EXECUTIVE SUMMARY / In one short paragraph please describe this project and what it has achieved.
We will use this in any future publicity material.
Since May 2007, and the election of a new administration,there has been a commitment to decentralisation and
to increasing the involvement of people in decision making about council services and resources in their local area.
Renfrewshire Council’s five Local Area Committees(LACs) were introduced to bring decision making closer to its
communities and to allow its citizens to play an active role in setting local priorities, and scrutinising and developing
local services and resources.
PLANNING / · a clear rationale, defined processes and focus on stakeholder needs
· contributes to organisation’s goals, community plan and SOA, and national policy context
Over 600 community organisations were directly approached for theirviews on how the council’s scheme of
decentralisation should be developed and, in particular, how Local Area Committees (LACs) should operate.
Decentralised decision making structures operated by other local authoritieswere also analysed.
Each of the five LACs in Renfrewshire covers at least two multi-member wards. The main functions and objectives
of each of the LACs are:
  • to promote active citizenship;
  • advance the well being of the area and its communitiesby shaping services around the needs of residents;
  • promote enhanced co-ordination and scrutiny of public services at a local level; and
  • fund local projects and distribute grants from delegated LAC budgets.
The above objectives, and the establishment of the LACs themselves, are strategically linked to the ‘Safer and
Stronger’ agenda which is being driven forward through the Council Plan, and also to the Council’s commitment
to Renfrewshire’s Single Outcome Agreement. In particular to National Outcomes
  • 6 – ‘We live longer, healthier lives’;
  • 9 – ‘We live our lives safe from crime, disorder and danger’;
  • 11 – ‘We have strong, resilient and supportive communities where people take responsibility for their own
actions and how they affect others’; and
  • our local outcome 12 – ‘Increase public participation in the planning and delivery of services’.
Over 100 community representativesattend each cycle of LAC meetings, which take place on a quarterly basis. Support for these meetings is provided by council department Directors who have been appointed as Lead Officers to each LAC. The commitment of politicians to the LAC process remains high with members of all political groups attending LAC meetings on a regular basis:
"Involving communities at the heart of real decision-making is a key commitment of this Council. More than two years on and our Local Area Committees are thriving; budgets and resources are being targeted in accordance with local priorities - local people are empowered and feeling the benefit from this new, more inclusive way of working."
(Renfrewshire Council Leader Derek Mackay)
DELIVERING / · implemented in all relevant areas and across all the required stakeholders
· carried out in a structured and logical way , using robust and sustainable methods
Training
Thorough training for community representatives, elected members, planning partners and Lead Officers was provided at the inception of LACs. Training is provided on an annual basis with the latest training session planned for December, 2009. This will include a review of the powers available to LACs, the code of conduct, conflict of interest rules, and the development of localised area action plans.
The development of the localised action plans in particular will be a key development in the decentralisation process, and each community representative has been asked to identify their most important local issues. The response to this request will be refined at the November training event and draft plans will be submitted to the LAC meetings later that month. The finalised plans will be submitted to the February round of LAC meetings to allow them to be implemented by (during? – or by 31st March 2010?) the 2010/11 financial year.
Strategic Engagement
LAC community representatives have reserved positions on the Council’s Community Plan Leadership Group,
providing a vital link between local and strategic community planning. LAC representatives have also been appointed to the five community plan thematic groups of wealthier & fairer; smarter; healthier; safer & stronger; and greener.
The LACs receive regular update reports from Renfrewshire CHP, Strathclyde Police and Strathclyde Fire & Rescue. Through engagement with the LACS, community planning partners have been tasked with specific projects, for example, Strathclyde Police have been asked to prepare an action plandesigned to deliver initiatives to tackle underage drinking initiatives in the Johnstone & Villages area.
Good Practice
Evidence of good practice in the operation of LACs has been included in the Corporate Services Charter Mark submissions and has helped to contribute to a ‘successful’ rating for the Department. One of the key LAC projects, a pensioners playground, has received nationwide media coverage and has been submitted for a Herald Society Award.
