BEST VALUE REVIEW OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
- POSITION STATEMENT – DRAFT 1.
1.0
A STATEMENT OF SALFORD’S COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT
1.1
Statement to be produced by Leader/Deputy Leader outlining historical
context and future extent.
2.
CITY PROFILE
2.1
A brief profile of Salford, its socio-economic demographic characteristics and
political structures, a brief description of the community and voluntary sector
and the role and development of the Local Strategic Partnership will be
contained here.
2.2
Appendices outlining current planned consultation and a process map of
engagement will be attached.
3.0
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT – WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO SALFORD
3.1
There are four main reasons why Salford is so committed to engaging with it’s
communities
a)
STATUTORY OR OBLIGATORY ENGAGEMENT
As a Local Authority Salford has a number of statutory duties to consult
for example on the Unitary Development Plan and the Community
Plan. There are also many instances where the Local Authority is
obliged to consult for example when developing proposals for
regeneration under the Single Regeneration Budget or New Deal.
In Salford we believe we go beyond statutory or obligatory
consultation and try to ensure that the outcome of our consultations do
make a real difference to strategic planning and service delivery.
For example on a consultation of the Unitary Development Plan and
Transport Plan this year we went beyond our statutory obligations and
undertook a series of consultations in each of our Community
Committee Areas which resulted in the production of nine Area Plans.
These Area Plans have been ratified by the relevant Community
Committees and are being used as a useful building block in enhancing
the Local Community Action Plans (see below for further details on
Community Committees and Community Action Plans).
1
b)
Strengthening Democracy and Promoting Cohesion
Salford firmly believes that building engagement and interaction
between the Local Authority and it’s constituent communities builds
stronger communities and strengthens democracy in its widest sense.
A good relationship between the Local Authority and its citizens
provides a strong foundation for developing cohesion and challenging
social exclusion. At the last local elections in May there was an
encouraging increase in voter turn out and as a City where we are
committed to using the full array of relationships which we have with
our communities to further increase participation in representative
democracy.
c)
Improving Services
A powerful argument for good quality engagement relates to the need
to fully understand the needs of our communities and their views on
potential responses to those needs. Good engagement does mean
better services, provided the information gleaned is used constructively
d)
Empowering Communities
Over and above improving services good engagement actually
encourages local communities to develop their own solutions. Salford
is very committed to developing Social Capital (for example through
the Social Action Research Project) and the Capacity Releasing Steering
Group which is part of the Local Strategic Partnership Social Inclusion
Forum. Salford’s vision for its Community Strategy is that an active of
community is a healthy community and we see good quality
community engagement as a very important means of achieving this.
4.0
FOCUS OF THE BEST VALUE REVIEW
4.1
Any Best Value Review of an important cross cutting issue such as
community engagement, can flounder through lack of clarity and over
ambitiousness. Work to date on the review suggests very strongly that
clear parameters for the Review need to be identified and adhered to.
4.2
This Best Value Review will only focus on those areas of engagement
which will not be covered by other Best Value Reviews. The Review
will concentrate on Community Engagement in terms on its impact at
a fairly high level with a view to developing models which mainstream
engagement in a coherent and co-ordinated way.
2
4.3
The main focus of the Review will be on how engagement influences:
a)
b)
c)
4.4
Directorate Service Plans
Corporate Strategies
Resource allocation including budget planning
In terms of the relationship the City Council has with its citizens and
communities, there will be three clear strands to the review
a)
b)
c)
Engagement with our geographical communities
Engagement with Communities Of Interest in Salford
City-wide engagement with all our citizens
5.0
THE FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS
5.1
There are two fundamental questions which the review will seek to address:
a)
b)
How do we improve and increase engagement – there are a number of
elements to this but experience and evidence to date suggests that the
breadth and depth of current engagement is quite variable. The
Review will focus on identifying mechanisms to develop engagement
which will be more effective in terms of:
1.
the silent majority who currently do not participate and are not
consulted
2.
excluded and hard to reach groups.
An equally important and possibly more difficult question relates to the
impact that our current engagement and any proposed increase in that
engagement has on service planning, strategic planning and resource
allocation and how that impact can be measured and enhanced.
There will also need to be reference back on how to measure and
increase the impact engagement has on strengthening democracy,
service improvement and empowerment.
