Active engagement of communities requires thorough and systematic research, to ensure you fully understand their needs and expectations. Original and creative strategies are then needed to ensure that not only does your message reach your target community, but that they also feel empowered and inspired to respond.
Below is a list of projects we have worked on in this area. They are presented in more detail further down the page.
Brighton and Hove City Council: housing consultation
We undertook a research project designed to help the council understand how tenants felt about future housing options. We carried out a postal survey and focus groups. Our report made detailed recommendations about how to engage residents in this complex and important issue through a range of participative initiatives. The project was delivered within two weeks over the Christmas period and, despite that, achieved a response rate of 25%.
Camden Central Community Umbrella (CCCU): away day facilitation
Camden Central Community Umbrella is a successful community-led organisation representing the community and voluntary groups in the area. At the time the organization was undergoing significant change. Our aim was to ensure that they developed a sustainable plan for grow which still ensured that their representative role could be delivered. The key to the away day’s success was the participative and inclusive approach we used, which gave every participant the opportunity to have their say on the future development of CCCU.
Croydon Council: neighbourhood partnerships
We conducted an intensive round of consultation with the borough’s ten neighbourhood partnerships about the level and nature of service provision from the council and the vision for the local strategic partnership. We devised a rapid feedback system that succeeded in reassuring the partnerships that their views were being taken seriously by the council.
Croydon Voluntary Action (CVA): regeneration
At a time of extensive regeneration in Croydon, we worked with CVA, the umbrella organisation for community and voluntary organisations locally, to ensure that their sector could effectively contribute to the health and well-being of the town. We worked with CVA to develop a business case to demonstrate the benefits (such as social cohesion and corporate responsibility) of durable partnerships with the social sector. This involved conducting quantitative research with key stakeholders, facilitating a consultative event and producing publicity materials to support their case.
Clapham Park Project (CPP): housing consultation
We worked with Clapham Park Project (CPP) – a New Deal for Communities regeneration partnership - to engage residents in the development of local housing strategies.
East Sussex County Council We have conducted youth engagement with East Sussex County Council. Using Emotimaps, we assisted the Council in gathering evidence about what it is like for young people to live and grow up in East Sussex.
Lewisham Council: young citizens panel
We have worked with the London Borough of Lewisham to support its Young Citizens Panel of 300 11-18 year olds living or being educated in the borough. This involved consulting with young people at the onset to gauge support for a young person’s panel; recruiting members to the panel; maintaining the panel and communicating with panel members. We have also conducted quantitative research with panel members on behalf of Lewisham’s partner agencies (including the police and primary care trust).
Musgrove Park NHS Trust: foundation trust consultation
In 2004, we helped the Trust design and implement its Foundation Trust consultation strategy. This involved depth interviews and discussion with key stakeholders, including NHS staff and the local community.
National Institute for Adult Continuing Education: cultural sector engagement
We are working with both NIACE and Culture South East on a feasibility study to review mechanisms of engagement in the cultural sector, to enable the implementation of the Action for Communities model in the south east. This involves a range of research techniques, ranging from desk research to depth interviews.
New Cross Gate NDC: increasing participation
We worked with New Cross Gate NDC (New Deal for Communities) to increase public participation in their decision making process, with particular emphasis on reaching socially excluded groups.
Newham Council: community forum development
We have worked for Newham Council on a range of projects designed to improve the profile and effectiveness of the borough’s community forums. We have designed and executed engagement activities from street surveys to exercises in visioning. We have also worked with community forums to define and enhance their neighbourhood action plans.
Newham Council: new arrivals
The success of the videoqube led to Newham commissioning us to produce an in-depth film focusing on the experiences of Eastern European new arrivals in the borough. We filmed five key interviewees who spoke about their experiences of services in the borough and what could be improved for future newcomers. Titled ‘New to Newham’, we showcased the 15 minute film at a borough-wide meeting of key stakeholders, including the metropolitan police, libraries, social services and housing. The film led to real and lasting change in these areas and engaged with a traditionally difficult-to-reach group in the borough.
Newham Council: videoqube Used at over 40 community events in Newham so far, the Newham videoqube has succeeded in capturing the views and opinions of over 1,000 local residents since its inception in 2005. We have taken it to young people’s events, pensioners’ events, music events, library reading days and community planting days – enabling the council to access as diverse a range of opinion as possible. The videoqube was designed to ensure that people who have English as a second language could access it successfully. A DVD was produced following each event, which summarized feedback. Participants could also see their feedback on the website, via www.videoqube.co.uk
Newham Council: the word festival
Together with partners Spread the Word and the London Libraries Development Agency, we worked with all of Newham’s ten elected community forums to organise the borough’s first festival devoted to reading and writing, with the aim of promoting social cohesion in one of London’s most ethnically diverse boroughs. We worked to engage with local schools and libraries, encouraging reading group meetings and creative writing workshops.
