Community Strategy Guiding Principles

The Nottinghamshire Partnership (www.nottinghamshirepartnership.org.uk) aims to promote the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of the county and its people through a number of guiding principles which are:

Community involvement and participation

We want to increase the number of people who feel that they can influence decisions affecting their community. We will do this by developing community and public engagement strategies which work at county and district level, and which recognise the wide range of organisations that can help. We will continue to use innovative and creative approaches to make sure that as many people as possible feel they can influence the decisions which affect their lives and their communities.

Equality

Diversity enriches our community and we will strive to value it more, by promoting community cohesion and making sure that everyone has a chance to contribute to, and benefit from, our society. No-one should be disadvantaged by where they live, what they look like, or what they believe. We will work with communities to remove the barriers which prevent people from participating on an equal basis.

Sustainability

We want to make sure that today's actions do not reduce the opportunities for future generations; we want to make sure that big strategic decisions which enhance the quality of life for Nottinghamshire residents are taken with future generations in mind.

Subsidiarity

This means 'making sure that decisions are made at the right level', whether it is countywide, district, parish or neighbourhood. We want to make sure that the principle of subsidiarity applies across Nottinghamshire, and that where decisions are best made at a local level, then that is where decisions are made.

Quality and value for money

We want to provide high quality and value for money services, so we will strengthen our efforts to be efficient, economical and effective by working closely together and making savings by reducing duplication. We will be clear and transparent about how much public money is spent in key areas and we will ensure that spending decisions are based on evidence of need.

Accountability

We have to make sure that whatever actions the Nottinghamshire Partnership takes, those actions are evaluated to make sure that they represent value for money, and that real improvements are visible to everyone. We will do this by providing regular progress reports to the communities and people of Nottinghamshire.

Partnership

By being proactive in identifying new opportunities for improving services by working together better. We will make best use of the strengths of all the partners to deliver projects that meet the needs of communities across Nottinghamshire and improve quality of life for everyone. We will join up money, people, offices and outcomes - and save money at the same time.