Our structure

The NSP undertook a governance and performance management review in 2008 to ensure it is 'fit for purpose' to deliver the Sustainable Community Strategy - 'Improving our communities together'.

As a result of the review a number of structural changes have been agreed, particularly to the Board and delivery partnerships.

Our new structure (pdf, 61k)

The Partnership Board is now made up of 14 senior representatives from the public, business, voluntary and community sectors. There are also observers from the Government Office South West and the South West Regional Development Agency with Somerset Racial Equality Council acting as an advisor as necessary.

The NSP also formalised the role of the NSP sub-group (which had been delegated to take a lead on the development of the Local Area Agreement and new Sustainable Community Strategy) into an Executive. The Executive has nine places, again drawn from across all sectors.

The other major change agreed by the NSP was to rationalise the delivery partnerships, bringing the different theme areas together into four new delivery partnerships.

Our new delivery partnerships are:

• Children & Young People
• Safer Stronger Communities
• Health & Wellbeing
• Transport, Economy & Environment

Children and young people's issues and older people's issues will be considered across all the partnerships.

Our Stakeholder Forum will continue but will be developed and strengthened to have a greater input into the work of the Partnership as a whole.

Communities and local people will also continue to have the opportunity to influence our work by identifying local issues, for example through the Parish Planning process.

The new structure will be reviewed on a regular basis as the Partnership develops in the future.