Reps

That’s why part of the support provided by Local Trust is a rep who will be working with your area to support you to implement your area’s Big Local plan. They are there as a critical friend, to provide information, advice, guidance and constructive challenge. In a resident-led programme like Big Local they aren’t there to do things for you, but to help you achieve great things with others in your community, bringing their expertise and experience with them. Reps are also representatives of Local Trust and act as our “eyes, ears and voice”. This means that they share our news and important updates with Big Local partnerships, supporting you to adhere to Big Local guidelines, and let us know how things are going in your area. They are one route for you to get additional support when you need it, or share your achievements with Local Trust.

Changes in 2018

You might have heard that there were some changes to the rep role in 2018. Although their basic role has not changed, we have made it easier for reps to provide a wider range of support by revising the documents that guide their work. This gives them more flexibility to support with the specific opportunities and challenges you are currently working with, and to bring in additional support where needed. The revised documents that guide their role are below, and we encourage you to have an open conversation with your rep about how they could support you.

The rep role and assignment

The rep role document guides reps in what we expect of them, how they should work with you and Local Trust, and the overall responsibilities of the role. When a rep is allocated to your area, they are given an assignment, which is the contract for the work they will do with you. The standard assignment outlines in more detail what the rep must, should and could do. The distinction is important, as we don’t expect a rep to be doing everything in the assignment all of the time. There are some things that they will always do, but the assignment also covers different activities and support that they can do if and when required. If your partnership would benefit more from one type of support than another, your rep has the flexibility to respond to this.

Get in touch

We have a great group of people working as reps for Big Local and we value their skills and expertise, but we recognise that sometimes things don’t always work and you may want to speak to Local Trust about your rep and the support they offer. Alternatively, you may want to tell us how great your rep is so that we know you are getting the support you need and understand the difference your rep is helping you to make in your area. Or, you may have more general feedback about the rep programme in general. Either way, if you want to get in touch with us about reps, you can email us on reps@localtrust.org.uk