Different Types of Community Engagement
is where residents and communities are provided with information on public services, including how to access them, their performance, future changes, and progress on issues affecting them, but don’t have the opportunity to provide direct comment. This includes activities such as posters, leaflets and newspaper articles. Input from the community only occurs if an individual chooses to contact the organisation.
Example: Your Guide to Local Health Services
Your Guide to Local Health Services is an annual publication produced by Salford Primary Care Trust (PCT). It is delivered to every household in Salford. The purpose of the guide is to provide accountability and transparency about decision-making and spending and to inform people of decisions and future plans. The guide includes a section called ‘how your money is spent’ and information about how people’s views have made a difference to services. As a result, there has been an increase in the number of people signed up to the PCT Patient Panel and an increase in the number of people accessing the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS).
is a process of dialogue that leads to a decision. Consultation should be related to a decision that an agency intends to take, but where the views of a community must be taken into account. The process should be fully inclusive, and provide feedback on any decision made. This includes activities such as surveys, focus groups and workshops. Input from the community is greater than for information giving in that they provide information or attend an event to express their views.
Example: Ordsall Development Framework
A consultation regarding site use for services and shops was carried out toinform the development framework for Ordsall. In order to reach a wider audiencestreet theatre was used to complement the wider public consultation. Actors dressed as builders attracted crowds of passers-by with cheeky comments and succeeded in introducing the work and a questionnaire. Very few people decided not to complete one and 161 were submitted. The evaluation showed that this method was useful in increasing interaction, communication, and receiving information, but is best used alongside other consultation methods and should be integrated into the full consultation process.
is when people are involved in the design, development and direction of community activities and services in cooperation with public agencies and organisations. This results in the people who use services having a say in decisions about how and by whom services are purchased, provided and controlled. This requires more input from the community as people will need to play an active role within the decision making process for example by being a member of a steering group or board that meets fairly frequently.
Example: Prince’s Park BMX Skate Park, Irlam
The local community in Irlam identified the improvement of Prince’s Park as a priority. The community committee set up a parks and open spaces sub group and developed a coordinated approach to improve parks in the area. Young people had already identified the need for a BMX skate park and were supported to form the BMX Bandits with their own constitution. They joined the Prince’s Park steering group and were trained with adult members in consultation methods. The Bandits took an active role in consulting their peers, distributed flyers, ran focus groups and helped to evaluate the consultation findings; influencing the design of the new BMX skate park and raising over ?20k towards the project. Throughout the eight week construction period young people continued to take great interest in their new park, occasionally ‘riding the ramps’ getting a sense of ownership. The BMX skate park is now the main meeting point for young people.
builds upon the community involvement method but also includes a responsibility for the community to deliver the activities, actions and services agreed by the decision-making body.This method therefore requires the greatest amount of input by the community and is sometimes known as community management or ownership.
Example: Alley-gating
Seedley & Langworthy Trust (SALT) work in partnership with the community and statutory agencies to deliver an alley-gating programme in the area. Alley-gating has enabled local residents to take ownership and responsibility for a communal space that was previously neglected, unused or caused them nuisance. SALT work intensively with residents before the alley-gates are installed. This ensures that there is a sustainable residents group willing to take responsibility for the gated area. Residents are able to delegate responsibility for tasks such as sweeping and weeding, manage the use of city council funding and raise further funds, select their own committee members, and devise and review key holding agreements. This programme has really contributed to a sense of community pride in the local environment.
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