Appendix A. The Draft Strategy on Consultation and Community Engagement in the London Borough of Bexley

Transcription

1 Appendix A The Draft Strategy on Consultation and Community Engagement in the London Borough of Bexley

2 Introduction As part of our plans for the future, the council wants to work even more closely with the public, residents, communities and voluntary organisations within the London Borough of Bexley. Our aim is to engage with as many people as possible who want to participate in planning, decision-making and monitoring services. This will include consultation as well, but is intended to go beyond this by ensuring that residents of Bexley have the opportunities to be heard at every stage, and the capacity to be effective citizens. Our aim is to ensure that through the use of a wide range of approaches to public consultation and community engagement the London Borough of Bexley actively encourages residents to speak up, to listen to your concerns and effectively use your views as an integral part of our decision-making process. This strategy is also part of the council s commitment to creating and maintaining effective working relationships with voluntary organisation community groups, based on trust, openness and constructive challenge. Why Are We Doing This? The Council already engages and consults with the residents of Bexley in a number of different ways. This Strategy is intended to pull together those different methods and provide a clearer, more consistent way to let us know what you think. We want to improve on everything we already do. We are also keen to look at new and innovative ways to hear from you. What is Engagement? Engagement is the involvement of the public, either as individuals or as a community, in policy and service decisions which affect them. (A Dialogue of Equals, DoH 2007) The role of Councillors in consultation and community engagement Elected members are powerful advocates for local communities and their community leadership role provides them with a major input into the consultation process. Councillor Call for Action the Government White Paper, strengthens the scope for councillors to act as community leaders and democratic champions. They will become a more crucial link between residents, neighbourhood groups and the council, empowering local communities and members alike. The London Borough of Bexley already considers ward councillors to be at the heart of any community consultation and engagement activity and in order to make sure that this works; The council will commit to: ensuring that all members are consulted on council proposals affecting their wards communicating with them on all other proposals affecting their ward providing accurate and speedy feedback on enquiries and requests for information

3 You can expect: Relevant information on who your councillor is and how to make contact, what councillors do and how they might be about to help Communications from your councillor Timely responses from councillors to enquiries Your councillor to advocate on your behalf presenting a balanced view where there are conflicting opinions Your local ward councillor is there to represent you, whether you voted for them or not, they are waiting to hear from you, and want to know what you think. Local Priorities Consultation and community engagement are increasingly significant activities in local government and in order for them to be effective need to be approached in a systematic manner. Within the strategy we will balance the interests of all communities. This includes involving people in how local decisions are made and how services are delivered. We aim to reduce inequality by ensuring that the needs of deprived areas and excluded communities are identified, discussed with the residents and reflected in the planning and delivery of services. We recognise that these cannot be achieved without the involvement and engagement of residents, communities and voluntary groups. In order to achieve this level of engagement we will be establishing a fund which all community groups can bid against for specific consultation and engagement projects. This fund replaces the grant-funding for Community Forums. We want to widen the opportunities for all community groups to engage and consult with the council, we are not excluding the Community Forums as they can also bid for specific activities in line with Council priorities, National Priorities The aim of the Local Government White Paper (Strong and Prosperous Communities) is to give local people and local communities more influence and power to improve their lives. It is about creating strong, prosperous communities and delivering better public services through a re-balancing of the relationship between central government, local government and local people. Councillor Call for Action and Implications for Neighbourhoods both support the above paper and drive the initiative to involve residents in planning for the future. Implications for Neighbourhoods states that public services need to be made more personal and so community engagement at the neighbourhood-level is paramount. It acknowledges that the best councils and local councillors already enable people to shape services and neighbourhoods. It argues that no-one should be disadvantaged by where they live but it also recognises that there can be no one size fits all prescription for neighbourhood working.

