A Community Strategy for Barnsley 2011 - 2015 - Barnsley Council ...

The Priorities and Catalysts for Change
Growing a 21st century relationship
between citizens, voluntary/community
sector and public sector agencies
The Context
We are in the middle of a defining period for our public services
which will profoundly change how they are provided, to what
level, and by whom. The coalition government has acted quickly
to reduce public expenditure and to promote its ambitions for
decentralisation by devolving powers to local councils and
neighbourhoods. The promotion of the “Big Society” idea is
central to this thinking and will necessitate greater citizen
responsibility alongside citizens' rights. This changing policy
landscape will have a profound effect on citizens and
communities and on public services and public servants alike. If
Barnsley is to respond effectively to these changes and
maximise new opportunities, it will require a different
relationship between citizens, voluntary and community sector
organisations and the public sector to develop.
The situation is compounded in Barnsley by the historical
culture that exists, where people often view issues as the sole
responsibility or "fault" of some public services, and believe it is
their "duty" to resolve or fix them. As part of growing a new
relationship between citizens, the voluntary and community
sector and public service organisations, individuals and local
communities will need to take ownership of these problems and
have the power to change them. Utilising new legislative
opportunities, One Barnsley partners will have the opportunity to
transfer power into the hands of those who understand local
problems and have the biggest stake in overcoming them.
This change agenda does not demean the many challenges
Barnsley continues to face around health inequalities, financial
exclusion and worklessness, but recognises the need for a
different approach in dealing with these issues given the climate
of unprecedented public sector cuts. Tackling these challenges
will involve Barnsley citizens and partners working smarter and
together across the key priorities and catalysts for change. For
example, the Digital Agenda will enable citizens and
communities to exchange views, experiences and ideas and
help grow the 'core economy' through social media and
movements for change. The Low Carbon agenda has already
been a catalyst for change; encouraging mass localism around
green issues and climate change, and unlocking the potential of
communities to take action on these issues together.
Whilst nationally there has been much debate about the "Big
Society", it is clear that it heralds a shift from central to local,
transforming the relationship between the citizen and public
sector organisations. However, what exactly this means for
Barnsley is still not clear. We have an unprecedented
opportunity to create a dialogue between citizens, the
community and voluntary sector and public service
organisations to resolve together what the “Big Society” might
look and feel like in Barnsley. There will no doubt be a
behavioural change process that services and citizens must
work through together, but the benefits of such an approach will
be far reaching and will ensure that Barnsley citizens become
less dependent, more resilient and better prepared for life in the
21st century.
Why this priority is important for Barnsley
• Building a stronger society provides a renewed focus on
giving more power to people locally, encouraging them to
take an active role in their communities. However, we will
need to ensure that people’s wellbeing is at a level that
enables them to get involved in the first place.
• One Barnsley will demonstrate genuine leadership in
facilitating how we can work differently with our
communities and citizens, and together we will co-design a
new relationship that builds on existing strengths and
assets.
• This approach will enable us to move from a culture of
paternalism and dependency to one of personal
responsibility and empowerment. It is about putting the
resources of the borough at the disposal of citizens, so that
they can take control of the services they receive and the
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A Community Strategy for Barnsley 2011 - 2015