1. Getting closer to communities What can partnerships do for us? Elected Member training pack | Community Engagement and Empowerment

2. Understand the benefits and drivers for getting closer to our communities Explore the role of elected Members Understand how partnership working can help Assess the effectiveness of current methods Identify challenges and opportunities Learn from good practice elsewhere Identify how to put our ideas into practice Aims of the session

3. Agenda for today 1.What do we mean by ‘getting closer to our communities’? 2.Why bother? 3.What role do elected Members play? 4.How can partnership working help? 5.Where are we now? 6.What can we learn from other areas? 7.Where do we want to be? 8.What are the next steps?

4. What do we mean by ‘getting closer to communities’? Giving local people a voice Consulting with local people on their needs and wants Giving citizens more control over the way local services are designed and run Working with people Shifting power and responsibility to local people Treating local residents as partners Enabling people to shape services and make decisions

5. Some common themes: Listening Involving Enabling Empowering Engaging Influence Choice Power Trust Collaboration Leadership Delivery

6. Examples: Neighbourhood working Community litter picks Community Charters Volunteering Redress Asset Management and Transfer Participatory Budgeting National Policing Pledge Community Forums Thriving voluntary and community sector Local budgets for ward councillors Citizens’ Panels

7. Why bother? Improve resident satisfaction Deliver better services Build trust between residents and local service providers / elected Members Create more cohesive and integrated communities Revive civic society and local democracy Secure external funding CAA - more focus on local people’s perception / experience of services LAAs – responding to local priorities

8. What’s the current picture? 51% satisfied with local services overall – a decline Voter turnout below 40% at local government elections 4 in 10 feel their voices are heard at the local level 38% feel able to influence decisions in their local area 9% of people involved in some kind of civic participation Majority feel that their local councillor does not represent their view

9. What role do Elected Members play? Community Leaders Advocates for their ward Respond to constituents’ needs Identify local priorities Hold local services to account Represent the local community –Councillor calls for action –Petitions –Overview & Scrutiny –Local surgeries –Community forums –Local budgets

10. How can partnership working help? Access to specialist knowledge Increased capacity to deliver services Closer links into local communities - including more excluded groups Access to a wider pool of skills, data & resources VCS – understanding needs of individual communities; volunteering opportunities More creative solutions – more flexible and innovative services Increased efficiency Shared lessons and good practice

11. Group Exercise 1: Where are we now? How well do we know all of our local communities? How engaged are we with our communities? How do we empower local people? How are Members involved? How well do we work in partnership?

12. What’s are other areas doing? Neighbourhood Charters – Brighton; Staffordshire Moorlands; Chorley Smile Campaign Local ward budgets - Westminster Participatory Budgeting – Harrow Asset transfer – Ordsall Community Café; Tatton Community Centre Youth Grants – West Sussex ‘Natural Communities’ - Wiltshire

13. Group Exercise 2: Where do we want to be? What do we want to achieve? What do we need to do to get there? What are the pros and cons of different methods? What are the barriers? How will we measure success?

14. How can we get there?

15. What shall we do next? What do we need to do after today to: achieve our vision keep ourselves informed and involved influence and support activity further develop our commitment to partnership activity for the benefit of the communities we represent