BIG SOCIETY

IN ACTION
The North East Empowerment
Partnership hosted a Forum for open
debate on the Big Society agenda for
interested parties across the north east.

NEEP Forum in October 2010 was part of the

VONNE Big Society Summit - a weeklong event to
explore the latest concept from the Coalition
Government around empowering individuals to take
local action.

Jane Cater
11/2010
 11/1/2010

BIG SOCIETY IN ACTION

The North East Empowerment Partnership hosted a Forum for open debate
on the Big Society agenda for interested parties across the north east.

NEEP responds….
Following on from the discussion NEEP led in July, this event provided the opportunity to
explore how Big Society has been put into action in the north east. NEEP invited the projects
which have been commissioned and funded to come along and showcase what they have
achieved by working in partnership with communities and local authorities. At the July
Forum delegates asked for:

· Greater clarity on the new role of Whitehall in light of the Big Society. So today we
invited speakers from the Office of Civil Society and the Cabinet Office to share the
latest thinking from the centre.
· Improved mechanisms for consultations and provide opportunities for face to face
discussions between policy makers and practitioners to allow real discussion. So we
invited NEEP projects who are practicing in big society activity to join the debate
with policy makers. Ruahine shared key findings on the recent NEEP research into
why people face barriers to standing for office in the region.
· Create a better understanding of our society and the impact of economic changes that
affect the north east. As part of the Big Society Summit, VONNE has continued to
survey the region’s voluntary and community sector into the impact of the recession
and cuts. NEEP projects are reporting back to the strategic group on the impact of
the financial decisions that local authorities are making. Workshops today detailed
how councils are working with the sector to ensure that communities are being
engaged despite the cuts.
Who was there?
71 individuals attended the Forum each representing a broad range of interests and groups
from local authorities, small community groups, voluntary organisations and local
councillors. NEEP Chair, Minna Ireland, welcomed everyone and gave background into the
partnership which is approaching the end of a four year programme. This event gave the
chance to show the region what NEEP has been doing and Minna thanked the staff and
strategic partners for their steer and guidance along the way. Ernest Dobson was also
thanked for his ongoing evaluation of NEEP. One of the NEEP projects, Voice Box, was in
use during the day to record people’s candid comments on NEEP and the Big Society, which
has provided NEEP with a film documenting the day’s events (to be available on
www.vonne.org.uk/neep)

Julia Bowles was thanked for her tireless support and passion to the community and
voluntary sector. Sadly stepping down from the VONNE board after serving her 6 year term,
we welcome her continued commitment to share knowledge and experience on NEEP
strategic board.

What was said?

A copy of the presentations from the Forum speakers is available on the NEEP website,
www.vonne.org.uk/neep. The list of attendees, event evaluation and all the notes from table
discussions are appendices to this summary report. To give an overview of the day here are
some key points from the speakers and the debates.
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We invited Irene Lucas MP, the Acting Permanent Secretary for the Department of
Communities and Local Government to the event. She has a wealth of experience of 34 years
working in partnerships to improve service in local government and as well as successfully
leading South Tyneside Council from 2002. Irene talked about the government’s Big Society
vision, the values and principles and how that relates to the NEEP audience around
community empowerment.

“The Big Society is about a huge culture change where people, in their everyday
lives… feel both free and powerful enough to help themselves and their own
communities.” David Cameron, 19 July

Irene explored the three themes of

1. Decentralisation

Our government’s purpose is to make [a] major shift in our political and national life…a
radical redistribution of power from government to communities and people, to reverse
decades of over-centralisation.

Letter from the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister to all Ministers (3 August 2010)

2. Big Society the Voluntary and Community Sector

1. Strong commitment to the Big Society

2. Strong commitment to greater diversity of supply
3. Strong commitment to decentralisation and localism
4. Changing the balance of Power
5. Reductions in Government Spending

3. Empowering communities

• De-ring fencing of Budgets & Funding streams

• Fewer indicators and Targets
• Review duplication in performance frameworks
• Total place and community based budgets
• Service Innovation