4 The Scope of the Strategy This strategy will be adopted across the whole of the Council, it is designed to promote more effective consultation and engagement to a consistent standard. The activities covered by this strategy are: Community Engagement a process whereby the council, voluntary and community groups and other partners jointly address an issue and develop policy proposals or service developments together Consultation seeking comments/feedback and ideas on draft policy proposals or service developments This document is not intended to replace statutory consultations which will be carried out under national guidelines. We recognise that consultation and engagement activities are constantly evolving and this strategy will be re-visited at regular intervals to ensure it is fully up to date with local and national imperatives. What we Want the Strategy to Achieve Council-wide strategy for consultation and engagement Consultation and Engagement Toolkits Communications Plan Enhanced role of Ward Members Improved management information on cross-council interaction Engagement with local communities Improved confidence in public safety How We Will Know It Is Working New channels of engagement identified More people agree they are involved in decisions Higher percentage of people involved in volunteering Increased percentage of people who feel that the police and local authority understand local concerns about anti social behaviour and crime and deal with concerns about anti social behaviour and crime Reduced percentage of people who feel that drunk and rowdy behaviour is a problem in their local area Levels of Engagement The council recognises that there are different levels of engagement and that involvement can be in one of the following 5 ways: Inform We tell people about our services Consult We ask people for their views in surveys Involve We discuss what the issues and priorities are Collaborate We work together to improve and design new services Empower We maintain an equal and effective working relationship

5 Who We Will Engage With Residents of the London Borough of Bexley Council Service Users and Carers Future service users Head teachers and Governors of Schools Young people who live and/or go to school in Bexley Businesses and business organisations Community, tenant and resident groups Interest and pressure groups Voluntary organisations Communities and Neighbourhoods Groups of people defined by a common factor such as age, disability, gender, ethnicity, faith, sexual orientation Other groups Public and private sector stakeholders London Borough of Bexley Staff How We Will Engage With You There are many different sectors to society and we want to find a way to give opportunities to those people who wish to, to engage with the London Borough of Bexley at all levels. This could range from the odd or letter from you with a suggestion on how a service could be improved, to regular attendance at a Neighbourhood Panel or Community Group. We will endeavour to engage with all communities within the London Borough of Bexley by making the process open and accessible and designing different activities around the needs and lifestyles of different communities and differing age groups. We will make sure that there are clear messages about why and how we want to hear from you and give you options about how you can be involved. We will use lots of different ways to communicate, for example, school and youth councils, local interest publications, parish magazines, the local media and Bexley Magazine are just some of the methods available. Feedback Feedback is essential so that you know your voice has been heard. We will commit to letting you know the results of all consultations, what difference your comments made, whether they have changed the original proposal, and if not, why not. The results of all engagement activities will be fed into plans for the future and we will demonstrate where community input shaped future policies and plans. Implementation, monitoring and review The implementation of the Community Engagement and Consultation Strategy will be the responsibility of the whole Council, of elected Members and officers. It will use existing structures to integrate with service development and delivery and to monitor progress. It will be overseen by the Consultation Network Group which will ensure that any difficulties or barriers are overcome and new opportunities created to deliver the vision. The action plan, with activities for short, medium and long term, will

6 embed community engagement within the Council. This is seen as a 2-3 year process, during which implementation of the action plan will be monitored regularly with six-monthly reports to the Council s Executive. Existing resources, such as the Council s consultation register, training and information services, departmental communication contacts, Councillors ward activities and the Council s website will be used and their role enhanced. Where appropriate, additional activities will be promoted to ensure better coordination across the Council, and a more thorough reach to communities. The full range of Council plans will be expected to demonstrate effective community engagement - this includes Bexley First, corporate plans, portfolio plans and service based plans. Next Steps As a first step we want to be sure that the strategy covers everything that you consider to be important, and to achieve this we want to hear from you We will be consulting with: Residents of the London Borough of Bexley Council Service Users and Carers Future service users Members of Staff Head teachers and Governors of Schools Young people who live and/or go to school in Bexley Businesses and business organisations Community, tenant and resident groups Interest and pressure groups Voluntary organisations Communities and Neighbourhoods Groups of people defined by a common factor such as age, disability, gender, ethnicity, faith, sexual orientation Other groups Public and private sector stakeholders A consultation questionnaire is attached to this strategy, this is your opportunity to make sure that you shape the way we consult and engage with you in the future. Timescale Consultation on this draft strategy commences on Monday 21 st April and will last for 10 weeks, finishing on 12 th July. At the end of the consultation, all useful comments and ideas will be incorporated into the final version which will be presented to Public Cabinet for adoption by the Council. Acknowledgements Political Skills Forum The Neighbourhood Agenda Role of the Elected Member Phase 2 Middlesborough Partnership Framework for Engaging with Communities IDeA Connecting with Communities

