Fed up with planning developments and changes to services happening without your community having any say?

Frustrated at the lack of progress on big issues such as inequality and climate change?

Wouldn’t it be great if your group could have more say over these things…

Well, some policy developments in Scotland are geared towards improving the involvement of communities in planning and improving services. We’ve brought together some of the main bits of legislation, guidance and support to help your group have more say.

Featured
The Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015
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
Participation request resource pack
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
Planning Democracy
Planning, Development planning
Planning Democracy
Planning, Development planning

Planning Democracy is a community-led organisation campaigning to strengthen the voice and influence of the public in the planning and development of Scotland’s land. It provides peer support, training, networking, resources and advice.

Planning, Development planning
Understanding Scottish Places
Town centres, Towns, Place-based, Evidence
Understanding Scottish Places
Town centres, Towns, Place-based, Evidence

Understanding Scottish Places is an online tool that helps you to better understand and compare the places where you work and live. Just type the name of any town in Scotland into the search bar to get started.

Town centres, Towns, Place-based, Evidence
Town Toolkit
Town centres, Planning, Place-making, 20-minute neighbourhoods, Green space, Land and buildings, Art and culture, Social enterprise
Town Toolkit
Town centres, Planning, Place-making, 20-minute neighbourhoods, Green space, Land and buildings, Art and culture, Social enterprise

This Toolkit is designed to be a source of inspiration for anyone who wants to make their town centre better, whether community groups, social enterprises or other organisations.

Town centres, Planning, Place-making, 20-minute neighbourhoods, Green space, Land and buildings, Art and culture, Social enterprise
Human Learning Systems
Public services, Public service reform
Human Learning Systems
Public services, Public service reform

If your group is working to improve public services, it may help to know about human learning systems, an alternative approach to public management which embraces the complexity of the real world, and enables us to work effectively in that complexity.

Public services, Public service reform
Participation Request Toolbox
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
Social Impact Pledge
Social Impact Pledge, Public service reform
Social Impact Pledge
Social Impact Pledge, Public service reform

The Social Impact Pledge is about simple ways that public bodies can make a difference to communities. Here are some pledges made by public bodies that make commitments to work in partnership with community organisations and other local organisations.

Social Impact Pledge, Public service reform
Our Place
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
Community Wealth Building
Community wealth building, Planning, Place-based, People-centred, Economic development, Public service reform, Asset transfer
Community Wealth Building
Community wealth building, Planning, Place-based, People-centred, Economic development, Public service reform, Asset transfer

Community wealth building is a new people-centred approach to local economic development, which redirects wealth back into the local economy, and places control and benefits into the hands of local people. UK based organisation CLES provides a useful introduction.

Community wealth building, Planning, Place-based, People-centred, Economic development, Public service reform, Asset transfer


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