East Manchester Inter Agency Training Programme

 

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Background

East Manchester was designated a regeneration area in 1996 to reverse the decline over the past generation caused by the collapse of manufacturing jobs. With the promise of the Commonwealth Games and the relocation of Manchester City Football Club, Manchester City Council set up New East Manchester, a regeneration company, and attracted further funds to bring the area back to life.

To improve the quality of life of local residents, a concerted effort was needed to make public services work together towards the same goals. The East Manchester Public Agency Forum was set up as a co-ordinating body and Infrastruct was commissioned to train local managers to work together across traditional boundaries.

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Our Interventions

Over a four year period, Infrastruct took four co-horts of front-line service managers on a ten-month training programme to learn about:

• Initiatives led by local people

• Public service responses to local need

• Joint working skills

The programme incorporated action learning by choosing a real-time group project which was beneficial to local communities.

The participants were health visitors, police sergeants, street environment officers and managers from adult social care, Sure Start, the local library, JobCentrePlus, housing associations, parks, sports centres, and adult education centres. They were supported in their learning by a mentor from their organisation.

Each group reported back to their senior managers on their ideas for innovation and change as a result of attending the programme.

Outcome Group projects for the local community: Jobs fair Community safety workshops with young people Health and well-being day “A Taste of East Manchester” healthy eating events Participating organisations Committed resources to a joint enterprise Gained perspective from on-the-ground staff Developed new local services Individuals developed Partnership working skills ‘Balcony and battlefield’ operational and strategic viewpoints   Personal contacts for continued collaboration