A report by the Acting Director of Children’s Services advised the Cabinet that support services for governors in schools had been provided and funded by the Council for a substantial number of years.  The cost in 2011/12 for this was approximately £106,000.  The report provided information about the outcomes from the Learn Together Partnership (LTP) Directors of Children’s Services decision in 2009 to move towards more shared services.  Cabinet was informed that the Learn Together Partnership had formally existed since 2004 and was a collaborative of Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, St Helens, Sefton, Warrington and Wirral, Children and Young People’s Services. 

The shared service proposal was based around four local authorities sharing governor support services, Wirral, Warrington, Halton and Cheshire East Councils, with Cheshire East taking the lead on school governor development and support during 2012.  This would further support and enhance the corporate priorities of developing joint working to provide an outstanding service which would provide greater value for money via group opportunities for procurement, with no redundancies.  The statutory duty placed on local authorities to secure training and support for governors would still be fulfilled. 

RESOLVED:

That approval be given to enter formally into the shared Governor Support Service with Cheshire East, Halton and Warrington Councils.