Community Planning in D&G and the Third Sector

Background to Community Planning

• Local Government in Scotland Act - 2003• Concordat with Local Government - 2007• Statement of Ambition - 2012• Audit Scotland Reports – 2013• Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act - 2015

“Community Planning is a process which helps public agencies to work together with the community plan and deliver better services which make

a real difference to people’s lives”

Community Planning Framework• Dumfries and Galloway Community Planning framework

- Strategic/Corporate Partnerships- Thematic Partnerships contributing to the Single Outcome Agreement (SOA)- Locality Arrangements - Community Planning Thematic Working Groups

• Governance, Operating Protocol and Financial Framework (as of 22nd June 2015) available from Community Planning website

Strategic/Corporate Forums• Strategic Partnership (leadership and vision)- Elected and Board representatives of local public sector bodies with

statutory responsibility; Third Sector, Housing, Further/Higher Education and Private Sector• Executive Group (direction and advice)- Senior Executives of local public sector bodies; Third Sector and

Further/Higher Education that have resources and/or responsibilities for community planning• Stakeholder Group (engagement and consultation)- Any organisation or agency that wants to be part of our partnership

consultations and engagement

Thematic Partnerships

• Individually constituted – different background and governance arrangements

•Membership defined by the Partnerships themselves

• Community Planning Office brings together, as and when required, representatives of the Partnerships that have a contribution to each of the six SOA Priorities

Single Outcome Agreement

1. We will provide a

good start in life for all our

children

4. We will support and

stimulate our local

economy

2. We will prepare our

young people for adulthood

and employment

5. We will maintain the

safety and security of our region

3. We will care for our older and vulnerable

people

6. We will protect and sustain our

environment

Locality Arrangements• Area Based Teams (4)- will be established in parallel with the new health and social care

locality arrangements- provision for a Third Sector representative, drawn from the local Third

Sector Forum

• Local Rural Partnerships (4)- meetings and events on an ad hoc basis at present- report to the Area Based Teams (when up and running)- membership open to all organisations within that area

Community Planning Thematic Working Groups• Community Covenant Grants Scheme

• Equality & Diversity

• Tackling Poverty Co-ordination Group

• Compact Group (TS D&G remit)

Performance Management• Annual Report on progress, key issues, challenges and opportunities

for each Priority to Executive Group and then to Strategic Partnership

• Six month and End of Year Performance Report on the SOA overall to Executive Group and then to Strategic Partnership. End of Year report to Scottish Government

• Performance Management Framework

Communications

• Strategic Partnership papers are public – papers on community planning website. Meetings open to partners to attend on request

• e-newsletter – quarterly after each Strategic Partnership

• Specific events e.g. SOA development and review – members of all community planning forums are invited

• TSDG website – “Engage and Influence” section with info on third sector representation

Planning and Performance Unit – D&G Council • Senior Manager Planning and Performance

Liz Manson• Policy and Performance Advisors

Melinda Dolan – Priorities One and TwoSheila Davies – Priority ThreeGillian McLeod – Priority Four and SixAndy Reed – Priority Five• Performance Development Officer

Donna Maxwell

Third Sector Engagement Framework• X 1 Strategic

Forum

Annandale & Eskdale Forum

Nithsdale Forum

Stewartry Forum

Wigtownshire Forum

X15 Community GatheringsStranraer and The Rhins, Newton Stewart and the Cree valley, The Machars,

Kirkcudbright, Castle Douglas, Dalbeattie, Upper Glenkens, Dumfries, North West Dumfries, Thornhill and Mid Nithsdale, Upper Nithsdale, Moffat and Upper

Annandale, Lockerbie and Mid Annandale, Annan/Gretna (A75 Corridor), Langholm and the Esk Valley

Thematic Forums• In 2015/16 the TSI are giving priority to developing Thematic Forums

for:- SOA Priority 1 – Providing a good start in life for all our children- SOA Priority 2 – Preparing our young people for adulthood and employment- SOA Priority 3 – We will care for our older and vulnerable people

Mission and Aims of the Third Sector Forums• Better connect the third sector to Community Planning

• Act as a community where third sector organisations can discuss and share ideas, and networks are developed

• Provide a collective voice for the third sector to strengthen engagement with Community Planning partners and processes

Long-term aim - Help to better coordinate third sector representation on the various forums and groups of the Community Planning partnership

Example – Glasgow Third Sector Forum

Role of the Convener• Act as a ‘conduit’ for the third sectors collective voice to be heard at

strategic level

• Get people involved in finding effective solutions together, in order for the solutions to be truly bottom-up, with the role of the convener remaining independent of this process

• Direct rather than dominate discussions, help encourage participants to talk to each other rather than the convener

Key Roles of a Third Sector Rep

What are the tasks that third sector representatives are likely to be involved in?

Key Roles of a Third Sector Rep

Four main tasks:

• Feeding back information to voluntary and community groups

• Standing up for the sector whilst maintaining good relationships

• Reading papers and analysing complex documents

• Influencing decisions

Building relationships with the partnershipDeveloping a viewStanding up for the sector whilst maintaining good relationshipsInfluencing discussionsPresenting a good caseFeeding back information to voluntary and community groupsReading papers and analysing complex documentsBridging differences in cultures between communities and organisationsEnabling and facilitating others to be involved in the processPromoting the Partnership and being accountable for collective decisions

Influencing the agendaMaking decisions about funding and resourcesWorking with partners to deliver on programmes and projectsMonitoring and evaluation of projectsReflecting on ways of doing thingsTaking part in negotiationsWriting reportsPresenting information and reportsResolving conflict

Engaging with officers, sounding out opinions and views

Representing the Partnership on other Strategic Partnerships and Boards

Chairing and attending related meetings

Developing a particular piece of follow-up work

Bridging the strands together

Coming up with other ways of doing the work

Sharing Experiences

•What you get from being a third sector rep/expect to get

• ‘Top tips’ on being a rep

• How you currently engage with partners and the third sector

Key Skills of a Third Sector Rep

What are the main skills and abilities that third sector representatives are using?

Future Training

• 2 strengths• 2 areas for training

Where Do We Go From Here?