Success!

We learned in late March that we were successful in our application to join the latest version of the Cooperative Councils Innovation Network (CCIN) Dynamic Purchasing System. As it turns out, not the best timing!

CCIN has been going from strength to strength over the last few years and has increased to 68 organisations this year, including 29 Local Authorities, a growth of over 50 since 2017. We are really happy to be made an Affiliate Member, as our values align closely to CCIN’s purpose to:

“… define a new model for local government built on civic leadership, with councils working in equal partnership with local people to shape and strengthen communities”

Community Response to Covid-19

The jolt to the system caused by Covid-19 has demonstrated that community is alive and kicking. Supply chain, the strain on the care system and people being forced to work from have given rise to a new localism.

There is a huge amount of capital in communities, as demonstrated here in South Tyneside, and we can see that people are willing to participate and take ownership of the direction they want their community to take.

Our work with Bristol City Council, one of the earliest members of the CCIN, is helping them   create a world class housing service that is truly based upon the needs of the tenants they serve. We are co-designing new systems and processes with both staff and tenants.

Through this process we are ensuring that new ways of working do not inadvertently disempower tenants but provide them with the tools and confidence to make the changes they know are needed.

Delivering meaningful change via CCIN

CCIN’s Dynamic Purchasing System allows all CCIN Members, Associate Members and the CCIN itself to work together to help in developing policy, implementing prototypes and building capacity, both in communities and inside the organisation. This link provides more some very practical advice on how it can be used: CCIN DPS User Guide.

As an Affiliate Member we are offering a series of workshops with some of our Innovation Team. These free workshops will be on a first come first serve basis and will focus on the challenges you are facing and what solutions could be developed to help you through them.

We are delighted to be part of this movement and will support all members in delivering on CCIN’s vision.

If you’d like to speak to James about some of the work we’re doing with Bristol, establishing a community hub at Harrow or you need some low-grade beard advice, send him an email and he’ll get right back to you: James