An appealing prospect? Exploring process for participation requests
/We’re inviting you to this online event to consider ideas for strengthening participation in improving public services - with a particular focus on an appeals (or reviews) process for participation requests.
Date: Wednesday 11th May 2022
Time: 9:30 - 2:30
Platform: Microsoft Teams
The ideas that will be presented and discussed at this event have been developed in February and March 2022 by a working group set up to explore a potential appeals mechanism and facilitated by SCDC. This work was funded by The Scottish Government Community Empowerment Unit. It is part of SCDC’s wider programme of work in relation to participation requests. (See more on this below)
Sign up
Please complete the following form to sign up to the event. Confirmation, Teams link, and further information will be sent out in early May.
Please note: if the sign up is larger than we can accommodate, priority will be given to ensuring as diverse a range of participants as possible contributes to the development of an appeals process. This will include considerations of equality, experience of inequality, geography, experience of participation requests, type of organisation and role/position.
If you have any questions or difficulties signing up please contact us. Email Andrew Paterson or phone 0141 248 1924.
More information
Participation requests were introduced as part of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 and are a statutory means of communities requesting to work with public bodies to improve outcomes or services in their area.
A recent Scottish Parliament review recommended the introduction of an appeals mechanism for participation requests, where the request has been refused. This follows a Scottish Government commissioned evaluation which also identified an appetite in communities for considering appeals.
As a result, SCDC was funded by the Scottish Government to set up and facilitate work exploring a potential appeals mechanism. To begin with, a working group was established, consisting of a range of community and public service representatives, to look in more detail at the purpose, principles and practical implications.
The findings of the group will now be discussed in a this larger consultative event. The work will then be reported to the Scottish Government who will consider recommendations on what could be done to develop the ideas further in light of the legislative intent and parliamentary recommendations on the issue.
