Co-Operative Council

Oldham a Co-operative council Co-operative Annual Report 2013 From co-operative intent to co-operative delivery A message from Councillor Jim McMahon, Leader of Oldham Council Since launching our Co-operative Manchester energy switching campaign Oldham ambition in May 2011, we’ve saw over 40,000 households sign–up, become the leading pioneer of delivering saving residents an average of £125 change ‘co-operative style’ locally, on their energy bills. The Fair Fares regionally and nationally. Oldham has campaign, which initially secured a become a by-word for innovation and reduction of nearly a third on the cost of that is something of which I could not daily and weekly bus tickets in Oldham, be more proud. But the most important has ultimately seen First Bus reduce their difference is the one being made right fares across Greater Manchester. here in Oldham, through people taking on the challenge of ‘everybody does their bit Locally, we continue to work with our and everybody benefits’ – as individuals, residents and communities to tackle communities and service providers right the challenges we face and to find across the Borough. co-operative solutions together. Local Councillors are key to unlocking the 1 As the Chair of the national Co-operative power and potential of communities, Councils’ Network, which we currently representing them and working jointly host, Oldham is playing the lead role in to address the issues they face. We are developing this thriving movement, which serious about giving residents the chance already has membership from Edinburgh to shape local decisions, evidenced to Plymouth – and the numbers are through our ambitious programme of growing. The Network brings together devolution to districts, our community like-minded local authorities who believe call-in pilot, and the work we have done that the co-operative principles of to open-up democracy in Oldham. empowerment, equal partnership, and collective action offer a positive route, not What is clear is that Oldham has made simply to survive through tough times, the journey from co-operative intent to but to enable local communities to thrive, co-operative delivery – the change is supported by relevant, meaningful, and tangible. But we’re not done yet. We will empowering local public services. continue to develop and implement our co-operative approach, ensuring it guides Regionally, our co-operative campaigns us in everything that we do. have been replicated across Greater Manchester and the UK. The Greater A message from the Chair of the Co-operative Commission Councillor Jean Stretton, Cabinet Member for Co-operatives and Neighbourhoods and Chair of the Co-operative Commission In May 2011, Oldham Council started savvy working together to see how its journey to become a co-operative we can support our Armed Forces; council. The Co-operative Commission and starting work on community was established to oversee and growing schemes. help shape this transformation. With representatives from across all sectors: This year the Commission has a clear voluntary, public and private; the focus on projects such as the Armed Commission brings partners together Forces Community Covenant and is also to focus on issues and projects that involved in establishing the Co-operative make a real and tangible difference. Oldham Fund: a sustainable pot which The Commission also has an important helps communities help themselves. 2 part to play in holding the Council to Some projects already supported by account for the decisions and actions the Fund are work clubs for local job we take to ensure that we are doing seekers; armchair exercises for elderly our bit for Oldham. residents; and providing an internet hub in a community cabin. For Oldham, being co-operative is about much more than simply And there is still lots to do. Over the delivering services as mutuals or coming months we will work tirelessly to co-operatives. It is about working in line further embed our co-operative ambition with co-operative values and principles, including: looking at how members of the and putting residents at the heart of Commission can help make the biggest decision-making and the design and co-operative difference and planning the delivery of the services they and their next Love Where you Live campaign. communities need. Now, two years on, our approach is making a real Through working together we will embed difference to people in the borough. the co-operative ethos into all we do The Commission is looking at the real with partners, as partners, and most issues that affect residents and how, importantly with our communities – working together, we can make a positive our most valuable asset. difference. Some examples of action on the ground are our Youth Council training up young people to help develop financial The Co-operative Annual Report The Co-operative Annual Report charts The report is set out in three sections: our progress to date, from articulating • What we are doing differently our intention to become a co-operative as a business council and borough in 2011, to co-operative delivery in 2012 and 2013. • What we are doing differently with partners The challenge now is to continue to • What we are doing differently embed and lead the co-operative with communities agenda, whilst evidencing the difference that our approach is making. Each section also includes a selection of case studies and outlines what we are aiming to deliver over the coming months. 3 Co-operative Innovation – The Oldham Model Oldham is committed to developing a co-operative the values and ethos of co-operatives working. future: one where citizens, partners, councillors This means working in ways which are ethical, and staff work together to improve the borough fair and deliver good social value as well as value and create a confident and ambitious place. for money. It also means giving residents the We want all members of the community to be able opportunity to work in collaboration with us to to play an active part in building our co-operative design and, even help deliver, services. borough. Put simply, this is about everybody doing their bit and everybody benefitting. The public sector faces unprecedented financial challenges with budgets being reduced at an alarming rate. In Oldham, this means that we will see the council’s net budget reduced by 50% over a period of just five years. 4 As we face a perfect storm of shrinking budgets and increasing demand for services, there is a risk that a gap will be created between the services that residents expect to receive, and the services that we are able to deliver. This means that both public services and residents will have to change the way they operate. In Oldham, working co-operatively can mean many different things. It’s not just about delivering services through co-operatives or mutuals. A co-operative approach is about working in a way which helps to empower residents to take greater control of their own lives and which gets the maximum benefit from the resources that are available to the community and public sector. Although this could mean working with a co-operative or mutual to deliver council services, as we do with our local leisure services with Oldham Community Leisure, it also encompasses a much broader range of approaches that reflect Our spectrum of co-operative working shows the broad range of different ways in which this approach is applied in practice: Co-operative Co-operative Approach Services Working in line with Residents actively Co-producing Services delivered co-operative values informing decision services with through co-operatives and principles making communities and mutuals e.g. paying our staff the e.g. The Community e.g. leasing Fulwood e.g setting-up Oldham Living Wage so that no Call-in pilot offers Nature Reserve to Care and Support. one who works for the the opportunity to a community group This trading company council full-time earns strengthen local for a nominal fee, so will have a staff 5 less than the local cost democracy and build they can refurbish the council and appoint of living. closer engagement reserve and install community champions between communities community gardens, as non-executive and decisions made allotments, and sports directors, ensuring both at a district level. It facilities for local representation of its also enhances local people to use. employees and Oldham accountability and residents exists influence people have and allows them to over local decisions. influence its decisions. Most importantly of all – far from simply managing decline in a context of exceptional economic and social challenges – we’re leading co-operative innovation by thinking creatively and working collaboratively far beyond the confines of our own organisation. What we’re doing differently as a business As an organisation, our co-operative approach • October 2013 saw the launch of Oldham Care provides us with the opportunity to find positive and Support and Oldham Care at Home – two and sustainable solutions to the on-going financial new Council trading companies which will challenges we face. Our values-driven approach deliver adult social care across the borough underpins the way we do business. We believe and beyond. in the importance of fairness and responsibility. • Through our Social Value Procurement In practice, that means maximising the positive Framework we are working with our social, economic and environmental impact that suppliers to make sure they do their bit for we can achieve through everything we do. From the borough too, for example through paying our procurement practices to our pay policy, we’re fair wages, caring for the local environment, using our influence as a commissioner, service- supporting local community groups, or provider and employer to deliver added social growing local businesses.

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