Community Involvement in the Agreement

Involving the community in creating the Salford Agreement was extremely important, as it is in the delivery of the Agreement.

We already knew how people felt about the city's main issues from consultations that were undertaken for strategies such as Making the Vision Real, Salford's community plan, the Community Safety strategy and the Children and Young People's plan, so this data was used to inform the Agreement.

In addition, as the Agreement was devised, local people were consulted via Salford's well established engagement structures:

Community committees

There are eight community committees across the city, which bring together community, voluntary and faith organisations with local councillors. The committees provide a route for all citizens to comment on and influence the decisions being made in their area.

Communities of identity

Salford has five city-wide forums to provide a voice for marginalised communities. There is a forum or network for people with disabilities, people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people, refugees and people seeking asylum and people of different faith or religion.

Partners IN Salford structures

Representatives from community committees, Salford Council for Voluntary Services (CVS), and Salford Faith Forum have been members of the Salford Strategic Partnership board since 2005. There is also a community representative on the partnership executive, which serves as the steering group for the Agreement. There is voluntary and community representation on all of the thematic partnerships.

Partnership management group

In addition, the voluntary and community sector has been heavily involved through the sector's representatives on the team that has been managing the development of the Agreement.

The Salford Agreement consultation

During the development process, direct consultation with local people was undertaken. This consultation focussed particularly on what could be done differently to improve services in the city and provided much food for thought.

Involvement in delivery of the Agreement

The community and voluntary sector will also play a vital role in the delivery of the Agreement. Voluntary and community organisations deliver outcomes that cut across the whole of the Agreement, so the role that this sector can play in delivering efficient and personalised services will be enhanced.

Download more information

Improving Salford Together (a consultation document for Salford residents, November 2006)
Report of Salford Agreement 3rd sector service delivery event, February 2007