Agenda item
Collaborative Communities Framework: 2021-2025
Minutes:
The Strategic Lead Community
Development and Equalities introduced the report and stated that an
earlier version had been shared with the Committee last year, and
had been developed with the Council’s partners and the
voluntary sector, and the work with the Thurrock Coronavirus
Community Action had helped push the framework forward. She stated
that residents were at the heart of this framework, which was
divided into three sections: equality to ensure fair access and
cohesion; empowerment to ensure the council were working with
community forums to make sure they succeed; and engagement to
ensure conversations with partners and residents are started early.
She added that the framework was ambitious and a development plan
was being drawn up to ensure a culture change within the council.
She stated that she was keen on comments from the Committee in how
to provide the necessary change, including on a ‘pact’
or ‘bond’ with partners and residents, but stated that
as this framework covered four years, it would be long-term change
programme.
The Chair thanked the Strategic Lead and stated that this was an
important piece of work that would set services up well to be able
to help residents. He asked what the proposed ‘pact’
would look like and what the outcome of this would be. The
Strategic Lead Community Development and Equalities stated that
some other Councils had established a manifesto with local
organisations, and this framework was the beginning stages of
organising this. She felt that the Council had worked well with
partner and voluntary organisations during COVID and wanted this to
be extended after the pandemic. She added that the
‘pact’ would be a reciprocal arrangement with potential
rewards for volunteers, which would ensure a win-win situation for
both the Council and partner or voluntary organisations.
The Chair queried what routes were available to contact the
significant proportion of residents who did not get involved with
community forums, and asked how these people could be engaged and
those processes embedded within the council. The Strategic Lead
Community Development and Equalities replied that there were
numerous channels to engage with residents such as via email or
social media, and the Community Development team worked closely
with the Communications team on this. She felt there needed to be a
formal process to enable this dialogue and link local networks
together to be able to connect with each other. She explained that
the Council worked closely with CVS on the ‘Stronger
Together’ initiative that brought working between the Council
and voluntary sector closer to be able to facilitate and develop
ideas, as well as nurture policy discussions. She added that
working closely with the voluntary sector was good as it invited
comments and ideas, as well as allowed the Council to help
businesses and individuals secure grant funding. She added that
these ideas would be embedded through engagement with directorates
and officers.
Councillor Ralph echoed the Chair’s comments and felt it was
a vital report. He stated that the Council needed to engage with
communities, and that Stronger Together has worked very well during
the pandemic. He felt that the Council needed to work closely with
the community, for example the recycling team could attend
community events to spread the recycling message and provide
information. The Strategic Lead Community Development and
Equalities replied and stated that she hoped community events would
begin post-COVID and that past Council teams who had attended such
events received good levels of feedback and new ideas. She
described that officers who attended community events also felt
empowered on their return to change their services and implement
ideas.
The Chair summarised and stated that the Committee felt it was a
positive report, and how communities engaged with the Council was
very important. He asked if updates on the project could come back
to the Committee in future.
RESOLVED: That:
The Committee:
1. Commented were invited to support the scope of the Framework
– specifically the idea of a ‘pact’ or
‘bond’ with communities, as well as broader comment of
the proposed actions and their priority.
Supporting documents:
- Collaborative Communities Framework: 2021-2025, item 18. PDF 285 KB
- Collaborative Communities Framework: 2021-2025 - Appendix 1, item 18. PDF 541 KB