Community Engagement and Empowerment Policy 2010 working together to improve our city
Community Engagement and Empowerment Policy 2010 2
working together to improve our city Introduction and aims of this document In 2007 Partners IN Salford adopted a model for the delivery of community engagement, the Community Engagement Wheel. This document is a revision to that model and broadens the 2007 version to include empowerment and to fully reflect our desires detailed within the Sustainable Community Strategy. This document outlines how community engagement and empowerment will be delivered by Partners IN Salford. It has been developed in consultation with local people, councillors and staff of Partners IN Salford organisations. This document should be read together with the toolkit which details the best practice in engagement methods. The toolkit can be found at www.partnersinsalford.org/ community-engagement This document will also provide a strong contribution to and support several other partnership programmes and strategic discussions. There is a growing collective realisation amongst partners that engaging and empowering our communities is not just a vital delivery issue but also a major key to transformational outcomes. Contents Introduction 3 Our aim 5 How we will deliver good community engagement and empowerment Community engagement 7 Community empowerment 11 Support available for the delivery of community engagement and empowerment 6 12 Our partners 18 Equal opportunities and diversity 18 How will we know if we have got it right? 19 Further information 19 3
Partners IN Salford Partners IN Salford is the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) for Salford - a group of organisations who work together to improve our city. Our members are taken from organisations such as Salford City Council, NHS Salford and the police. We work together with businesses and voluntary, community and faith organisations to improve Salford. Duty to Involve The Duty to Involve came into force on April 1st 2009 and is set out in the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 and supported by the Local Democracy Act 2009. This duty means that all authorities must inform, consult and involve local people in decision making across all public functions. Sustainable Community Strategy Connecting people to opportunities In 2009 Partners IN Salford produced a 15 year plan for the development of the city. This plan is about everybody (organisations and communities) working together to make Salford a better place to live. The vision for the city is: In 2024, Salford will be a beautiful and welcoming city, driven by energetic and engaged communities of highly skilled, healthy and motivated citizens, who have built a diverse and prosperous culture and economy which encourages and recognises the contribution of everyone, for everyone. Partners IN Salford recognises that the best way forward for the city is in partnership with the citizens, people and communities who live and/or work here. Action needs to be taken to ensure that citizens and communities are partners in making decisions about service delivery and in making the vision a reality. To do this we have produced a community engagement model to help encourage discussion, new ideas and a sense of partnership between the agencies, organisations and the people and communities of Salford. 4
Why is community engagement and empowerment essential? Community engagement and empowerment is essential for all partner organisations and the community in order to contribute to: Our aim By improving the quality of community engagement and empowerment we will support the Sustainable Community Strategy: We will engage, empower and encourage all residents to be active in their community. We will create a welcoming and cohesive city. We will improve neighbourhood working to respond to local needs. We will make young people part of the solution by ensuring their engagement. 1. Empowering local citizens to have control over their lives. 2. Reducing inequalities and closing the gap between the most and least deprived areas of the city. 3. Ensuring that services genuinely meet the needs of service users and that available resources are used efficiently and directed towards our partnership objectives. 4. Fulfilling our commitment to local democracy. 5. Meeting statutory duties, for example around community cohesion. 5
How we will deliver good community engagement and empowerment What we understand to be a Community A community is a group of people who have something in common. They can be: people living or working within a defined geographical area (for example a ward, neighbourhood, housing estate, etc) and/or people who share a particular identity or interest (for example people of a similar age, who have a disability, practice the same faith, students, etc) or are linked by a common issue (for example housing demands) We recognise the term 'decision making' to include personal actions (for example choosing which activity would best help yourself) and community actions (for example deciding how a service can be improved to best meet the needs of a community). Planning good community engagement and empowerment Before any community engagement and empowerment activity is undertaken within the city all those responsible for conducting the engagement must plan their activities. This is to reduce the amount of overconsultation and engagement fatigue that has occurred in certain areas of the city and within some groups. The minimum level of research that should be undertaken covers: 1. Has this activity been undertaken before? Who with? What was the purpose of the original activity? Are the results of the activity available have you checked the Salford Observatory? Are the results of the original activity still relevant and recent? Can these results be used rather than repeating the engagement exercise? 2. If a new engagement and empowerment exercise is needed then who should be included? Have all the potential communities affected by the service or decision been considered? Have your materials been looked at so that they are understood by all the community and they can access them? 3. Have all the types of engagement described below been fully considered and a full range of engagement tools explored to maximise inclusion? 6
