Over the course of the next decade, a number of changes are likely to occur that will impact on the way that society operates.
Addressing the changes will require strong local leaders able to listen to their community and bring partners together to implement a shared vision of how they can improve their areas.
As a front line Councillor, you will have a key role to play in this in representing and leading the communities in your ward, and working with neighbourhood governance arrangements such as the Area Committee or Neighbourhood Boards where they exist.
The Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) have suggested that there are two key elements to
this role:
| Community Leader |
stimulating local organisations and individuals to take up opportunities to express their views representing local level concerns and perspectives maintaining a link between the users and providers of services encouraging the community to organise services for themselves working with other community leaders in the voluntary, community and business sectors offering vision and direction to local groups, and building support for that vision brokering agreements between different interests and partners contributing as an effective partner in neighbourhood arrangements, including those that deliver delegated function
Source: IDeA November 2005 The Neighbourhood Agenda and the Role of the Elected Member |
| Community advocate |
- speaking up for and on behalf of residents and groups
- encouraging residents to engage and participate
- participating in plan making and planning decisions
- communicating residents' concerns to the Council and other providers e.g. police
........but at the same time not losing sight of the strategic context of the Council area as a whole |
