Involving communities is about creating a Leeds where partners work together to ensure people feel they can make a difference and they have a voice that shapes decisions.

Context: All citizens and communities should have the opportunity to be involved in the decisions and actions that affect their lives. Involvement includes everything from the provision of information through to devolving responsibility and resources to communities in order to take action for  themselves. When deciding the level of involvement, partners should aim to employ the most empowering, yet still appropriate, approach for each situation. 

Partners need to provide support to encourage involvement and a variety of methods should be used to inform and consult that suit the different people and communities. Timely feedback about what has happened and changed as a result of the individual’s or communities’ contribution should be given and processes put in place to evaluate, share good practice and to develop effective approaches.

Across Leeds there is an enormous amount of community consultation taking place - some focused on specific services, neighbourhoods or communities; some prescribed by law or required as part of performance management arrangements and other activities driven by the commitments to good practice and the Vision for Leeds. All partners should aim to co-ordinate their activities and work together to avoid duplication, confusion and consultation fatigue.

Partner Commitments: Involving communities

All communities can get involved

Partners will:

• Ensure that citizens and communities have the opportunity to have their voice heard and to shape and influence decisions and actions that affect them and their community.
• Ensure that the barriers to involvement are removed or reduced, so that no individual or community will be intentionally excluded.
• Aim to allow enough time for relevant communities to contribute when they are carrying out a formal consultation. Legislation and guidance governs some consultations, but aside from this partners should usually allow for a minimum of 8 – 12 weeks for consultation on major service or policy change.

Co-ordinate activities to avoid duplication

Partners will:

• Find out and use what is already known about people’s views and expectations.
• Work together wherever possible to join up involvement activities.

Use a variety of methods to suit different people

Partners will:

• Use a variety of approaches depending on the objective and the audience or stakeholders.
• Use relevant organisations who can reach, and are already trusted by, communities.
• Aim to work in empowering ways to enable sustained involvement.

Information and support to get involved

Partners will:

• Involve people at the earliest point possible in the process.
• Be clear with people about what can and cannot be influenced.
• Be open, frank and transparent.
• Be prepared to listen to what communities say.

Feeding back about the influence, the impact and the changes

Partners will:

• Provide feedback about what has happened and changed as a result of people’s involvement.
• Evaluate involvement activities to help improve them for next time.