Garden Waste Disposal

Environmental Sustainability (EMAS)

Parking Enforcement & CCTV

Regulatory Services

Ag

end

a Ite

m 8

Pag

e 1

50

11

10. Year One: Outcomes

10.1 Creating a Commissioning Directorate We will restructure the Directorate to ensure we have the right staff, with the right skills, in the right place. We will fully implement the corporate Commissioning Framework and utilise its tools, managing relationships across the Council to embed the principles of community engagement, needs analysis and prioritisation within our procurement activities. We will consolidate existing expertise within the Directorate to build a commissioning team. Where necessary, we will train and support staff to develop relevant skills and abilities to make a full contribution to the Council’s commissioning network and other procurement and commissioning forums and using regional and pan-London networks and consortium to support and facilitate us through this process. We will undertake the consolidation of all contract information through a locally managed contracts register, to enable the transition to an overall managed commissioning approach. 10.2 Citizen Commissioning We will pilot the principles of citizen-led commissioning through the Beddington Park and Grange project and Sutton Common Park project. We will identify opportunities to extend the principles of neighbourhood commissioning explored through the Hackbridge, Beddington, North Cheam and Worcester Park OLF Programmes and look for further opportunities to secure inward investment by working with both the business community and local groups, in a planned and managed way. We will embark on an active programme of community engagement to ensure more inclusive representation at Local Committees through a wide range of forum and groups, to ensure public realm commissioning decisions are more fully representative of the whole community. Within the limits of EU legislation and the Council’s constitution, we will review and redesign commissioning and procurement processes to facilitate the delivery of locality-led public realm projects. 10.3 Commissioning for A Sustainable Future We will further develop and build on our vision for Opportunity Sutton: - building prosperity; enabling local people and businesses; and unlocking the potential of each place within the borough. We will begin a borough-wide programme of retro-fitting LED street lighting to deliver annual savings of 35 – 40% on energy costs and to reduce CO2 emissions.

Agenda Item 8Page 151

12

We will continue to integrate the 5 themes of One Planet Sutton into our commissioning plans and service delivery models through initiatives such as the Heat Network, ECO, Green Deal, Tramlink bid and the Sustainable Transport Strategy. We will continue to procure in line with the Council’s environmental procurement policies. 10.4 Delivering Value for Money Services We will develop protocols and processes between Service and Local Committees to facilitate the effective commissioning of public realm projects. We will ensure all services have clear commissioning and contract arrangements and are delivered in the best possible way.

We will review and integrate best practice in contract management in order to develop a Directorate standard, developing appropriate performance management and quality assurance measures. We will determine whether the South London Waste Partnership is a suitable vehicle for the joint delivery of other services. 10.5 Developing Social Value and Community Assets

We will seek to influence providers through clear market positioning. In particular by clarifying our expectations around providers’ ability to contribute to the development of social value; emphasising the green agenda; highlighting the need for resident engagement across the commissioning cycle including evaluating service quality; and the importance of realising community assets. We will develop ward-based profiles, incorporating information about local and community groups, demographics, land use and resident satisfaction, to support the identification and analysis of resident needs and priorities We will involve residents in service delivery where practicable, through the development of volunteering opportunities and other initiatives and we will work in partnership with our key partners, Bio-regional, Sports Active, Chelsea Football Club and TfL.

11. Years Two – Three: Outcomes

11.1 Citizen Commissioning and Service Delivery

We will develop a coherent set of commissioning standards to underpin future procurement activity and evaluate future service delivery models. Building on existing corporate commissioning principles, they will form the basis of a Quality Assurance framework for E&N services and include:

Agenda Item 8 Page 152

13

§ adherence – commissioning activities are based on the

guidance stated in the LBS Commissioning Framework and Corporate Procurement Policies

§ inclusivity – involving residents in all aspects of the commissioning cycle

§ affordability – the service gives best value for money within the available budget

§ fairness – services are commissioned on the basis of need and will address inequalities, particularly in the area of public health needs (both mental and physical)

§ resident satisfaction – the service upholds or increases resident satisfaction

§ flexibility and responsiveness - services are commissioned in accord with residents expressed priorities

