Many can be ineffective because they are not financially empowered, do not have the right representation or are unclear about their own agency's objectives. Again, I think a wide range of organisations have embraced the idea of partnership working but have little training on how to make it effective. Perhaps the Scottish Executive could assist here. We need to equip those involved in partnerships at all levels within organisations with a better understanding of each other's perspectives and the needs of the communities they serve.
Training is the first requirement.
We need to think more widely about the training which professionals involved with excluded communities need if they are to be part of the solution not the problem. We need people at all levels of organisations whose loyalty is not just to one professional viewpoint but who are able to set their activities in a wider context and respond imaginatively to the challenges they face. We are not convinced that the range of professionals we are currently training to be involved in promoting social inclusion, such as community development workers, town planners and housing officials are being provided with the right set of skills to carry forward that task. Professional training may not develop the skills and values necessary to work with other professions and communities, to manage change, to be entrepreneurial and make things happen. Partnership working needs to be embedded in the training programmes of all the key professional bodies in local authorities and other agencies.