ENABLING COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT SERVICE REVIEW Kirsty Peden 4 November 2015

Background Dumfries and Galloway Council is carrying out a number of service reviews, one of these is the Enabling Community Empowerment Service Review. Key drivers Community Empowerment Act (Scotland) 2015 Reshaping of Dumfries and Galloway Council - create a more efficient Council Council Priorities and Commitments – “Inclusive Council” Ensure that local people and communities are at the heart of decision making and Empower communities to make the most of their assets

Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 When – Summer 2016 What - help to empower community bodies through the ownership or control of land and buildings, and by strengthening their voices in decisions about public services. National Outcomes, Community Planning, Participation Requests, Community Rights to Buy Land, Asset Transfer Requests, Delegation of Forestry Commissioners’ Functions, Football Clubs, Common Good Property, Allotments, Participation in Public Decision-Making, Non-Domestic Rates. owermentBillFAQs

SCOPE OF THE SERVICE REVIEW Scope approved by Community and Customer Services Committee July 2015 How best to ensure our Council is prepared to deliver on any responsibilities arising from the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act Recognise and celebrate the significant differences across our communities and ensure that Review outcomes have sufficient flexibility to meet different needs and demands – one size will not fit all. What benefits will Review outcomes deliver for communities, will they meet their current and future needs, will they meet the needs of those currently underrepresented?

SCOPE OF THE SERVICE REVIEW How our Council can be better organised to work with communities to meet their needs and deliver local solutions, including making the most of assets that matter most and providing support for them to access external funding? How our Council can better support local communities to get involved in issues relevant to them and contribute to community planning, influencing service planning and delivery?

SCOPE OF THE SERVICE REVIEW How our Council can improve approaches to community engagement and public involvement? How our Council can improve decision making processes to ensure appropriate consultation and representation from communities and customers affected? How can our Council work with Community Planning partners to improve arrangements for communities to become more empowered at a local and strategic level?

COUNCILS SERVICE REVIEW PROCESS Collate/analyse information on staffing, budgets, processes currently used to deliver on these areas Community & Customer Services Committee agree the Scope for the Review Community and Stakeholder consultation – online survey, Area Committee Community meeting, face to face and telephone interviews. Staff Consultation sessions Finding out what other local authorities do and looking at research and ‘best practice’ Research benchmarking information

PROCESS FOR THE REVIEW Review team will consider all the information and develop and appraise options (3-18 November 2015) Challenge panel – Council review toolkit prescribes who should be included in this panel 25 November 2015 Draft report and action plan prepared and presented to the Council’s Business Transformation Board 20 January 2016 Scrutiny by Community and Customer Services Committee 16 February 2016