Within the partnership agreement the SPF committed to an annual review; “As a matter of good practice these arrangements will be subject to a review after 12 months of commencement and periodically (probably 12-monthly) thereafter. The review will consider whether arrangements can be improved.”

“There will be an annual review of the operation of the arrangements to ensure the system remains fit for purpose.”

The 2008 review was the first since the SPF re-launch and was conducted by the Involvement and Participation Association.  The IPA review was a more in-depth exercise than that committed to in the partnership agreement and looked at regional and local partnership working, strategic planning and agendas in addition to the national forums arrangements.

The 2009 Stocktake process

The SPF embedding partnership working group have overseen a smaller stocktake for 2009 concentrating solely at national level and in addition to reviewing the SPF to ensure it is fit for purpose will aim to practically shape the SPF agenda and activity for 2010. 

The stocktake has been conducted in three stages:

• questionnaire to SPF wider group to gather views
• analysis and report of issues from questionnaire provided by independent consultant (ACAS)
• independently facilitated (ACAS) SPF away day for SPF wider group to discuss the issues strategy and agenda for 2010 to which took place 13 January 2010.

Outcomes of the 2009 Stocktake

As outlined above ACAS were asked to analyse the feedback from SPF members.  The resulting report analysed areas where SPF could improve and refine moving forward, it also highlighted successes over the previous year and possible areas for SPFs strategic agenda  2010.

Using this analysis the SPF held an away day for members in order to discuss practical plans for improvement and to refine and develop the strategic agenda for 2010.  The outcomes have been pulled together into a report which is available here.  A more detailed action plan is being agreed by the SPF.