Engagement

Current government policy is pushing to “increase the involvement of the community in the making of decisions on the provision of services and on the life of neighbourhoods”.

If we want the voice of our communities to better inform decision making, then effective channels of communication between Third Sector organisations and decision makers are vital. After all, it is the Third Sector that is best placed to represent the community on the ground; you know where the problems are, where the opportunities are and what the priorities are.

With this in mind, the Solihull Partnership has set up a Neighbourhoods Project. One of the main objectives is to improve the level of engagement local communities have with those that make decisions about them. Put simply, this means that when there is a decision to be made about a new road, a new school, or a new doctors’ surgery, that local people get to have a proper say in what they might be like. It is about making sure people have a chance to comment and that they can do so in an informed and coherent way.

But the process for doing this needs to be efficient because nobody wants to spend hours in discussions that go round in circles. Equally, we do not want a system where the loudest voice counts; we want one where the majority view counts.

Community-led consultations are the way forward to engage local people with decision makers, enabling them to have a proper say in what happens in the future.

For more information about SUSTAiN’s work in supporting community engagement, please contact Claire Milican, Sector Development Manager on 0121 711 3148 or email sectordevelopment@solihull-sustain.org.uk.