Harnessing the best of local communities and involving local small businesses is the best way to improve services in an age of austerity, according to a new report from a group of leading charities including independent think-tank nef (the new economics foundation), volunteering body CSV and social care organisations NAAPS and KeyRing.

The new report, Creating stronger and more inclusive communities which value everyone’s right to contribute, published 12th September 2011, describes the charities’ experience of combining the resources of the public sector with people and communities, and working together to achieve more effective outcomes in public services.

The report cites several inspiring and innovative projects where people who are often perceived as “burdens” on the state are found to have much to contribute to their services and to their own situation. For example, Hazel Stuteley, a public health professional decided to take a new approach to her work on a deprived estate in Cornwall and convened a community group of five residents. Hazel said that  “They didn’t look like a group that was going to change the world.” But that group became the Beacon Project which gained £2.2m in funding, won awards and transformed life for hundreds of people on the estates. Postnatal depression rates fell by 77%, and crime went down by 50%.’

These examples, of ordinary people achieving extraordinary things, are often aligned with the vision of the Big Society. But this report also argues that such ‘wins’ require investment in a new partnership between government and people:

“We’re making a case for well thought-through investments in some emerging areas of community development, especially in those services and initiatives which neither patronise nor abandon people and communities, but which instead work alongside them in the design and delivery of solutions to their challenges,” said Alex Fox, CEO of NAAPS. “We should recognise the many gifts and skills within communities that are usually written-off. In an age of austerity, we really can’t afford to waste these vital resources’’.

This report is a valuable reminder to public sector leaders of the need to reconceptualise services – and the way in which they work, as their budgets are reduced. The key ideas within the report are valuable to both central and local government and raise important questions for a wider audience about the way in which we deliver public services.

Read the full report...

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Editors’ notes

The report will be launched on September 12th and can be found at www.naaps.org.uk and the websites below. If you have any press queries please contact Julia.slay@neweconomics.org or alex@naaps.org.uk

The authors and contributors are:

The Centre for Inclusive Futures, led by David Towell. The Centre works with individuals, organisations, public authorities and social movements to implement the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Community Catalysts is a Community Interest Company launched in January 2010 by NAAPS UK. Community Catalysts was set up to work practically and through local partners to help individuals and communities use their gifts and skills to provide real choice of small scale, local, personalised and high quality social care and health services.  www.CommunityCatalysts.co.uk

CSV (Community Service Volunteers) creates opportunities for people to take an active part in the life of their communities through volunteering, training and community action. Last year 165,666 people gave their time as volunteers through CSV. The charity trained 13,423 people of all ages. www.csv.org.uk

John Gillespie has worked for In Control’s community development programme to help local authorities develop strategies for supporting disabled people to link with their communities and the Health Empowerment Leverage Project (H.E.L.P.) promoting community development within health services.

NAAPS UK is the UK network for family-based and small-scale ways of supporting adults. Our members are Shared Lives carers and workers, Homeshare programmes and micro-enterprises. www.naaps.org.uk

The new economics foundation (nef) is a think and do tank that inspires and demonstrates real economic well-being. nef has been at the forefront of developing the concepts of co-production, the core economy and time banking. www.neweconomics.org

KeyRing is a national organisation which supports vulnerable people to live independently in the community. Volunteering, community connections and mutual support contribute to their distinctive Network. KeyRing has approximately 100 Networks across England and Wales and supports people with varying needs in a wide range of communities. www.keyring.org