Community engagement Different types of engagement In order to improve the quality of community engagement and empowerment within Salford we recognise different ways by which people can influence decision making. These are expressed in the following diagram: The Community Engagement Wheel : Community engagement Community engagement Community engagement is both the process and the result of working together to ensure the whole population influences the decision making processes that affect their lives. Community Engagement is the development and sustaining of working relationships between public bodies and community groups and citizens to help all of them to understand and address the needs and issues experienced by particular communities. There are a number of ways in which we can achieve good community engagement. These are represented within the diagram as four types of activity. The type and amount of activity carried out with a community depends on a number of factors. For example: how much the community wants to give in terms of time or energy how important an issue is to the community limits on time, resources and background research on suitable activities Devolved responsibility Community involvement Information giving Community consultation All types of engagement should be viewed together; each has its own vital role and supports and complements the others. For example, a broad consultation exercise may provide an opportunity for all the community to be involved rather than just including the views from two or three representatives on a steering group that meets infrequently. The types of community engagement activity are ordered here by the amount of input (both time and resources) required of the community to be involved: 7
Information giving is where residents and communities are provided with information on public services, including how to access them, their performance, future changes and progress on issues affecting them, but don t have the opportunity to provide direct comment. This includes activities such as posters, leaflets and newspaper articles. Input from the community only occurs if an individual chooses to contact the organisation. Community consultation is a process of communication that leads to a decision. Consultation should be related to a decision that an agency intends to take, but where the views of a community must be taken into account. The process should be fully inclusive, and provide feedback on any decision made. This includes activities such as surveys, focus groups, workshops etc. Input comes from the community in that they provide information or attend an event to express their views. Example: Your Guide to Local Health Services Your Guide to Local Health Services is an annual publication produced by NHS Salford. It is delivered to every household in the city. The purpose of Your Guide is to provide accountability and transparency about decision making and spending and to inform people of decisions and future plans. Included in Your Guide are examples of how to get involved in your local health services and how involvement has led to change. As a result of Your Guide, there has been an increase in the number of people signed up to the NHS Salford Citizen and Patient Panel and an increase in the number of people accessing the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS). Example: Ordsall Development Framework A consultation regarding site use for services and shops was carried out to inform the Development Framework for Ordsall. In order to reach a wider audience street theatre was used to complement the wider public consultation. Actors dressed as builders attracted crowds of passers-by with cheeky comments and succeeded in introducing the work and a questionnaire. Very few people decided not to complete one and 161 were submitted. The evaluation showed that this method was useful in increasing interaction, communication and receiving information, but is best used alongside other consultation methods and should be merged into the full consultation process. 8
Community involvement is when people are involved in the design, development and direction of community activities and services in cooperation with public agencies and organisations. This results in the people who use services having a say in decisions about how and by whom services are purchased, provided and controlled. This requires more input from the community as people will need to play an active role within the decision making process such as by being a member of a steering group or board that meets fairly frequently. Example: Future Search A three-day event brought together around 60 people from all walks of life into the same room. Over the 16 hours spent together they discussed their past, present and desired future for Salford. Through conversation they discovered their common ground and only then were concrete action plans made. By having the whole system participating in the event a true crosssection of as many interested parties as possible made a direct input into the plans for the city. This included 11 young people. The diversity of the group ensured less hierarchy than is usual in a working meeting and there was a chance for each person to be heard, and then learn other ways of looking at the task in hand. The event resulted in the establishment of eight work streams with steering groups made up from members of the Future Search event. The findings were also used to direct the development of the 2009 2024 Sustainable Community Strategy Connecting people to opportunities. 9
Devolved responsibility builds upon the community involvement method but also includes a responsibility for the community to deliver the activities, actions and services agreed by the decision-making body. This method therefore requires the greatest amount of input by the community and is sometimes known as Community Management or Ownership. This is often the start of community empowerment and leads to the co-production of shared services. Example: Alley-gating Seedley & Langworthy Trust (SaLT) work in partnership with the community and statutory agencies to deliver an effective alley-gating programme within Seedley & Langworthy. Funded initially as a crime prevention measure, alley-gating has enabled local residents to take ownership and responsibility for a communal space that was previously neglected, unused or caused them nuisance. SaLT work intensively with residents in advance of the alley-gates being installed this ensures that there is a robust and maintained residents group willing to take responsibility for the proposed gated area. Residents are therefore enabled to: Appoint and delegate responsibility for tasks, e.g. sweeping, cleaning alleyways, weeding, etc residents playing an active role in the management of their local space Self-finance ongoing improvements e.g. planting up the alleyway. Many groups fundraise to support their activities, including some groups who have regular alley-gating sales, open to all. Select their own committee members/ representatives the formation of residents associations contributes to being involved in a very real way. They are provided with opportunities to work in partnership with outside agencies to ensure the ongoing success of the project. Opportunities to devise and revise/review keyholding agreements to ensure that communal space is well managed and sensitive to local opinion/needs, etc. On behalf of Salford City Council, SaLT administers and makes easier the progress of greening-up monies which are allocated to constituted residents associations (up to 500 in total). The funding supports the group in greening up their alleyway - it is used to purchase seating, pots, plants, trellises, etc. This enables residents to take responsibility for the management of the communal space, and has really contributed to a sense of community pride in our local environment. 10
