Sheila Battersby- Policy Manager (NW) Office for Civil Society

Greater ManchesterBME Network Event

14 June 2012

Building a Bigger and Stronger Society

The Strategic FrameworkA whole approach to government with 3 core strands:

Promoting Social ActionEncouraging and enabling

people to play a more active part in society

Opening up Public Services Enabling charities,

social enterprises, private companies and employee-owned co-

operatives to compete to offer people high

quality services

Empowering Communities

Transferring power – giving local councils and neighbourhoods more power to take decisions and shape

their area

Social Action

National policies and programmes.............

Opening Public Services

National Citizen Service

The Government’s long-term ambition is to make

NCS a universal programme that it is available

to all 16 and 17 -year-olds and becomes a rite of passage.

•8000 young people participated in 2011

•30,000 places available in 2012 (over 4,000 NW)

•90,000 places in 2014

Taking part in NCS gives young people the chance to learn new skills, develop confidence and leadership and

learn about teamwork

meet new people from all walks of life

make a real difference to their community, or an

issue they care about.

Community Organisers• Aiming for 500 full time organisers and 4,500 volunteer

organisers. Five teams established in NW. Programme delivered by Locality via a wide range of host organisations

• Organisers listen to people and encourage dialogue. They do not bring any message or seek any specific outcome.

• Consciousness-raising rather than capacity-building. Find the ‘generative themes’ that motivate people to act.

• Change ‘the bad scene’ into a specific set of issues that people can take action around.

• Actions may aim to change the powerful or to create a DIY response, or both.

UNCLASSIFIED

Community First

Open Public Services

Growing the Social Investment Market

Localism Act – main pointsPowers to communities Powers to councils

Right to Challenge

Neighbourhood Planning

Right to bid (assets of community value)

Freedoms on governance

Freedom on social tenancy allocations

General Power of competence

Power to individuals

Power to veto excessive council tax rises

Directly elected mayors in big cities

How can we work together?

Local Intelligence Team , Office of the Civil Society, Cabinet Office

Sheila Battersby

Policy Manager, Local Intelligence Team Office for Civil Society, Cabinet Office

7th Floor, Arndale Tower, Arndale Centre, Manchester M4 3AQ

sheila.battersby@cabinet-office.gsi.gov.uk07900 165088

For more information: www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk

www.communities.gov.uk

www.number10.gov.uk/take-part/