7 TAKING PART IN BEXLEY Consultation Toolkit Introduction The London Borough of Bexley wants to make it easier for local people and organisations to take part in making Bexley an excellent place to live and work. This toolkit has been developed to provide you with some simple tools and advice to help you make this happen. The toolkit is set out in a way that runs through some key questions you should ask yourself when planning a consultation: Why are you doing it? Who are you going to ask? How are you going to do it? What are you going to do with the results? Why are you doing it? What do you want to find out? Before you start it is important that you are clear about what you want to achieve by engaging with the public. You may be asking people what they think about our services and what services they would like, but there are also other things you may want to find out about such as their experience, behaviour, satisfaction, wants, knowledge, needs, attitudes, opinions.. You can use the following checklist to clarify your aims: Compare and challenge the existing service Look for unmet needs Shape the way your service is delivered Measure satisfaction with the service Prioritise future spending Set targets for the service Check out reaction to new ideas or initiatives Look for quality improvements Check opinions, views, and attitudes Now that you re clear about your purpose, check that you really need to consult - there are times when consultation is not appropriate: If the decision is subject to strict direction from government If the problem could be resolved simply without a consultation exercise If consultation on a very similar topic has just been carried out

8 Take some time to find out what we already know. Your question may have already been answered; use the consultation finder to see if there is other information that you can use. The finder tells you: Other consultation that has already taken place Consultation that is currently taking place Consultation that will take place in the near future Also check to see if another activity is planned that you can join in with, this could be with another service or one of our local partners. Asking the same group of people the same questions again and again will result in consultation fatigue which basically means that the next time you want to ask residents for their opinion you may have a lot of difficulty in getting them to respond. Who are you going to ask? Now you need to identify your participants. The range of people you will involve will depend on the issue, for example to assess the performance of a service you may consult service users, while for issues such as the council s priorities the range may be far larger. You can use the following checklist to identify yours: EXTERNAL CUSTOMERS Users or customers of your service People affected by the service you provide (e.g. parents of children, carers of service users) Residents or Citizens Non-residents (e.g. in the case of a tourist attraction) People affected by policies or developments Suppliers / Businesses / Service Providers NON USERS People who are unaware of the service People who might need the service at a later date Ex-users or dissatisfied customers INTEREST GROUPS Interest or pressure groups Everyone living in a specific location or neighbourhood INTERNAL CUSTOMERS Staff Members Other Directorates Trade Union Representatives PARTNERS Partner organisations (e.g. voluntary sector, health, police, probation, Learning and Skills Council, government departments, thematic partnerships, employers and the business sector) PARTICULAR DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS Children and young people Families and carers Single parents Students Women Men Disabled people Minority ethnic groups Lesbian or gay residents Employed Unemployed Particular socio-economic groups Religious groups

9 How are you going engage everyone? You will need to give consideration to how you will ensure everyone within the community can participate. The Council has identified the groups listed below as our 'equalities target groups': Women Minority ethnic communities including Gypsies and Travellers Gypsies and Travellers Asylum seekers and refugees Disabled People including those with sensory impairments, mental health or learning disabilities People with specific health issues Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender groups People living in peripheral estates Religious/faith groups Those on low incomes Older and younger people Making sure that consultation is inclusive is important for several reasons: Consultation exercises often need to find out the views of a robust crosssection of the population Different sections of the community have different needs and priorities. If consultation is not inclusive, the views of these minority groups may remain unheard By law we have to gather evidence on the needs and views of a number of minority groups, to ensure both that we are not discriminating and that we are actively promoting race, disability and gender equality in line with the relevant equalities legislation. It is important to note that in the case of the Disability Discrimination Act and the Equality Act 2006 (which outline the gender equality duty) the term involvement rather than consultation is used. Disabled people for example, must be involved in helping re-design any service which has been shown through impact assessment to have an adverse impact on the disabled. By undertaking an Equalities impact assessment on your services, policies and procedures you will be able to identify which groups you need to engage. The Equality Impact Assessment template and further guidance can be found on the intranet or obtained from the Policy and Projects Officer, Equalities. General tips for making your activity inclusive: Timing: For an effective consultation it is essential that an adequate response time is allowed. This can be a particular issue for equalities groups, for a number of reasons: They may need to have consultation materials translated They may need to convene a special meeting They may need to avoid specific religious holidays or other events The Thematic Partnership groups may have limited resources for contacting the members of the community they serve The Policy and Projects Officer (Equalities) will be able to provide guidance on response times for equalities groups. In general, government guidelines specify six weeks, but it is recognised that this may not always be possible.