Newham Council: operation clean sweep
Working with the London Borough of Newham and the Green Street Community Forum, we implemented two clean-up days designed to engage the local community in taking care of their local area. It also gave us an opportunity to promote the community forums to residents. The events attracted representatives of local schools, religious institutions, councillors, community forum members, residents and traders. In bringing together the key stakeholders, we set in place a process of sustainable environmental improvement in the area.
Newham Council: big sunday event
The London Borough of Newham commissioned us to capture on film the views of attendees at the borough’s largest indoor event, to tie in with London’s successful bid to host the 2012 olympics. We used our VideoQube and vox pops to record attendees’ views on Newham and its future. We also used pledge cards to encourage future involvement in the borough.
NHS foundation trusts
The introduction of foundation trusts is an exciting development in the NHS. Yet is presents as many challenges as it does opportunities. To be successful, foundation trusts must be fully engaged with their local communities and maintain an ongoing relationship with them.
We have worked with over 20 NHS trusts who have achieved, or are in the process of applying for, foundation trust status. Working with more trusts, staff and members of the public than any other practitioner in this field gives us an unprecedented understanding of the fabric of these new membership communities. We have first-hand knowledge of the approaches taken by these trusts to adapt and develop in order to meet established targets and criteria, and have worked with them to achieve this.
Our services include designing the membership strategy, conducting the consultation, recruiting the members, communicating with the members, managing the membership database and supporting the governor elections and governor development.
A new brochure, detailing our work on democracy and organisation development in foundation trusts will be published shortly.
North Cumbria mental health trust: cumbria consults!
We devised and facilitated a 12-week consultation for North Cumbria’s application for foundation trust status. The consultation needed to be sensitive due to the nature of the trust and include a wide variety of stakeholders in this large county. The consultation plan went beyond the traditional meeting. We established a consultation website www.cumbriaconsults.com which, together with the consultation document, allowed service users, staff and voluntary groups to have their say at any point during the 12-week period. This was supported by road shows, public meetings, focus groups, vox pops and stakeholder interviews.
Wakefield Council: liveability consultation
Wakefield District Council undertook a performance review of their liveability services in 2005, which assessed key, core quality of life issues from the perspective of the citizen and their experience of neighbourhood services – particularly those concerning the environment and community safety. We conducted qualitative research with citizens/service users and members of frontline staff to explore their perceptions and expectations of liveability services. This research helped to inform the development of options to improve service delivery.
Wakefield Council: fastforward
We helped Wakefield Council devise and implement their community strategy visioning exercise, and relaunched the community strategy as FastForward 2028. This process involved encouraging young people to film responses, and was praised by the Audit Commission.
Wakefield Council: LDF consultation
The government has introduced the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 which requires all local authorities to produce new local planning frameworks – known as local development frameworks (LDFs) - by Summer 2007. These will provide the planning strategy for delivering and promoting sustainable development. Engaging with local communities and groups forms an important part of preparing the LDF. On behalf of Wakefield District Council, we conducted qualitative research with citizens, businesses and special interest groups (eg faith groups, minority ethnic groups, disability groups and other community organisations) to inform the development of the LDF.
Wakefield MBC - Improving Recycling participation
We are working with the Council to build on its success and further improve recycling participation and recycling capture rates in a pilot area of the city. In addition to the delivering on the recycling objectives our work will also identify and encourage active citizens; provide first steps for members of the community to improve their local environment and increase community pride in the local area.
Wirral Hospitals NHS Trust: membership recruitment
We have supported the Trust with its NHS foundation trust application by running targeted campaigns to recruit 5,000 members. This included producing the new members' packs.
Used at over 40 community events in Newham so far, the Newham videoqube has succeeded in capturing the views and opinions of over 1,000 local residents since its inception in 2005. We have taken it to young people’s events, pensioners’ events, music events, library reading days and community planting days – enabling the council to access as diverse a range of opinion as possible. The videoqube was designed to ensure that people who have English as a second language could access it successfully. A DVD was produced following each event, which summarized feedback. Participants could also see their feedback on the website, via 
