Recommendations

1. That Council adopts the following definition of community development: ‘communities finding their own priorities and then meeting the needs themselves but with help where necessary’. A shorthand form is: ‘supporting community initiatives’.
2. Council should support community initiatives wherever possible provided that they are well targeted and efficiently implemented and in line with the objectives of the Council’s Community Strategy.
3. There should be a gradual further shift of Council resources into community development which has an important role in making sure that the Community Strategy is based on real need and implemented efficiently.
4. The workload of Area Coordinators should be reviewed and additional or redeployed staff should be appointed on an area basis so that our profile in each area is increased. Such staff may have specific expertise which can be drawn on by colleagues as needed.
5. That Cabinet authorise the Chief Executive to finalise the restructuring of posts in line with the recommendations here. Because of temporary vacancies this can be done at no net cost.
6. All officers with Area based community development responsibilities should be trained in facilitation and mediation skills and understanding of the voluntary sector.
7. The role of members in supporting community initiatives should be strengthened by raising their awareness of, and involvement in, the opportunities.
8. Almost all officers have meetings with the public and should be ready to act as first contact in supporting community initiatives. Their awareness of opportunities should be increased so that the community development approach becomes part of the Council’s philosophy. Staff need to be introduced to this way of working at induction and through training courses.
9. We should publish articles in ‘Partners’ and local papers to raise public awareness of our policy of supporting community initiatives and of how to contact Area Coordinators, members or officers on community issues.
10. The Council should strengthen its links with partners in the voluntary and statutory sectors to develop a network of community development workers, in tandem with local members, to stimulate the community into developing initiatives and to support initiatives when they come forward.
11. The Area Comunity Committees should become more active in supporting community initiatives in their areas, discussing projects and progress. This would strengthen the Area Community Committees and improve their links with parishes and the voluntary sector.
12. The Area Community Committee Project Funds should be increased gradually as they take on a more active role in supporting community initiatives.
13. The recent changes in administering one-off grants are to be welcomed, and further reviews of grant policy should take account of the evidence in Appendices 7, 11 and 14.
14. Further work is needed to map the different community development activities and community assets in villages and towns and to identify the respective roles of EHDC, HCC, parish and town councils and Voluntary Action in East Hampshire.