People benefit most from public services that are based on a real understanding of their needs. This report aims to inform and encourage public sector service providers to develop new and effective ways of involving local people in improving the services that they use. We hope that it will help those providers who are not yet fully engaged with their local communities to make a meaningful start; that it will help to develop those who are already achieving some success in this area; and that it will provide fresh and challenging ideas for everyone.
Our own consultations with service providers show that they particularly value information about what works resulting from the efforts and experiences of others. In this guide we look across the full range of public sector services and encourage cross-fertilisation of ideas from local government, health and criminal justice. We have centred the guide on examples of good practice from a range of sources, setting out how specific issues involved in consulting, communicating with and involving service users have been tackled, and giving the details of contacts who are willing to provide further information about their projects.
In looking at the barriers to achieving involvement, we have identified four key problem areas where organisations could learn from the experiences of others:
- getting people interested
- involving the right people
- making use of technology
- shifting awareness