What is the Merton Partnership?

The Merton Partnership is the ‘Local Strategic Partnership’ (LSP) for Merton.  An LSP brings together organisations from the local statutory, voluntary, community, and private sectors across a geographical area. Together, they address local problems and concerns to improve outcomes for local people. They promote joint working, community involvement and improving the quality of life in the area.

The Merton Partnership is the overarching strategic partnership that seeks to place the needs of the community, the reduction in inequalities in the borough, and the effective delivery of public services right at the heart of what public agencies and their partners do.

The Partnership is responsible for the delivery of Merton's Community Plan and Local Area Agreement (LAA) objectives.  The Partnership’s aim to ‘bridge the gap’ between the east and west of the borough is the central focus of the LAA.

LSPs are vital to progress in delivering sustainable economic, social, and physical regeneration, and improving public services in order to meet the local community's needs. Joint working between these organisations and the community provides an opportunity for the public to have a say on what services should be provided, and enables the LSP to complete its goals of improving the quality of life in the area.

Structure of the Merton Partnership

The Merton Partnership has a three-tier structure:

• The Merton Partnership meets quarterly and is chaired by the Leader of Merton Council. The Merton Partnership has a co-ordinating function.
• The Executive Board meets bi-monthly and is currently chaired by the Chief Executive of Merton Council. It brings together the key resource holders in the borough. It advises the Partnership on matters of performance and governance and ensures that the work of the partnership is given the leadership and capacity it needs.
• There are five thematic partnerships that mirror Merton’s Community Plan themes and oversee delivery of the Community Plan. The partnerships are:

• Sustainable Communities and Transport
• Safer and Stronger Communities
• Healthier Communities
• Older People
• Children and Young People

• At all tiers of the partnership there are a number of Community Engagement Representatives who represent Merton's diverse and wide ranging voluntary and community sector.

Members of the Merton Partnership

The following organisations are members of the Merton Partnership:

• Merton Council
• MP for Wimbledon
• MP for Mitcham and Morden
• Merton Police
• Merton Chamber of Commerce
• Jobcentreplus
• Merton Voluntary Services Council
• Sutton and Merton Primary Care Trust
• Merton College
• London South Learning and Skills Council
• Merton Race Equality Partnership
• The Interfaith Forum
• Merton Unity Network
• Merton Fire Brigade
• Community Engagement Network

The Community Plan

The Community Plan is the borough’s 'plan of plans', providing the strategic framework for the council and other partners’ business plans.  It is based on the issues Merton residents tell us they would like to see improved. The 2006-2015 plan was launched on 14 June 2006 and can be viewed at http://www.merton.gov.uk/communityplan

Annual Report

The Merton Partnership’s first annual report was published in June 2007.  It reports on the Partnership's performance in its first year of delivering the Community Plan priorities as well as highlighting some of the Partnership's key achievements in the last 12 months.

Meetings

The Merton Partnership meets four times a year at the Civic Centre, and meetings are open to the public to observe. For meeting dates, and agendas and minutes of previous meetings, please click here  

 To learn more about the Merton Partnership, who is involved and what it does, visit www.mertonpartnership.org