6.0
ENGAGEMENT WITH GEOGRAPHICAL COMMUNITIES
The primary mechanism by which City of Salford engages with its
geographical communities is through the Community Strategy which has been
in existence since 1994. A background to the Community Strategy is attached
as Appendix 3. For the purpose of the Best Value Review significant factors
to note are
3
a)
A fundamental Review of the Community Strategy which was
undertaken by the Deputy Leader of Salford City Council in July 2000
entitled Building on Success the Review of the Community Strategy.
This paper identified 27 Recommendations which were designed to link
the Community Strategy with the unfolding Government agenda in
respect of Local Government reform, social inclusion and capacity
building.
b)
The Community Strategy Implementation Plan which was reviewed in
November 2000 and July 2001, identified progress to date on
implementing the Review of the Community Strategy.
c)
A further progress report which was undertaken by the Deputy Leader
and presented to Cabinet in April 2002. (Attached as Appendix 4)
This report provides a useful starting point in terms of Best Value
Review process in respect of engagement with our geographical
communities. The key issues identified are as follows and it is
proposed the Best Value Improvement Plan begins the actions required
to address these issues.
Key issues identified are:
i)
Development of a Vision for the Community Strategy, in particular
fundamental questions to be addressed are:
1)
2)
3)
4)
what decisions should be delegated to the local level
what budgets should be delegated to the local level
How far should Community Action Plans influence decision
making at the centre
What infrastructure is required to deliver the agreed vision
ii)
Linking the Community Strategy Crime and Disorder Reduction
Strategy, Preventative Strategy for Children and Young people and
Capacity Releasing Strategy. Work is currently underway to ensure
that within each Community Committee Area a joined up approach is
being developed linking the above (see Community Strategy/ Key
Issues 4.1, 4.2, 4.3). This work will need to be reviewed for inclusion
in the Best Value Improvement Plan.
iii)
Community Strategy Regeneration and Neighbourhood Management
Given that there are structures built around the Community Strategy in
each local Community Committee Area a number of issues arise where
in major regeneration programmes for example Single Regeneration
Budget 5, New Deal for Communities in for Lower Kersal, and
Charlestown Eccles Town Centre Partnership Board are active. There
is a need to develop clarity about the relationship between:
4
a)
Area/Neighbourhood Co-ordinators
Structures and Regeneration Teams
Local
Community
Strategy
b)
The relationship between Community Committees and Partnership
Boards
c)
The role of Political Executives
d)
The relationship between Regeneration Teams and mainstream service
providers
iv)
Neighbourhood Management
Work needs to be carried out to develop how Neighbourhood Management
will be rolled out across the City within the framework of the Community
Strategy and also within major regeneration programmes.
v)
Improving Community Strategy at Local level
a)
Directorates, Community Committee and Community Action
Plans
Important areas to consider within the Best Value Review
process relate to the two way relationships Directorates have
with the local structures built around Community Committees
their input into Community Action Plans and their response to
priorities and actions identified in the Community Action Plans.
Work is currently being developed to address these relationships
and its conclusions will need to be contained within the Best
Value Improvement Plan.
b)
The Operation of Community Committees
Another key issue which needs to be considered within the Best
Value Process relates to workings of Community Committees
and their attendant networks, and how these can be effectively
supported. In particular consideration will need to be given to:
i)
How Community Committees
workloads
ii)
How Community Committee can be made more interesting and
attractive to local people
5
manage
their
agenda and
c)
iii)
What infrastructure supports Community Committees, Chairs
and Deputies of Community Committees, Link Members, Political
Executives, Task Groups and Budget Groups require to work
effectively
iv)
What support needs to be developed around Community Action
Plans to ensure that they effectively represent the aspirations,
priorities, issues and potential solutions as perceived by local
communities.
The Impact of Community Action Plans
A fundamental and crucial element of the Best Value Review will be to
consider the impact, current and future, of Community Action Plans on
as identified above
1.
2.
3.
