Enhancing community engagement and partnership working

Hampshire has a strong tradition of partnership working, collaborating with a range of public, voluntary, community and independent organisations. This priority is about:

• Making the information we publish about the County Council more useful and accessible.
• Getting local people more involved in designing services and deciding how their local area develops.
• Supporting communities to solve problems and deliver some services.
• Embracing more flexible and innovative ways of working with the voluntary and community sector, so that we meet community needs.

In 2011/12:

The Crime Reports website was launched, providing up-to-date, detailed data about crime and anti-social behaviour (in partnership with Hampshire Constabulary, Hampshire Fire and Rescue, the Probation Service and all district and unitary councils across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight).

We launched a new single grant application process for community and cultural groups, aimed at promoting greater financial independence and ensuring that organisations meet the needs of local communities.

The Public Notices Portal was introduced, making County Council notices more accessible by publishing them online. This followed research and consultation showing that Hampshire residents are more likely to see notices on the internet than in newspapers.

Hampshire’s Heroes Welcome scheme was launched, whereby businesses pledge to give an extra warm welcome to members of the Armed Forces.

You can find out more about our performance in the Cabinet report: Open for Business: 2011/12 annual performance report