South West Community Assembly Community Involvement Plan 2009 - 2010
1 INTRODUCTION
Sheffield Community Assemblies aim to achieve more practical and efficient ways to engage more local residents. Our aim is to continuously become increasingly effective and inclusive, using different community engagement methods. Styles will vary throughout different communities in order to reflect on neighbourhood needs. This plan will compliment the Sheffield City Council Community (SCC) Involvement Strategy, SCC Community Involvement Toolkit and the South West Community Assembly Action Plan.
The following wards make up the South West Community Assembly:-
• Crookes Ward • Dore and Totley Ward • Ecclesall Ward • Fulwood Ward
Please contact the Assembly Team for more information on neighbourhood profiles.
Developing the South West Community Assembly Plan From May to September we will be developing the South West Community Plan. The focus of our involvement and consultation work during this period will be to inform and test out the draft plan
Why do we want to engage? We want to empower the people of Sheffield to have greater influence over the decisions that are made on their behalf. The successful involvement of local people at a level they feel comfortable with in the decision making process will result in services being more effectively targeted and delivered at a local level. Local people are the experts on how services affect them, their quality of life and their needs. It is important to ensure that services are being delivered in a way that meets local need, and that any project or issue to be addressed takes these needs into account.
Sometimes services and solutions can be complex, so it is important that community involvement is maintained throughout a change process to ensure the end result is in line with community expectations and community needs . The involvement of communities to achieve change will also make a difference to all those involved in terms of learning, confidence, a feeling of active citizenship and an increased sense of local ownership. This will require transparency and clarity about the purpose, the limits of what can and cannot be changed, who can be involved and how, and what happens as a result. 2 How are we going to engage? Engagement will fall into the categories below; in some cases an engagement activity may incorporate more than one of these.
• Community Assembly Plan Consultation • Participatory Budgeting Exercises • Corporate Priorities and Emerging Issues • Formal Community Assembly Meeting Cycle • Roadshows – U Events! • Communications
Who we want to engage with? It is important that the new Community Assembly obtains the views of local people, and these views should represent the diversity of the population, as far as is reasonably practical.
For monitoring purposes, people who attend Community Assembly Events, or give their views by other means, when appropriate will be asked to supply their demographic details for monitoring against the demographic profile of the community.
3 HOW CAN WE INVOLVE PEOPLE?
I am resident who is I am resident who is I am resident who is already actively interested in interested in involved? community issues and community issues have free time to be and have no time to involved? be involved?
Existing groups and Involve people by organisations consulting at events Questionnaires online
Existing meetings in Involve and signpost the community residents to existing activities and meetings Provide regular information in Provide newsletters questionnaires and Provide regular workshops with information in existing groups and newsletters projects
Community Assembly
4
‘ You Say’ (Roadshow) Events – Consultation on the priorities in Community Assembly Plan
Who is the event for? Ward Where & When Lead Local residents to inform Community Dore and Totley ‘You Say’ event, 4 th July 9:00am - 12:30pm Causeway Assembly Officer Plan Head Road Shops
Local residents to inform Community Crookes ‘You Say’ event, 4 th July 1:00pm - 4:00pm Opposite Assembly Officer Plan Marston Road, Crookes
Local residents to inform Community Fulwood ‘You Say’ event, 18 th July 9:00am - 12:30pm Brooklands Assembly Officer Plan Avenue opposite Co-op
Local residents to inform Community Ecclesall ‘You Say’ event, 18 th July 1:00pm – 4:00pm Venue TBC Assembly Officer Plan
5
Events where Assembly Team and Members will be represented – In date order
Event Ward Where & When Hallam Fun Day Fulwood 4th July 11:30am – 5:00pm Hallam Primary School
Totley Music Festival Dore and Totley 11 th July King Ecgberts School
Crosspool Forum Summer Fayre Crookes 11 th July 2:00pm – 4:30pm Coldwell Lane Rec
Bradway Annual Fun Day Dore and Totley Annual Fun Day 24 th July
6
Participatory Budgeting
Who is this Ward Where & When Lead Timescale Cost & event for Resource Implications Residents in Crookes Post September – to be Crookes ward determined
Residents in Dore Dore and Totley Post September – to be and Totley ward determined
Residents in Ecclesall Post September – to be Ecclesall ward determined
Residents in Fulwood Post September – to be Fulwood ward determined
7
‘ You Say’ (Roadshow) Events – Progress and Feedback
Who is the event Ward Where & When Lead Timescale Cost & for? Resource Implications Residents in Crookes Spring 2010 Assembly Crookes ward Officer
Residents in Dore Dore and Totley Spring 2010 Assembly and Totley ward Officer
Residents in Ecclesall Spring 2010 Assembly Ecclesall ward Officer
Residents in Fulwood Spring 2010 Assembly Fulwood ward Officer
Community Media
A list of all local newspapers is currently being compiled (May 2009). There will be an initial article announcing the launch of the Community Assembly. There will be a photo of local ward members and of the staff team. There will be information on the first business meeting, forthcoming events in ward areas and other ways to contact us.
8 Other Involvement Methods
We will use regular e-mail communication to canvass views and provide useful information. There will also be a quarterly Community Assembly newsletter. As the capabilities become available we will make increasing use of the website and potentially other routes, for example using text messaging.
We will assist with Days/Weeks of Action and Community Planning days as appropriate.
We will arrange Community Walkabouts for local Members, the Chair and officers as required.
Where capacity permits, we will target particular groups eg TARAs, lunch clubs, parent and toddler groups etc.
We will go out to where people gather e.g shopping centres, to undertake consultation and involvement activity.
Other innovative methods will be explored and used as appropriate.
9