§ legality – adhering to regulation and the law § 3rd sector involvement – commissioning and procurement will

adhere to the principles set out in the Sutton Compact § Consistent and proportionate – contract evaluation and

monitoring is consistent, proportionate and outcomes focussed

Through the Smarter Council Localism project we will further review the governance and remit of Local Committees to realise Members’ aspirations for devolved decision-making to support locality-led commissioning. We will broaden our community engagement activities to identify, initiate and develop relationships with hard to reach groups through pro-active outreach and inclusive commissioning, enabling them to express their views and have a voice. We will develop established relationships with partners such as the Police and Sutton Housing Partnership to improve neighbourhood and locality management and to deliver improvements in community safety and engagement. 11.2 Implementing New Service Delivery Models

We will develop more detailed commissioning plans to underpin the review of all services, identifying opportunities for citizen involvement within the commissioning cycle. We will test each service against identified models, undertaking consultation as and where appropriate. Subject to the outcomes of consultation, we will re-commission and procure accordingly.

Agenda Item 8Page 153

14

11.3 Developing Social Capital and Community Assets

We will continue to harness local skills, talents and abilities through the development of co-ordinated volunteer activity to enable residents to contribute to service delivery. We will continue to develop our expertise in community engagement, supporting the development and growth of skills and experience within the Local Committees and beyond, to enable more inclusive decision making and to broaden resident involvement in commissioning. We will utilise the innate value of the recreational, heritage, leisure and cultural opportunities in the Borough and work with the community to develop them, promoting a legacy for the future and a shared sense of civic pride and collective responsibility.

We will seek to commission from providers who maintain an active commitment to the realisation of social capital, through use of local supply chains, fostering local employment and a meaningful corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy.

12. Governance and Implementation More detail about the specific tasks, actions and timescales for implementation of the E&N commissioning strategy can be found in the E&N Commissioning and Finance Plan 2013/14, (https://www.sutton.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=2258). It includes the following major projects and programmes:

The Beddington Programmes Hackbridge Programme

Opportunity Sutton Programme for Economic Renewal

Neighbourhoods, Localities and Public Realm Project

Street Scene Services: Alternative Delivery Arrangements

Green Garden Waste – options appraisal

Planning, transport and highways: review of future operational delivery

Community hub and spoke service model: re-provision of library and customer services (jointly with CEX)

Review of the future provision of theatres, halls and heritage buildings

Environmental services and Safer Sutton Partnership (jointly with SSP) - future shape of the service

Parking services – future operation Heritage Lottery Fund Programme

Performance against the plan is managed by the Directorate Management Team (DMT), the Strategy and Resources Committee, the Environment and Neighbourhoods Committee, the Housing, Economy and Business Committee and Local Committees.

Agenda Item 8 Page 154

15

13. Integrated Impact Assessment In accordance with the Council’s policy around addressing issues of inequality or disability, an integrated impact assessment will be completed for each of the major projects, programmes or commissioning activities associated with the delivery of this strategy.

Agenda Item 8Page 155

16

Strategic Director of Environment

& Neighbourhoods

Tech Support Team

Executive Head

Of Commissioning

Executive Head

of Economic Development,

Planning and Sustainability

Executive Head

of Communities and

Neighbourhoods

Direct Services Commissioning

& Contract

Management

Opportunity

Sutton

Sustainability Planning

• Recycling

• Waste Collection

• Commercial W aste

• Schools Catering

• Waste

Disposal

• Transport• Highways

• Strategy and

Policy

Development

• Shared

Services• SWLP

1. Area Renewal

2. Tramlink

3. Green Economy 4. Life Science Cluster

5. Town and District Centres

6. Open for Business

7. Matching Skills with Demand

• Heat Network

• Green Deal

• Ecology Centre• E.C.O.

• One Planet Sutton

• Biodiversity

• Strategic

Planning

• Development Management

• Transportation

Planning

• Building Control

NLPR

Executive Head of Community

Safety

Regulatory

Services

ParkingEnforcement

Chief Executive

Local

Committees

•Culture, Heritage, Libraries

•Leisure Services

•Registration •Parks

•Arboriculture

•Highways maintenance

•Street Cleaning

Structure: Environment and

Neighbourhoods Directorate

Appendix A

Ag

end

a Ite

m 8

Pag

e 1

56