Time for Community Empowerment?

Whilst the main focus in Parliament this week was the debate over the compensation for the 10p tax rate and a government "relaunch" through the Draft Queen's Speech, we should not lose sight of the fact there were some very important proposals in the draft legislation that could lead to a major advance in the empowerment agenda over the coming year:

• An NHS constitution setting out rights and responsibilities as well as more public say over PCT decisions.
• Patient satisfaction being a greater driver to performance and payment within the NHS
• More information rights to parents and care recipients.
• More say for housing tenants especially over tackling issues such as anti-social behaviour.
• Directly elected representatives to give people more power over Policing priorities and responsiveness.
• A Community Empowerment bill which should impact on local government in terms of issues that really make a difference such as spending decisions and the ownership of community assets.

This is a clear agenda for change and and in the coming months we will be posting further as to how this agenda can be taken forward based on TCC's practical experience across this area of work.

With an uncertain political environment, one of the crucial things practitioners in the field will be looking for is meaningful change that is followed by a period where new powers are allowed to prove their worth. It would be a great tragedy if positive proposals are developed and implemented but are then abolished or "reformed" without time to prove themselves.

The avoidance of that outcome requires a wide consensus across the main Political Parties. So far the response towards increased local empowerment from all sides has been very positive. We will consider this issue, and others' responses to it, more as the legislation is debated.