Bridging the accountability gap - Audit Commission

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20 Governing partnerships | The partnership landscape Figure 4 NHS organisations’ partnership working to improve services NHS organisations also experienced problems with the governance arrangements in partnerships. Percentage 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 PCT Average Trust SHA NHS NHS NHS NHS (n=303) (n=602) (n=271) (n=28) NHS body Base: All NHS organisations Source: Audit Commission 2004 NHS bodies involved in any partnership arrangements ...and experienced problems with the governance arrangements/ controls environment of the partnership 46 Despite the problems that public organisations can experience in partnership working, only two in five of all fire organisations (38 per cent), police authorities and councils (41 per cent each) involved in partnerships have partnership agreements (Figure 5). Because proportionately more NHS bodies enter partnerships using Health Act flexibilities, they are more likely to have these agreements, which set out the nature and scope of the partnership, the key risks and accountabilities. We return to this topic in Chapter 5. 47 An analysis of auditors’ returns shows that PCTs without an agreement are nearly twice as likely as those with one to have problems with their partnership governance arrangements (45 per cent compared with 27 per cent). For acute trusts, the difference is even more marked – those without an agreement are nearly three times as likely to
Governing partnerships | The partnership landscape 21 experience governance problems (60 per cent with no agreement, against 22 per cent with an agreement). Figure 5 Public bodies working with comprehensive partnership agreements Proportionately more NHS organisations than local authorities have developed comprehensive partnership agreements. Percentage 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 SHA Probation Trust Average PCT London borough Source: Audit Commission 2004 County Metropolitan NHS Prob NHS NHS NHS LG LG LG Police LG LG Fire LG (n=2) (n=35) (n=32) (n=235)(n=201) (n=32) (n=35) (n=36) (n=36) (n=46) (n=352) (n=21) (n=203) Sector Base: All local authorities, NHS bodies and probation boards Police Unitary Average Fire District What good governance means 48 The example in Appendix 2 illustrates the importance of corporate governance in supporting partnership working. It shows how the poor corporate governance of a partner can impact on the governance of a partnership and ultimately on the partnership’s success.
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Page 3 and 4: Governing partnerships | Contents 1
Page 5 and 6: Governing partnerships | Summary 3
Page 7 and 8: Governing partnerships | Recommenda
Page 9 and 10: Governing partnerships | Introducti
Page 15 and 16: 1 The partnership landscape Why do
Page 17 and 18: Governing partnerships | The partne
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Page 55 and 56: 4 Public accountability in partners
Page 57 and 58: Governing partnerships | Public acc
Page 63 and 64: Governing partnerships | Improving
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Governing partnerships | Appendix 1
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Governing partnerships | Appendix 2
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Appendix 3: References 1 Sullivan a
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Bridging the accountability gap - Audit Commission

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