Decision Maker: Strategy and Resources Policy Committee

Outcome: Recommendations Approved

Is Key Decision?: Yes

Is Callable In?: No

Date of Decision: October 15, 2025

Purpose:

Content: 8.1 The Director of Customer Experience and Communities presented a report describing the process undertaken to develop a new Communities Strategy for Sheffield City Council and presented the draft Strategy to the committee for approval.  The report also sets out how the Council will be taking action to implement the Strategy, including proposing the establishment of a grant fund.   Representatives of community partners (Olivier Tsemo – SADACCA; Matt Dean – Zest; Gulnaz Hussain – Firvale Community Hub; Steven Gayle – AgeUK Sheffield; and Helen Sims – Voluntary Action Sheffield) attended the meeting to share their thoughts on the draft strategy and the positive process that they had been engaged with in developing it.     8.2 RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That Strategy and Resources Policy Committee:-       (a) approves the draft Communities Strategy attached to this report as Appendix 1 and agrees that it be incorporated into the Council’s Strategy Framework;       (b) approves the establishment of a grant fund of £2,200,000 using funds from the Public Health grant reserve as described in this report and delegate authority to the Director of Integrated Commissioning (i) to determine the eligibility criteria for grants paid out of the fund, and (ii) to the extent that this is not reserved to Offices within the Council’s Constitution, approve the payment of grants from this fund;       (c) notes that officers will carry out work to review governance arrangements in relation to the Community Infrastructure Levy, as described in this report, and requests a further report on the outcome of this;       (d) endorses the Faith and Belief Charter between the Council and faith organisations in Sheffield, attached to this report as Appendix 7; and       (e) agrees to receive an update on progress in implementing the Strategy during 2028 and agree refreshed commitments and action at that time     8.3 Reasons for Decision     8.3.1 To set clear direction for the Council’s approach to working with communities and ensuring it makes the best contribution to supporting communities to thrive.     8.3.2 To identify priorities for change to support that work and give direction to relevant change programmes within Future Sheffield and elsewhere in the Council.     8.3.3 To begin taking steps to implement the Strategy and deliver change for the people and communities of Sheffield.     8.4 Alternatives Considered and Rejected     8.4.1 Alternative Option 1: Produce the Strategy internally The Council could have chosen to develop the Strategy purely internally before consulting on the outcome.  However, this approach would have mean missing the development of the Strategy itself as a major opportunity to begin building a new way of working with community partners founded on openness, trust and collaboration.     8.4.2 Alternative Option 2: Take more time to produce the Strategy in partnership The Council could have taken more time to produce the Strategy; doing so could have allowed for a more authentic co-production process to have been developed, and there was some desire from some partners for us to take this approach.  However, there was also a strong view from other partners that the issues are well understood, and that the key to developing new ways of working and improving relationships is in doing things together.  As a result, officers took the view that moving quickly and as collaboratively as possible to develop the Strategy as a framework to guide future working was the best way forward.