For thousands of homeless people, getting a bank account - let alone having a steady income to put in it - is beyond their wildest hopes. The age-old problem of not having a settled home address has, in effect, deprived a significant portion of society of something that most people take for granted.
But thanks to a ground breaking pilot scheme, in which the Co-op Bank has teamed up with the Big Issue in the North Trust, this looks set to change, transforming the lives of people forced to trade in cash or to turn to backstreet cheque exchange shops. The scheme in Manchester is due to last six months. If successful, it will be extended nationally by the end of the year and could then be adopted by other high street banks.
This is the kind of imaginative project, driven literally from the streets, that the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) wants to recognise in its public involvement awards. Supported by the Guardian, the awards aim to showcase excellent practice in engaging people in decision-making about issues that affect them.
Last year, the first year of the awards, the Big Issue in the North Trust was singled out for its campaign to help drug addiction - built on the recommendations of a citizens' jury of 16 addicts all working for the Big Issue magazine. Having confronted the drugs issue, the trust decided to take on the banking nightmare.
Jerry, one of the Big Issue's homeless vendors, felt the full impact of being denied a bank account when he was given a £250 cheque to go on a course. Unable to place it in an account, he was forced to pay a punitive fee of £20 to a Manchester street money exchange to cash the cheque. Within hours, he was set upon by a gang of youths wielding golf clubs. He escaped with his £230, but not before he was hit across the head and hands.
His experiences informed another citizens' jury of Big Issue sellers, which recommended that high street banks relax their restrictions on what documents can be accepted as proof of identity and what constitutes a permanent address. Evidence was heard from the Financial Services Authority, the British Banking Association and high street banks, and the jury questioned "witnesses" before drawing up policies. The partnership with the Co-op was a direct result.
Many of last year's other award winners were local authorities, honoured for involving people on issues ranging from learning disability services to road safety. But entries could equally come from a business which has engaged its employees in a restructuring decision, or an NHS trust which has consulted innovatively on developing services. This year, the King's Fund health policy institute is supporting the award for public involvement in the health sector.
The judges will be looking, in particular, for organisations embracing public involvement for the first time and for use of new means of involving people, including the most marginalised groups. Last year's overall winner, Cambridge city council, stood out for its youth participation scheme, which has given under-18s a voice in how decisions are made.
Vicki Combe, a research fellow with the IPPR, says the idea of public involvement is already well established in the public sector. "Every initiative coming out of Whitehall stresses the importance of public consultation. You only have to look at local strategic partnerships set up by the social exclusion unit and the new NHS national plan, as well as the more established ones such as modernising local government.
"Even central government has started to get in on the act through the appointment of consumer champions and consultation coordinators in each department and a strong lead coming out of the Cabinet Office. The devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales are also embracing the involvement agenda."
The reality, however, does not always live up to the rhetoric. Robin Clarke, a senior IPPR research fellow, says: "Public involvement is sometimes used by decision-makers in a manipulative way to legitimise pre-determined decisions. Then consultation becomes a PR exercise. Others take a complex issue, such as budgetary priorities, and use a completely inappropriate method, such as a focus group which might meet for just 90 minutes."
To try to spread more meaningful practice, the awards are designed to highlight the effective, but often low profile, initiatives now being taken in all sectors. " For the first time, public involvement has moved from the margins to the mainstream," says Combe. "All over the country, bodies whose decisions affect the public are becoming increasingly aware of the need to involve the public in those decisions - and are seeking new ways to do so."
How to enter
The awards are open to any organisation which is opening up decision-making and service delivery to the public and other stakeholders. Closing date for entries is July 31. The awards will be presented by a prominent public figure at the end of the year and winners will be featured in the Guardian. For further information and an entry form, see: www.ippr.org.uk/publicinvolve or contact Vicki Combe on 020-7470 6127 or at v.combe@ippr.org.uk
