The Council is committed to continually improving its approach to community engagement. Over the last three years we have developed the way in which we listen to local people by:
- Creating a dedicated Community Engagement Team within the Council
- Ensuring our staff are properly trained and have the necessary skills and support to gather the views of local people
- Developing a range of ways in which we regularly engage. These now include:
- Community Councils
- Residents Panel
- Young Voice
- An annual borough wide survey
- Undertaking ambitious one-off programmes of engagement to ensure that a wide range of local people’s views is directly informing the Council’s most important strategies and plans
As a result of these improvements we have listened to your views and acted upon them. View some recent examples of what you have told us and how this has led to change.
By taking stock of what we have already achieved and our aspirations for the future we have produced a Community Engagement Strategy to help us continue improving how we listen to residents and service users.
The main themes of the strategy are:
Promoting a customer focused culture
Ensuring that we consistently listen to the views of residents and service users and that they are central to the decisions that we make.
More inclusive and innovative engagement
Making better use of the technology such as the internet and telling more people about the opportunities to participate in engagement.
Developing Capacity and Knowledge for Excellence
Ensuring that we undertake regular surveys to gather people’s views across a range of services and that we share what we learn.
Supporting Local Democracy and Local Area Working
Engaging with residents on issues that are important to them in their local neighbourhoods and putting local councillors at the heart of this.
A partnership model of engagement
Working more closely with our partners such as the Police and Health Service
View Community Engagement Strategy (451KB PDF file)
