Community Participation

Posted By: William Hobhouse
Date Posted: 25/01/2008

The resistance to PROPERLY involving communities in what the Council delivers never ceases to amaze me.

Too many people are wedded to the imperfection of consultation, followed by a Top Down approach to giving communities what the centre decrees.

Even the academic debate is turning:

COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION – WHO BENEFITS?
By Paul Skidmore, Kirsten Bound and Hannah Lownsbrough

Social networks enable citizens and communities to access social capital which in turn provides people with the resources to work together and tackle problems for themselves. Improving social outcomes in this way is more effective, more legitimate and cheaper, than traditional public service delivery. The authors look at the problems of engaging people in governance and developing relationships. They offer suggestions for promoting civic engagement and linking social capital.

One of the great successes in the last 6 months has been community PCSOs, linked to specific areas, engaging directly with residents, holding surgeries, coming to Area Forums. Well done to the police, and especially to the PCSOs who are the nearest anyone has come to 'Bobbies on the Beat'.

On the flip side, the Council is grappling with working with other organisations (like the NHS, the Police, Schools) to deliver improvements in all sorts of areas. Where are the Area Forums, the Community Groups in the discussion. Maybe there'll be told what the Council is doing, but what about asking them, and involving them, in how best to deliver services within their communities; ask them what will work, and what won't?

The Lib Dem slogan is Trust in People. I do (even though I don't agree with them all the time, and am always happy to argue and discuss!). But for many others, it's 'Trust Me'.

Let's get more truly democratic, and nuture a thriving civic society in this Borough.