Community empowerment Community empowerment is the result of activity that enables communities and individuals to have the power to influence, access and choose the changes that affect their lives. The process requires the provision of resources, support and leadership. Neighbourhood management provides a framework to ensure that there is a consistency of approach to empowerment across the city with those areas in most need receiving the resources to ensure they can fully participate in the decision-making activities. Further information on neighbourhood management in Salford may be found at www.salford.gov.uk/ mylocalcommunity Example: Community Committees Salford City Council is one of just 18 selected members of the Network of Empowering Authorities (NEA). The city council and our partners have a proud history of working to empower our communities which goes back many years and which continues to attract attention both nationally and beyond. The main way this is achieved is through our eight Community Committees where real decision making and financial resources are devolved to local people. Community Committee members work closely with local councillors and staff from the city council and a range of partners such as the police, the health service and housing providers to progress local priorities. These priorities are described in the local Community Plan. The city council devolves 100,000 of Highways money to the committee each year plus a similar amount which is used to award local small grants and to pay for projects that support local aims. Resources from other partners for work including health and young people are also agreed by local people at Community Committees. Community Committee representatives also represent their neighbourhood at Salford Strategic Partnership level and in lots of other forums and roles including project working groups and interview panels to appoint paid officers. 11
Support available for the delivery of community engagement and empowerment Standards that underpin our work This document promotes the use of ALL the methods of engaging with communities demonstrated above. In order to ensure we re working towards the best quality community engagement and empowerment possible, standards of practice have also been developed that support the strategy. These are: Access checklist: Forms part of the Compact Agreement and highlights good practice in producing accessible materials/information as well as ensuring that venues and community activities are fully inclusive. Support for the third sector Much community engagement and empowerment activity is delivered by the third sector, often on behalf of the council or other statutory sector partners. Capacity building of voluntary and community organisations is promoted within the Voluntary Sector Compact Agreement. 12
Gold Standards in Community Involvement: These provide a goal for partners to aim for, particularly where there is activity or proposed change within the city that will have a significant impact upon local communities. All community involvement activities should: Gold Standards in Community Consultation: These MUST be used by all partners as a planning tool before community consultation happens, as a checklist during activities and as an evaluation tool after consultation has taken place. Check if anyone else has done consultation work with results that you can share. Ensure that consultation can affect change. It should be a dialogue that leads to decisions, so consult before decisions are made. Make sure you allow adequate time for your consultation project. You need to consider time for planning, conducting, collecting and responding to your activities. Use methods of consultation that will make the most of your resources and give you the best results from your target audience. Make your consultation as inclusive as possible but be aware of over-consulting certain groups. Always give feedback to those who have participated in your consultation exercises. Turn your consultation into action. Don t leave consultation work on the shelf. Share the results of your work with others. Value the skills, knowledge and commitment of local people. Develop working relationships with communities and community organisations. Support staff and local people to work with and learn from each other (as a whole community). Plan for change and take collective action with the community. Work with people in the community to develop and use frameworks for evaluation. 13
Principles for effective partnerships: These build on both the Gold Standards in Community Involvement and the Gold Standards in Community Consultation. The principles provide the basis for good working practices within and between individual Local Strategic Partnership member organisations and the community and support Partners IN Salford to become a model for partnership working. They are supported by an online toolkit for assessing the effectiveness of partnerships which can be found at www.partnersinsalford.org Performing effectively within clearly defined functions and roles This means: Being clear about the functions and roles of the partnership ensuring effective delivery and implementation. Being clear about the partnership s links to other partnerships. Being clear about the partnership s lines of responsibility and ensuring these are made clear to the public. Establishing and promoting the values of your partnership This means: Putting the values of the partnership into practice. Partners show commitment to the partnership by ensuring the appropriate level of membership. The partnership communicates effectively to people outside the partnership and promotes what they do. Collective understanding of the purpose of your partnership This means: Being clear about the purpose of the partnership and its intended outcomes. Ensuring partners actively commit to working together. Ensuring members are responsible for the work of the partnership. Ensuring the partnership s aims are consistent with other plans and priorities. 14
Taking informed, transparent decisions and managing risk This means: Being rigorous and clear about how decisions are taken. Having and using good quality information, advice and support. Ensuring that an effective risk management system is in operation. Engaging all partners equally and making accountability real This means: Partners feel they have equal influence and power within the partnership. Partner members ensure their organisational plans reflect partnership priorities. Partners actively promote the principles of equality and diversity across the partnership. Adapted from the Independent Commission for Good Governance in Public Service. Developing skills, knowledge and experience in order to govern effectively This means: Ensuring that all partners have the skills, knowledge and experience they need to perform well. Developing the skills of people with partnership responsibilities and judging the quality of their performance, both as individuals and as a group. The partnership has a learning culture which allows partners to gain knowledge and skills. 15