10 Information: To allow everyone a chance to contribute, you need to be aware that information needs vary. You need to ask yourself: Is plain language being used? Are the language needs of any person whose first language is not English being met? Are large print/taped versions available? Is there a minicom/textphone facility? Is there a clear and accessible point of contact for participants? In order to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act (1995) all printed information for the public should include the following statement in a prominent position, for example the inside or back covers: ''This information can be made available in other community languages and formats upon request, such as large print, Braille, audio cassette and floppy disk.'' This should be followed by a contact number relevant to the service area issuing the information. The statement should be printed in Arial in a minimum of 12pt. If you receive request for information in other formats the Bexley Association for the Blind can provide Braille, larger font and cassette If you receive requests for information in other languages the Translation Service can provide translations. Contact The Communications Officer, Social and Community Services for further information. Further advice can be found in the Equality and Diversity Policy on the intranet. Accessibility: All venues used to consult must be accessible to all. You should use the following physical access checklist to ensure your venue is accessible: The main access should be free of steps and wide enough for a wheelchair Ramps should not be steep There should be sufficient parking. Some parking should be close to the venue entrance Consideration should be given to flooring and any obstacles which could cause problems for people with visual impairments Good lighting is important for visually impaired people, interpreters and lip readers When appropriate, a venue with a hearing loop may be needed The toilets and lifts should be appropriate for disabled people and alarms should be provided Lifts should have verbal and Braille indications There should be sufficient signage and staff to assist, particularly at key times such as refreshment breaks Distances should be limited as these can cause a problem for people with mobility issues Different types of chairs should be provided, with and without arms

11 Some people attending a consultation event may require an interpreter, for example people with hearing impairments may require a sign language interpreter and lip speaker. You should ensure: Audio systems should be provided with microphones for both speaker and people asking questions. Ensure all speakers speak at an appropriate speed Keep their hands away from their mouth and do not eat or chew while they are speaking Do not shout at people with impaired hearing provide assistance only when requested do not pat, feed or distract guide dogs do not lean on a person's wheelchair or sit or squat to talk to a person in a wheelchair If you require interpreters the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNIB) will be able to help you. You will also need to consider the methods that you re going to use carefully, more guidance on methods and their suitability for different groups can be found in the next section. Also take some time to find out what activities we ve already carried out, they may have ideas and contacts that you can use for accessing specific groups. If you need further advice on making your activity inclusive contact The Policy and Projects Officer, Equalities Involving users of Social and Community services, services for Children and Families, their carers or staff of these services If you are planning to involve users of Social and Community Services or services for Children and Families, their carers or staff who are employed by these two services you can contact the Youth Participation co-ordinator or the Adult Social Care Communication and Consultation Officer for further guidance. Finally, whoever you involve always tell them: Who is being consulted and why What will happen with the results e.g. what decisions will be influenced, who will take these decisions and when the decisions will be taken How the results will be fed back to them That anonymity will be respected if requested Who they can contact if they are unhappy about the consultation

12 How are you going to do it? What level of engagement do you need to use? It s important that you are clear on what terms you are involving the public. The following participation ladder gives some idea of the range of engagement options open to you: Support Partnership Offering organisations advice and other support to deliver their own agenda Different organisations deciding to work together in partnership to carry out decisions or plans Participation Encouraging new ideas and suggestions, opportunities for joint decision-making Consultation Offering options for consideration and listening to opinions but not seeking out new ideas Market Research Information Information gathering to help inform decision making Telling people what we plan to do What method/s will you use? Now you re clear on the level of engagement you need to use, you need to choose your method. Some methods work better for some activities than others. Some are more representative than others, some get a more in depth response, some are best if you want a quick response. You should choose an approach to suit your needs. The method you choose will depend on the type of information you re trying to find out. Ask yourself are you trying to measure or explain? Main aim TO MEASURE Monitor and get snapshot of people s views TO EXPLAIN To find exactly why people think/act the way they do Main type of questions How satisfied are you? How far do you agree/disagree? Which services have you used? Why? What? How? What do you think? What would you do? What s needed? Results wanted in Figures and percentages Words and images You need QUANTATIVE RESEARCH (e.g. questionnaires, face to face/telephone interviewing using set questions) QUALITATIVE RESEARCH (e.g. focus groups, group discussions, individual indepth interviews)

13 You will also need to take into account other issues such as: Cost: Different methods will vary greatly. You will need to consider what resources you have available. Expertise: Particular skills are needed for some methods such as designing questionnaires and facilitating focus groups. If you feel that you may need to commission externally, you can contact the Council s Corporate Projects Officer for further advice on potential suppliers and procedures to follow. The IDeA also provide a helpful guide to Commissioning Research Fieldwork, data analysis, design. Time: Some methods are more time consuming than others. You need to consider what time people have available to carry out the exercise and whether the method will fit with your timescales.

