Championing Champions: the Big Society Isobel Mills, Deputy Director, Government Office for Yorkshire and The Humber

Championing Champions: the Big Society About the Big Society Key components Doing it already? Positioning Community Health Champions Things to think about

About the Big Society Too much centralism has squashed creativity and common sense Smarter state, simpler state Doing everything at the lowest possible level Giving away power – to local institutions, communities, individuals… …and with it more responsibility to co-create better quality of life

Key components Removing bureaucratic burdens Empowering citizens and neighbourhoods Enhancing local democratic accountability Transparent local information about costs and services Encouraging local control of public spending Stimulating more diverse local service suppliers

Doing it already – empowering citizens and neighbourhoods Neighbourhood management Transfer of assets New forms of community involvement Community Empowerment Panel

Doing it already – more diverse local service suppliers A number of YH areas involved in community budgets – four trialling community-led commissioning Strong social enterprise tradition Strong partnerships Strong charity, SE, voluntary and community sector Highly innovative

Doing it already – encouraging local control of public spending Taking choices around spend out to communities Personalisation and individual budgets Lots of experience of participatory budgeting …but still around discretionary funding

Positioning Community Health Champions Great examples of loved community buildings kept in use… …role for health champions in neighbourhood services

Positioning Community Health Champions Tackling social isolation… …by building support around people and families

Positioning Community Health Champions Innovative models of structures – like award winning social enterprises… …is there a new model for health champions?

Positioning Community Health Champions: keep your eyes on… Neighbourhood planning Transition Fund Community Organisers Localism Bill New forms of social finance and partnering Green Paper on Modernising Commissioning

Things to think about What are the issues, concerns and challenges? How we do support the most vulnerable (people, places)? If we get away from the idea of the state as the single source of help –what does it mean for capacity? What is the role of Community Health Champions… …and where does GP Commissioning fit?

Finally… Any fool can make things bigger, more complex and more violent. It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage – to move in the opposite direction Albert Einstein