influencingchange
a
consultation
strategy
This definition also highlights the importance of consultation being closely related to decisions: there is little value in us consulting over policies or services that we have no plans to review.
However, the notion of consultation ‘leading to’ a decision is important too. The results of consultation are an important input to decisions, but having consulted the public does not free both Officers and Members from their duties to offer advice on, and to make decisions.
The Council’s ‘Statement of Community Involvement’ has been used as the model for this Consultation Strategy and an influencing change consultation toolkithas also been developed for staff with easy to follow steps when undertaking consultations.
our vision and priorities‘creating pride’ / The Council has identified the emerging issues and pressures that are likely to affect the District and the Council in the future and it is within the framework of these, that the Council will be seeking to consult on a wide range of issues which may include satisfaction surveys in relation to our Services, in line with our Vision and Priorities which are described below.
Our vision is to “Create a District which takes pride in itself” which has four key external priorities attached to it.
The 4 priorities form the basis of the Council’s Corporate Action Plan and formulate our plans for the future.
- Protecting our rural heritage - protecting the unique nature of both our built and natural environment whilst retaining sufficient growth to ensure vibrant and active local communities.
- Supporting an active local economy - promotingand developing a more active local economy, in order to reduce the need to commute to work, as well as supporting and nurturing our existing businesses. This will include ensuring that local businesses are able to obtain the right skills from the local workforce and improving the communication and transport links that local businesses need.
- Increasing the affordable housing supply - encouraging vibrant and active local communities that are focused on improving their local area and its facilities, including the provision of affordable housing so that local families can continue to reside in the area.
- Promoting civic pride -encouraging individuals to take a pride in themselves and their families through promoting healthy living and the provision of support aimed at enabling people to realise their full potential. This to include encouraging students to maximise educational attainment, supporting the disadvantaged and those in need, and improving transport so that individuals can access the services they need.
the role of Members of the Council / Most consultation within the Council is undertaken by Officers, but Members have an important role in driving and delivering consultations, including:
- acting as community or authority advocates, depending on the issue
- interpreting results and taking decisions on priorities
- communicating results back to consultees
- acting as a link with partner organisations for joint consultation
why consult? / We have a statutory duty to consult,but that is not the only reason for doing so, as it can be extremely worthwhile opportunity for our residents to influence changeand inform our decision-making process. In order to do this, we must ensure that those we are consulting with have sufficient information on what we are consulting them about, to enable them to make an informed response, whilst managing their expectations in a realistic manner.
feedback / We will ensure that we respond to our consultees, providing them with feedback on how the consultation has influenced change and affected the Council’s policies. This can be undertaken in the following ways:
- Report to the appropriate Committee of the Council;
- A press release or press briefing;
- An article in the Council’s newspaper;
- Feedback results on the Council’s web site;
- Feedback made available to staff on the intranet ;
- Feedback to our partners as appropriate;
- Feedback to those who have taken the time to respond, where details are held.
The Council will continue to publish committee reports, minutes, planning decisions using traditional methods such as the local library, Parish/Town Council’s, local and national media, and the Council’s magazine The Courier as well as using the technology available to us including our web site www.maldon.gov.uk
benefits of consultation / The main benefits of consultation are:
- Services can be targeted more closely on providing what people want, and avoiding what people do not want where appropriate;
- Take-up of services can be improved, making unit costs lower, especially where there is a charge for services;
- User satisfaction with Services can be monitored over time, providing a useful performance indicator on improvements to the quality of services;
- Problems arising from proposed changes to Services can be pinpointed in advance, and so avoided;
- The results of consultation can be used to help to make decisions about policies, priorities and strategies;
- Local people can be more involved decision-making, rejuvenating and influencing change in the local democratic process;
- An opportunity to engage the views of all sectors of our Community including our hard to reach groups;
- Receive Quality information not just quantity.
