Community Fund Holding paper launched

Communities need to 'play a bigger role in supporting themselves and others' according to Think Local, Act Personal and the Coalition Government has a vision which 'does not simply look to the state for answers to the issues we face, but outwards to communities'.

So how can community engagement and contribution be achieved in an effective and sustainable way? How can local authority leaders create the conditions where a range of communities can make their own unique contribution to shared public goals?

In this paper we set out a new approach - 'Community Fund Holding' - which puts public money in the hands of a community so they can achieve an agreed set of outcomes.

Click here to download the paper.

Community Fund Holding is an approach which builds on our learning from implementing personal budgets and self-directed support over the past ten years. It seeks to adapt the mechanisms of self-directed support and apply them on a community rather than individual or family level. It looks at how decisions can be devolved to communities in ways that bring real choice and control, whilst still delivering the goals of Think Local, Act Personal.

Personal budgets encourage innovative and flexible use of public money and allow state resources to be used in ways that complement rather than replace those of the individual and their family. Together these benefits help to transform the individual from passive recipient to active partner. Community Fund Holding proposes something similar for communities and will enable local communities to make the best use of their assets - the people, skills and knowledge that already exists within that community.

Through Community Fund Holding, communities will know;

how much money is available
what restrictions if any are to be imposed
what must be achieved through the use of the money

And it will allow local authorities to;

stimulate a community contribution towards shared public goals
create a new alliance and collaborative partnership with communities
stimulate innovation and creative community-owned action

The initial model has been designed in a partnership with arrange of interested individuals and organisations connected to In Control.

The paper can be downloaded below along with a one page summary and accompanying presentation.

On Thursday 1 December we held a webinar to discuss the concept of Community Fund Holding in more detail. Click here to watch a recording of this webinar and to view the accompanying presentation**

Interested in implementing Community Fund Holding?

Interested in other webinars?

If you are interested in finding out more about Community Fund Holding, please contact john.waters@in-control.org.uk

Downloads

2 comments for “Community Fund Holding paper launched”

John Duvall

posted 25 December 2011 at 09:21:02

How can I find out if Community Fund Holding is being introduced where I live. I am not a person with a disability, i am a paid support assistant supporting two gentlemen with various life limiting disabilities. I think the concept of In Control is truly amazing and have followed your develop from the beginning. My concern for people with a disability is the influence of social workers in any assessment process. A system, in my humble opinion, fails to take into account the views and life experience of the disabled person and those who support them (paid and unpaid). The gentlemen I support have no verbal skills. I would like to see an improved advocacy service.
Laura

posted 03 January 2012 at 09:19:54

Hi John, many thanks for your message. If you email me at communications@in-control.org.uk to let me know the area where you live I will look into whether Community Fund Holding is possibly being introduced there.