IMPROVING +EVALUATING / ·evidence of leading practice and innovation being achieved
·appropriate measurement and learning,and how this has led to continuous improvement
Developing and Supporting Representation
Renfrewshire’s LACs are unique in the level of opportunity afforded to community representatives to become involved in the decision making process. Representation includes elected members, community councils, tenants’ & residents’ associations and‘community of interest groups’ such as ‘Renfrewshire Youth Voice’,‘Renfrewshire Visually Impaired Forum’ and older people’s groups. Each LAC provides the opportunity for representatives to raise key local issues, so that they can be addressed by the community planning partner agencies. Non-representative members of the public also have opportunities ask questions during ‘open’ sessions. Each representative community group is provided with a flat rate lump sum to help meet the cost of attending meetings, and each LAC has the ability to set its own meeting dates and start time.
LAC Effectiveness
LAC effectiveness is measured in a number of ways:
  • community representative attendance is recorded formally in the LACs’ Minutes and monitored as an indicator, that the content and conduct of meetings remains attractive and relevant to local people;
  • LAC grant budgets are reported to LAC meetings on a quarterly basis;
  • review meetings with public agency ‘lead officers’ and key community planning partners are held following each LAC cycle to ensure that effective linkages, co-ordination and partnership working are taking place;
  • grants approved by the 5 LACs are monitored to ensure that they relate to the 15 Scottish Government National Outcomes and that the Fairer Scotland Fund (FSF) element of the funding has been directed towards the most deprived areas in our community;
  • regular update reports are submitted to the Council’s Corporate Management Team and an annual questionnaire is sent to the Council’s public services panel (The panel is currently made up of 2000 people, 1000 of whom live in areas designated as 'Regeneration Outcome Areas' and 1000 of whom stay in other areas and is used by the Council and its partners to get views on a wide range of issues) to help measure the impact of LAC funded projects in the community.
The 5 LACs monitor how council and other public sector services are delivered within LAC boundaries, andassist the council to focusits services and resources in a way that reflect the policies and priorities of the council. To help ensure that LACs are meeting their objectives, the frequency and timing of LAC meetings was reviewed in November, 2008, and the guidelines for the operation of LACs were reviewed by April/May, 2009. The views expressed by community representatives were crucial to the outcome of both reviews and were reflected in subsequent amendments to the LACs’ governance documents. As a result of these reviews, LACs continue to meet within their own boundaries and at venues and times determined by the LACs themselves; agendas are issued at an earlier date to allow community representatives maximum time to consider the issues before them; further publicity will be given to the open sessions; efforts will be undertaken to increase youth representation; and work will be undertaken to highlight external funding opportunities for grant applicants. A full review of the operation of LACs will be undertaken by April, 2010.
LAC Attendance – May 2008 to August 2009

RESULTS + IMPACT / · a convincing mix of customer perception and internal performance measures
· clear line of sight to the delivery of the Single Outcome Agreement
· a full range of relevant results showing improvement over time
Feedback from elected members, planning partners and community representatives on the operation of LACs has been overwhelmingly positive.All these key groups were involved in the recent review of the operation of LACs and community-led suggestions have now been incorporated into the guidelines for their future operation. Significant contributions have been made by the LACs to the key Single Outcome Agreement (SOA) National Outcomes as follows:
SOA 6 – ‘We live longer, healthier lives’
LACs have supported a number of key initiatives including an investigation into the provisionof community allotments throughout Renfrewshire, supporting healthy cooking workshops and the part-funding of an ‘Agefest’ which will focus on the positive aspects of older age with activities including health promotion, activity taster sessions, information and advice, volunteering opportunities, personal safety and lifelong learning. The Paisley South LAC has also received national media attention for its ‘pensioners playground’ project, a concept developed by its community-led Paisley South Vision sub-group and funded by the LAC. “It may seem to be just a far-sighted idea but the council should be commended for their vision. If they have listened to their community and plan to give old aged pensioners a safe environment to share with their peers, we can only hope that others will follow their example." (Lindsay Scott, Help the Aged)
SOA 9 – ‘We live our lives safe from crime, disorder and danger’
LACs have played a prominent role in supporting a Renfrewshire-wide ‘No Cold Calling’ campaign as well as providing funding for a number of youth diversionary projects. Community safety update reports are submitted on a regular basis.
