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Neighbourhood charters & estate and neighbourhood agreements

How to make a huge change for the better – in what you achieve and what your residents enjoy


If you only attend one event in the next few months, this should be it. That’s because despite its rather technical title, Neighbourhood Charters & Estate and Neighbourhood Agreements delivers practical results in some critical areas. 

Charters and agreements of this type can be used to set out service standards and priorities for action which local people expect from service providers. They also can contain obligations that the community has taken on itself. All of these are essential for effective neighbourhood management.

As featured in the Government White Paper, Neighbourhood Charters are an effective way of meeting the new ‘duty to involve’ and to help the public to shape policies, services and places according to their needs.

In areas such as Bolton, York and Barnsley, agreements of this type between service providers and local people have led to an improved environment, better community safety and greater  satisfaction with the area as a place to live.
 
Consider four objectives, all of which I know are important to you:

  1. Cost effective, resident-friendly services
  2. Effective tackling of service and community issues
  3. Easy monitoring by staff and residents
  4. A controlled approach to neighbourhood management

How do you deliver good housing and neighbourhood services that satisfy your residents? You involve them as much as you can in setting service standards and tackling community issues, then you monitor the results. This calls for a co-ordinated approach.

That is what Neighbourhood Charters and Agreements are. Since estate agreements were introduced by London Borough of Camden in 1991, agreements of this type have proved to be extremely helpful. Many local authorities and housing associations and residents testify to this, including London Borough of Croydon, Hexagon Housing Association and the residents of  Norton Grange in Stockton and Foxwood in York.

Neighbourhood Charters are also currently being used as the key exit strategy for many Neighbourhood Management and New Deal for Communities programmes.

The day covers:

Throughout the day, reference will be made to a fascinating case history, from the Foxwood Estate, York which has developed its own neighbourhood agreement. The Foxwood Project was set up to do something practical about rising levels of crime, a drug abuse and the declining reputation of the area. 

Residents and key service providers, including the Police, City of York Council and several housing associations, all worked together, with impressive results. Foxwood includes service level agreements on housing, street cleaning, refuse collection, jobs and training, community policing, welfare benefits and services for young people.

Many examples of Charters are available on the day from across the country.

Neighbourhood Charters and Agreements are essentially about improving the quality of life in defined areas. A key influence on quality of life is anti social behaviour and related issues. These issues are far harder to tackle than day to day service delivery issues, which often arise purely from poor co-ordination between landlords and other service providers.

The day ends with an examination of how the development of Acceptable Behaviour Contracts can be built into and supported by estate, multi agency or neighbourhood agreements and charters on a community wide basis.

Your trainer

 

What delegates say about this course 

"The course was essential stuff and has provided me with a framework to get started - Neighbourhood Charters will now play a part in the review of our Residents Involvement activities."
Susan Asquith, Senior Neighbourhood Projects Officer, Gallions Housing Assocation

"Had very little knowledge prior to training. Feel more confident in pushing forward a pilot in a particular area."
Claire Westrup, Senior Housing Manager, Charnwood Neighbourhood Housing

"Excellent course - well presented.  Will certainly use some aspects of the course in my work."
Gary Hall, District Housing Manager, Wrexham County Borough Council

"Very good, positive and informative."
Manvinder Sehmbi, Community Development Worker, Walsall New Deal for Communities

"It gave a thorough background and step by step guide to how to do it and clear argument for it's wider benefit in terms of participation and engagement.  Very pleasant surprise - resources permitting I'll be using his approach in our new Neighbourhood Management area."
Penny Litchfield, Neighbourhood Manager, Huntingdonshire District Council

"Enjoyed the whole day, went very quickly.  Thank you very much."
Deter Edward, Tenancy Services Manager, Islington and Shoreditch Housing Association

"This is an excellent course that provides all the necessary information and guidance required to develop estate/neighbourhood agreements"
Keith Hoare, Community Development Manager, London Borough of Croydon

"Fab thanks"
Michelle McDonald, Resident Board Member, Chichester Diocesan Housing Assocation

"I learned a lot and got loads of information to take away"
Liz Mossop, Neighbourhood Management Manager, Preston City Council

"I am looking to start work on a neighbourhood charter and didn't know where to start. The course was excellent and gave me the drive to push this through when I get back to work."
Julia Tompson, Neighbourhood Services Officer, Stafford and Rural Homes

“After attending the course I had a clearer idea of how to start, and what level of consultation should happen to enable it to be drafted. The result was the Great Lever Neighbourhood Management Safe and Clean Charter. This was signed by the Superintendent Greater Manchester Police, the Chief Executive of Bolton Council and accepted by 2 key community activists at a public meeting. This was highlighted by OPDM as best practice."                                       
Julie Lawrence, Environmental Programme Manager, New East Manchester Limited

“Excellent course. Plenty of information to take away and use/refer to. Excellent speaker - knowledgeable in both theory and practice."
Alison Kay Porter, Neighbourhood Manager

“The whole day has been incredibly useful.”
Tanya Broadfield, Neighbourhood Manager, NDC Islington

“The Foxwood neighbourhood agreement has saved hundreds of hours of residents and staff time and resulted in improved services.”
Cindy Benson, Community Development Worker, Foxwood, York

What I picked up - and did - after this course

This course helped Julie Lawrence, New East Manchester Limited, in her job as an Environmental Programme Manager. Here's how:

"Hi
I attended this course a couple of years ago now when I started working for Bolton Neighbourhood Management. I was asked at that time to pull together some kind of charter or SLA for environment and I had no real idea of how to do it.

After attending the course I had a far clearer idea of how to start, and what level of consultation should happen to enable it to be drafted. The result was the Great Lever Neighbourhood Management Safe and Clean Charter. This was signed by the Superintendent GMP and Chief Executive of Bolton Council and accepted by 2 key community activists at a public meeting.

I can forward on the Charter should you wish to have it. It was highlighted by ODPM as best practice.

I have attended my fair share of courses over the years and they differ in their levels of relevance and usefulness, but this one was one where the penny dropped in terms of delivering a big chunk of my workload at that time.

Jules"



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