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 our latest 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 alongside a one-page summary
and a 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 email john.waters@in-control.org.uk
Last Updated : 16 December 2011. Page Author: Laura Bimpson.
