The Authority's communities role

SHCSA provides a regional forum for community issues that affect more than one council area or connect with other strategic functions. Its role is to coordinate the wider picture, not to replace neighbourhood services or local democratic relationships.

Local services and regional coordination

The constituent councils retain the community and neighbourhood functions assigned to them. Those local services remain rooted in the six council areas, where councils are closest to residents and local organisations.

SHCSA becomes involved where a shared issue crosses council boundaries, where several councils need to work to a common objective, or where community considerations need to be built into a regional decision on place, investment, resilience, culture or wellbeing.

Working with partners

Community organisations, voluntary groups, councils and public bodies can provide evidence about how regional issues are experienced in different places. The Authority can convene those organisations, identify common themes and make sure that local evidence informs regional decisions.

Each organisation still takes the decisions that belong to it. Partnership working helps the councils and other organisations reach and deliver decisions together without changing who is legally responsible for them.

Public participation

Consultation and engagement are used where the Authority needs views or evidence before reaching a decision. Public material explains what is being considered, which matters are open to influence, who will decide and how responses will be used.

For significant consultations, the Authority publishes an outcome or decision record so that people can see how the process concluded.

Communities are affected by the quality of places, access to opportunities and services, cultural activity, resilience and the wider economy. SHCSA uses its regional role to connect those issues rather than treating community considerations as a separate programme with no relationship to other strategic decisions.

Decisions and records

Formal community-related decisions identify the regional purpose, evidence, partner roles, any funding involved and the intended outcome. Consultations, decisions and approved publications are available through this website.