COMMUNITY COUNCILS’ GOOD POLICING PRACTICE HIGHLIGHTED
The regular monthly meetings of hundreds of community councils around Scotland were highlighted as examples of good practice in community policing by ASCC in evidence to the Justice Committee of the Scottish Parliament on 27 May 2008. The regular monthly meetings at which local residents report their concerns to local police officers and the police report back to the community provide one of the most important regular and systematic channels of communication between police and the communities they serve, according to ASCC Vice-President Norman Bonney, who gave verbal evidence for ASCC at the inquiry. In the future, he stressed, building stronger community councils can also assist in improving the quality of local community policing.
In their evidence Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary stated that it saw its role as ‘working with others to improve communities’. This, of course, is much the same role that community councils set themselves and emphasises the close relationship needed between the police and the communities that they serve.
Evidence to the ASCC from its members and from the ASCC Executive Committee indicates that community councils see police attendance at their meetings as widespread and positive although they also shared the concern expressed by some other witnesses about the regular turnover of local police officers and, in a few cases, their non-attendance at their meetings.
A video recording and written record of the proceedings can be found on the Justice Committee pages of the Scottish Parliament website for 27 May 208 at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/ . Some major public libraries also hold the written record of Scottish Parliament proceedings.
Friday 30 May 2008
ASCC Executive Document on the Concordat April 2008
Association of Scottish Community Councils
The Concordat between Scottish Local Government and the Scottish Executive Government
The ASCC as the representative organisation of Scotland’s 1200 community councils can assist Scottish local authorities and the Scottish Executive Government to implement their Concordat and National Outcomes and locally community councils can assist local authorities and their community planning partners to implement their single outcome agreements.
ASCC notes that the agreement includes community planning partners and the Third Sector and that community involvement is key for each local authority community plan.
National Outcomes
Community councils bring together local citizens to assess the quality of, and help to improve, neighbourhood public services. There are about 1,200 community councils
(an average figure of 37 in each local authority area) and 12,000 community councillors in Scotland and they cover about 80% of the communities of Scotland. They can contribute in many ways to all of the intended National Outcomes but particularly the following;
9 We live our lives safe from crime, disorder and danger
10 We live in well-designed, sustainable places where we are able to access the amenities and services we need.
11. We have strong, resilient and supportive communities where people take responsibility for their own actions and how they affect others.
12 We value and enjoy our built and natural environment and protect it and enhance it for future generations.
14 We reduce the local and global environmental impact of our consumption and production.
15. Our public services are high quality, continually improving, efficient and responsive to local people’s needs.
National Indicators and Targets
Community councils can assist in achieving some of the national indicators and targets such as;
13 Increase the turnover of the social economy
28 Increase the percentage of adults who rate their neighbourhood as a good place to live
31. Increase positive public perception of the general crime rate in local area
32. Reduce overall ecological footprint
33. Increase to 95% the proportion of protected nature sites in favourable condition
34 Improve the state of Scotland’s Historic Buildings, monuments and environment
43 Improve people’s perceptions of the quality of public services delivered
Local Outcome Agreements
ASCC notes that each local authority single outcome agreement is developed in conjunction with its community planning partners. Community councils are a key voice of local communities within a local authority area and can thus assist the local authority and its partners in achieving their objectives.
Menu of local indicators
1. Business community satisfaction with the local area
12 . Number of people with mental ill health relative to the Scottish average
(volunteering is known to contribute to mental well being)
28. The percentage of adult residents stating fear of crime is having a moderate or great effect on the quality of life
30. The percentage of residents stating they are satisfied with their neighbourhood
31. The incidences of vandalism, malicious damage or malicious mischief
32. The number of people killed or seriously injured in road accidents
45. Increase the proportion of municipal waste recycled
46 . Council area’s carbon/ ecological footprint
52 The number, quality and variety of affordable homes
Conclusion
ASCC is minded to engage with COSLA and the Scottish Government to ensure that community councils can nationally make their contribution to the implementation of the national concordat between those two bodies.
At local authority level community councils are to some extent active, and in many cases could potentially become much more active, in assisting local authorities and their other community planning partners in achieving the implementation of local single outcome agreements.
Norman Bonney
Vice-President, Association of Scottish Community Councils
e-mail; activecitizen22@gmail.com
26.3.08
The Concordat between Scottish Local Government and the Scottish Executive Government
The ASCC as the representative organisation of Scotland’s 1200 community councils can assist Scottish local authorities and the Scottish Executive Government to implement their Concordat and National Outcomes and locally community councils can assist local authorities and their community planning partners to implement their single outcome agreements.
ASCC notes that the agreement includes community planning partners and the Third Sector and that community involvement is key for each local authority community plan.
National Outcomes
Community councils bring together local citizens to assess the quality of, and help to improve, neighbourhood public services. There are about 1,200 community councils
(an average figure of 37 in each local authority area) and 12,000 community councillors in Scotland and they cover about 80% of the communities of Scotland. They can contribute in many ways to all of the intended National Outcomes but particularly the following;
9 We live our lives safe from crime, disorder and danger
10 We live in well-designed, sustainable places where we are able to access the amenities and services we need.
11. We have strong, resilient and supportive communities where people take responsibility for their own actions and how they affect others.
12 We value and enjoy our built and natural environment and protect it and enhance it for future generations.
14 We reduce the local and global environmental impact of our consumption and production.
15. Our public services are high quality, continually improving, efficient and responsive to local people’s needs.
National Indicators and Targets
Community councils can assist in achieving some of the national indicators and targets such as;
13 Increase the turnover of the social economy
28 Increase the percentage of adults who rate their neighbourhood as a good place to live
31. Increase positive public perception of the general crime rate in local area
32. Reduce overall ecological footprint
33. Increase to 95% the proportion of protected nature sites in favourable condition
34 Improve the state of Scotland’s Historic Buildings, monuments and environment
43 Improve people’s perceptions of the quality of public services delivered
Local Outcome Agreements
ASCC notes that each local authority single outcome agreement is developed in conjunction with its community planning partners. Community councils are a key voice of local communities within a local authority area and can thus assist the local authority and its partners in achieving their objectives.
Menu of local indicators
1. Business community satisfaction with the local area
12 . Number of people with mental ill health relative to the Scottish average
(volunteering is known to contribute to mental well being)
28. The percentage of adult residents stating fear of crime is having a moderate or great effect on the quality of life
30. The percentage of residents stating they are satisfied with their neighbourhood
31. The incidences of vandalism, malicious damage or malicious mischief
32. The number of people killed or seriously injured in road accidents
45. Increase the proportion of municipal waste recycled
46 . Council area’s carbon/ ecological footprint
52 The number, quality and variety of affordable homes
Conclusion
ASCC is minded to engage with COSLA and the Scottish Government to ensure that community councils can nationally make their contribution to the implementation of the national concordat between those two bodies.
At local authority level community councils are to some extent active, and in many cases could potentially become much more active, in assisting local authorities and their other community planning partners in achieving the implementation of local single outcome agreements.
Norman Bonney
Vice-President, Association of Scottish Community Councils
e-mail; activecitizen22@gmail.com
26.3.08
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