Post on 31-Oct-2014
description
How can local authorities make them work for them?
The Community Rights – to challenge and bid
Matthew WestDCLG
Overview
• Policy overview
• How challenge works
• What challenge means for Local Government
The context
Localism – community rights and NCBs Open Public Services WP – Diversifying public sector
delivery Only 2% of public contracts in 2010 went to the VCS Spending reductions – can new ways of delivering save
services? Social enterprise is a growing sector – delivering monetary
and social value.
Right to ChallengeRight to Bid
Alongside community asset transfer, gives communities a fair chance to take
over land and buildings that are important to them.
Community rights
Gives community groups with ideas on how to run local services differently
and better the right to challenge councils to run services
Neighbourhood Planning
Gives neighbourhoods greater influence in deciding where facilities should be and the development they want locally. Plans subject to a local
referendum
Right to Build
Gives communities new way to gain planning permission for small new
developments – homes, shops, businesses, facilities - in their area
What does Right to challenge mean for communities?
• Gives the initiative to local groups – to set out the services they want the chance to run
• Opportunity to put forward ideas to do things differently and to integrate different services at local level.
• Opportunity to deliver services which are better suited to communities
How it works
Gathers information Builds business case and capacity
Relevant body
Submits EOI
Accept/Modify/Reject
Local authority
Considers EOIAcknowledges and
informs body of decision date
30 days Relevant body?Social value and user needs?
Sufficient information?
Notify bodyPublish reasons
Reject
Notify body of decision and when
procurement will start
Accept
Procurementexercise
Lotted contractsAccessible to VCS
Social valueSuitable body
Contravenes dutyPublished decision to stop
Frivolous or vexatious
VCSSocial enterprise
Two or more employeesParish Council
Right to Challenge – to date
Spike of enquiries to Locality in July – has now
steadied.Growing pipeline of
potential grant applicants
No clear pattern to date in terms of service types –
Education and youth services are the biggest
individual services
What does the Right to Challenge mean for
Local Authorities
• Likely increase in communities interested in taking on services.
• Requests for service information - How are you putting information on contracts and services in the public domain?
• Different – and more responsive services
• An opportunity to deliver services which are more place based
Questions
• How are you integrating the right to challenge into your communities/commissioning strategies?
• Is there capacity in the VCS in your area to deliver services – could any groups benefit from our funding programme?
• How can you use the VCS and social enterprise to help you continue to meet the needs of communities and to help communities do more for themselves?
• What are the political issues in your authority – What role can councillors play in involving communities in services?