Your local Council provides a wide range of services, some well known like roads and traffic and education, some less known like food hygiene and creating employment.
We are always striving to improve the services we provide. Involving communities is an important aspect of this.
In 1994 the government passed The Local Government etc (Scotland) Act. Part of this Act was to make it law for Councils to have a Decentralisation Scheme.
This means that Councils have to develop ways of involving local communities in decision-making about the ways in which we plan and deliver services and develop the policies which shape them.
It is about moving services and information closer to local people and encouraging communities to have a say in the services and policies which affect them – a process rather than an end in itself.
The thinking behind it is to improve the services for the people who use them. This involves public services and communities working together to achieve best value. Community Planning has this approach at its centre.
WDC has just completed a review of its Decentralisation Scheme. This has resulted in "Involving Communities" - new Community Engagement and Consultation Strategies setting out our approach to engagement and consultation.
The implementation of "Involving Communities" will achieve several benefits including:
- setting a consistent standard for engagement and working in partnership.
- improving the co-ordination, prioritisation and forward planning of consultation within the Council and with our community planning partners.
- providing a comprehensive record of our consultation activity for reporting and for planning purposes.
- supporting employees to use the best practice in a wide range of consultation and engagement activity.
Click here to view a pdf copy of "Involving Communities"
Click here to view a word copy of "Involving Communities"
For further information contact:
Anne Clegg,
Policy Officer,
Community Planning and Policy,
3rd Floor, Council Offices,
Garshake Road,
Dumbarton,
G82 3PU
Tel. 01389 737269,
e-mail anne.clegg@west-dunbarton.gov.uk
