Community empowerment — Communities Channel Scotland

Community empowerment is about supporting people to work together with others in their community to increase control over their lives

It’s a term that has entered into common use in Scotland in recent years, although there’s clearly a lot of overlap with more traditional community development as well as newer language like asset-based approaches.

Whether or not you use any of these terms in relation to your own community activity, you may well find some of the community empowerment policy and other developments useful in helping you to achieve your ambitions.

See below for some starting points.

Featured

Participation requests, Community Empowerment Act, Public services, Public participation, Co-production

Participation request resource pack

Participation requests, Community Empowerment Act, Public services, Public participation, Co-production

Participation requests are a way for communities to work with public bodies to make services better. This resource pack contains a range of guides, tools and templates to help you understand the participation request process, the language and terms that are used, and the process involved.

Participation requests, Community Empowerment Act, Public services, Public participation, Co-production

Community Empowerment Act, Participation requests, Co-production, Influencing services, Public services, Public service reform

Participation Request Toolbox

Community Empowerment Act, Participation requests, Co-production, Influencing services, Public services, Public service reform

Developed by the Innovation School at Glasgow School of Art, toolbox uses participatory design methods to help community groups think about and use participation requests to influence public services.

Community Empowerment Act, Participation requests, Co-production, Influencing services, Public services, Public service reform

Place-based, Place-making, Climate change, Partnership, Community empowerment, Health and wellbeing, Planning

Our Place

Place-based, Place-making, Climate change, Partnership, Community empowerment, Health and wellbeing, Planning

Our Place is a new site devoted to promoting the benefits of place and place-based working. It contains information, tools and resources to help support the development of places and services that improve our health, our prosperity, our quality of life and protect our environment.

Place-based, Place-making, Climate change, Partnership, Community empowerment, Health and wellbeing, Planning

Legislation, Community empowerment, Land and buildings, Influencing services, Inequality

The Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015

Legislation, Community empowerment, Land and buildings, Influencing services, Inequality

People across Scotland can make use of The Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act to have more say and control over what happens in their communities. This quick summary should help you to get started on finding out how your community group can use the Act.

Legislation, Community empowerment, Land and buildings, Influencing services, Inequality

Local Governance Review, Democracy Matters, Participatory democracy, Community empowerment

Local Governance Review

Local Governance Review, Democracy Matters, Participatory democracy, Community empowerment

The Local Governance Review aims to find out what changes are needed to encourage a more local, participatory and inclusive democracy in Scotland.

Local Governance Review, Democracy Matters, Participatory democracy, Community empowerment

Local Governance Review, Democracy Matters, Community empowerment

Democracy Matters - phase 2

Local Governance Review, Democracy Matters, Community empowerment

This discussion paper from the Scottish Government provides ideas and imagined examples of what more local decision-making could look like in Scotland.

Local Governance Review, Democracy Matters, Community empowerment

Land and buildings, Community Empowerment Act, Asset transfer

Community Ownership Support Service

Land and buildings, Community Empowerment Act, Asset transfer

The Community Ownership Support Service (COSS) has been funded by the Scottish Government to support community based groups in Scotland take a stake in or ownership of previously publicly owned land or buildings.

Land and buildings, Community Empowerment Act, Asset transfer

Private land, Community land ownership, Land and buildings, Community right to buy land, Community Empowerment Act

Community Land Scotland

Private land, Community land ownership, Land and buildings, Community right to buy land, Community Empowerment Act

Community Land Scotland supports community land ownership, and is a good source of support if your community group is interested in aquiring privately owned land.

Private land, Community land ownership, Land and buildings, Community right to buy land, Community Empowerment Act

Community Empowerment Act, Participation requests, Community planning, Community right to buy land, Asset transfer

2-page intro to the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act

Community Empowerment Act, Participation requests, Community planning, Community right to buy land, Asset transfer

This quick summary should help you to get started on finding out how your community group can use the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015, a piece of legislation which aims to make it easier for communities to have their voices heard in decisions, shape local services and increase their control of local land and buildings.

Community Empowerment Act, Participation requests, Community planning, Community right to buy land, Asset transfer

Participation requests, Community Empowerment Act

Participation requests - frequently asked questions

Participation requests, Community Empowerment Act

Scottish Community Development Centre (SCDC) has created a frequently asked questions document and webpage on participation requests, which enable community groups to have their voices heard in how services are planned and delivered.

Participation requests, Community Empowerment Act

Policy low-down contents