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# Transforming The Delivery Of Sport And Leisure In Local Communities

 
Leadership Essentials for Cabinet members/Portfolio holders with responsibility for Sport and Physical Activity Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 March 2016 
Scarman House, Warwick Conference Centre, Coventry 
  
An important opportunity, especially for all new portfolio holders 
                                                                               
  
In the current financial climate councils are facing a huge challenge in continuing to provide their communities with continued access to sport and leisure opportunities. Many are looking to fundamentally change how these services are provided. Rationalising and replacing old facilities, transferring the management to trusts or private operators, placing the assets in the hands of committed volunteers are all solutions now being implemented. Reducing council subsidy whilst still increasing participation levels will be a key priority over the next five years. This programme will provide you with expert advice and guidance on how to lead and implement these changes in your own council. At the same time there is mounting recognition that physical activity and sport has a key role to play in improving the health of individuals and helping address health inequalities. The transfer of public health to councils presents members with a real opportunity to ensure sport and physical activity makes a real and lasting contribution to the health and wellbeing of their communities. The programme will enable you to understand and better engage with the health and social care sectors and make the case for the contribution sport and leisure can make to the significant challenges these services face. Responding to these challenges and taking these opportunities will depend on strong political leadership so the third dimension of the programme will enable you to look at your own leadership skills and approaches and think about how you will successfully lead the transformational change required to achieve your political objectives. Together LGA and Sport England will provide you with the knowledge and advice you will need as a lead member. You will have some interesting and challenging external speakers from councils and potential partners who have taken on the same challenges you face. Above all you will have the time and opportunity to share your own ideas and questions with a group of fellow councillors. 

When you sign up for the programme you will also have the opportunity for an individual meeting with Sport England as a follow up after the event to discuss advice and support. The date will be set as soon as you sign up. 

If you are taking on the sport and leisure portfolio and/or the health portfolio for the first time you will particularly find this programme valuable and worthwhile. It will enable you to hit the ground running in your new role. You will be better informed, have access to ongoing support from Sport England and the LGA, and to a network of fellow 

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councillors you can use for support. 

Over 160 portfolio holders have taken part in the programme. Comments include:  
 
"The overall course content and presentation is one of the best courses I have ever attended. Coupled with the diversity of the fellow attendees, it has been a joy to participate." 
 
"The Academy was invaluable in ensuring I was up to date in terms of current and future thinking.  I came away enthused and motivated to implement some of the great ideas I had an insight into".   
  
"I'll be more determined to lead and change our offer." "Really informative, new ideas, things to go back and ask about!" "The speakers were high calibre, insightful and gave some inspiring presentations." "I think this course is a must for all cabinet members with responsibility for sport and leisure." Aim of the programme: 

 To develop and strengthen political leadership skills amongst councillors with a 
portfolio including sport, leisure and physical activity in local government. 
 The programme will help participants to: 

 understand and lead the transformation required in the provision, management and 
development of sport and leisure services within councils in order to improve efficiency and value for money and increase participation 
 understand the role that sport and physical activity can play in helping address health 
improvement and health inequality within communities 
 explore the role sport and physical activity can play in public health, health and social 
care commissioning and personalisation  
 gain an insight into using the outdoors and parks including working in parks with the 
Lawn Tennis Association.  
 understand more about how Sport England and the LGA can help and support 
councils through change programmes and hear about the development of Sport England's strategy. 
 become better leaders 
 The two day programme will include a mixture of speakers from Sport England, LGA and partner councils, group discussions and plenty of opportunity to network and share experiences with members in similar roles. The programme will cover the following topics: - 

 Understanding the impact of the current changes affecting councils and their partners  Achieving fit for purpose sport & leisure provision with declining resources  The role of local political leadership in facilitating and implementing transformational 
change  
 Understanding and engaging with health and social care partners and making the 
case for sport and physical activity to them 
 The role of elected members in building relationships with commissioners  Funding and other support available from Sport England and their partners 
 A copy of the programme is attached.  
 
There is no delegate fee for the event, which covers accommodation for the 1st and 2nd March 2016.  The programme will begin 9.00am on 2nd March and places are available on a first come first served basis. Places are limited to one member per council and there are a maximum of 20 places only. 

To book your place early, please can you respond to Grace Collins, Adviser - Leadership and Localism by email  grace.collins@local.gov.uk or tel: 0207 664 3054 
 

## Programme Wednesday 2Nd March 2016 Time Topic Presenters & Contributors

9.00am 
Welcome and Introduction to the 
programme 
Cllr Jonathan Owen, LGA Member Peer and Deputy Leader, East Riding of Yorkshire Martyn Allison, LGA Associate  
 
9.45am 
Setting the context The challenges and opportunities facing councils Followed by Q&A Representative from LGA Culture, Tourism & Sport Board Mike Diaper Executive Director, Community Sport, Sport England 
10.10am 
Future strategy 
 
Following on from the Government's 
publication of its new sport strategy 
'Sporting Future : A new strategy for an 
active in December Sport England will develop a strategy to deliver the outcomes. An opportunity to hear about progress. Followed by Q&A and discussion 
 
 
10.40am 
Break & networking 
11.10am 
Sustaining fit for purpose sport & 
leisure provision with declining resources 
Group discussions on how councils are 
responding to on going funding reductions:  
How are efficiencies being created? 
 
What new ways of working are being considered and developed? 
 
How are councils working with local clubs, National Governing Bodies of Sport and County Sport Partnerships? 
Challenges and options/solutions for 
leisure facility provision and working with sporting partners Q&A and Discussion 
1.00pm 
Lunch 
1.45pm 
Collaborative leadership in a multistakeholder environment 
3.30pm 
Break & networking 
4.00pm 
Parks and the Outdoors - a resource for increasing physical activity 
 
5.15pm 
Reflection on the first day 
Martyn Allison and Cllr Jonathan Owen 
5.30pm 
Close 
 
7.00pm 
Pre-dinner speaker 
'Welcome to my world" 
7.45pm 
Dinner Thursday 3rd March 2016 
Time 
Topic 
Presenters and possible contributors 
Introduction to the day Setting the Health and Social Care Scene - working with partners in the public health and CCG landscape Commissioning sport and physical 
9.00am 9.30am Charles Johnston 
Property Director, Sport England Pascoe Sawyers Principal Adviser, LGA Chris Perks Director, Local Relationships Sport England David Reeve, Local Authorities and Parks Lead, Lawn Tennis Association Jim McManus, Director of Public Health, Hertfordshire County Council Cllr Jonathan Owen Martyn Allison 
Neil Consterdine 
Head of Youth and Leisure Oldham 
10.00am 
activity-building relationships 
Some of the learning from a recent Sport England/CLOA project to help eight councils engage with commissioners 
The Oldham Experience 
Becoming a strategic player within commissioning 
 
10.45am 
Break 
Karen Creavin, Head of Wellbeing Services, Birmingham City Council 
11.10am 
Positioning physical activity, sport and health improvement at the heart of corporate priorities. The role of political and managerial leadership in 
'Be active' Birmingham's approach to 
tackling healthy lifestyles. 
Presentation and discussion 
Cllr Jonathan Owen Martyn Allison  
12 noon 
Discussion and debate on your role in commissioning 
(table discussion and group discussion) 

12.45pm 
Lunch 
 1.30pm 
Leading transformational change  
Martyn Allison 
 2.00 pm 
The role of Sport England in 
supporting you when you return 
Ruth Alleyne, Strategic Lead Local Government, Sport England 
  2.30pm 
Reflections, learning and actions 
Cllr Jonathan Owen Martyn Allison 
  2.45 pm 
Programme closes