How can local authorities make them work for them?

The Community Rights – to challenge and bid

Matthew WestDCLG

Overview

• Policy overview

• How challenge works

• What challenge means for Local Government

The context

Localism – community rights and NCBs Open Public Services WP – Diversifying public sector

delivery Only 2% of public contracts in 2010 went to the VCS Spending reductions – can new ways of delivering save

services? Social enterprise is a growing sector – delivering monetary

and social value.

Right to ChallengeRight to Bid

Alongside community asset transfer, gives communities a fair chance to take

over land and buildings that are important to them.

Community rights

Gives community groups with ideas on how to run local services differently

and better the right to challenge councils to run services

Neighbourhood Planning

Gives neighbourhoods greater influence in deciding where facilities should be and the development they want locally. Plans subject to a local

referendum

Right to Build

Gives communities new way to gain planning permission for small new

developments – homes, shops, businesses, facilities - in their area

What does Right to challenge mean for communities?

• Gives the initiative to local groups – to set out the services they want the chance to run

• Opportunity to put forward ideas to do things differently and to integrate different services at local level.

• Opportunity to deliver services which are better suited to communities

How it works

Gathers information Builds business case and capacity

Relevant body

Submits EOI

Accept/Modify/Reject

Local authority

Considers EOIAcknowledges and

informs body of decision date

30 days Relevant body?Social value and user needs?

Sufficient information?

Notify bodyPublish reasons

Reject

Notify body of decision and when

procurement will start

Accept

Procurementexercise

Lotted contractsAccessible to VCS

Social valueSuitable body

Contravenes dutyPublished decision to stop

Frivolous or vexatious

VCSSocial enterprise

Two or more employeesParish Council

Right to Challenge – to date

Spike of enquiries to Locality in July – has now

steadied.Growing pipeline of

potential grant applicants

No clear pattern to date in terms of service types –

Education and youth services are the biggest

individual services

What does the Right to Challenge mean for

Local Authorities

• Likely increase in communities interested in taking on services.

• Requests for service information - How are you putting information on contracts and services in the public domain?

• Different – and more responsive services

• An opportunity to deliver services which are more place based

Questions

• How are you integrating the right to challenge into your communities/commissioning strategies?

• Is there capacity in the VCS in your area to deliver services – could any groups benefit from our funding programme?

• How can you use the VCS and social enterprise to help you continue to meet the needs of communities and to help communities do more for themselves?

• What are the political issues in your authority – What role can councillors play in involving communities in services?