Community Budgets follow-up inquiry announced
4 March 2013
The Communities and Local Government Committee launches a new inquiry into Community Budgets. The Committee carried out a preliminary inquiry into Community Budgets in 2012: Taking forward Community Budgets. This new inquiry follows on from the 2012 inquiry to see how Community Budgets are developing.
Written submissions
The Committee welcomes submissions from those with direct experience of the operation of Community Budgets and those who have taken part in the pilots. From the pilots the Committee invites submissions setting out participants' assessments of what worked well, what needs to be changed and how the next stage of Community Budgets should develop.
All those submitting evidence are invited to consider the questions arising from the evidence the Committee took in 2012 and set out at paragraphs 9 to 12 of the Report—in broad terms:
1. Are Community Budgets an effective approach to working with troubled families?
2. How can the success of Community Budgets (for troubled families, total place and neighbourhoods) be measured, and what are the prospects for models of Payment by Results.
3. As a result of Community Budgets how are, and will, Whitehall's relationship with localities operate and be changed?
4. How are public funds for Community Budgets accounted for, both locally and centrally?
In addition, drawing on the inquiries which is has conducted since its report on Community Budgets in 2012 the Committee invites respondents to consider the following questions:
5. How can Community Budgets maximise the use of resources through co-design and co-production of integrated services in the face of reducing resource and outdated modes of service provision?
6. How can community placed based budgeting strengthen participatory democracy by empowering individuals and communities especially addressing processes of exclusion for specific groups?
7. Is it possible to use Community Budgets to reset relationships between local democratic institutions, agencies and the public?
8. How can Community Budgets be used as a tool to enhance local health improvement and narrow the health divide?
9. What role can Health and Wellbeing Boards play in facilitating Community place based budgeting across all local agencies?
Respondents may cover some or all of the points above and they are welcome to comment on any aspect of Community Budgets.
Submissions of no more than 3,000 words are invited by 11am on 23 April 2013.