Communities and neighbourhoods work is about helping residents take part in the places where they live and making it easier for local experience to inform the council's work. It provides a local connection between residents, community organisations and the democratic and service functions of Rosehaven Council.
Neighbourhood participation
Different parts of Rosehaven can have different strengths, pressures and priorities. A commenced council can use neighbourhood engagement to understand those differences, hear from residents who may not otherwise take part in formal council processes and identify issues that need either local action or referral to another responsible organisation.
Participation should be purposeful. Asking for views only makes sense where the council can explain what is being considered, what is within its control and how residents' contributions will be used. Community engagement therefore connects with council decision-making rather than operating as a separate collection of informal conversations.
Working with community organisations
Local groups, voluntary organisations and other community bodies can hold detailed knowledge about the people and places they serve. Rosehaven's role can include building appropriate working relationships, helping organisations understand council processes and bringing local evidence into place planning, wellbeing, resilience and other council functions.
Those relationships do not make independent organisations part of the council. Groups remain responsible for their own governance and activities unless a specific formal arrangement provides otherwise.
Raising local issues
Once the service is operating, residents should be able to understand how to raise an issue that falls within Rosehaven's functions and how the council will distinguish it from matters belonging to another authority. Some concerns may be suitable for neighbourhood work; others may need a council service, an elected representative or a separate public body.
Current position
Rosehaven Council has not commenced its communities and neighbourhoods function. There are no Rosehaven neighbourhood forums, council engagement programme or local issue-reporting route currently in operation. The service will be published around genuine participation arrangements when they are established.