Call for Evidence: Building Sustainable Communities Through Community Action

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A new scrutiny inquiry panel has started which is looking at building sustainable communities through developing community action. The Panel is focused specifically on how the council can best support residents to run some services in their own communities.

Councillors have chosen to look at this subject because:

  • In order to maintain important local services the council will need to be a radical in looking at different ways of delivering them.   A partnership with local communities will offer a solution to keeping certain services running.  The term community action has been used to explain some of this activity.
  • We need to build and support sustainable communities because this will result in better outcomes for people and reduce the cost of services.
  • Current models of service delivery are unsustainable and not always providing the best outcomes for people.
  • We need to build strong, empowered and cohesive communities which can bring people together, influence decision making and lead on community action, therefore taking more responsibility for community initiatives and issues.

The Council plays an important role in supporting community action.  Swansea Councillors therefore want to hear the views of a wide range of people so they can propose practical ways to improve the community action agenda.

Lines of Inquiry

The panel have chosen to specifically look into the following lines of inquiry:

  • What does community action mean in practice
  • What is the level of support that is required
  • How do/will the transition of services  to communities actually work
  • How will the transition of services and support be financed
  • How we are/will work with communities to develop community action
  • What has been the impact of community action to date
  • Look at good practice here and elsewhere
  • Look at sustainability of community action activity

How to provide your views…

Interested individuals or groups are encouraged to submit written evidence to the inquiry by email to scrutiny@swansea.gov.uk.  The Panel may contact you to discuss your evidence.  All evidence that is submitted will usually be published as part of the inquiry, if you do not wish your evidence to be published please state clearly.

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