What is Community Planning?

Community planning is the process by which the third sector, public bodies and local communities work together to make a difference to people's lives. It drives public service reform by bringing together local public services with the communities they serve, and provides a focus for partnership working that targets specific local circumstances. Partners work together to improve local services and to ensure that they meet the needs of local people, especially those who need the services most.

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What is Co-production

The term Co-production refers to a way of working where service providers and users work together to reach a collective outcome. The approach is value-driven and built on the principle that those who are affected by a service are best placed to help design it.

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The Third Sectors Role in Community Planning and Co-production

Community Planning and co-production are changing the traditional understanding of service users as dependents of public/third sector services. It redefines the service/user relationship as one of co-dependency and collaboration, where service providers need the insights and expertise of its users in order to make the right decisions and build effective services.

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The Third sector often deliver essential services, improve community wellbeing, and contribute to the local economy. They are the trusted representatives of people who may not be able to participate themselves, and the leaders of change and development through community action planning.

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They have a significant role in community panning and co-production, influencing policy and decision making processes, being the driving force behind community change and development, and improving National Outcomes at a local level.

 

SLCVO's Role in Community Planning and Co-production

As the HTSIs rural partner we are funded to:

• Improve third sector understanding and connections to community planning and health and social care planning processes.

• Support opportunities for third sector and cross sector collaboration/networking in Skye, Lochalsh and Wester Ross.

 

We do this by:

• Using local intelligence to steer and encourage representation in local, national and regional consultations. See the section The Local Third Sector 

• Supporting the local third sector to connect to the HTSI Third Sector Representation Pathway, find more information here

• Facilitating and supporting SLWR third sector to engage with and participate in community planning and the health and social care planning processes

• Running/supporting thematic networking sessions 

• Facilitating opportunities for third/cross sector collaboration

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To keep up to date with our community planning and co-production activity sign up for SLCVO monthly Third Sector Bulletin here or follow our Facebook page.

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If you would like more information about community planning and co-production processes email SLCVO's Chief Officer Jo.Ford@slcvo.org.uk. Alternatively book an appointment for us to contact you here.

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