'Only a footstep away' - Skills for Care - Think Local Act Personal

• operate variously as mentor, criticalfriend, mediator and independentbroker as required.5.14 The role of the facilitator in the JRFprogramme is not dissimilar from thetraditional role of community developmentworkers, though the latter have more of afocus upon linking people in theirneighbourhoods with the wider planningstructures where there is the power to shiftresources or reshape how services aredelivered. Although the traditional specialistrole of ‘community development worker’ isnow less common, the role continues inspecialist niches and services such asneighbourhood management, communityarts, health promotion initiatives, anti-drugcampaigns, youth work and Sure Start.5.15 The 2007/8 Citizenship Surveypublished by DCLG (2009b) finds someevidence of self-reported involvement involunteering, but the figures are not brokendown on a small area basis. The surveyreports that 27% of people in England saythey participated in formal volunteering atleast once a month, and 35% claim tohave participated in ‘informalvolunteering’—in both cases a 3% fall onthe position recorded in 2005. Thosepeople classified as at risk of socialexclusion were less likely to regularlyparticipate. The more recent 2008-09survey reveals little change in theserespects (DCLG 2010c). Fewer than half ofthe people surveyed said that they wouldlike to be more involved in decisionsaffecting their local area, but people whofelt strongly that they belonged to theirneighbourhood were more likely than thosewho did not have such strong feelings toparticipate in civic engagement.5.16 The evaluation of theNeighbourhood Management Pathfinders(DCLG 2008e) was able to report somesuccess in widening communityengagement, beyond a handful of peoplein the early stages to a strong core of 20–60 involved in deliberative processes suchas board membership and contributing toworking groups. This was complementedby the more limited involvement of largernumbers of local residents in networks,forums and consultation exercises. A studyof Pathfinder board membership found it tobe broadly representative of the localpopulation in terms of age, gender andethnicity, though engaging young peoplewas more challenging.5.17 The recently published nationalevaluation of participatory budgeting offersevidence on the use of a small ‘communitychest’ (averaging around £2000) to engagesmall communities in decision-making(DCLG 2010d). The interim evaluationreports improvements along severaldimensions, including: self-esteem andconfidence; people’s sense of their abilityto influence local decision-making; andlocal ‘community capacity’, especiallywhen linked to wider communitydevelopment or neighbourhoodmanagement initiatives. A kindred initiativeis Community Cashback, which (in2010/11) will be repeated to enablecommunities to decide how to spend therecovered proceeds of criminal activity intheir neighbourhoods.5.18 The 2008 Place Survey published byDCLG (2008a) reported that while 80% ofpeople said they were happy with theirarea, only 45% were satisfied with the waythe local council was performing. Partly inresponse to this, the Local Democracy,Economic Development and ConstructionAct 2009 lays a new duty on councils torespond to petitions, and to tell localpeople what action is going to be taken toaddress their concerns. Guidance coversexamples of the responses councils shouldconsider in four key areas: underperformingschools, alcohol-related crime‘Only a footstep away’? 25