Right to Challenge

The Right to Challenge is a national process being introduced through the government's Localism Act. It is one of the new ‘community rights’ which makes it easier for voluntary and community groups or council employees to bid to run council services. It is a key way of building a Big Society in Kent where individuals and neighbourhoods take responsibility for the lives they lead and work together to build safe, healthy and empowered communities.

The Right to Challenge is a way for groups with good ideas about how services can be run differently or better have the opportunity to get their ideas heard fairly, and allow them the time to prepare bids to participate in an open competition to win the right to provide the service. It provides the opportunity for services to be run locally, and have the potential to be more adaptable and responsive to local needs and broaden the choice that you, our service users, have when engaging with public services. 

The Right to Challenge is due to open May/June 2012 and we are preparing for your expressions of interest.

In Kent, our medium term plan Bold Steps for Kent already sets out our intention to give communities more control of their local services. We believe that you as service users can offer unique and innovative solutions to improve local services and as a result we are getting ready to review our services to see whether they are suitable to open up to the Right to Challenge.