Agenda item

The Deputy Chief Executive to submit a report for members to acknowledge the impact of community action groups, including Melton Matters, and to explore future ways of closer partnership working and potential future formal partnership/alignment

 

On behalf of the Deputy Chief Executive, the Housing, Welfare and Safer Communities Manager

 

(a)          submitted a report (copies of which had previously been circulated to Members) enabling Members to acknowledge the impact of community action groups and explore future ways of closer partnership working and potential future formal partnership/alignment;

 

(b)          highlighted

 

·         this Council liaised in different ways (on a daily basis) with community groups.  The aim was to standardise an inconsistent approach to liaison to improve reporting processes and equality of response from services;

·         this Council was not currently aligned or affiliated with any community group but acknowledged that collaboration with these groups would be valuable.  The Council recognised them as a resource to the Borough, both as a focal point for voluntary action and as an important issue identification and notification tool, with an active online presence and dedicated social media following;

·         the proposal that he as Housing, Welfare and Safer Communities Manager assesses how each group reports issues to this Council

 

(c)          Requested that Members provide guidance on setting out the terms of liaison with community groups

 

A Member commented that partnership working was key to this Council’s successful delivery of services.  They added that it was important that Council Partners were constituted organisations/groups.

 

The Housing, Welfare and Safer Communities Manager advised that this Council received significant call of demand from a number of groups, some of whom were not constituted and he reiterated that the Council recognised the value of its liaison with them.  He confirmed he would raise the issue of constitutionalising themselves with the groups.

 

Another Member commented that Councillors’ direct liaison with the local community was invaluable and information received from the public was heavily relied upon.  Members should readily avail themselves for discussion with the public and make every effort to provide them with information.  As a resource, these groups should be ‘tapped into’ but it was important to demonstrate caution in engagement and formal alignment with non-constituted groups.  Highlighting 5.2 of the report and further commenting that MBC logos on garments of those not employed by this Council may be confusing for the public, the Member queried what the insurance implications of such alignment would be.

 

The Housing, Welfare and Safer Communities Manager confirmed that these comments were noted.  The intention was to improve and manage the reporting of issues procedures for community groups in the most effective way to result in the highest number of positive outcomes possible.  Communication via digital apps, Customer Services, direct to each service, online forms and single liaison point should be explored.

 

A Member commented that the management structure and style of this Council was changing.  In the past, there had been a lack of engagement with many community groups.  Our community groups had much to offer.  This Council should be pro-active in working with the groups and could even consider offering them community projects to undertake.  The Member disagreed with previous comments stating the importance of these groups being constituted.  Issues such as dog fouling and ‘who is our Councillor’ had been raised and these groups had every right to utilise social media to highlight their areas of concern.  These groups should be embraced and used.  Overlooking these groups would be done at the peril of this Council.

 

Other Members reaffirmed the view that such groups should be constituted.  Any group could report issues to this Council but if a group purported to act on behalf of others it should be a constituted group, ensuring there was guidance on its remit.  They expressed concern that Members had not been made aware of complaints within their wards and requested that they be informed in future.

 

Another Member added that rather than being critical of community groups it was important to reflect on why Members were not aware of the complaints which community groups were reporting on behalf of local residents.

 

The Housing, Welfare and Safer Communities Manager advised that upon receipt of a complaint/notification of an issue, this Council’s focus was on resolving the matter but consideration would be given to informing Members in future.

 

A Member commented that they had set aside any scepticism they once held concerning a particular community group and had decided to embrace the ethics of the group.  The Council and this group desired to work for the community and the Member was happy to collaborate to maximise positive outcomes.  They highlighted that collaboration between this Council and community groups required commitment from both and the Terms of Reference and framework of alignment needed to be regularised.

 

Another Member commented that community groups who were eager to help improve Melton should not be discouraged from doing so.  The Member advised that they had previously raised the possibility of employing a Social Media Officer, responsible for monitoring Facebook and Twitter feeds, enabling early identification of local concerns.  It was also essential to ensure there were staff resources in place to deal promptly with issues reported to this Council.

 

A Member further commented that issues reported to the Council generated a massive demand on resources.  Currently the Human Resources and Communications Manager and Community Safety Officer monitored social media.  A Constitution, Annual General Meeting and Terms of Reference were fundamental to proper management of these groups and provided some form of accountability for these self-appointed groups.

 

The Housing, Welfare and Safer Communities Manager agreed that an active Council presence on social media was vital to its relationship with the community and standardising the procedure for reporting issues would increase efficiency.  He reiterated that he would raise the importance of being constituted with the groups.

 

RESOLVED that

 

(1)          the principle of increased partnership/collaborative working with community action groups be supported by Members;

 

(2)          responsibility for engaging with community action groups, including standardising reporting processes and regular liaison be delegated to the Housing, Welfare and Safer Communities Manager;

 

(3)          the guidance to officers regarding points 5.1 and 5.2 of the report be noted as, ‘there should be clear rules of engagement with community action groups.  The groups are not employed by Melton Borough Council but are friends of the Council and will be supported by the Council as far as reasonably possible’;

 

(4)          the Housing, Welfare and Safer Communities Manager would provide this Committee with a progress report and proposed operating framework towards the end of 2018/19.