Service Plans
Corporate Strategies
Resource allocation and the budgetary process
There will be five key elements to this work
a)
Analysing from a city-wide perspective the messages which are
coming out of Community Action Plans currently about city-wide
priorities and determining how these messages can be
embraced into the Strategic Planning Process
b)
Work is currently underway which will need to be completed
in the very near future which is attempting to measure the
impact Community Action Plans currently have had.
c)
Consideration will need to be given to the extent to which
Community Action Plans are being mainstreamed and what
action needs to be taken to ensure they are at the centre of the
way we do things in Salford.
d)
Monitoring systems, evaluation mechanisms and performance
indicators will need to be developed to measure the impact of
the Community Action Plans and to measure the extent to which
they have been developed through Community Engagement and
Involvement.
e)
Consideration of the above may well produce some fundamental
questions about how the City of Salford is organised a) culturally
b) structurally. The Best Value Review process may well
produce some challenging requirements in terms of
organisational change.
6
6.2
Issues from the Initial Review of the Community Strategy to be
expanded
6.3
The Review will also need to consider whether there are other
engagement issues in respect of geographical communities. One
currently requiring consideration relates to the role of Tenant
Participation within local structures given the development of an Arms
Length Management Organisation in the Housing Directorate. There
may well be other issues which will emerge during the 4 C process.
7.0
ENGAGING WITH COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST
7.1
It can be argued that the City of Salford have developed a very strong
foundation for Community Engagement in respect of the geographical
communities. Initial consideration of our relationships with Communities of
Interest has suggested that there is considerable amount of work to be done.
The Best Value Review process needs to drive that work.
7.2
We will also need to prioritise that engagement with Communities of Interest
over a three year period with a view to revisiting and reviewing priorities.
7.3
The draft Anti-Poverty Strategy of 1991 identified 11 priority groups most
likely to be excluded in Salford. (See attached draft Anti-Poverty Strategy.)
Initial discussions have led to the proposal that the following six Communities
Of Interest are focused upon through the Best Value Review with a view to, in
the Best Value Improvement Plan, identifying how engagement can be
developed over the next three years. Mechanisms will also need to be in
place to ensure that other Communities Of Interest in the City are recognised
and responded to with a view to strengthening engagement as time and
resources allow.
7.4
The Six Suggested Communities of Interest to Target are suggested as brief
notes on the current position are included
1.
Black and ethnic minorities - work is starting to develop through the
Capacity Releasing Steering Group of the Social Inclusion Forum to
provide a coherent and co-ordinated approach to engagement with
black and ethnic minority communities. The following give a picture
though probably not a complete one, of current activities which can be
built upon in the future.
a)
The implementation of the Race Relations Amendment Act 2000
will mean that all relevant public agencies in Salford will have an
Action Plan in that ensuring Race Equality.
7
b)
Work is underway to deliver an SRB 5 project which will help to
co-ordinate and develop existing activities.
c)
Salford Council for Voluntary Service are currently appointing
two workers to the Community Network in the City. The
Community Network is being developed supported by the
Community Empowerment Fund, to ensure positive Community
and Voluntary Sector involvement with the Local Strategic
Partnership. In the job descriptions of these two workers clear
reference is made to the engagement of black and ethnic
minority groups.
d)
Greater Manchester Police Authority has a full-time worker
promoting links between black and minority ethnic groups within
the City
e)
Salford Multi-Agency Racial Harassment Forum (SMARF) is
bringing together key agencies and representatives from various
groups, they are currently identifying how to develop their work
in combating racial harassment.
f)
RAPAR – Refugee And Asylum Seekers Participation Action
Research has begun to develop as an umbrella group to support
refugees and asylum seekers within the City.
g)
In Salford’s Crime and Reduction Strategy, hate crime has been
identified as a priority and it is proposed that a Hate Crime CoOrdinator is appointed in the Community Safety Unit
h)
Statutory organisations such as City of Salford and the Primary
Care Trust are appointing staff specifically to engage with black
and ethnic minority communities.
It is proposed that the Best Value Improvement Plan is a vehicle by which
promotion of better engagement, black and ethnic communities in Salford is
developed. Mechanisms to consider the needs of older people are being
recognised
2.
Older People
Responding to the specific needs of older people is starting to feature
as an issue of importance to several agencies. Amongst current
activity there exists:
a)
Salford’s Older People’s Forum.