how will we consult? / The Council will aim to work to high standards of public consultation and we will:
- Be open and honest, sharing information and acknowledging the contributions made by all parties;
- Be clear about why consultation is occurring and what the community will be able to influence;
- Be accountable for our actions;
- Provide sufficient resources to facilitate appropriate community involvement;
- Ensure feedback is provided to participants throughout the process;
- Use research to ensure consultation has a sound evidence base;
- Be flexible enough to adapt to changing circumstances;
- Aim to keep to published timetables, ensuring sufficient time for involvement and to be clear when timescales are being rescheduled;
- Ensure early involvement in the processes to try and resolve conflicts and achieve an early level of consensus;
- Seek to involve relevant community groups including those that may be hard to reach;
- Aim to avoid duplication by working in partnership with others;
- Act on key points that arise as appropriate;
- Monitor, evaluate and review effectiveness to inform future consultation;
- Use a variety of methods to consult using the technology available to us;
- Provide information in a format which is appropriate to all.
who will we consult? / Effective consultation requires us to know something about the make-up of Maldon District community, and the other organisations whose policies have an effect our District.
The scoping of who we consider to be consultees
is set out in Appendix 2which is not an exhaustive list and can be reviewed as is necessary. It is important that such information is shared across theService areas for completeness, nor is this exhaustive.
Alongside this we need to ensure that everyone has a chance to participate, in particular those in recognised 'hard to reach' groups.
Our Local Strategic Partnership will play a key role representing some of the groups we consult with and that in turn this will add value to the delivery of the standards set out in "Getting it Right Together" the Local Compact for local voluntary, community and statutory organisations working together.
It may be easier for us to reach some such groups by working with representative organisations. The table below identifies what many of these might be, but in addition, the Council may consult with 'general consultation bodies' identified at local level, as appropriate. These include:
a) Voluntary bodies; and
b) Bodies representing different racial, ethnic or national groups, religious groups, disabled persons and persons carrying out business in the authority's area.
The Council will also maintain an extensive database listing these consultation bodies including community groups, clubs and societies in the District which may, as appropriate, be used for consultation.
We must also remember that individuals can be consulted using the following capacities:
- As consumers, when they are asked for their views about particular services that they either do, or might, use;
- As taxpayers, when consultation focuses on the balance between the level of services provided and their cost;
- As residents, when consultation focuses on what people think about policy questions, such as the type of development that might take place in their town centre or the relative priority that they give to different aspects of policing.
- As Businesses, when the consultation may have an impact on the operation of their business or the environment in which their businesses is situated. They can also be consulted as service users, as business ratepayers and as organisations with a wider interest in a local area.
a
co-ordinated approach / To ensure that we maintain a co-ordinated and corporate approach to consultation and that the results are well timed with the results shared across the organisation those seeking to consult must first refer to the Big List consultation timetable (Appendix 3), which can be found on the intranet, to see if the consultation could be undertaken jointly. Please ensure you confirm this with the Communications Team who will confirm that the consultation may take place following the principles in the influencing change consultation tool kit.
evaluation and monitoring / Heads of Service will be responsible for ensuring that Consultations undertaken in their respective service areas are evaluated and monitored with the appropriate results shared with Members, staff, respondents, and partners.
