Agenda item

To review the draft Engagement Strategy and consider any necessary amendments or recommendations for Cabinet.

The DFC introduced the report and informed Members that engagement was an aspect of the customer focus theme of the Corporate Plan, and a framework had been developed to deliver a high level and consistent approach was across all service areas. He added that it had been developed alongside the Quality of Life Strategy, as this also placed an emphasis on engagement with residents. It was noted that the Council already undertook a substantial amount of public engagement, though feedback suggested that this was done in varying ways and was not consistent. The DFC noted that five questions had been posed to Members on the Strategy document, which would also be shared with other consultees.

Questions and Discussion

       i.          The Chairman noted that there had not been a Member workshop during the developmental stages of the Strategy, and suggested that he felt this would have engaged more thoroughly with Members. The DFC replied that the document had only been prepared in draft form, and he would be happy to seek wider comments from Members if required. The Chairman suggested that it would be beneficial to host a workshop to ensure that input could be gained from a wider selection of Members, rather than just those present at the meeting.

      ii.          Cllr A Brown stated that engagement had been demonstrated recently on two conservation area appraisals, which had been undertaken differently with one more successful than the other. He added that one had been criticised and he would therefore reiterate comments that some improved consistency would be beneficial.

     iii.          Cllr V Holliday stated that the proposed steps for measuring engagement did not appear to have any SMART objectives, and asked whether this could be improved. The DFC replied that metrics could be developed as part of the action plan, but this would require engagement to determine what should be included. Cllr V Holliday suggested that the delivery capacity of Parish Council was limited, and comments on p11 were a concern. The DFC replied that many Parish Councils already undertook autonomous activities, such as establishing flood warning teams that NNDC had empowered to operate without the need for control. He added that empowerment of local groups and Parish Councils would not always be pursued, but it was a positive opportunity in some cases to give communities ownership of their services.

    iv.          Cllr V Gay stated that she recommended the Strategy and reiterated the importance of its connections with the Quality of Life Strategy, as research had shown that giving residents a voice within their communities improved their sense of self. She added that it also had an effect on democratic engagement, which was important to show residents that their input mattered. It was noted that there were also many different kinds of communities, and recognising different groups and their interests would lead to better engagement.

      v.          Cllr L Withington referred to comments on p31 that suggested outcomes would be used to inform Policy, strategies, and the delivery of services. She added that this important statement did not appear to be consistent throughout the Strategy document, and asked whether this could be strengthened to ensure that engagement remained outcome focused. It was suggested that better links to the Communications Team and linking the Engagement Strategy to the Communications Strategy could also be helpful. Cllr L Withington suggested that community engagement could also be considered on all reports that came to Council.

    vi.          Cllr S Penfold referred to comments on p7 that referred to community of identity, and suggested that the Council should be careful as this was a delicate topic, and asked whether advice had been sought on this issue. The DFC replied that this point had been advised from a range of other documents, and would allow groups to self-identify, though further advice could be sought if necessary. Cllr S Penfold asked whether there was a specific officer responsible for diversity, to which the DFC replied that whilst there was not a specific officer, diversity fell within the responsibility of People Services, where there was a range of specialist knowledge available.

   vii.          The DFC noted that questions proposed in the document had not been answered, and whilst it was possible these could be addressed as part of a workshop, it would delay the process of approval.

  viii.          The Chairman summarised comments and suggested that there appeared to be a proposal to hold a workshop on further development of the Strategy, and also to consider the inclusion of more measurable outcomes or metrics that could be discussed in greater detail at a workshop. The recommendation was proposed by Cllr S Penfold and seconded by Cllr A Brown.

RESOLVED

 1.          To support approval of the Engagement Strategy in principle, subject to fulfilment of the Committee’s request for further discussions at a Member Workshop, and the inclusion of appropriate metrics within the action plan to measure Council engagement.