8
b)
Advocacy work being undertaken by Age Concern initially mainly in
Eccles, Seedley and Langworthy but potentially city-wide.
c)
The work that’s been carried out in the Health and Social Care field by
both the Community & Social Services Directorate and the various
National Health Trusts which is developing user and carer involvement
for example the Working Together Document provides the framework
by which engagement and involvement of older people in service
planning and delivery is promoted.
3.
People with disabilities - work is currently underway to develop a
Disability Forum which could be the initial point of contact for the City
of Salford in terms of promoting engagement
4.
Women – the City of Salford funds Salford Women’s Centre which has
been over the past two decades a focal point ensuring that issues
relating to needs of women are articulated and addressed.
A Women’s Network has existed in the past but there currently appears
to be very little in the way of engagement between organisations
representing women and the City of Salford,
5.
Gay Men And Lesbians - work is currently underway to develop a gay
men and lesbians forum in the City. The Best Value Review can begin
to identify issues and solutions in respect of gay men and lesbians in
the City.
g)
Very Hard To Reach Groups - work has taken place primarily within the
NHS through Salford Community Health Council to identify mechanisms
by which very hard to reach groups can be engaged in work, for
example, frail elderly people, very confused people, very young
children, people with very serious mental health difficulties. Given that
the City of Salford provides many of the services to very hard to reach
groups such as this it is felt that it would be important to include.
Improving our ability to engage with these groups in the Best Value
Improvement Plan.
7.5
Work will need to take place to develop more information around the
current position in terms of engagement with the above groups. As
mentioned above Salford is quite strong in terms of developing and
engaging with geographical communities. The cornerstone of that
engagement is the Local Community Action Plan which has seven
themes relating to the seven themes of the Local Strategic
Partnerships Community Plan.
9
7.6
As well as looking at engagement with these Communities of Interest,
it is recommended that the Best Value Review considers developing
Community Action Plans based on Communities of Interest with the
same seven themes as for the geographical communities. The
advantage of doing this would be that if organisationally we are
successful in mainstreaming Community Action Plans produced through
Community Committees, then it would be considerably easier to
mainstream the issues which are articulated by Communities of
Interest if they are in the same format.
8.0
CITYWIDE ENGAGEMENT
8.1
Work will need to done to develop an accurate Position Statement in terms of
the engagement which is undertaken city-wide. Currently the three strands
appear to be:
8.2
i)
The quality of life survey the second of which is planned for later in the
year and will need to link in very closely to the Best Value Review
ii)
The Annual Budget consultation which takes place
iii)
The Consultation which has taken place around the UDP and Transport
Plan
Work is currently underway to develop a consultation strategy as part of the
Best Value Review and the first draft of this has been prepared. The
Consultation Strategy identifies the need to consider other ways of consulting
and engaging for example:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Focus Groups
Citizen Juries
Standing Panels
Scrutiny Commissions
Market Research etc
The Best Value Review will need to carefully consider the most effective ways of
improving city-wide engagement.
8.3
Work is also underway to look at a different model of budget consultation
called Participatory Budgeting. A proposal has been made by Community
Pride in Manchester to work in partnership with the City Council to consider
the merits of Participatory Budgeting. A copy of the proposal is attached for
information.
10
8.4
Another major issue for the Best Value Review relates to both the conduct of
the review and the wider issue of City-wide engagement within the context of
the Local Strategic Partnership and it may well be that there will need to be a
focus for the review which relates to strengthening engagement across the
whole Local Strategic Partnership.
9.0
THE NEXT STEPS
9.1
As can be seen from the above there is a considerable amount of work to be
undertaken to refine the Position Statement and this must be the first priority
for the Best Value Review Team. It is proposed to have a final draft of the
Position Statement by week commencing 15.7.02.
9.2
When this has been produced a programme can then be developed to put the
Position Statement through the rigour of the 4 C’s.
9.3
Questions will be developed in respect of key elements of the Position
Statement as it relates to the Best Value Improvement Plan and a programme
of consultation, comparison, challenge and competition developed by the end
of July with a view to rolling out over the next six weeks. The outcome of
this process will produce the draft Best Value Improvement Plan in September
which will then be widely consulted upon, giving a final Improvement Plan
produced by the end of November in preparation for a Best Value Inspection
in December of this year or January 2003.
ST/PB
17 July 2016
C:\pb\commrpt\bvrcengage.doc
11