Issue - meetings

To receive the report from the Director of Public Health and Prevention.

The report on Working with Communities was set out by the Director of Public Health & Prevention who described the changes being made by Dorset council and how the approaches detailed in this report will lead to service improvements.

There was appreciation shared by members of the committee for the approach taken and to address the comments from the meeting in November where the original report was raised.

The Committee covered the role of DAPTC and the representation of it a member organisation that doesn’t represent all views of town and parish councils.

The important role of elected representation and the difference between elected bodies and membership organisations were discussed along with the role of charities and community groups with the delivery of community work.

Recognition of the difference between the Town and Parish Councils in Dorset and the merits of looking at no geographical approaches.

The importance of not taking a predetermined approach to the ways of working and the iterative approach to meaningfully codesign the approached that meet the needs of local communities. The Overview Committee requested involvement in supporting the design process.

Recommended changes the paper going to Cabinet.

1.     The role of DAPTC as a representative for all town and parish view when not all are members and a request for rewording to include “most” or deletion.

2.     There was an addition of Ward councillors to 4.2 of the statement of reasonable expectations that was recognised and agreed by the Director of Public Health & Prevention

Recommendations in the report.

1.     Place and Resources Overview Committee is asked to consider and endorse the Community Conversations approach outlined in this paper, which supports how we will work with communities to deliver the Council Plan objectives, prepare for the English Devolution and Community Empowerment legislation, and to recommend adoption by Cabinet.

2.     Place and Resources Overview Committee is also asked to recommend to cabinet that the revised Statement of Reasonable Expectations between Dorset Council and parish and town councils be approved and adopted.

The Place and Resources Overview Committee unanimously agreed the recommendations above.