Engagement policy

To achieve our aim of engaging with communities effectively, you must access the support of the engagement team (ET) at the earliest possible opportunity.  The team will help you to decide how to proceed, and what types of engagement activity will best suit your needs and those of the people with whom you engage.

The ET will work with you to ensure that:

• the purpose, scope and objectives of any engagement (or consultation) are clearly stated at the outset and informed by an equality impact analysis, where required.  They will clarify the stage that the service development or commissioning activity has reached so far
• accessible engagement methods and tools are utilised to match audience needs and engagement objectives.  Guidance and supporting documents are available to ensure robust and auditable practice
• engagement activities are delivered within time frames that are proportionate and realistic, to give stakeholders sufficient time to provide considered responses
• engagement activities are widely advertised and promoted. This includes publicising feedback within 12 weeks of a consultation closing
• staff are provided with the specialist training, development and the support they need to get the job done well
• continual improvement is achieved by keeping pace with current engagement and consultation research and good practice, developing case law and guidance, and by evaluating engagement activities along with the support and advice provided

It is essential to consider the Gunning Principles when undertaking a consultation exercise.  It is good practice to bear these, and the Brown and additional Bracking Principles (which relate to equalities rather than consultation specifically) in mind when planning and running engagement.

The key Gunning Principles are:

• consultation must take place when the proposal is still at a formative stage
• sufficient reasons must be put forward for the proposal to allow for intelligent consideration and response
• adequate time must be given for consideration and response
• the product of the consultation must be conscientiously taken into account

Brown and Bracking Principles (due regard, relating to equalities) state:

• decision-makers must be aware of their personal duties
• the due regard duty must be fulfilled before and at the time of decisions
• analysis must be rigorous
• the duty to have due regard cannot be delegated
• the duty is a continuing one
• it is good practice to keep an adequate record
• it is integral and important to ensure the fulfilment of anti-discrimination legislation
• a public body must assess the risk and extent of any adverse impact and mitigation before adopting a proposed policy
• public bodies must have enough evidence to demonstrate it has discharged its duty
• public bodies should place equality considerations at the centre of policy formulation

There are a number of acts and statutes which dictate when and how consultation must take place in some services. If relevant to the service area, the Care Act for example, stipulates that consultation should take place if:

• a change to an adult care service is significant
• it will have a considerable impact upon people
• it has been consulted on before (or a commitment to do so has been demonstrated) 

Advice must be sought from the ET.

This policy follows our risk governance and assurance structure and processes. The corporate leadership team are responsible for risks associated with this policy and the provision of consultation or engagement advice and support to services across the whole council. They are ultimately accountable for the risk and related control environment. They are responsible for ratifying the director area’s risk register and any director area risk policies in line with the corporate risk appetite, as laid out in the risk management policy and process guide.