Community Support and Capacity Building:

Creating Strong and self-reliant Communities

Assembly Steering Group

18th June 2013

Context

1. Reduced public sector funding• Council• Other public sector including DWP

2. Recession

3. Welfare to Work – Reform

4. Localities Act and Devolution

Developing the operating model

Changing Our Council

1. Early focus on work streams, internal processes and one Council approach

2. Less developed: Relationship between the Council and citizens, communities and partners

“build capacity of citizens and others, significantly reducing dependencies”

Involving citizens

Professional service

Professional service with volunteers

Professional service with volunteers and service users as active agents

Supported self help type activities

Independent & self help type activities with no or minimal external support

Increasing involvement

Decreasing cost

Grid 1

Onion rings: Community support scope?

Ambulances (Ring 4) and fences (Ring 1 built by Ring 2)

Budgets

• Existing community support (Fence services – Inner two rings)

• Can getting community support right mean we could disinvest in some ambulance services?

• How do we bring in ‘social investment’

Spend

Defining Co-production

From Deficit to an Asset approachDeficit approach Asset approach

Starts with deficiencies and needs Starts with assets in the community

Responds to problems Identifies opportunities and strengths

Provides services to users Invests in people as citizens

Emphasises role of agencies Emphasises the role of civil society

Focuses on individuals Focuses on communities and neighbourhoods

Sees people as clients and service users Sees people as citizens and co-producers as something to offer

Treats people as passive and ‘done to’ Helps people to take control of their lives

‘Fixes people’ Supports people to develop their potential

Sees programme implementation as answer Sees people as the answer

Eg: Adult and Community Services• The Changing Lives Programme: outcomes included new

framework of LD providers & personalised services

• ‘Warm Homes- Healthy People’

• Commissioning in the Voluntary & Community sectors: Community wellbeing café networks, wellbeing activities, community transport etc

• Creative Support and NOTHY

• ‘Positive Minds’

• People led partnerships making a difference eg OPP, SDP

Enablers of leadership

- Council Management

- Health Management

- Police

- Chamber of commerce

- VCS Infrastructure

- Partnerships

- CD workers

- Wardens/ PCSO

Political Leaders – Council Leader, Executive, Area Cttees, Ward Members

Civic Leaders – includes Hospital Trust Boards, School governors

Business Leaders – Networks & groups of business people

Good neighbours – Neighbourhood Watch coordinators

VCS – Management committees

1. Critical to getting support right: Community leadership

Responsible citizenship and pro-social behaviour

Good Neighbours – watching, helping, welcoming

Citizens working in groups – Community groups and network support

Street & immediate local area

Neighbourhoods & communities of interest

Fundraisers – Raising funds to support active citizens initiatives

Regular volunteers –

Supporting the delivery of public services

Engaged customers & citizens – contributing to delivering better outcomes

District Governance – Representing communities

Communities & business together

Supporting public service delivery district wide

Exploring ‘co-production’ options district wide

District wide, Areas, Neighbourhoods & communities of interest

2. Critical to getting community support right: Involving Active Citizens

3. Critical to getting support right: Engagement -Theme, People and Place

Challenges

• Metrics – difficult to establish

• Outcomes might be slow to realise

• Where are savings in the whole system? Who will benefit the most?

• Disinvesting - politically problematic

• Leaps of faith