Irene answered questions from the floor

1. How can government ensure that funding and contracts opportunities are
offered at a regional level? Irene explained that a National Strategy Unit is in
place and will be clear about funding budgets from February 2011. New technology
and virtual policy, and networking bring opportunities but we must be aware that
people can be disenfranchised.
2. If volunteering comes from choice, how can the proposed Big Society work if
people are being told to do things? Irene talked about how public policy can affect
behavioural changes. She used the example of recycling which has gradually evolved
into an everyday activity for most of British society due to attitudinal change. The
Big Society encourages a swing to individual responsibility from a “nanny state”
culture.
3. How do we ensure that best practice in community development is not lost in
the rush to save money?” Irene spoke about an expert panel which the Community
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Development Foundation recently set up to consider the future role and needs of CD
and will present findings to central and local government. She also talked about
initiatives such as Total Place (NEEP Forum topic June 2010) and local integrated
services as mechanisms to ensure that engagement practice is not lost.

NEEP commissioned research has been fed into the Community Development expert panel
which Community Development Foundation and Professor John Bennington have set up.
“Successful Communities: the role of community development in redistributing power.
October 2010 “

Irene Lucas MP has since announced her departure from the post with Department of
Communities and Local Government to pursue other career opportunities - Recent article in
the Chronicle.live.co.uk 12th November 2010

“....where people in their everyday lives, their homes their neighbourhoods, their
workplace.......don’t always turn to officials, local authorities or central government for
answers to the problems they face.......but instead feel both free and powerful enough to
help themselves and their own communities.”

James Illot the Policy Advisor to the Office of Civil Society in the Cabinet Office was invited
to speak about how local authorities and communities meet the challenge that Big Society
present to the north east. James gave an overview of the Coalition policy which affects
communities and how decentralisation brings opportunities for charities and social
enterprises to work directly with the state. In addition to this he talked about the supply and
demand of public services and how people will have more control over stimulating social
capital and social action under this agenda. He explored new ways in which the local and
central government will be accountable and transparent and explored how they will manage
or devolve finances to the community level. Recognition was made to the existence of
initiatives which mirror the big society model, and how agencies such as Time bank and
volunteering support exist to help individuals get involved in community action, and how
government policy is now more open to shaping by the public. He concluded with reference to
the National Survey on Third Sector organisations in 2008 and how this is being adapted
now to provide a baseline of data for government to make resources available to the third
sector and a tool for to hold local government to account.

James answered questions from the floor

· How can we ensure local authorities have the appropriate skills to work effectively
with voluntary and community sector?
· How can we ensure the voluntary and community sector is skilled to deliver public
services?
· How can we avoid organisation’s mission drift in the search for sustainability?
· How can we ensure that a “payment by results” method is fair and doesn’t exclude
community groups?
· The national survey captures data from registered charities, what action is taken to
include data from under the radar groups?
· If government policies contribute to national problems (welfare, housing,
regionalism) how can we ensure social action is positive and contributes to sector
support?
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· How does the Community Organisers approach link in with existing VCS structures
such as volunteer centres and local infrastructure organisations?
· The average person has become sceptical with government rhetoric, and needs to see
speedy results. Can government respond and help demonstrate how people can really
make a difference locally?

James responded to the collection of questions by addressing the following points:

· The data on the survey needs to be consistent for comparisons and analysis.
However, NAVCA and local infrastructure organisations have been involved in the
survey to ensure methodology at a local level can capture unregistered groups.
· Government recognises the financial impact on the VCS, and has set up a transition
fund of £100 million to help in this difficult time. They are also working with the
Local Government Agency (LGA) to address the demands and needs on local public
and VCS infrastructure and commits to help to redesign and network.

Delegates were invited to a range of workshops to learn more about the

NEEP projects
· Community Game
· Engaging the hard to reach communities in the semi-rural north east – Durham &
Northumberland
· Developing Stronger Communities in Redcar & Cleveland, Barriers to Employment,
through the eyes of young people, e- participation
· Community Philosophy- growing community solutions
· Making a difference in local democracy in South Tyneside
· Street Stars-bringing the community together

Liz Greer, Ruahine Consultancy gave a presentation on research which NEEP

commissioned last year but is currently updating to reflect the changes to the political
environment. The presentation is available to download at www.vonne.org.uk/neep. The key
findings on why people face barriers to standing for office or engaging in civic action was
carried out because at the Sounding Board events in 2008 people reported that standing for
office was the lowest priority from the government white paper in the region. Some of the
reasons identified as barriers that north east people experience includes:

· Party politics
· Disenchantment with local politics
· The old boy network
· Cost and time
· Low aspiration and entrepreneurialism

We opened this up to delegates to debate further. We asked ‘Are there any additional
barriers you/communities face in engaging in civic activity?’

