Local Authorities

104. This Strategic Programme focuses on investigating, developing and introducing the changes required to create an effective and coherent partnership between HSE and local authorities (LAs).

Total gross expenditure

105. The Strategic Programme, jointly developed and managed by HSE and LAs, will work on the principles of making the best use of respective strengths and applying collective resources in the best way to tackle national and local priorities.

What we aim to achieve

106. This is an enabling programme, in that improved partnerships between HSE and LAs will help them to deliver health and safety improvements more effectively. The work of LAs contributes significantly towards our targets, but that contribution is difficult to quantify. Therefore, we have not set programme targets at this stage, but will do so once we have developed the programme fully and reviewed the issues around collecting and analysing data. At the same time, we will work to quantify HSE's contribution to LA's regional needs.

What we aim to do

107. The Local Authorities Strategic Programme aims to deliver the essential elements of an effective and coherent partnership between HSE and LAs. There are four main programmes of work:

• Front line work and interventions;
• Governance and management arrangements;
• Support programme; and
• Communications.

108. The programme aims to build on existing good practice found where HSE and LAs work together by:

• Examining, mapping and promulgating existing good practice;
• Negotiating and piloting joint working initiatives for 2004-2005;
• Planning and making arrangements for a coordinated intervention strategy that is related to risk;
• Examining and amending the Enforcing Authority Regulations - the legal framework that currently underpins the relationship between HSC, HSE and LAs;
• Putting systems in place to organise, plan, monitor, audit and evaluate partnership work;
• Influencing, training and supporting those working in new initiatives; and
• Improving and strengthening communications in all areas.

109. For further information see:http://www.hse.gov.uk/lau/index.htm