Big Local relationships with public agencies

This report explores the relationships between Big Local areas and the four most common types of public agencies they connect with: local authorities, housing associations, schools and health agencies.

As well as looking at the outcomes and effectiveness of these relationships, the research looks at how communities and public agencies can work best together – now and in the future.

This report will be of interest to public agencies and people working in communities, who want to achieve lasting change and recognise that they are more likely to succeed if they work together. It sits within a wider context of growing policy emphasis on public involvement in local decision-making.

Guidance for public agencies based on the research is available. This can be used as a prompt for starting relationships with community groups or as a basis for building and developing relationships where one already exists.