Gweini Briefing Paper No 1 - Community Strategies / Community Planning

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Community Planning

Community Strategies/Community Planning:

A New Opportunity for the Christian Voluntary Sector Engagement

The Local Government Act 2000 requires all Local Authorities to prepare "Community Strategies" for the purpose of promoting or improving the economic, social and environmental well-being of their areas, and contributing to the achievement of sustainable development in the UK... These strategies have a number of features that together make their arrival a significant development for the Christian Voluntary Sector.

1) DETERMINING KEY PARAMETERS

First, Community Strategies constitute one of the most significant determinants of what Local Authorities can actually do. As the Assembly's guidance to Local Authorities for developing Community Strategies makes plain, the Community Strategy "should be central to an authority's planning and resource decision, ensuring that local priorities and concerns are reflected in the allocation of resources. Members who are responsible for developing policies and strategies, proposing the allocation of resources and taking decisions on behalf of the council will need to translate priorities arising from the community strategy into a clear set of activities for the council, and ensure that resources are allocated to deliver the specific actions to which the authority has committed itself."

2) PROMOTING WELLBEING

Second, the new Community Strategy competence is located in the context of the new power that the Local Government Act invests in Local Government "to do anything to promote the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of local communities." As the Welsh Local Government Association's reflections on this prerogative, in the context of their consideration of Community Planning, make clear, this constitutes a significant empowerment of local government.

"This power is significant. It is not a power of general competence. It is a â€œcan doâ€ power of the first resort. In essence this means that councils can now move from the status quo where they are unable to act unless a specific legislative power can be found, to a position where they can act provided that their actions are not illegal and likely to achieve well being. This is a radical amendment to previous ultra vires doctrines. It provides a range of opportunities, not least in areas such as strengthening the loyal accountability of health services, developing the role of local authorities as consumer champions and increased involvement in areas of community safety." They note that central government is in no doubt about the significance of what it was doing in drafting the act, the local government minister's, observation "that the government has been bold in creating this wide ranging power. Now we expect authorities by being as innovative as possible to be equally bold in taking action." (italics added)

In conclusion, drawing points 1 and 2 together, the Welsh Local Government Association is clear that the new approach located in these developments "significantly [has] enhanced the role of local government. The focus of local authorities is changed from one of service provider to one that also enables councils to 'hold the ring' in setting the policy agenda locally and outwards."

3) PLAYING OUR PART

Community Strategies are not being developed by Councillors and Local Government Officers alone but through "Community Partnerships", involving everyone within the local community including statutory bodies, business, the voluntary sector community groups etc. Interestingly the Assembly has specifically encouraged Local Authorities in the guidance that it has given them for the development of Community Strategies to engage with faith communities. "Specific efforts should be made to involve different ethnic communities, women, faith communities, older people and disabled people who have a positive contribution to make to the future development and well being of their communities."

CHRISTIAN VOLUNTARY SECTOR RESPONSE INFLUENCING LOCAL GOVERNMENT PRIORITIES

It is vital for the Christian Voluntary Sector, as a welfare provider and a key part of the community, to engage with the Community Strategies process. It provides us with a clear opportunity to shape the priorities and therein the values that will impact the administration of Local Government. Although the low turn out at Council elections demonstrate that the public at large does not really attach a great deal of importance to Local Government, our Unitary Authorities actually have very significant spending powers and make a major difference to the local community wherein the Christian Voluntary sector operates.

DEVELOPING KEY RELATIONSHIPS

Perhaps more significantly for practical purposes, the implications of the church demonstrating its concern about the future development of its community, and readiness to come out of its building and develop relationship with wider civil society, is hugely important. Quite apart from anything else, the development of such relationships means that when you are looking for funding you are not an unknown body. Indeed, if you have relationship and have demonstrated a real interest and capacity to make a difference, you may find that the Council or other partnerships that it has developed, approach you proactively.

THE CHRISTIAN VOLUNTARY SECTOR AND WELLBEING

Furthermore, the fact that Local Government now has the authority to move into the somewhat ethereal realm of "wellbeing" presents significant new opportunities. As those Gweini members that have read our documents on sustainable development will know, the whole debate about "wellbeing" and "quality of life" has arisen from a secular appreciation of the paradox of modern life. People are in the main richer and have at their disposal greater material wealth and yet, far from experiencing a greater quality of life, are confronted by new problems of stress and relational breakdown at all levels including within the home. The Christian Voluntary Sector, with its Christian understanding of the human condition, is of course in a position to make a significant contribution to the challenges of wellbeing. To fully appreciate the importance of engaging with this issue, however, one must see it negatively as well as positively. In a very politically correct age, wellbeing could be interpreted in all sorts of ways that may well alarm us as Christians. We need to be present, offering the Christian model of wellbeing, proactively before ungodly alternatives gain currency.

TAKING OUR PLACE

The development of Community Strategies presents the Church/Christian Voluntary sector in Wales (and indeed the UK as a whole) with a new foundation/basis upon which to "Take its Place" in society, to develop key relationships and become a community pivot. Furthermore, it presents a challenge that only the Local Christian Voluntary Sector and local Church can effectively respond to. Whilst it will not be possible for Gweini to engage directly in each Local Authority, it does hope that this, and other Gweini resources, will help equip the Local Christian Voluntary Sector to make an effective response. This "influencing/relationship developing strategy" of engagement is never easy, especially in the context of rising political correctness, but that is precisely why we need to engage.

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