14 Consultation Methods- pros and cons All methods have their advantages and disadvantages, here s an overview of some of the main methods available: Method Advantages Disadvantages Best For QUALITATIVE METHODS Focus Group Easy to organise especially if you already have contacts of people you can invite Complex issues can be addressed targeting specific interest groups People generally feel more confident in groups. Discussion can stimulate thinking and spark ideas within the group It is recommended that you use an experienced moderator which can add to the cost. As focus groups are small it is difficult to make them representative of the population, you may need to run several focus groups that represent different groups in your population As data from focus groups is not statistical (although it can be quantified) its analysis is time consuming and complex. Some participants might be inhibited or afraid to say what they really feel Often a group view is the general outcome Dominant participants might shout other members of the group down As the name suggests, they are best for focused consultations. i.e. proposals around a specific service which affects a definite group or community. Can also be used in conjunction with widerreaching consultation methods. Individual interviews In-depth and detailed Can obtain a wider range of responses Good for consulting excluded groups Can identify new issues that may not have been thought of Expensive Time-consuming Not used very often due to time and costs involved, however can be very useful for small focused consultations. Can be used in conjunction with other methods to make sure that excluded or isolated communities are reached.

15 Service User Groups Provides a regular dialogue with your service users Builds positive relationships between the service and its users Provides positive opportunities for: - targeting services at what people want and need - improving the delivery of services and take up of services - -testing options for service change - -testing public views on conflicting priorities and supporting bids for resources Can become dominated by particular issues and groups May not be typical of the views of your service users Can become institutionalised to see the service from a providers point of view Excellent method of consultation for future planning of services. By engaging a service user group at the beginning of the planning process, the whole methodology is robust. Workshop Can be a fun and interactive way of getting people involved in a discussion or issue They can enable indepth discussion They could tend to attract the usual suspects They need to be carefully organised so that they achieve a specific outcome Be careful that discussions are not dominated by strong individuals Very good for staff consultations. Can be useful as part of a wider public consultation Mystery Shopping Precise and detailed feedback Relatively simple to implement Flexible and immediate You should be able to highlight particular service areas and investigate possible problems quickly Can be used to commend / motivate staff. More applicable to frontline, person-to-person services Staff are often suspicious Only gives isolated instances and small samples Not really a consultation method, but very useful for gathering background information before proposing new initiatives, or as evaluation tool following consultation.

16 Public meeting Provides local opportunities for people to comment on matters that affect them directly or indirectly Offers a convenient and transparent way to demonstrate public consultation/build up good relationships Can be used to inform the public at the same time as getting views People who attend are unlikely to be representative of the local population Attendees ability to contribute to a discussion about service-wide, strategic priorities can be limited by a lack of knowledge and possible lack of interest Contributions will mainly be about local, topical or personal concerns Good for consultations where you need to demonstrate that all members of the community have had the opportunity to take part. Not suitable for focused consultations on a narrowly focused topic. Written exercises Allows issues / proposals to be explained in detail Clear, accessible documents give a good impression of the Authority Long reports can put people off responding rather than encourage them Written reports may not reach all sections of the community consider using other methods as well The views you receive may not be representative of the general population Works well in conjunction with public meetings Comment/ Feedback cards Easy to undertake and low cost Can identify recurring service problems Demonstrates openness to comments and feedback Provide instant feedback Not representativebiased towards existing customers, some users are reluctant to comment Can be reactive May only produce low numbers return rate varies Good for service specific consultations

