GENERAL GUIDANCE FOR COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION REQUESTS – GLASGOW AGAINST CLOSURES

WHAT IS A COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION REQUEST?

Submitting a participation request provides a legal route to engagement. Participation Requests can be made by a ‘community participation body’. This may be a:

• Community group (with or without a constitution)
• Community Council

Participation Requests are intended to create the opportunity for people and groups to play a greater and more direct role in improving outcomes in their community. Part 3 of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 provides a framework for the use of participation requests by community bodies.  

A Participation Request is NOT an “Expression of Interest (EOI) under the People Make Glasgow Communities programme which does NOT fall under the Community Empowerment Act until a full application is submitted. A Participation Request is NOT part of the Asset transfer process.

WHAT IS THIS GUIDE FOR?

The information below is general advice received via training and other sources on the types of information you may want to include in a participation request.

Note this document does not list every type of example so feel free to add things to support your application.

You may feel that there is some crossover between points covered in other questions.

GENERAL ADVICE

MINUTE ALL MEETINGS, agree follow up expectations and timescales. 

As meeting’s progress be clear and focussed regarding your aims as stated in your participation request.

Keep reiterating your aims to make sure they don’t get redirected. For example, if you’re campaigning for a space to be run by the local authority, don’t let them sway it towards a community run facility.

KEY LINKS

Glasgow City Council participation request page
This page contains information from the Council as to who can make a request, who has made a request, and other guidance.

PR Guidance from the Scottish Government
You should read this before making a request and when completing this form.

Participation request form
Always use this link to the latest Council participation request form

WHAT INFORMATION DO I NEED?

Key questions to think through prior to submitting a participation request are:

• What do you want to participate in?
• What will this look like?
• How will you do it?

The participation form will ask you to provide information about the body making the application, and the nature of the participation. We will now go through the application in more detail.

1: Details of Community Participation Body

The application will ask for the Name of the Community Body making the request and the name, address, telephone number and email address of a contact for the community body. It will also ask for details of your website, if available. Please make sure that you also include a copy of your written constitution or governance documentation if available.

2: Name of the public service authority to which the request is being made:

You need to specify the primary public service authority to whom the request is being made. For Glasgow based campaigns, this will most likely be Glasgow City Council. If you’re unsure, the authorities to whom a request can be made are listed in Schedule 2 in the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015. These are:

• A local authority
• A health Board
• The Board of management of a college of further education
• Highlands and Islands Enterprise
• A National Park Authority
• Police Scotland
• The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency
• Scottish Enterprise
• The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
• Scottish Natural Heritage
• A regional Transport Partnership

3: Name of any other public service authority which the community participation body requests should participate in the outcome improvement process.

If there is another authority from the list above that you think your request would benefit from their participation, name them here.

4: The outcome that community participation body want to improve:

Here you need to specify an outcome that will result from, or is directly contributed to, by the provision of a service provided to the public on behalf of the authority named above. An explanation of outcomes and examples can be found in section 3.48 of the Scottish Government guidance document.

Examples: 

• The development of a local community hub which includes XXXXX services plus co-located services within the current building run with the building owned and operated by the local authority. This will maximise the building use and provide services which the community has identified through community engagement.
• We want the outcome of the participation request to be that the XXXXX local community will be fully involved, following agreed Community Engagement Standards, to make sure all relevant stakeholders are fully engaged with during the process.
• We wish to support the Council with the decision making around the venue/services and to help provide local experience, knowledge and contacts with the development of the venue and services provided.
• We want to help build a long term relationship with the council and the local community.

5: The reasons why the community participation body should participate in an outcome improvement process:

You need to clearly explain the reasons why you believe your group should be able to take part in the ‘outcome improvement process’.

Examples:

• We are a constituted body , a registered SCIO charity with no conflict of interest, we are not a direct service deliverer and will not apply for any space from PMGC. We are the only recognised organisation in the area providing/managing XXXXX etc etc
• We have members who are mainly front-line organisations, delivering social and wellbeing services to their communities, who provide us with intelligence.
• Our members have good relationships with local people who can provide feedback on the PMGC applications.
• We have trusted connections with local and city-wide structures and we can bridge the gap between community and Citywide structures.
• Many members of our organisation are active members of several local groups including community councils, the Friends of the XXXX group and the XXXX Trust, have an extensive network of contacts and a clear understanding of local issues and concerns, and are well placed to support and encourage a resilient and empowered neighbourhood.
• Our staff & supporting organisations (a, b,c ) have :
  • Extensive experience of involvement in Community Engagement
  • Has supported the local community with the development of creation of XXXXX etc etc
  • members of our organisation have extensive experience / number of combined years of experience of i.e. asset transfers and community ownership/management of facility/development of business plans/working with local communities via i.e memberships of community council, voluntary network networks , trustee positions on boards a,b,c 

6: Knowledge, expertise and experience the community participation body has in relation to the outcome:
Here you need to provide details of any knowledge, expertise and experience the community body (your group!) has in relation to the outcome specified in question 4.

Examples:

• Our Committee, staff and members have combined number of years of experience within community work/community planning / working with local people / governance of board membership (name these)
• List specific staff qualifications
• Members have long standing relationships with communities who may have the solutions to support issues and matters arising.
• Our Staff are experienced in delivering training on XXXXX as well as having practical, hands-on experience of XXXXX work.
• Experience within XXXXX sector
• Wide reach: Connections to Glasgow Council via XXXXX, Glasgow Third Sector via XXXXX,
• Connections to charitable trusts XXXXX and bodies at local and national level
• A vast collective knowledge of XXXXX theory/ policy/management (list experience)

7: How the outcome will be improved because of the involvement of the community participation body:

You need to explain in specific detail how you see the outcome from question 4 being improved by your group participating.

Examples:

• Greater consensus around decisions that are made. Should lead to greater use of the asset/service(s)
• Local citizens will be engaged and will therefore feel more empowered because they were fully involved and listened to.
• Can increase community cohesion and reduce conflict within communities
• Our involvement, and the local intelligence this will bring, will assist in the venue/service going to organisations that will serve the community and have their best interests at heart.

8: Is the community participation body a community controlled body?

To make a participation request the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 provides that only certain bodies can do so. Your group (the ‘community participation body’) needs to provide the necessary information to the public service authority to show that they are a valid body who can make a participation request. The form will ask this as a YES / NO question. If your group is community controlled, select yes. If the answer is no, you will need to use the additional space to explain the basis on which your group is a community participation body.

9: Additional information

Here’s where you can include any other information in support of your request. The form advises that it may be helpful for your group to outline if they have already / previously been in contact with the public service authority regarding the outcome. The community participation body may also want to provide information on any additional support they may require to be able to participate in an outcome improvement process.

Examples:

• Constitution of your group or body
• SCIO Charity status Certification/number
• We have been vocal and raised concerns at community council meetings, area partnerships, sector partnerships, (detail other means of official communication)
• List awards / letters of support received with direct relevance to supporting this participation request