1. Community Empowerment and Engagement
Tenants Information Service
Understanding People, Unlocking Potential
24th March 2017

2. This is about….. Setting the context of the new legislation
Highlighting the key points – using the general themes for our discussion to make us think about how we engage
Raising issues for discussion amongst delegates
Identifying areas / themes that are relevant within the context of community planning, community engagement and capacity building

3. Before all that though….
Lets thinks about why and how….
Only engage where the you expect / want the people you engage with, to be able to inform and / or influence (and give them the tools / capacity to do so!!!!!!!!!)
Be creative: social media / digital………but don’t forget the value of face to face
Always tell people what you did as a result….not sure that we’re very good at this bit

4. The Theory of Everything (Scotland) Act 2015
It covers a wide range of activity related to empowerment

5. Participation Requests
Community Planning
Allotments
Asset Transfers
Participation Requests
Community Right to Buy
Non-Domestic Rates
Football Clubs
Common Good Property
Delegation of Forestry Commissioners’ Function
Participation in Public Decision Making

6. However, lets look at the areas where you might have most interest…
Community Planning
Participation Requests
Asset Transfer

7. Community Planning

8. The CP expectations in a nutshell…..
It is explicitly about how public bodies work together and with the local community to plan for, resource and provide services which improve local outcomes in the local authority area, all with a view to reducing inequalities. The statutory bodies must participate with community body (who wish to be involved) to enable them to participate in the CP process.

9. Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Scottish Enterprise / HIE
New Duties (to support shared leadership and collective governance) rests with….
Council
NHS
Police Scotland
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
Scottish Enterprise / HIE

10. However the following range of organisations are now statutory partners under the new Act:
A National Park Authority
The IJB
Regional Strategic Body under the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 2005
Board of Management of a Regional College

11. Shared leadership
Governance and accountability
Resourcing improvement
Tackling inequalities
Focus on prevention
Focus on key priorities
Understanding local communities’ needs, circumstances and opportunities
Community participation and co-production
Effective performance management

12. Local Outcomes Improvement Plan
By October 2017, CPPs must publish:
Local Outcomes Improvement Plan
Locality Plans
Locality Plans
Locality Plans

13. The LOIP must……..
The LOIP should set out clear and agreed priorities for improving local outcomes and on tackling inequalities, and demonstrate a robust link between these and the CPP’s understanding of local needs, circumstances and aspirations.
Identify those geographical communities / communities of interest that experience significantly poorer outcomes
Outline how participation with communities, businesses and third sector has helped to develop and influence this understanding
“LOIP should be clearly based on active participation by communities and community bodies”

14. Locality Plans
Working within a locality or neighbourhood enables the CPPs and their partners to tackle inequalities for communities facing disadvantage
Often easiest for community bodies to engage / participate in community planning at locality or neighbourhood level.

15. One size doesn’t fit all!
Locality Plans
No requirement to have a plan for each community / area in the authority
Secure community participation
Locality planning alone may not be sufficient to target neighbourhoods or communities of interest….
One size doesn’t fit all!

16. So in essence
Less of this…..
And more of this…..

17. But…………
We need to think about how we engage – do we really know what works?
I thought I knew……………….working with people who know how to engage is invaluable
Think about when, who, where

18. Discussion Points How can you get involved / are you already involved?
What is the awareness of community planning, and the organisations that are involved?
How do you want to engage? Do you ever get asked? (Timing is crucial).
What do you want to do? (go as far as delivering services?).

19. Participation Requests

20. Expectations of community participation
There is now a statutory basis for community planning partners to take reasonable steps to enable communities who wish to participate in community planning to do so. This could mean looking at funding, staff and other resources to support engagement.
i.e. there is now much more emphasis required on community development and capacity building

21. Not a replacement for engagement , but an opportunity to establish dialogue.
“where a community body believes it could help to improve an outcome it will be able to request that a public body, which is a public service authority, takes part in a process to improve that outcome”
A Public service authority can be:
Board of further or higher education; Health Board; Scottish or Highlands and Islands Enterprise; Local Authority; National Park Authority; Police Scotland; SEPA; Scottish Fire and Rescue; Scottish Natural Heritage; regional Transport Partnership. (Note: there are statutory CP partners not included as public bodies for participation requests)
Or person designated as public service authority by an order made by Scottish Ministers or class of persons designated as public service authorities by an order

22. Outcome Improvement Process
Final guidance will probably include approaches to an assessment process (to be confirmed)
The authority must agree to the participation request unless there are reasonable grounds for refusing it.
Decision notice will:
Describe how the outcome improvement process will operate
Explain how the community participation body is expected to participate
Describe how any other persons are expected to participate in the process
Outcome Improvement Process

23. Discussion Points Were you aware of this new opportunity?
Where might you be able to assist and improve outcomes?

24. Asset Transfer

25. Section 94 of the Act requires each relevant authority to publish a register of land which it owns or leases, “to the best of its knowledge and belief”.
Does not include: public roads / underground railways / canals/ bus stations / houses, hostels and lodging-houses / controlled reservoirs subject to non-disclosure notice

26. Procedures
There should be a single point of contact to support CTBs and guide them through the process
The guidance specifies the level of information that CTBs would need to supply
Once request is made, public bodies are prohibited from selling or disposing of assets / land until process with requesting CTB is completed
Draft timescales around how long the process should take (e.g. 6 months to make a decision)
Appeals process in place

27. Discussion Points
What are the challenges and opportunities for you to take part in this process?
What assistance is available?
What impact do you want to make?
…..there are reasons why assets are no longer ‘viable’.

28. Other engagement methods / groups

29. How to get involved? Participatory budgeting Community grants
Locality forums
Community councils
Tenants associations
Community groups
Wider third sector
The individual

30. Terminology…….aaarrggghh

31. Consultation Engagement Co-production Sustainability
Do you want pizza or pasta? (closed)
What would you like for dinner? (open)
Co-production
Let’s make a meal together
Sustainability
Let me show you how to cook.

32. So to conclude? Need to get (consistently) better at engagement
More opportunities than before to get involved
Learn from each other (e.g. CLD)

33. Contact Details
Gerard McCormack Programme Manager: Change Management Improvement Service