17 QUANTATIVE METHODS Postal Easy to administer survey A well designed questionnaire produces reliable statistical information Repeating the same questions over a period of time allows you to track opinions Large numbers of people can be contacted in a short period of time Relatively cheap The respondent is able to complete the questionnaire in their own time which may lead to more considered responses Only a small amount of information can be gathered in a selfcompletion survey A poorly planned or designed questionnaire will result in poor data, a low response and inaccurate results Expect lower response rates especially within younger age groups, people with literacy problems and people whose first language is not It is easier for someone to ignore a postal survey than an interviewer. Limited length and complexity of questions, the questionnaire must be easy to complete. Lack of control over who answers the questions Suitable for general opinion polls Electronic/ Web survey Large numbers of people can be contacted at low cost Very easy to conduct in-house Easy to survey people who live over a wide geographic area May encourage some hard to reach groups, such as young people, to take part The respondent can fill out the questionnaire in their own time, which may lead to more considered responses The form is sent at the click of a button, making response rates potentially quicker Only a minority of the population has access to the internet and many hard to reach groups may be excluded Some potential respondents find filling out on-line forms daunting There is little or no control over who fills in the questionnaire People with poor literacy skills or with English language difficulties may be put off from responding It is difficult to ask questions relating to awareness The number of responses is often fairly low Useful add on channel to consultations.

18 Telephone survey Face to face survey Obtains relevant information Allows freedom to explore general views and perceptions in detail Can target groups which are often excluded More complex issues can be tackled than in a postal survey as an interviewer is involved Easy to survey people who live in wide geographic areas The data can be inputted electronically as you carry out the interview The questionnaires used in face-to-face interviews can be longer and they are more flexible than postal surveys Response rates are generally high You can also track the progress of the number of completed interviews throughout the fieldwork process which is important when a particular response rate or number of responses is required More probing, complex questions can be asked as the interviewer can guide the respondent through the questionnaire The quality of the data you collect is of higher accuracy and completeness than in a postal survey. Interviewing skill required Expertise is needed in preparing questions so they are not prescriptive Sample results may not be representative. You cannot validate that you are speaking to the intended person Telephone surveys have high refusal rates and cold calling can often annoy the prospective respondent Face-to-face interviews are more expensive than postal surveys and telephone interview They are more time consuming, labour intensive and require trained interviewers Interviewer effect can occur. This is when the presence of the interviewer influences the respondent Feedback from individual interviews may not be representative of the views of all the respondents Not everyone is willing to take part especially when interviews are conducted on the street and door to door Older and younger people are more likely to refuse than other groups of people. Suitable for service specific consultations Good for councilwide consultations on future direction of services

19 Talkback Panel You may also want to use the Council s Talkback Panel. This is available for all services to use, and surveys are carried on a regular basis. Using the panel can enable service areas to have access to a representative cross section of residents within the borough. You may also use panel members to create focus groups and access targeted representatives for specific service use/feedback. For more information on the Talkback Panel and to find out if it is appropriate for your service areas consultation please contact the Corporate Projects Officer. What are you going to do with the results? How are you going to analyse your data? This always takes longer than you think so allow plenty of time! Make sure that you identify priorities and highlight these in your feedback, for example: Findings that do not require action for example, are low priority Things we cannot change in the short term Results that highlight the need for communications and what, how, who, where? Results that highlight the need for action and what are the next steps? How are your results going to make a difference? Make sure that you put in place arrangements for the outcomes of consultations to feed into the decision-making process. Democratic Services will be able to provide advice on how best to do this. Also make sure that you: Build improvements into your service, team and personal plans based on the results of consultations Keep a record of things that change as a result of feedback so that this can be demonstrated if the value of giving views to us is questioned Take the initiative make sure you pass on views about other services expressed during your exercise to other services and partner organisations Remember things can only change if feedback is used and shared.

20 How are you going to provide feedback? It is important that you feed back the results of your consultation to everyone who has given up their time to take part. This will encourage them to take part in future consultation. You will also be helping to influence general perceptions of how good the council is at keeping local people informed of developments. If you don t feed back, people will assume that the council doesn t take any notice of what they ve said. In addition to respondents, you should also consider providing feedback for: The Cabinet member responsible for your service Local councillors, especially if the results affect or concern their ward Directors, especially your service director Service managers Frontline staff- Will the consultation help to improve the service they provide? Partner organisations Service users Residents Also remember the Freedom of Information Act. This means we need to provide information to anyone who requests it. For more guidance on freedom of information and data protection issues contact the Local Studies Library and Assistant Records Manager. Different audiences will have different needs so feedback could take different forms and in many cases a mix of techniques is best. Also remember that different audiences will also want different levels of information. For example, residents may simply be interested in the headline findings of a satisfaction survey, while a Councillor may want the detailed results for the consultation of a development in their ward. Possible communication methods could include: Presentations Seminars and workshops Summary reports Feedback documents to respondents Detailed reports Through internet Through the council s intranet Through Stars council s e-zine Via the local media Always remember to add your results to the consultation finder! The Communications Team will be able to help you to publicise your consultation findings., contact the Communications Manager for guidance.