SOA 11 – ‘We have strong, resilient and supportive communities where people take responsibility for their own actions and how they affect others’
Through the development of localised area action plans, LACs will determine the key priorities for their own communities and set out specific areas for future grant funding, such as the need for more community facilities, diversionary activities and the pursuit of healthier lifestyles.
Local Outcome 12 – ‘Increase public participation in the planning and delivery of services’
The Council, Strathclyde Police, Strathclyde Fire & Rescue and Renfrewshire CHP provide regular updates to each LAC. Committee members, including community representatives, can question officers at meetings and members of the public can ask questions during an ‘open session’ which is included in every LAC agenda. The development of community-led localised area action plans will also help to highlight local priorities and service gaps.
For fulfilling the initial remit of LACs we have achieved the following:
  • Promotion of active citizenship: Over 100 voluntary community representatives sit on the 5 LACs and attendance at meetings has remained consistent. Membership remains open to constituted local community and voluntary groups.
  • Advancing the well being of the area and its communities by shaping services around the needs of residents: The LACs and, in particular, the Community Representatives, have identified a number of key local issues for action by officers. These key local issues have included the construction of a pensioners playground in the South of Paisley, significant investments in playparks throughout Renfrewshire and a number of community safety and community health projects. These projects are the subject of regular update reports to the relevant LACs. Council Departments and key planning partners provide service reports to the LACs, measuring performance delivery and highlighting projects and other initiatives. LACs have played a key role in scrutinising Council projects such as Clean Renfrewshire, and have helped identify areas where intervention by community wardens and other services is required.
  • Promoting enhanced co-ordination and scrutiny of public services at a local level: The Council and its key planning partners actively co-ordinate their reports to LACs, principally in relation to community safety and health issues. This partnership ethos has encouraged closer working and created new networks and contacts.
  • Distribute grants from delegated LAC budgets: To date, LACs have distributed approximately £1.5 million of funding to local community and voluntary groups for local projects.
  • Comments on the operationof LACs is acted upon, such as the provision of a microphone system at meetings and allowing ‘buddies’ to attend LAC meetings with community representatives who perhaps lack the confidence to speak at Committee.
  • Political, senior management, planning partner and community commitment to LACs remains high to ensuring that genuine ‘community leadership’ rather than ‘followership’ continues to develop.

COSLA EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2010Page | 1

THE COSLA CHAIR’S AWARD
This category is awarded at the discretion of the Chair and is open to submissions under any of the seven categories. It is awarded to those submissions of exceptional standards or merit demonstrating achievements above the limits stipulated in the assessment/judging criteria for the relevant category. Alternatively, submissions can be considered which can demonstrate being conducted in exceptional circumstances.
Do you wish your submission to be considered for the Chair’s Award? / YES/NO
In about 300 words, please highlight the reasons why this submission should be considered for the Chair’s Award:
To bring decision making closer to our communities, over 600 community organisations were directly approached for
theirviews on how the council’s scheme of decentralisation should be developed and, in particular, how
Renfrewshire Council’s five Local Area Committees (LACs) should operate.
The main benefits that have been delivered by LACs are:
  • more citizens now play an active role in setting local priorities, and scrutinising and developing local services
and resources;
  • the accountability of public agencies has been increased;
  • review meetings with public agency ‘lead officers’ and key community planning partners are held following
each LAC cycle to ensure that effective linkages, co-ordination and partnership working are taking place;
  • through engagement at a local level, and a community led focus on service delivery and resource
management, the well being of local areas has been improved; and
  • many local projects have been funded through grants from delegated LAC budgets.