Issue - meetings

This report provides an update on implementation of the Council’s new approach to community engagement through working with local neighbourhoods and the establishment of revised ward committees.

Resolved:           That the Executive Member:

                             (i)      Noted the progress to date.

(ii)      Agreed criteria (as discussed and to be reported in the minutes) by which impact may be evaluated.

(iii)     Identified input that scrutiny could make into future development of the approach

(iv)    Agreed to receive a further report in due course.

Reason:              To support the Council’s commitment to working with local communities and devolving power and budgets to residents

The Executive Member considered a report which provided an update on the implementation of the Council’s new approach to community engagement through working with local neighbourhoods and the establishment of revised ward committees.

Officers outlined the report and advised that feedback had been received from Members via the scrutiny process and also from Officers working on the new ward team arrangements. The feedback indicated that although it was early days in the new process, Members were beginning to understand the new ways of working and that there were already examples of individual wards making a success of the arrangements. Although it was too early to draw final conclusions, it was recognised that an ongoing review process was necessary.

In response to questions from the Executive Member, Officers confirmed that the Community Led Local Delivery and Ageing Well projects would be integrated into main approach and as wards start to look at problem solving and work more holistically at community level they would be very much interlinked.

In regards to how the scrutiny process could look at some impact measures it was suggested that a number of things could be considered such as the style and of types of ward meetings, case studies on the outcome of projects and how to reach people who don’t usually engage and measures to encourage engagement.

Resolved:           That the Executive Member:

                             (i)      Noted the progress to date.

(ii)      Agreed criteria (as discussed and to be reported in the minutes) by which impact may be evaluated.

(iii)     Identified input that scrutiny could make into future development of the approach

(iv)    Agreed to receive a further report in due course.

Reason:              To support the Council’s commitment to working with local communities and devolving power and budgets to residents