Helping to drive improvement in Neighbourhood Management

Last year saw the launch of a new Neighbourhood Management Excellence Framework for the Northwest. With the first 2 pilots now completed the benefits to the neighbourhood, and all those working to support residents, are evident.
The framework, developed by Neighbourhoods NW in association with North of England Excellence, has been piloted in two local authority areas - Blackpool and Preston - and they have both successfully achieved the first level of the Standard 'Working Towards Excellence'

Recognising the importance of the community's involvement and support in making things work for their neighbourhood, the framework has provide an opportunity to increase confidence in delivery. Cllr Salim Desal, Town Centre Ward, Preston, talks about the positive impact the process has had on member's involvement with their neighbourhoods, "It's a way of reassuring people that we are now experienced, work together, learn from each other and they take ground level community involvement to a new level."
There was a noticeable boost in staff and resident morale as they gained council-wide recognition for their achievements, including a thank you meal celebrating their achievements. Residents take pride in their involvement and achieving the first stage of the Neighbourhood Management Excellence Framework acknowledges their commitment.

"To feel part of the process is what's important. We are unpaid volunteers and to be thanked in a formal way was great." David Jackson (resident).

And it's not just a case of recognising achievement, the framework gives Neighbourhood Management teams the tools to review processes, acknowledge good practice, evidence excellent performance and develop improvements. After going through the process, Preston made a number of changes to neighbourhood delivery based on the assessment reccomendations, creating benefits for both the residents and the councillors;

"We can demonstrate to volunteering groups that what they're getting involved in is robust and valuable." Councillor Salim Desal (Town Centre Ward).

This association with a recognised national model has enhanced the reputation of neighbourhood management and Preston are now looking at the possibility of extending the neighbourhood management partnerships thought the whole city:

"The deprived areas were getting all these things and rural places weren't. But the going through the Excellence process we can now prove that the framework is robust and applicable to all, not just areas of deprivation." Councillor Bill Shannon (Ingol)

Looking to the future of Neighbourhood Management, Peter Bargh Head of Community Engagement at Preston City Council explained how the new framework has also helped Preston demonstrate that their Neighbourhood Management model is what works in the heightened improvement and efficiency climate created by the devolution of funding to the RIEPs.
"The RIEP agenda has created a culture in local government where people understand the concepts of efficiency and regional improvement in a way they wouldn't have done before. To be able to tack neighbourhood management to a background of regional improvement and efficiency has helped our case enormously. Neighbourhood Management is no longer seen as a nebulous concept. It's linked to a proper process of improvement and transformation."

2009 sees the roll out of the Neighbourhood Management Excellence Framework across the Northwest and many more success stories to come. For more information about the Neighbourhood Management Excellence Framework contact Susan Hall, Senior Strategic Manager, Neighbourhoods NW, susanh@neighbourhoods-nw.co.uk or go to www.neighbourhoods-nw.co.uk