‘New Powers for Communities?’ seminar

The seminar on 1 November was attended by around 80 people from a wide variety of organisations and generated a lot of constructive discussion. A report containing the presentations and reports from the workshops is avaialble in the ‘Events’ section.

Better Government for Older People has established with partners a virtual ‘Scottish Centre for Intergenerational Practice’ Roadshows will be held around Scotland to March 2008.
SCDN has almost completed its ‘Jargon Buster’ (with Learning Connections support). It will be promoted through the SCDC national capacity building support programme.

The Concordat and Single Outcome Agreements

As our forthcoming events programme shows, we believe that the Concordat between the Scottish Government and COSLA (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/923/0054147.pdf ), the Single Outcome Agreements that this establishes, and how this is all actually put into practice in local outcome agreements, may be of great importance for the future of community development work. Many of the resources that support it will be allocated at local level in accordance with how they help to achieve the agreed outcomes. Community development is an essential step to achieving many ‘quality of life’ outcomes, but this is not spelled out in the framework.

The most directly relevant amongst the 15 National Outcomes is:

11. We have strong, resilient and supportive communities where people take responsibility for their own actions and how they affect others.

The 45 national indicators and targets all appear to refer to end outcomes for people’s welfare, or to the delivery of public services. The only one that refers specifically to either the community or voluntary sectors is:

Indicator 13: Increase the social economy turnover.

It is interesting to compare the consultative draft of the ‘National Indicators for Local Authorities and Local Authority Partnerships’ for England. These include:

• • • NI 1 % of people who believe people from different backgrounds get on well together in their local area
    • NI 2 % of people who feel that they belong to their neighbourhood
    • NI 3 Civic participation in the local area
    • NI 4 % of people who feel they can influence decisions in their locality
    • NI 5 Overall / general satisfaction with local area
    • NI 6 Participation in regular volunteering
    • NI 7 Environment for a thriving third sector

National Institute of Adult Continuing Education enquiry

The National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) has agreed to establish and support a commission in order to identify best practice in the UK and internationally across each of the key arenas in which adult learning makes a significant contribution. It will identify the values, principles and practical steps needed to give life to life-long and life-wide learning for all communities of the UK. The initial call for evidence has now closed. However evidence on any area relevant to the work of the Inquiry can be submitted at any stage (please indicate that it is not linked to a particular call). Further information about the Commission of Inquiry is available from www.niace.org.uk/lifelonglearninginquiry

 

People and Participation.net

A new website, People and Participation.net, ‘provides practical information for those working to involve people’. Supported by the Department of Communities and Local Government, the Ministry of Justice and the Sustainable Development Commission (but not exclusively English in content), its contents include:

• An interactive tool which helps those seeking to engage with the public to select participatory methods
• A methods database
• A selection of case studies
• News and events information from the UK and beyond
• A library of written and web-based resources from around the world

 

Engagement with young people

The Scottish Centre for Regeneration website has added new resources on effective engagement with young people.

English Framework for Participation

The Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) in England has published a consultation on ‘Principles of representation: A framework for effective Third Sector representation in Local Strategic Partnerships’. A summary, courtesy of Local People Leading, is at: http://www.localpeopleleading.co.uk/showart.php?articleid=6726&typeid=2

Firm Foundations?

The Scottish Government’s Discussion paper on the future direction of housing policy in Scotland, Firm Foundations is open for consultation until January. We would be interested in hearing whether CDAS members think that it has implications for community development that deserve a response. Local People Leading comments that “Community owned Housing Associations which diversify can be our most effective Anchor Organisations for empowering communities. The Government’s green paper fails to assert the importance of community ownership and the Glasgow community housing sector forum (GWSF) have produced a response www.localpeopleleading.co.uk/downloads/firmfoundations.pdf “

‘Getting Your Message Across’

The Tenants Information Service has produced a pack called ‘Getting Your Message Across’. It contains sections headed Reaching Everyone, Press Releases, Publicity Stunts, Using Television and more. The pack is in an easy-to-use format with worksheets to help planning.

Perspectives on health improvement

Health Scotland has published four essays designed to provide independent perspectives on health improvement:  http://www.healthscotland.com/documents/2247.aspx