Engagement is at the heart of local decision making

Devon County Council’s Leader John Hart says the Council wants to engage better with people and give communities more choice and control over the way local services are shaped and delivered.

It has a new draft strategy, setting out how the Council will go about its business of engagement, and is inviting people to tell them what they think about it and how it might be improved upon. 

Engagement, with the public and communities, businesses, other public and statutory authorities, voluntary sector organisations and a whole host more, is at the heart of the Council’s decision making process.

Often specific groups of people, carers or people with disabilities for example, are asked to help the Council reach decisions about services that affect them, and how those services can be improved.

Cllr Hart says:  “Engagement is a vital and healthy part of local democracy, and essential in giving communities opportunities to influence and be involved with decisions about services that affect them.”

The Council has published the strategy ‘Engaging Devon’ online here.

There’s an online questionnaire, inviting people to comment and suggest any improvements that could be made. People have until Friday 29th March 2013 to submit their responses.

Once all responses have been considered, and appropriate changes made, the strategy will be published on the Council’s website.  It’ll also publish what it has done in response to the comments received. 

Text and easy read versions of the questionnaire are available, as is help completing the survey from Fusion on 01392 459222 or email: Fusion@livingoptions.org.