Networks develop a broad view on issues and can often be called upon to take this view into a decision-making arena. Two good local examples are:

• The Croydon Voluntary Sector Alliance and elected representatives who link to the Croydon Strategic Partnership and themed partnerships
• The Health and Care Forum and elected representatives who link to the Healthy Croydon Partnership and the Social Care and Health Liaison Forum.

Croydon Voluntary Action’s managed networks are structured to enable members to influence Croydon Council, Croydon Primary Care Trust, Croydon wide initiatives and national issues affecting people in Croydon.

Given recent announcements and budget cuts, Croydon Council has decided to reduce the Local Strategic Partnership’s infrastructure, not sustainable any more in its present format. On the 13th January 2011, the Council proposed to move to a reduced structure with four themed partnerships:
Croydon Congress

• Health and Well Being Partnership
• Children and Young People's Partnership
• Croydon Regeneration Partnership 
• Safer Croydon Partnership

These four boards will feedback to a ‘Croydon Congress’ meeting twice a year. Click on the links above to get more information on each area, starting with Congress.
 

Croydon Voluntary Action is the supporting agency for many (but not all) networks involved in influencing decision-making in Croydon.
With strategic partnerships, a group of people from different agencies with differing experiences will come together to try and provide the best services and support possible. Some partnerships are firmly established and have good structures for working together, others have looser relationships.
Each of Croydon Congress’ themed partnerships have partnership groups which in turn have sub-groups and working groups. From this, a detailed picture with a complicated set of relationships between partnerships and networks is created. Voluntary and community networks feed into these groups at all levels. Networks influencing decision making generally establish ways to make sure they are accountable (election or selection of representatives).