Agenda item

IMPLEMENTATION OF NEIGHBOURHOOD ENGAGEMENT FRAMEWORK

A report from the Neighbourhood Engagement Manager is attached.

Minutes:

Councillor Tariq, Cabinet Member for Communities presented a report setting out the new Neighbourhood Engagement Framework which had been developed to enable behaviour change and build independence, shared decision making, democratic accountability and voice, genuine co-production and joint delivery of services.

 

The new framework offers a ‘3,2,1’ approach to working with and investing in neighbourhoods at various levels across Bury through the following structures:

 

3. – Borough Wide Engagement

This will be available in the form of a digital engagement platform that will be aligned to Team Bury’s existing digital offer.

 

2. – Township Level Engagement

At Township level, the framework will build upon the borough wide digital engagement offer through an Annual Neighbourhood Network meeting and Neighbourhood Celebration Awards ceremony in each of the six Township areas.

 

1.   – Ward Level Engagement

At Ward level, the framework will build upon the borough wide digital engagement offer, Annual Neighbourhood Network meeting and Neighbourhood Celebration Awards ceremony in each of the six Township areas. It offers an annual or bi-annual Ward-level Neighbourhood Engagement Forum meeting which is linked to two ward level Participatory Budgeting events. Priorities for each ward will be decided and actioned via a series of Project/Action groups led and determined by people living in the local area but supported where required by the Neighbourhood Engagement Co-ordinator.

 

The new approachoffers an alternative model which replaces the old Community Grants budget of £56k and previous allocation process with a combination of:

·         Participatory Budgets (PB) to be invested at either Township or Ward level events

·         Elected Member Discretionary Budgets (£250 per Councillor)

·         Strengthened by an additional £450k of Transformation monies over three years (£50k year one, £200k year two, £200k year three)

 

It was explained that the new Neighbourhood Engagement Framework and Grant Investment Model were approved at CWB Wider Management Board, SLT, Labour Group, Cabinet, Scrutiny and full Council in April.

 

The draft operating principles which provide governance for the new structures and funding framework have been developed by the Neighbourhood Engagement Team and co-produced by the newly appointed Elected Member Engagement Leads.

 

A series of development workshops have taken place and planning has started on the next stages of implementation of the new framework.

 

Pre-paid cards will be utilised for both Participatory Budgets and Elected Member Discretionary Budgets with governance outlined within the Operating Principles.

 

It was explained that the framework will be monitored via a set of clearly defined key performance indicators and outcomes that align with the Team Bury Single Framework. An annual performance review will be undertaken at the end of each Municipal Year and a report produced at Annual Council and to Team Bury

 

Those present were given the opportunity to ask questions and make comments and the following points were raised:-

 

  • It was asked what safeguards were in place and whether there would be any punishment for abuse of the system in relation to the Elected Member Discretionary Budgets.

 

It was stated that there would be a vigorous monitoring process in place which had been checked with Legal. Any suspicious spending would automatically be blocked. The cards would be blocked for things such as gambling, purchasing of cigarettes and alcohol.

 

It was also explained that the Neighbourhood Engagement Co-ordinator would be able to offer advice to any Elected Member regarding the use of the Member Budgets.

 

It was agreed:

 

That the contents of the report be noted.

 

Supporting documents: