SURF/CDASSURF/CDAS Seminar Seminar

2525thth October 2007 October 2007

Changing NeighbourhoodsChanging Neighbourhoods

The Impact of “Light Touch” SupportThe Impact of “Light Touch” Support

Stewart MurdochStewart MurdochChair – Community Chair – Community

Development Alliance Development Alliance ScotlandScotland

General CommentsGeneral Comments

• The sentiments are hard to faultThe sentiments are hard to fault

• The principles of empowering local The principles of empowering local communities and reducing dependency have communities and reducing dependency have been bought into by both the left and the right been bought into by both the left and the right of the political spectrumof the political spectrum

• Brief input, to look at the extent to which the Brief input, to look at the extent to which the experience set out in the JRF report matches experience set out in the JRF report matches the local experiencethe local experience

Dundee ContextDundee Context Dundee is a city which characterises the divides in our Dundee is a city which characterises the divides in our

societysociety

One third of its population live in those areas which are One third of its population live in those areas which are the “poorest” 15% of enumeration districts in Scotlandthe “poorest” 15% of enumeration districts in Scotland

Conversely, the city has high qualityConversely, the city has high quality suburbs, unrivalled suburbs, unrivalled quality of life for those who are on “good” salariesquality of life for those who are on “good” salaries

The Local Authority has embraced a community The Local Authority has embraced a community development approach and allowed this approach to development approach and allowed this approach to inform its development of community planning and inform its development of community planning and community regenerationcommunity regeneration

High percentage of community High percentage of community regeneration funding spent on activities regeneration funding spent on activities related empowerment, capacity building, related empowerment, capacity building, support for communitiessupport for communities

Ongoing commitment to decentralisation, Ongoing commitment to decentralisation, development of local representative development of local representative structures and to the establishment of local structures and to the establishment of local officer groupingsofficer groupings

Dundee ContextDundee Context

Dundee ContextDundee Context

Embedded in policy thinking and practiceEmbedded in policy thinking and practice

The city is divided into eight multi-member The city is divided into eight multi-member wardswards

City Council and its community planning City Council and its community planning partners have worked to align their service partners have worked to align their service delivery to these boundariesdelivery to these boundaries

How do we match up?How do we match up?JRF ReportJRF Report - Dundee Context - Dundee Context

Sustainable neighbourhood based Sustainable neighbourhood based organisationsorganisations• Diverse range of local community groups, Diverse range of local community groups,

including Community Councils, Community including Community Councils, Community Regeneration Forums, Tenants and Residents Regeneration Forums, Tenants and Residents GroupsGroups

• Strategy based on developing Neighbourhood Strategy based on developing Neighbourhood Representative StructuresRepresentative Structures

Need to have a community development planNeed to have a community development plan• Neighbourhood Development Strategy 2002 - guiding Neighbourhood Development Strategy 2002 - guiding

implementationimplementation• Dundee Community Plan - Building Stronger Dundee Community Plan - Building Stronger

Communities ThemeCommunities Theme• CRF Priorities Review: Community Engagement, CRF Priorities Review: Community Engagement,

Community Infrastructure and Community Capacity Community Infrastructure and Community Capacity BuildingBuilding

A facilitatorA facilitator • Communities Officers (key role)Communities Officers (key role)• Community Capacity WorkersCommunity Capacity Workers• Community Regeneration WorkersCommunity Regeneration Workers

Credit: Small amounts of unrestricted moneyCredit: Small amounts of unrestricted money • Local Authority Revenue GrantsLocal Authority Revenue Grants• Community Council GrantsCommunity Council Grants• Community Regeneration Fund (including small grants)Community Regeneration Fund (including small grants)• Support to access “Awards For All”Support to access “Awards For All”

Networking opportunitiesNetworking opportunities • Roundtable EventsRoundtable Events• 5 Community Regeneration Forum (bringing together 5 Community Regeneration Forum (bringing together

representatives from 3 communities)representatives from 3 communities)• CRF Gatherings (city-wide events bringing 75 reps CRF Gatherings (city-wide events bringing 75 reps

together from 15 communities)together from 15 communities)• Dundee Civic Forum (CC's/NRS)Dundee Civic Forum (CC's/NRS)• Empowering Communities (national networking events)Empowering Communities (national networking events)

Help with action planningHelp with action planning • Community capacity building support - quality Community capacity building support - quality

assured by HGIOCLD Self Assessment assured by HGIOCLD Self Assessment FrameworkFramework

• Workers expected to support groups to develop Workers expected to support groups to develop action plansaction plans

““A broker who can mediate”A broker who can mediate”• Key role played by Communities Officers - within Key role played by Communities Officers - within

the public sector and for the communitythe public sector and for the community• Project support offered to CRF ProjectsProject support offered to CRF Projects

"A light touch""A light touch" • Provided in non-CRF areas such as Broughty Ferry and Provided in non-CRF areas such as Broughty Ferry and

the West Endthe West End• Demand for support exceeds resourcesDemand for support exceeds resources

More intensive community development supportMore intensive community development support • Provided in CRF priority areas with a total population of Provided in CRF priority areas with a total population of

more than 40,000 peoplemore than 40,000 people

A representative and engaged public sector A representative and engaged public sector cultureculture • Neighbourhood Development Strategy (2002) and Neighbourhood Development Strategy (2002) and

Decentralisation Policy (1997)Decentralisation Policy (1997)• Local Community Planning/Neighbourhood Partnership Local Community Planning/Neighbourhood Partnership

NetworksNetworks• Local Community Planning PartnershipsLocal Community Planning Partnerships