The responses included a sense that perceptions of councils were negative due to
misconceptions on what they can do or are responsible for, but that not all councils are the
same and some have really positive ways of engaging people, even those people who are
isolated. It was voiced that just knowing why people don’t get active or vote is not enough,
and that taking an active role is a real challenge to make sure that it’s not just the loudest
people who get what they want. The lack of relevant information; lack of support or
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advocacy; and silo approaches were key issues. The use of jargon and IT were mentioned too,
as things which risk exclusion of those with limited literacy, skills or understanding There is
a need for more role models, better education on civic action and a belief in a system of real
democracy. There is also a need for a shared understanding of civic activity if we want to
quantify this and benchmark progress, and there seems to be a lack of understanding of this
and the voting system across the population as well as lack of information on how to go about
it. An idea was offered that information could be covered within the new citizen’s induction
process which covers rights and responsibilities.

We then asked people to describe any examples of positive engagement by local

people where you live or what has made a difference.

· Leadership in communities
· Campaigns away from NIMBY attitude
· A local 9yr old girl wrote to the council and put a petition in to ask for a playground,
moved by the tender years of the applicant the councillor took it forward and the
whole of the team got involved in actioning the request.
· The campaign against the introduction of middle-schools in Northumberland
succeeded because the strength of the middle class were behind it and lawyers and
others in power got involved in the action.
· Councils get out there and listen to people and consider what is being said – they
can’t always say yes as it depends on other things.
· Community area forums are used by some councils to engage with the public.
· A Young people’s forum
· Community development practice
· IT is also an opportunity as well as a barrier e.g. online learning networks. Limited
because it is not grounded in a place
· Taking part in community activities, even small scale, is a start, and for some people
is as much as they want e.g. social event @ community centre, jumble sale/village
fete. Helps develop a sense of belonging in a neighbourhood

In general delegates felt that a more accessible experience all round would help them to
become more active, clear communication, time and opportunities. Whilst we captured lots of
examples of people taking action it’s important to note the concern that action alone is not
enough, it needs support, a sense of being listened to by decision-makers and results.

What you thought about the Community Organiser concept

There is a fundamental difference between the concept of Community Organisers and
Community Development Practice and the two are not interchangeable. This throws up
challenges to the region on how to manage the two different approaches and misconceptions
around them. There is a genuine interest in the region to get on board with this agenda and
to ensure it involves others rather than just the usual suspects or those who use power in
communities for antisocial ends.

There is concern that we don’t yet have a definition of ‘community organisers’ and their role
and responsibilities, which makes it difficult to get a sense of the thinking which underpins
this concept. It is repeatedly stated that the region already has a wealth of community
organisers and organising action, so why do we need to reinvent a new wheel. A strong sense
of need to self define community and that each area will select their own organiser based on
need within the community, this better reflects the origins of the concept as promoted by

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Saul Alinsky in 1950’s America. Some qualities and skills were noted that a good community
organiser will need such as knowledge of the system of governance, be independent with a
non partisan approach, and joint working with elected members. Other qualities include
seeing the big picture, being community minded, with a solution focused approach, and
willing to take calculated risks.

We also asked people what they didn’t want from a community organizer. This role must
not encourage or allow for extremism; very specific issues which ignore broader communities’
views; nor should it be just another role for just elected members, or those who have the
loudest voice. This must not replace support work of infrastructure organisations such as the
CVS’s or LDA’s.

We then considered ways in which we in the north east can shape the national idea around
community organisers. Feeding into the expert panel was considered valuable as was NEEP
lobbying MPs and working with the elected members in the region.

And finally…..
NEEP is planning to feed information into the expert panel and will keep people informed of
progress at the next Forum on the 20th January 2011 in Durham. This event will open the
wider debate on how the north east will take forward the empowerment and engagement
agenda when the partnerships such as NEEP and RIEP are no longer resourced nationally.
The strong message that the region needs leaders has been picked up from the day and will
be feature into the sustainability plans. The partnerships are undertaking evaluations and
the projects are being monitored so both will be able to provide some early findings on how
effective they have been in ensuring communities are engaged in local decision making. We
welcome your views on this and any other feedback on how to support all sectors in working
together over the coming years.