Frequently Asked Questions
If you have a question about the new Community Assemblies, see if we've answered it in our frequently asked questions below. If can't find the answer on this page, please contact us.
Questions
Answers
Why seven Community Assembly areas?
This number of areas balances the need to engage communities with an effective approach to organising service delivery. We will review the boundaries in future if necessary.
What will the assemblies be called?
Area names will be based on points of the compass – Northern, North East, East, South East, South, South West and Central.
Our ward includes very different communities to the other wards in the new area. How will you cope with this?
All the Assembly Areas contain diverse and disparate communities, and community assembly staff will take this into account in their work. Many Area Panels currently split across ward boundaries and the new arrangements will provide a greater opportunity for all Councillors to represent their wards more effectively.
How will we know if services have improved?
The Assemblies will work with local people to develop ‘Citizens Targets’ that reflect local priorities and these will be regularly monitored by the Assemblies through a range of methods including local surveys and resident feedback.
How far will decisions in an assembly area be devolved?
It will depend on how the individual Assembly wants to devolve decisions. The Council’s Constitution will be changed to enable executive decisions to be taken locally. Major decisions on city-wide issues will still be taken by the City Council, and the Council will retain statutory powers and influence over some key services. Where decisions have an impact on local areas, we expect the Community Plans to influence these. Officers will have the job of supporting Councillors in the decision making process and advising Members prior to any decision being made.
Is there a risk that different parts of the assembly will get different levels of service, for example on grass-cutting, with some smaller communities suffering from reduced services?
The Assembly will ensure at least a core standard of service through agreements with service providers and will make choices about the level of services over and above this. We are developing guidance and agreements on service standards to help with this.
How will assemblies deal with decisions that impact on neighbouring areas and take into account that some services are used by people outside an area, such as libraries and parks?
Where issues arise that cross Assembly boundaries or affect neighbouring areas, we would expect the Assemblies to take a flexible approach with officers and councillors working together. We would expect senior officers in the relevant services to advise Councillors in making decisions where there may be wider strategic, statutory or financial considerations.
Which services will Community Assemblies be able to make decisions on?
Initially, decisions will be devolved for Libraries, Parks and Countryside, and Streetforce. We are keen to look in future at how Assemblies might influence areas such as planning and licensing. The Assemblies will evolve, and depending on what communities want via their Community Plans, other services will be included in future phases.
How will Community Assemblies ensure they hear from as many people in the community as possible?
Officers will use a variety of methods to ensure a wide range of views are gathered, including the internet and new technology. Each Assembly will have its own Community Engagement Plan setting out the most appropriate ways to engage with residents in each area. We will use information from voluntary, community and faith organisations and the local knowledge of Councillors.
People will find it difficult to attend meetings where Community Assembly areas have got bigger.
Public meetings will be arranged at appropriate venues and times, though people can make their voice heard in other ways, including via Community Assembly websites. Currently only a limited number of people know about Area Panels, and surveys tell us that only 1 in 5 of Sheffield residents feel they have an influence on the way decisions are made (lower than comparable cities). We expect formal Assembly meetings will be held in each of the Wards during the year and to be supported by a more frequent range of other events, such as Roadshows, in each ward.
How will the assemblies link to Neighbourhood Action Groups? (local community safety groups involving a range of agencies)
We are looking at the way the Neighbourhood Action Groups, established as part of the Safer Neighbourhood Area (SNA) approach to tackling anti-social behaviour and crime, will fit into the new arrangements. Safer Neighbourhood Officers will work alongside the Assembly Teams and we will be looking at how future boundaries may align.
How will partner organisations be involved in Community Assemblies?
Partners will have a major role in the Assemblies. We are exploring how we align local planning, decision-making, and engaging with communities. Our ambition is for partners to align their organisational boundaries with those of the Assemblies, but recognise this may take time and will need to be negotiated.
We are looking to establish Partner Panels in each area to support the work of the assemblies. They will include key partners such as health and the police as well as other agencies. We also expect that the voluntary, community and faith sector will be represented.
How will Parish Councils be involved?
Parish Councils, where they exist, will be a significant partner in the Community Assemblies. We will also be looking at these relationships as part of the work on amending the Council's Constitution to establish the Assemblies, and clarifying the legal position of Councillors who also serve as Parish Councillors.
Won’t this all cost more?
The resources will remain the same, but Councillors will have the ability to move money between budgets and services. The new staffing arrangements for the Community Assembly Teams will be at no extra cost. Each Assembly will have a Manager, a Planning and Performance Officer, an officer responsible for involving communities, a Safer Neighbourhoods Officer and administrative support.
How will you decide what resources each area will get, and will it be influenced by external funding received by areas?
The devolved budgets will reflect the needs of an area, so areas with greater need will get more, set as part of the Council budget process. However, more decisions on how funds are spent will be made at Assembly level. Extra Government money which only applies to certain areas would continue to be ring-fenced to those areas. There will be no change to the present process of distributing Section 106 funding, unless the rules are changed by the Government.
Who will be responsible for the ultimate decision on the allocation of funding in an area?
Decisions will be ultimately made by local Ward Councillors, who will be aware of the priority issues in their individual Ward areas. Communities will have a key role in identifying neighbourhood priorities and influencing funding, including through participatory budgeting exercises.
Is there a risk that we will lose the good relationships between Area Panels and existing community organisations?
Area Panels will finish at the end of the current financial year, March 2009. It is important that the new Assemblies build on the existing infrastructure and contacts with local organisations, as part of encouraging local people to be involved. We are mapping out the relationships with community organisations and ongoing Area Panel activities as part of the transition to the new Assemblies.
How will Community Assemblies address important local issues?
Community Plans will be in place by September 2009, based on priorities raised by communities, local knowledge from Councillors, and information on the needs of local areas. The Assemblies will be key to encouraging services and partners to work together to tackle issues and monitor commitments made by the Council and other partners, as well as ensuring that local priorities are reflected in other service plans and city-wide strategies.