To report to Cabinet decisions by the Herefordshire Partnership Chief Executives’ Group and Group leaders about the future of Community Forums.

THAT  (a)        the decisions by Herefordshire Partnership Chief Executives’ Group and Group Leaders referred to in this report be noted;

(b)              Community Forums be managed and badged by Herefordshire Partnership in the future; and

(c)               Publicity, content, style, resourcing and involvement of all partnership organisations be reviewed.

Community Forums are included within Herefordshire Council’s Constitution, but a new style has been run as a pilot with West Mercia Constabulary, Herefordshire Division  and HALC as a joint process since November 2006. Feedback from the forums suggest that issues residents bring up are much wider than just Herefordshire Council issues, and it is therefore essential to bring other public sector providers in to provide solutions at local level.

The alternative is to revert to the previous style of Community Forums without the Police’s involvement.  This however carries considerable reputational risks for Herefordshire Council, as the evaluation shows that an increasing number of citizens appreciate the opportunity to air their views through the chosen format and receive feedback.