Involving Communities in Community Planning

Glasgow Community Planning Partnership is committed to ensuring that communities are fully engaged in the process of community planning.  In order to achieve an inclusive Glasgow we will ensure that;

• communities are involved in decisions which affect them,
• active citizenship is promoted and people of all ages encouraged to become involved,
• the diversity of the needs of citizens are taken into account in the design and delivery of services to ensure that these are appropriate and accessible by all; and
• action is taken by all partners to ensure that no one in Glasgow is disadvantaged because of their age, gender, race, sexuality or religion 

We believe that involving communities of place and interest in the design and delivery of public services and in decisions that will affect them will help ensure that services are more appropriate. 
   
Structures and appropriate resources for community planning at a local level are in the process of being developed, as are those which will address the diversity of community groups across the city.  We recognise that most communities will want to engage at the local level.  

Some of the on-going activity in the city in relation to Community Engagement and Community Planning are listed here.

We have recruited a team of full-time Engagement Network Co-ordinators across the city. They will ensure that effective mechanisms are in place to promote community engagement in each part of Glasgow. Contact details for each Coordinator can be viewed from the feedback & Contact link above left.

Engagement Network Co-ordinators have helped to facilitate the production of a Community Engagement Plan for each area, and also support the work of Community Engagement Co-ordinating Groups. These Groups consist of local service providers and Community Planning Partners.  
 
Community Reference Groups (CRGs) have been formed across the city. There are panels of local residents from each of the LCPP areas.  These are representative bodies which reflect the geographical and population mix within the area and the equalities aspects of community engagement.  The remit for Community Reference Groups are to support effective Community Engagement in Local Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs) by:

• communicating relevant issues to the Local CPPs
• helping the local CPPs to engage effectively with wider communities in the area
• helping the Local CPPs plan community engagement activities and assess their effectiveness
• contributing to support for involvement of community resident members of the Local CPP Boards 
  

The aim of this is to have community dialogue in deciding the key things that matter to communities and how community planning partners might respond to these.

A total of 13 Community Reference Groups are now operational across Glasgow, covering all parts of the city. If you are interested in becoming a member of your local Community Reference Group, please contact your local Engagement Network Co-ordinator, contact details for whom are available here.
 
We are also ensuring that Community Planning forges linkages with the significant  number of inter-related and connected structures for which community engagement support is an important element, including:

• Community Health & Care Partnerships
• Community Councils 
• Local Housing Forums
• Community Safety Partnerships
• Community Learning Partnerships
• Childcare Forums

There are a number of partner organisations employing staff with a community engagement function to their remit. Our work within Community Planning aims to complement the roles of staff in these organisations rather than duplicate them. 

Engage is a resource developed by Glasgow Community Planning Ltd and GCVS, to help support Community Engagement in the city. It provides a comprehensive resouce of community and voluntary groups operating across Glasgow. To find out more, select the Engage link on the left hand menu of this page.
 
As we develop our community engagement processes and structures, we will employ the National Standards for Community Engagement produced by Communities Scotland and the Scottish Executive.  These standards will ensure that the way in which we work with communities is open, transparent and effective.

Please visit the site regularly for updates in the coming months for more information on the emerging community engagement strauctures.