21 How are you going to evaluate your consultation? Effective evaluation can help you find out what worked and why it worked, what didn t work and why it didn t work. Always ask participants for their views about the consultation process and how it could be improved. You should then be able to answer what would I do differently the same next time? You can use the following checklist to help you evaluate: Were the objectives understood by everyone? Were the numbers who took part as expected? Were the right stakeholders involved? Were a representative set of views obtained? Were the views of hard to reach groups obtained? Was the consultation accessible? Did your methods match your objectives? Did you have the right level of support? Did you have the right level of resources? Did you achieve value for money? Was the timescale/process transparent and kept to? Did it lead to a change of policy, service etc? Remember to share your experiences with the council s Consultation Network Group and help each other by spreading good practice. consultationteam@bexley.gov.uk How to find out more There are a number of ways to find out more Read the Community Engagement and Consultation Strategy which sets out our overall approach Visit the Consultation pages on the London Borough of Bexley website for help, advice and news Search the Consultation Finder for consultations and their results To find out if you can use the Talkback Panel to ask questions that you need answers to contact Emma John. Links to further service specific consultation guidance Further information on carrying out research involving children can be found on the Children s Services intranet pages or by talking to the Youth Participation Coordinator. Are you consulting on the mineral and waste development framework or planning applications submitted to the council? If you are you must follow the Statement of Community Involvement. This information can be made available in other languages and formats upon request such as Braille, large print and audio cassette.

22 TAKING PART IN BEXLEY Engagement Toolkit Introduction The London Borough of Bexley wants to make it easier for local people and organisations to take part in making Bexley an excellent place to live and work. This toolkit has been developed to provide you with some simple tools and advice to help you make this happen. The toolkit is set out in a way that runs through some key channels that you could use and some key questions that you need to answer before going ahead. Why are you doing it? Who are you going to involve? How are you going to do it? What are you going to do with the results? Why are you doing it? What do you want to achieve? Engagement should always take place when: There is an identified knowledge gap Stakeholders themselves want to be involved A particular policy, strategy or initiative will have direct implications for stakeholders. It must be recognised that communities may wish to engage at different levels and that some may not wish to become fully involved. When inviting people to take part, the level of commitment that is being asked for must be made clear. When embarking on a community engagement initiative, you must always be open and honest about what can and cannot be achieved or influenced, and about the constraints or boundaries within which the initiative is operating. Where complex issues are being discussed, enough time and information should be provided to participants in order to enable them to make considered and informed decisions. The information should be provided in appropriate formats that can be understood and accessed by all, and where possible should always be provided at least seven days before any engagement activity

23 Who are you going to involve? Now you need to identify your participants. The range of people you will involve will depend on the issue, for example to assess the performance of a service you may consult service users, while for issues such as the council s priorities the range may be far larger. You can use the following checklist to identify yours: EXTERNAL CUSTOMERS Users or customers of your service People affected by the service you provide (e.g. parents of children, carers of service users) Residents or Citizens People affected by policies or developments Suppliers / Businesses / Service Providers INTEREST GROUPS Interest or pressure groups People living in a specific location or neighbourhood INTERNAL CUSTOMERS Staff Members Other Directorates Trade Union Representatives PARTNERS Partner organisations (e.g. voluntary sector, health, police, probation, Learning and Skills Council, government departments, thematic partnerships, employers and the business sector) PARTICULAR DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS Children and young people Families and carers Single parents Students Women Men Disabled people Minority ethnic groups Lesbian or gay residents Employed Unemployed Particular socio-economic groups Religious groups Making sure that any engagement exercise is inclusive is important for several reasons: Different sections of the community have different needs and priorities. If engagement is not inclusive, the views of these minority groups may remain unheard By law we have to gather evidence on the needs and views of a number of minority groups, to ensure both that we are not discriminating and that we are actively promoting race, disability and gender equality in line with the relevant equalities legislation.