A wide range of agencies can make this agenda a A wide range of agencies can make this agenda a reality reality • Local Community Planning Partnerships bring together, Local Community Planning Partnerships bring together,

DCC reps, Partner Agencies, Elected Member and DCC reps, Partner Agencies, Elected Member and community representativescommunity representatives

Local knowledge and analysisLocal knowledge and analysis • Local community plans driven by local needs/issues and Local community plans driven by local needs/issues and

extensive consultationextensive consultation• Community profiles used to interpret statistical data.Community profiles used to interpret statistical data.• Use of local knowledge to allocate CRFUse of local knowledge to allocate CRF• Web-based access to dataWeb-based access to data

Engaging with the wider communityEngaging with the wider community • Local Community Engagement Strategies include: Local Community Engagement Strategies include:

Information points, community newsletters, postal surveys, Information points, community newsletters, postal surveys, community conferences, community outreach/streetwork, community conferences, community outreach/streetwork, Neighbourhood Forums, Roundtable EventsNeighbourhood Forums, Roundtable Events

Celebration EventsCelebration Events • Community Festivals/Neighbourhood ForumsCommunity Festivals/Neighbourhood Forums

Local Community BuildingsLocal Community Buildings • All community centres leased to local management groups All community centres leased to local management groups

- responsible for managing the planning and delivering of - responsible for managing the planning and delivering of services. Public sector takes staffing risks and provides services. Public sector takes staffing risks and provides core fundingcore funding

Open SpaceOpen Space • Parks activities and eventsParks activities and events• Wide range of environmental groups/projectsWide range of environmental groups/projects• Local community plans address environment issuesLocal community plans address environment issues

Youth ForumsYouth Forums • Dundee Youth Voice (YMSP Forum)Dundee Youth Voice (YMSP Forum)• Local Youth ForumsLocal Youth Forums• Action plans for involving young people in Action plans for involving young people in

community planningcommunity planning• Young people involved in managing youth Young people involved in managing youth

facilities and making recommendations on facilities and making recommendations on CRF applicationsCRF applications

Organisational CapacityOrganisational Capacity • Personal learning plansPersonal learning plans• Group Action PlansGroup Action Plans• Monitoring and evaluatingMonitoring and evaluating• Direct resourcing of organisational capacityDirect resourcing of organisational capacity

Working with diversityWorking with diversity • Equality Impact Assessment planned for local Equality Impact Assessment planned for local

community planning processcommunity planning process• Hilltown Gender ProjectHilltown Gender Project• CRF programme targets minority groups e.g. CRF programme targets minority groups e.g.

Access To Learning Project, Community Access To Learning Project, Community Languages ProgrammeLanguages Programme

Trusted alliesTrusted allies • Emphasis on partnership working rather than Emphasis on partnership working rather than

on "us and them" cultureon "us and them" culture• Community Capacity Workers/Community Community Capacity Workers/Community

OfficersOfficers• NPN's/LCPP'sNPN's/LCPP's

Where are we apart?Where are we apart?What are the critical questions?What are the critical questions?

How 'light' is light? (anything is better than How 'light' is light? (anything is better than

nothing, less may not be enough)nothing, less may not be enough) Where we have invested more intensively, are Where we have invested more intensively, are

we sure we have not created a new form of we sure we have not created a new form of dependency?dependency?

Do we want to 'mature' community development Do we want to 'mature' community development into partnership models or do we view it as into partnership models or do we view it as empowering the community to challenge 'public empowering the community to challenge 'public sector' dominated partnerships?sector' dominated partnerships?

What are we really trying to achieve?What are we really trying to achieve?

Key MessagesKey Messages I am in agreement with the findings and I am in agreement with the findings and

recommendations which emerge from this important recommendations which emerge from this important reportreport

I would strongly endorse the central messages in I would strongly endorse the central messages in relation to public sector culture relation to public sector culture

We do not (as a rule) provide an adequate We do not (as a rule) provide an adequate percentage for participationpercentage for participation

We do not manage to create timescales which are We do not manage to create timescales which are realistic for community engagementrealistic for community engagement

We seldom reward officers who take on the risks of We seldom reward officers who take on the risks of working as agents between the community and the working as agents between the community and the public sector processpublic sector process

Despite our best efforts, our structures only make Despite our best efforts, our structures only make sense to a small number of people living in sense to a small number of people living in neighbourhoods and the task of reaching out to neighbourhoods and the task of reaching out to others is enduringothers is enduring

We are driven by short term targets that provide We are driven by short term targets that provide insufficient time for reflection on informal learning insufficient time for reflection on informal learning

We must not perpetuate the myth that the conditions We must not perpetuate the myth that the conditions which have brought about polarisation in our society which have brought about polarisation in our society and created significant divisions can be addressed and created significant divisions can be addressed by the impact of a 'light touch'.by the impact of a 'light touch'.

Unintended Consequences?Unintended Consequences?

The current economic climateThe current economic climate The political kudos to be gained from lowering The political kudos to be gained from lowering

Council Tax Council Tax

There is a danger that the JRF report will be There is a danger that the JRF report will be ceased upon eagerly by those who are looking ceased upon eagerly by those who are looking for evidence to support their argument for for evidence to support their argument for disinvestment or a lower level of investment in disinvestment or a lower level of investment in community development activitycommunity development activity

If we do not provide adequate supportIf we do not provide adequate support community community development can be a destructive force which development can be a destructive force which empowers negative activists, fuels dissent, leads to empowers negative activists, fuels dissent, leads to cynicism on the part of local elected memberscynicism on the part of local elected members

““light touch”light touch”

or light touch paper?or light touch paper?