APPENDIX 1
consultation methods to be used
CONSULTEES / SUGGESTED METHOD OF CONSULTATIONMembers of the Council and staff
General Public (including hard to reach groups) / MDC Intranet
MDC Website;
Newspaper articles;
The Courier delivered to all households; Manned - unmanned exhibitions;
Posters in shops, libraries, post offices, health centres, schools
SNAP Surveys;
Email to all available contact details
Informal Consultation
Citizen Panel
Users groups of Council Services
Meetings if required
General Consultation Bodies; Parish Council’s and Specific Consultees including Government Bodies / Workshop(s)
The Courier
Parish Liaison group meeting
Draft documents
consultation
Meetings/ Workshop
Exhibitions/events
Community/Voluntary/
Special Interest Groups / Meetings
Workshop / focus groups
Surveys
Road Shows
Attendance at events, letters
APPENDIX 2
potential 'hard to reach' community groups /- Young People (11-18 years)
- Rural Young People (11-18 years) outside key service centres
- Young Adults (18-24 years)
- Rural Young Adults (18-24 years outside key service centres)
- Young children (< 11 years and their parents or guardians)
- Black and Ethnic Minorities
- Single parent families
- Private landlord tenants
- Private housing owners
- Second home owners
- People in housing need
- Gypsies and Travellers
- Homeless people
- People with disabilities
- Self employed
- Public transport users
- Small to medium enterprises
- Farmers and agricultural businesses
- Frail and vulnerable older groups
- Maldon Islamic Cultural Association
- And any other identified groups
Specific and general consultation bodies (including Government Departments) /
- Government Office for the East of England - GO-East
- Regional Planning Body
- East of England Regional Assembly
- East of England Development Agency
- Essex County Council
- Town / Parish Council’s
- The Environment Agency
- The Highways Authority
- The Countryside Agency
- English Nature
- English Heritage
- Strategic Rail Authority
- Local airport operators
- East of England Tourism (EET)
- Maldon District Strategic Partnership (Local Strategic Partnership)
- Equal Opportunities Commission
- Maldon & South Chelmsford Primary Care Trust
- Maldon & South Chelmsford Healthy Living Partnership
- Maldon District Community Safety Partnership
- Maldon Council for Voluntary Service
- Community and Voluntary Forum Eastern Region
- Community Development Officer, MaldonDC
- Local Access Forum
- Southminster Promotions Group
- EssexSouth Suffolk Community Rail Partnership
- Southminster in Future Times Group (Cllr Beale)
- Maldon and District Access Group
- Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee
- Disability Rights Commission
- Maldon Citizens Advice Bureau
- Chelmsford Diocesan Office
- The Catholic Church
- AgeConcernVillage Links
- Help the Aged
- Youth Council
- Youth Parliament
- Commission for Racial Equality
- Minority and Ethnic Network, Eastern Region
- EssexACRE
- Residents’ Association
- Equal Opportunities Commission
- National Playing Fields Association
- Sport England
- Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE)
- EssexPolice
- Health & Safety Executive
- Fire and Rescue Services
- And any other identified groups
- Essex Wildlife Trust
- British Geological Survey
- Friends of the Earth
- Forestry Commission
- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
- Council for the Protection of Rural England
- Ramblers Association
- Inland Waterways Association
- British WaterwaysNavigation Authorities
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
- British Horse Society
- National Trust
- And any other identified groups
- East Essex Learning Partnership
- Maldon Chamber of Commerce and Trade
- Business Association
- Business Link Essex
- National Farmers Union
- Essex Business Link/Small Business Service Partnership
- Essex Chamber of Commerce and Trade
- Local branches of Institute of Directors
- Maldon Promotions Group
- And any other identified groups
- Freight Transport Association
- Road Haulage Association
- Rail Companies
- Passenger Transport Authorities
- Passenger Transport Executives
- Port Operators
- Airport Operators
- Civil Aviation Authority
- Post Office
- Taxi / Hackney Carriage Operators
- And any other identified groups
- Country Landowners Association
- National Farmers Union
- Developers/Agents Forum
- Home Builders Federation (Eastern Region)
- Diocese of St Paul’s
- And any other identified groups
- Blackwater Housing Association
- Estuary Housing Association
- Henry Gilder Drake
- London & Quadrant Housing
- Maldon Housing Association
- Colne Housing Society
- Moat Housing Group
- Granta Housing Association
- North British Housing Society
- Salvation Army Housing
- Shaftsbury Housing Group
- Suffolk Heritage
- Housing Association Tenants’ Forum
- And any other identified groups
- Viking Transport
- Stagecoach
- Fords Coaches
- Sustrans
- Road Haulage Association
- Freight Transport Association
- Rail Passenger Council Eastern England
- Community Transport Manager ECC
- Network Rail
- WAGN Railway
- ONE Railway
- Stephenson’s Buses
- First Group Ltd
- And any other identified groups
- The PlumeSchool, Maldon
- St Peter’s School, Burnham-on-Crouch
- Commercial Adult Training Organisations
- Local Primary Schools
- LEA
- EssexCounty Youth Service
- Learning and Skills Council
- And any other identified groups