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Consult and Involve
'Consult and involve present and potential users of public services as well as
those who work in them; and use their views to improve the service provided.'
Community Involvement
Community involvement is essential for ascertaining the needs of the community and for
assisting decision making. The key to good consultation is to seek a spread of views from
those likely to be affected. Users, businesses, staff and the wider community should all
be involved to find out how services can be improved.
Planned Consultation
Regular, planned consultation and involvement through a range of methods such as
questionnaires, meetings and focus groups are necessary to ensure that the results are
sound. This means consulting users, and potential users, from different areas including
businesses and from different social and ethnic backgrounds which, in turn, may involve
making special arrangements to provide interpreters or to make consultation documents
available in ethnic community languages, Braille and large print.
Staff Involvement
Staff, especially those on the front line making inspections, receiving telephone calls
or meeting customers at reception, should be involved in service improvement initiatives.
Quality circles, team meetings, ideas, competitions and staff suggestion boxes all provide
opportunities for consulting and involving colleagues in planning, agreeing targets and
providing continuous service improvements.
Response to Consultation
Having actively encouraged people to make comments it is important to ensure they are
recorded and acted upon where appropriate. People should be told how their views have made
a difference or, in some cases, why things cannot be changed, for instance, owing to
financial or other constraints.
Examples of Good Practice
 | Customer satisfaction card for service usersat the end of each
case. |
| Quality circles to involve staff in identifying service
improvements. |
| Community group meetings with local residents. |
| Breakfast meetings with the business community. |
| Landlords' forum consultation used as basis for formulating
discretionary grant policy. |
| Enforcement policy drawn up following consultation with Chamber of
Commerce and Council for Racial Equality. |
| Expansion of a service (e.g. Business Advice Unit established)
following feedback from users. |
| Annual Local Agenda 21 Conference. |
| Annual survey of households conducted by independent consultants. |
| Focus groups run by experienced moderators. |
| Telephone surveys of present and potential service users. |
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CASE STUDY 5 : Consult and
Involve
(Source : North Kesteven District Council)
Introduction
The Council has used Citizens' Juries to consider ways in which
services can be developed. In July 1996 a Citizens' Jury was convened to consider what
facilities and services should be provided (a) locally (b) within reasonable travelling
distance and (c) further away.
The Jury identified five major issues including the need for
improved information links.
Service Development
In response to service users' requests for improved information
links the Council introduced its Open District Electronic Network (ODEN).
ODEN is intended to provide Internet e-mail, file transfer,
public and private forums, and access to databases of local information. Its objectives
are to raise awareness of on-line systems and their use for communications and networking;
provide a platform for individuals and organisations to establish a presence on the
Internet; stimulate trading between local businesses; support exchange of information;
inform the public of the Council's services, local events and places to visit.
Most Council staff and Members are now on-line, as are Parish
Councils and many local businesses. The technology is in place, communications lines have
been installed and local call rates are available across the District. ODEN costs £20 per
year for subscription. ODEN can be accessed via an individual's PC or at one of the
Council's INFO-LINK centres throughout the District.
Benefits
ODEN has helped to raise awareness of on-line systems and their
use in communications and networking. It has vastly improved the exchange of information
between the District and Parish Councils, local businesses and trade organisations. The
system has also transformed the Council's internal operations, again improving
communication between officers and Members.
Feedback
The system to date has proved to be very popular with all
stakeholders and should continue to develop as more individuals/organisations come
on-line.
Comments
Through the ODEN system the public have access to information on
Council services, details of individual departments' functions and resumés of the roles
of individual staff. |
CASE STUDY 6 : Enforcement
Policy Publication
(Source : London Borough of Bexley)
Introduction
In 1996 the Environmental Health & Trading Standards
Department produced an enforcement policy covering all areas of its activity.
Service Development
The policy was formally adopted by the Council in September 1996
following consultation with:
| Local businesses. |
| Bexley Council for Racial Equality. |
| Bexley Magistrates' Court. |
| Local Chambers of Commerce. |
| Councillors. |
| Staff. |
| Random selection of registered voters. |
The simple, easy-to-read policy has been printed as a bi-fold A5
leaflet. This leaflet is available at Council offices and information points and is
available for officers to distribute. The availability of the leaflet has also been
highlighted in the local press.
Benefits
The leaflet has been useful for explaining to those subject to
enforcement action why this was happening. It has also made clear to others the
consequences if they failed to act. It makes it clear that enforcement action is a
considered response and is not based on arbitrary decisions.
Feedback
A number of businesses subject to enforcement have specifically
asked for copies of the Council's Enforcement Policy. To date however there has been no
further specific feedback and it is assumed that this is because staff at Bexley have been
following the policy closely.
Comments
Although the Department is responsible for enforcing a wide
variety of legislation the general policy that has been followed appears to satisfy all
eventualities - so far! |
CASE STUDY 7 : Clean-Up for
Selly Oak Consultation
(Source : Birmingham City Council)
Introduction
Clean-Up for Selly Oak was a large-scale community-based project
of nearly 3,000 homes involving local residents, landlords, Residents' Associations and
elected Members. The aim of the project was to improve the environmental quality of their
area by tackling rat infestation and rubbish accumulation.
Service Development
Consultation involved sending letters to every home within the
project area, in community languages, explaining the aims of the project. Officers visited
every home soon afterwards. Visits were made outside normal working hours including
weekends when people were often at home, to reduce the need for re-visits.
Pest control, refuse collection services and statutory action
were co-ordinated and targeted over a short time period.
Benefits
By visits to every home all local residents were involved, many
of whom may not have been involved if the usual range of consultation forums had been
used. It was felt that face-to-face contact helped residents overcome any difficulties
they may have had in participating and expressing their views, and led to more effective
consultation.
Feedback
The raising of awareness, levels of statutory action taken and
value for money were monitored and reported back to stakeholders. The monitoring provided
a benchmark against which to measure future action.
Comment
A key element of the project was in listening to and involving
the local community. This enabled a realistic plan of action to be devised. The
partnerships developed are being used to discuss ways of tackling other local issues such
as street litter and fly posting. |
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