Whole systems working: Is an approach that can give new insights and offer different solutions to complex social problems by getting all the stakeholders (including officers, community and other concerned individuals) into the same space and looking at the issues as a whole rather than small individual problems. This approach is essential to our connecting people to opportunities ambition within the Sustainable Community Strategy. Behaviours for whole systems meetings: Some general principles Get whole system in the room not just the usual suspects. Think globally act locally: explore the whole system before fixing any part. Seek common ground and action not problems and conflicts. All perspectives are valid give concrete examples. Some ground rules: Use dialogue as a prelude to problem solving. Make sure there is a chance for everybody to be heard. Listen to each other. Write down all issues all information should be public. Set strict timeframes for actions. Take responsibility for action. Have fun. 16
Building Better Neighbourhoods: A major enabler of community engagement and empowerment in Salford is by means of the neighbourhood management arrangements which operate between partners and with communities across the city. Following a comprehensive strategic review prompted by Partners IN Salford, the recommendations of the Building Better Neighbourhoods Programme were approved by the partnership. These recommendations include the need to place issues of people and culture and community engagement and empowerment at the core of our partnership working under the flexible principle of Everyone can, where: Everyone can support each other. Everyone can shape decisions. Everyone can improve neighbourhood services. Everyone can strengthen communities. Work within each of these headings needs to be guided by the core principles that Everyone can understand: What we are trying to do. Who is in charge of what. How staff can work together. How managers and councillors can work together. How local people can play a vital part. How it all joins together. How we can support everyone to be successful. So that we end up with eight successful neighbourhoods where: Everyone can see things improving. Everyone can be proud to live and work. Everyone can get along. Everyone can find out what is happening. Everyone can access the services they need. Everyone can connect to opportunities. Everyone can have their say. Everyone can work well together. Everyone can help. Everyone can benefit. By everyone we mean: People who live here. People who work for the partnership. People who are elected including councillors and MPs. Other people who can help including local volunteers and businesses. The above work is informed by work of The Young Foundation, the Network of Empowering Authorities (NEA) and the National Association of Neighbourhood Management (NANM). The Principles for Effective Partnerships, Gold Standards in Community Involvement, Gold Standards in Community Consultation, Whole Systems Working Behaviours and Building Better Neighbourhoods Core Principles have been endorsed by Partners IN Salford. All partners are signed up to delivering community engagement and empowerment in this way. 17
Our partners For good community engagement and empowerment to result from our hard work and for Salford to become the excellent city that we are all working towards then we must recognise the partners involved. These are: Citizens, people and communities all the residents, service users and workers of Salford. Councillors - the people elected by the communities across Salford to represent them. There are three councillors within each ward. Community committees committees of local people and councillors who meet to identify the priorities that affect their area and ensure these are addressed. Each of Salford s eight neighbourhoods (of between two and three wards) has a community committee. These hold regular meetings that are open so any member of the local community can attend and influence local issues. Third sector those voluntary, community and social enterprise sector organisations that work with and support the various communities of identity or interest across the city. Partners IN Salford including representatives from the public, private, voluntary, community and faith sectors from across the city. Equal opportunities and diversity The partnership is working towards a shared definition of what equality and diversity is in Salford, based on the Equalities Review and the Equality Framework for Local Government. According to the framework: An equal society protects and promotes equal, real freedom and opportunity to live in the way people value and would choose, so that everyone can flourish. An equal society recognises people s different needs, situations and goals and removes the barriers that limit what people can do and be. This document helps to support this vision by providing policy, guidance and assistance on the preferred methods for delivering community engagement and empowerment across the whole of the partnership and its members. 18
How will we know if we have got it right? This document will strengthen and support all our community engagement and empowerment activities. All organisations signing up to the partnership will be required to adopt this policy document and to use the different types of engagement and empowerment activities to ensure the best possible opportunity for citizens, people and communities to influence their decision making processes. The use and content of this document will be reviewed in 2015 and revisions made if necessary. Further information If you would like a copy or further information about community engagement and empowerment in the city, more details on the Gold Standards and Principles, or for information about how to get involved yourself, contact: Partners IN Salford Team on (0161) 793 2929; email partnersinsalford@salford.gov.uk or visit our website at www.partnersinsalford.org 100% This document is printed on 100% recycled paper When you have finished please recycle it Designed by Creative Services (0161 793 3761) Ref 2-3439 19
Partners IN Salford 2nd Floor, Unity House Salford Civic Centre Chorley Road Swinton M27 5FJ www Telephone: 0161 793 2929 www.partnersinsalford.org This document can be provided in large print, audio, electronic and Braille formats. Please contact Partners In Salford at Salford City Council, tel 0161 793 2929. 0161 793 2929