Community and Democratic Engagement Manager Highland Council Pablo Mascarenhas Community and Democratic Engagement Manager Highland Council

Strengthening Communities Achieving Better Outcomes

50 years of centralisation has not tackled the biggest problems that Scotland faces For a country with Scotland’s relative wealth and strength, the level of inequality today is simply intolerable, and has huge social and financial costs There is a link between the absence of strong local democracy at the moment and the prevalence of inequalities It is communities that empower governments at all levels, not governments that empower people

Radical change in design and delivery of services “Christie Report” Outcomes Shift to prevention Target inequality Radical change in design and delivery of services Partnership Collaboration

The Community Empowerment Act 2015 Ethos: People are our greatest asset and best placed to make decisions about the future, for sustainable and resilient communities New rights for communities: Broaden the involvement of community bodies in community planning – focus on inequality, prevention and local Support community ownership of assets – extend RTB and enable more asset transfers More involvement in public decision-making - in resource allocation, making ‘participation requests’ where community bodies can initiate dialogue with public agencies on their own terms New duties on public bodies to enable these rights Into effect from early next year The Highland Third Sector Interface has run many briefing sessions on what the Act means for community bodies. You can speak to staff here today from the various public bodies and Govt if you have specific questions about the Act. There will be an opportunity for you to be involved in new community planning arrangements – through our new local community partnerships being set up just now and we’ll hear more about those later this afternoon There is a lot of evidence showing that where groups own or manage land and other assets they can make real change in their communities – creating local jobs, supporting new affordable housing, bringing people into areas where population had declined and providing services that people need locally – so the Act extends community right to buy to urban as well as rural Scotland and it should make it easier for public buildings to be transferred to community groups to run The Govt wants people to be ore involved in decisions affecting them and a good example is through participatory budgeting where so far in Highland ward discretionary grant in some wards has been allocated by public and community group votes – instead of by a small no. of Cllrs. 1% target for all Council expenditure spent this way.

Community Empowerment Act What is Community Empowerment? “The Scottish Government is committed to our communities being supported to do things for themselves – community empowerment – and to people having their voices heard in the planning and delivery of services – community engagement and participation.” What are the benefits of empowering communities? “Where communities are empowered we would expect to see a range of benefits: local democratic participation boosted; increased confidence and skills among local people; higher numbers of people volunteering in their communities; and more satisfaction with quality of life in a local neighbourhood. Better community engagement and participation leads to the delivery of better, more responsive services and better outcomes for communities.”

Community Planning Principles Strong shared leadership Governance and accountability Community participation & co-production Understanding of local communities needs, circumstances and opportunities Focus on key priorities Focus on prevention Tackling inequalities Resourcing improvement Effective performance management Statutory duties on: CPPs governing partners all statutory partners CP Guidance Steering Group agreed that it should set out stretching long-term performance expectations, which provides both focus and ambition for improvement in community planning. Once finalised it will supersede the Statement of Ambition and pronouncements by NCPG. Recognise legislation on its own is not enough, effective community planning underpinned by the principles on the right. These principles help us to explore what we understand effective community planning to be. The order of the principles reflects the import that the Steering Group gave to shared leadership. Effective community planning encourages genuine challenge and scrutiny built on mutual trust, a shared and ambitious commitment to continuous improvement, and a culture that promotes and accepts challenge among partners. It brings together the collective talents and resources of local public services and communities to drive positive change locally. Local statutory partner bodies provide strong shared leadership for community planning, so that the CPP sets an ambitious vision for local communities and ensures that is delivered. The voices of communities themselves, especially those experiencing socio-economic disadvantage, are integral to successful community planning. Their needs and aspirations, and their own capacity to make change happen (with support where needed), are reflected in the local priorities the CPP sets, in how partner bodies shape services and direct resources, and in how the CPP reviews progress made. CPPs should be responsive to local needs circumstances and opportunities making the most of local assets, buildings, services and communities.   Effective community planning emphasises a small number of local priorities where the CPP will add most value as a partnership – with particular emphasis on reducing inequalities by improving outcomes for its most vulnerable communities and moderating future demand for crisis services. The CPP is clear about the improvements it wishes to make locally on these priorities, and is committed to prevention and early intervention as a way to contribute to these improvements. Effective community planning makes the most of collective resources. Partners align their collective resources and keep under review whether they are deploying the right resources to meet their ambitions and take corrective action where necessary and report progress annually to their communities. The CPP understand how well they’re performing, and act wherever appropriate to improve performance. There is genuine challenge and scrutiny in community planning, a shared and ambitious commitment to continuous improvement, and a culture that promotes and accepts challenge among partners. And the CPP is transparent in demonstrating to its communities the progress it is making to improve outcomes.

Community Partnerships Refocussed Community Planning 5 Core Partners Target Inequality Greater Involvement and Engagement with Communities 9 Community Partnerships LOIPS and Localities

Asset Transfer Change in emphasis to outcomes/community benefit Change in presumption toward “yes” Can be assets in use Can be management of, lease ,ownership Applies to most public bodies Price is flexible and related to benefit/outcomes

Participation Requests A participation request is a request to a public service authority to participate in an outcome improvement process. _ The intention to empower communities to initiate dialogue with Public agencies on their own terms and to have those views properly considered.

Participation in Public Decision-making The Act includes a new regulation-making power which will enable Ministers to require Scottish public authorities to promote and facilitate the participation of members of the public, in the decisions and activities of the authority, including in the allocation of its resources. The legislation does not refer specifically to PB but it will be one of the tools used in the allocation of resources.