Agenda item

Consideration was given to a report presented by Asim Munir, Principal Community Involvement Officer, which detailed the progress made between April, 2006 and January, 2007 against the actions in the Council’s Consultation and Community Involvement (CCI) Framework aiming to deliver improvements in community involvement and consultation activity across the Council.

The Framework set out the Council’s vision, aims and objectives for consultation and community involvement.  It also set out a range of actions to ensure that consultation and community involvement under-pinned and was built into Council policy and service delivery.

In terms of progress to date the Framework had been published and disseminated widely.  It had been received positively and identified as good practice, the development of the Framework had been published as a case study on IDeA’s Knowledge website and the Consultation Institute Website.

In the recent CPA, the Council performed well in CCI across the Council making strong improvements in user focus acknowledging the development of the CCI Framework as a key driver. “The Council was sustaining its strong community connections through extensive programmes of consultation and engagement, including with vulnerable sectors and minority groups in the borough” and “consultation outcomes were carefully tracked and reflected in the final strategy and action plans.”

All the actions in the action plan were on track with some of key achievements so far being:-

·              A CCI Training Event which took place last year and staff training sessions have continued since.

·              A Corporate CCI Officers Group had been developed and five meetings have taken place so far.

·              NRS funding was secured to develop an Older People’s Forum and a Disability Network.

·              The CCI Toolkit was completed and was ready for dissemination.

·              The new Area Assemblies structure had been developed with support, a review undertaken from the Democratic Renewal Scrutiny Panel and was officially launched in September 2006.

·              The Parish Charter was launched in March last year following support and a review from the Democratic Renewal Scrutiny Panel.

·              The Corporate CCI Website was up and running on the Council website.

·              Seven Communities of Interest profiles have been developed and disseminated.

·              The 1st Quality of Life Survey undertaken and results have been disseminated which has established a baseline.

·              Reach Out had been refreshed.

·              Three Reach In Surveys completed.

·              Customers Charters now ‘live’.

·              Older People’s Forum developed.

·              Revised Service Planning.

The CCI Framework was agreed at the Proud Theme Group with a view to extending it into a Partnership CCI Framework.  This had now been agreed by the Partnership Board in September, 2006.

Partners have a long history of consulting and involving, often in partnership.  The proposal was to develop a Partnership CCI Framework setting out shared standards, principles and aims.  It would build and bring together existing plans and guidance.   Its aim would be to help ensure that all consultation was co-ordinated, consistent, coherent and constructive to high and common standards. The Local Area Agreement had a target to develop the Council’s CCI Framework into a Partnership one by November, 2007.

It was suggested that an all Member Seminar take place on this issue to make Members fully aware of Community Involvement and Consultation.

Resolved:-  (1)  The good progress made on the Corporate CCI Framework’s Action Plan from April 2006 to January 2007  be noted.

(2)  That action be taken to arrange an all Member Seminar from May, 2007.