Strathbrock Partnership Centre - Bringing together public, voluntary and private services in Broxburn
Key contact: Ronnie Motherwell – Project Manager
Address: Strathbrock Partnership Centre, 189a West Main Street, Broxburn, EH52 5LH
Telephone: 01506 775555
Email: ronnie.motherwell@westlothian.gov.uk
In a nutshell
We want to maximise access to a range of services by co-locating a number of public, voluntary and private agencies in the same building. Our close partnership working – across agencies - aims to develop a shared agenda in Strathbrock – one that emphasises prevention of illness and improvement of health.
The issues addressed
Several agencies within Broxburn were in need of better premises, including local GPs, Social Work, Community Learning and Development, the Council’s Council Information Service and Housing. There was also a need to improve access to services for the local communities in Broxburn.
The approach to the issues
Our partnership is based on local need. It came together at a time when many agencies wanted to relocate their services. We felt that to achieve our aims of improved service delivery, we had to break down the traditional barriers of different agencies working together – going further than co-locating. This willingness amongst a range of agencies meant that we were able to take a bold step and create our innovative Centre.
Our aims include:
• A single point of access to the widest possible range of services
• An increase in the range of local health services
• Sharing of information and resources between agencies
• A shared agenda to jointly improve services
• Easier customer access to information about services – at one point within the building.
Setting up the work
We commissioned independent consultants to carry out community consultation. The consultation told us which services the community wanted in the new centre – and we acted on this. We secured nearly £8 million to pay for the building. This funding came from:
• Challenge Funding £2.7m
• General Practice Finance Corporation £3.7m
• Lothian NHS £1.1m
• West Lothian Council £0.4m
We set up a Project Board to oversee the work. It consisted of Directors/Senior Managers from the Council, NHS Lothian and the GP’s. A senior member of staff from the Council was appointed to project manage the development.
We also set up four working groups - where all partners were represented. They were:
• Facilities Management
• I.T.
• Joint Working Group
• Community Users Group.
These focused on different areas of the development and as you can see we made sure that the community was involved throughout the development of the Centre.
A ’building user group’ gave frontline staff the opportunity to feed in their views about the practical issues about the development.
Evidence of success
There have been many benefits to partnership working. We have:
• Brought a range of local services closer and more accessible to the local community. Nearly 13,000 customers visit the Centre. On average each visitor accesses four services every visit.
• Been beneficial for the partners. One partner said that being part of such a large development has raised their profile and there is now a greater uptake of their services. And more and more referrals are being made between partners.
• Encouraged other joint projects taking place within the Centre that might not otherwise have taken place. For example, the GP practices have started a specific project with the Carers of West Lothian to find hidden carers.
‘It [the Centre] is the best thing that could ever have happened to Broxburn’. (Service user)
One great thing – Sharing information
Sharing of information has been one of the most important changes in how the agencies work together. And we feel this is important because we also share customers. By keeping all information in the same place – it is possible to paint a clearer picture of what a customer needs. This means that we know more about the individual needs of our customers.
Lessons learnt
We have learnt that:
• There are some basic tips for project management. They are:
- Engage a wide range of people in discussion
- Listen to what they have to say
- Negotiate between different wishes
- Keep an objective mind.
• New partners do not necessarily buy in to the joint working ethos – it is important to make sure that they do. ‘The art of negotiation’ is often needed.
• Keep the ‘joined up working’ momentum going amongst staff – staff will undoubtedly move on and new staff who were not involved in the development will take their place. It is important to let them know the concept behind the centre they work in and get them to take ownership of the centre’s shared agenda.
• Aspiration, expectation and practice changes over time. What was good practice in 2002 might not be good practice in 2003. We must remember to update our thinking if we are to maintain our standards.
• Remember – nothing is perfect. ‘Every day there is some improvement that could be made’.