24 General tips for making your activity inclusive: Timing: For effective engagement it is essential that plenty of time is allowed to attract interested people and then involve them in the activity. This can be a particular issue for equalities groups, for a number of reasons: They may need to have engagement materials translated They may need to convene a special meeting They may need to avoid specific religious holidays or other events The Thematic Partnership groups may have limited resources for contacting the members of the community they serve The Equalities Officer will be able to provide guidance on response times for equalities groups. In general, government guidelines specify six weeks, but it is recognised that this may not always be possible. Information: To allow everyone a chance to contribute, you need to be aware that information needs vary. You need to ask yourself: Is plain language being used? Are the language needs of any person whose first language is not English being met? Are large print/taped versions available? Is there a minicom/textphone facility? Is there a clear and accessible point of contact for participants? In order to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act (1995) all printed information for the public should include the following statement in a prominent position, for example the inside or back covers: ''This information can be made available in other community languages and formats upon request, such as large print, Braille, audio cassette and floppy disk.'' This should be followed by a contact number relevant to the service area issuing the information. The statement should be printed in Arial in a minimum of 12pt. If you receive request for information in other formats the Bexley Association for the Blind can provide Braille, larger font and cassette If you receive requests for information in other languages the Translation Service can provide translations. Contact the Communications and Consultation Officer in Social and Community Services for further information. Tel: Further advice can be found in the Equality Communications Policy on the intranet.

25 Accessibility: All venues used to hold meetings must be accessible to all. You should use the following physical access checklist to ensure your venue is accessible: The main access should be free of steps and wide enough for a wheelchair Ramps should not be steep There should be sufficient parking. Some parking should be close to the venue entrance Consideration should be given to flooring and any obstacles which could cause problems for people with visual impairments Good lighting is important for visually impaired people, interpreters and lip readers When appropriate, a venue with a hearing loop may be needed The toilets and lifts should be appropriate for disabled people and alarms should be provided Lifts should have verbal and Braille indications There should be sufficient signage and staff to assist, particularly at key times such as refreshment breaks Distances should be limited as these can cause a problem for people with mobility issues Different types of chairs should be provided, with and without arms Some people attending an engagement event may require an interpreter, for example people with hearing impairments may require a sign language interpreter and lip speaker. You should ensure: Audio systems should be provided with microphones for both speaker and people asking questions. Ensure all speakers speak at an appropriate speed Keep their hands away from their mouth and do not eat or chew while they are speaking Do not shout at people with impaired hearing provide assistance only when requested do not pat, feed or distract guide dogs do not lean on a person's wheelchair or sit or squat to talk to a person in a wheelchair If you require interpreters, the Royal National Institute for the Deaf will be able to help you. Also take some time to find out what activities we ve already carried out, they may have ideas and contacts that you can use for accessing specific groups. If you need further advice on making your activity inclusive contact the Policy and Projects Officer, Equalities. Tel:

26 How are you going to do it? Community engagement not only requires a time commitment from you, but also the participants themselves. You must therefore consider how you are going to encourage people to give up their time to participate in the engagement process, and how you are going to maintain their interest. People are most likely to become involved if the issue is relevant to them or they stand to lose or gain something. Be clear about whether they can expect to see tangible outputs in the short term or are you looking to develop a long-term strategy that they might not see any benefits from for several years, in other words you must be careful not to inadvertently raise expectations. What method/s will you use? Make it fun! It is not just young people who want to have fun nobody wants to spend their time at dull, bureaucratic meetings, or completing long-winded questionnaires! You are far more likely to attract interest if you can devise innovative and even entertaining means of engaging, such as role plays, or communicating via different mediums internet, films, CD ROM s etc Now you re clear on the level of engagement you need to use, you need to choose your method. Some methods work better for some activities than others. The following examples demonstrate Best Practice not only in Bexley but also in other local authorities. Case Study 1 London Borough of Bexley Children get the vote The results of a PLUS survey week showed that children would like more books of their choice to be purchased by libraries. It was decided to give children the opportunity to vote for books they would like to see in libraries. In order to make sure this was fair and unbiased group sessions were held using interactive electronic voting pads similar to those used in the TV programme Who Wants to be a Millionaire. A total of 19 classes took part from seven primary schools. Sessions were held in Crayford, Central, Upper Belvedere, Sidcup and Welling libraries. Each library was allocated a spend of 100 on the book collection that received the most votes over the course of the week. This worked very well as the children could see the results go up on a screen as the votes took place and giving the children the opportunity to have a day in the purchasing of library stock demonstrated how involving service users can have a positive impact on service delivery and how it can increase confidence in the Council. One of the participants aged 9 said: This is really fun and exciting, I love computers. It s a really fair way of doing it, even if you don t get your first choice, you can see that more people wanted the other books.