What are Localities?
Locality working was introduced to Edinburgh earlier this year supported by the Fire and Rescue Service and Police Scotland. There are four localities: North West, North East, South West and South East. (see map below). Details of the geography for each of these areas and the current Voluntary Sector Forums that are in them can be found here.
Why was locality working introduced?
The aim of locality working is to improve outcomes for individuals, improve partnership working and information exchange within the public sector and with voluntary sector organisations.
How will locality working affect the Third Sector?
It is hard to say to what extent locality working will affect the Third Sector, for some the impact will be great, for others very little. As locality working develops and grows in each locality, funding, partnership working, colocation and consultation will increasingly be in localities. Working in partnership with the Third Sector is a key aspect of locality working and input from the Third Sector in localities are being sought via the VSF.
In April & May 2016 EVOC ran thinkSpaces in each locality, updating organisations on this new model of working and how Third Sector can be presented in localities. A detailed report [Link to locality report] of these discussions has been shared with the Locality Leadership Teams.
In March 2017, EVOC ran a thinkSpace for citywide organisations to discuss the challenges faced by these organisations in the locality structure. The report of this thinkSpace will be shared soon.
Locality Leadership Teams
EVOC and the VSF chairs attend the locality leadership meetings to represent the Third Sector. Other key strategic partners include City of Edinburgh Council, Police Scotland, Fire and Rescue Service and NHS Lothian.
Download a copy of the localities directory. This directory provides you with your key contacts in the Locality teams along with other important local contacts in our Council services. It also provides you with the lead contacts in each locality for all of our strategic partners, who are all members of the Locality Leadership Teams.
|
Locality |
Leads |
|
North West |
Western & Almond VSF: Liz McIntosh & Tommy McLean Forth & Inverleith VSF: Dave Pickering & Julie Smith EVOC: Stefan Milenkovic Working Groups: |
|
North East |
Portobello & Craigmillar VSF: Susan Carr VOLT VSF: Willy Barr EVOC: Maria Arnold Working Groups: |
|
South West |
SW & Pentlands VSF: Caroline Richards EVOC: Denise Horn Working Groups: |
|
South East |
South East Edinburgh VSF: Peter Carruthers EVOC: Ian Brooke Working Groups: |
Locality Working Groups
The 5 Locality Working Groups [Place/Environment, Health & Wellbeing, Children & Families, Community Safety and Employability] for each locality are in the process of being set up, these will each have a Third Sector Representative established via the local voluntary sector forums. We are currently working with the VSFs to find volunteers for the Locality Working Groups.
5-year Locality Improvement Plans (LIPs) (to be completed by October 2017 – Scottish Government requirement)
Each Locality is required to develop 5-year Locality Improvement Plans (LIPs) as part of the Community Empowerment Act [link to Community Empowerment Act]. There are 2 consultation phases. Phase 1 looked at the wider needs of a locality and a range of consultation events, including engagement at Voluntary Sector Forums, were held in each locality between November and December 2016 Phase 2 looks at very specific issues in localities, these may be geographical neighbourhoods or particular issues for a locality such as mental health, domestic violence, pollution. This consultation is ongoing. Both consultation phases will then fed into the final Locality Improvement Plan to be approved by Scottish Government in October 2017.
How does a Voluntary Sector Organisation keep up and influence?
- EVOC’s website has latest information about locality working and about the locality leadership meetings evoc.org.uk/information/localities
- VSFs are the forum for Third Sector organisations to network and keep-up with developments in your area, including information exchange with locality leadership meetings and also the locality working groups. The VSFs take place quarterly, are open to anyone working in the Third Sector, and are chaired by a colleague working in the Third Sector supported by EVOC. The minutes are posted up on EVOC’s website: https://www.evoc.org.uk/networks/voluntary-sector-forums/
- For citywide organisations, thematic networks will be an avenue to engage in localities and keep updated with the latest developments. Thematic networks supported by EVOC can be found here: https://www.evoc.org.uk/networks/
Latest news
The Locality Improvement Plans have been published for each locality – you can view them here
To access information on a particular locality please click on the links below
