Lambeth’s Community Engagement Toolkit

July 15

2015 LAMBETH

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Contents Lambeth’s community engagement toolkit ............................................................................................ 3

What do we mean by community engagement? ................................................................... 4

Knowing Lambeth’s communities .......................................................................................... 9

Knowing what we want engagement to do ......................................................................... 11

Skills & Techniques for effective community engagement ................................................. 15

Monitoring & evaluation ...................................................................................................... 22

Appendices ............................................................................................................................................ 25

Appendix 1: Engaging with specific community groups – .................................................................... 25

Appendix 2: 5 steps to facilitating a meeting ....................................................................................... 36

Appendix 3: Communications expertise ............................................................................................... 38

How to design a leaflet or poster ......................................................................................... 39

How to produce a newsletter .............................................................................................. 41

How to organise an event .................................................................................................... 43

How to organise a public meeting ....................................................................................... 45

Appendix 4: Case studies ...................................................................................................................... 47

Appendix 5: Key community networks in Lambeth .............................................................................. 48

Appendix 6: Inviting the mayor or the Leader of Lambeth to your event ............................................ 49

Appendix 7: Further reading. ................................................................................................................ 51

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Lambeth’s community engagement toolkit

This toolkit is intended to be used by councillors and council officers to help them engage

with citizens more effectively than when using traditional engagement methods. However

citizens and people who do not work directly for the council should also find it useful as a

way of identifying key people in the council and the borough to work with and to use the

tools and advice given. There will be accompanying workshops and training materials that

will be available to everyone. In the meantime please contact ssheehan@lambeth.gov.uk

for more information.

The toolkit is organised according to five key questions that are useful in planning a

community engagement strategy.

Where on the ladder of participation is the work? How does it

relate to other work the Council

is doing? How can you move up the

ladder?

What do you

know about the

community you want to engage with

What do you want the

engagement to do and how can

you involve different

sectors of the community?

What methods

and techniques

will you use?

How will you know if your engagement

is successful?

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What do we mean by community engagement?

Lambeth is a cooperative borough. This means that the council has committed to working in

partnership with local people to make our borough a better place to live and work. We

know that we can achieve more by working together, and this means that the council must

respect the contribution residents can make and find

ways to help them make it, by being as open,

transparent and collaborative as possible.

In recent years we have made a great deal of

progress in changing the ways the council works to

create a more equal partnership. There are many

good examples of the council working together with

the community – for example by taking care of the

physical environment through initiatives such as

Freshview and the Neighbourhood Enhancement

Programme, giving local people greater influence

over the services that are delivered in the borough

for example through the Young Lambeth

Cooperative. Since shifting towards a commissioning

model, the council has also developed a more mature and sustainable relationship with

local community organisations who carry out important community engagement and

development, for example through supporting the work of the local Neighbourhood Forums

and the development of the Community Hub Network.

Through this work we have learned a great deal about how the council can work with the

local community and the many different forms this can take. Sometimes the council is

facilitating the community to do things itself. Sometimes we are bringing people together in

new ways, to support new activity and help build stronger relationships. Sometimes we are

actively involving people in commissioning and designing services. In other cases local

people are taking over the running of services. And at other times, the council needs to find

ways to engage with local people about big changes that are being planned, for example

through regeneration projects, which will bring benefit but also change to our communities.

‘Engagement’ then, can take many different forms, ranging from co-production through to

more straightforward forms of communication.

One useful way to visualise these different forms of engagement is through the ‘Ladder of

participation’ (see figure 2). This shows the different ways that the council can work with

residents, and places ‘engagement’ at the centre of a spectrum. This Toolkit focuses on

engagement as described in this spectrum, engaging and involving people by asking for their

views, but it is important to recognise that there are ways this can be done which are more

empowering for residents than others. In addition, it is important to recognise that doing

“the council needs to find

ways to engage with local

people about big changes

that are being planned, for

example through

regeneration projects,

which will bring benefit

but also change to our

communities “

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engagement well is essential to building good relationships and trust with local people,

which might also encourage them to engage in activities which are higher up the spectrum

by becoming active citizens.

As a cooperative council, good engagement is the minimum that we expect as an

organisation. Even where consultation and communication are appropriate, deeper

engagement often needs to work alongside these (for example community workshops and

other forms of face to face engagement alongside questionnaires and surveys), in order to

ensure we really understand the views of our community. In practice, several of these forms

of participation are often required alongside each other.

There are many times that the Council needs to inform people about services on offer, and

‘educate’ people – for example, making people aware of the services that we offer, but we

also want to talk to people about their ideas for how services could be delivered better in

their particular area, or how they think people could help the council contain costs such as

by recycling waste better. So we need to ensure that when we do engage in an ‘informing’

or ‘educating’ way, we keep the door open for opportunities for greater participation.

‘Informing’ and ‘educating’ are mainly to do with our communications strategies with

residents, and these can be used to encourage greater engagement by signposting to other

methods.

We might also engage with people to ask them for their views on how to design services,

and conduct formal consultations. Again there is a role for this work, but it is useful if it can

be seen as a part of a spectrum of engagement. For example, a consultation often needs to

happen at a particular time, in a particular way because it is a statutory requirement.

However, it can still be useful as a way of building relationships between council staff and

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citizens who care about improving the borough, and developing ideas and activities for

making improvements happen.

With better relationships coproduction is possible. This is where citizens and council staff

work in equal partnership to design solutions and deliver outcomes. Council officers may

not be leading the work but they can be helpful at all times.

The Brixton Pound is an example of this. The Brixton Pound was designed and established by

a community organisation. The council helps facilitate the Brixton Pound by supporting the

development of the project e.g. through funding bids, accepting and promoting the Brixton

Pound and sharing the ambitions of the Brixton Pound community organisation to achieve

outcomes for the borough.

Another example is the Neighbourhood Enhancement Programme. The Council and local

councillors worked closely with communities in neighbourhoods to design transport

infrastructure improvements. Community members were involved in the decision-making,

including funding decisions, and in some cases were even able to deliver some

improvements. For example one community designed and raised funding for a community

garden on a piece of public land, called the Edible Bus Stop.

These are good examples of cooperative working, but it is also important to ensure that the

relationships that are built up in the context of one project endure and are built upon when

engaging on a new project in the same area. At the same time though we should make sure

that we don’t exclude new members/communities.

In summary, in the context of being a cooperative borough, community engagement is part

of a spectrum of citizen participation. It ranges from communications such as leaflets and

the website, to surveys, consultations & workshops, and then on to full scale coproduction,

with citizens involved in designing solutions and being part of the decision-making structure.

What does good engagement look like?

Lambeth has developed a short set of principles to guide effective community engagement.

These were developed through a Cabinet Review of Community Engagement in spring 2015,

which engaged with a number of people from the community about how they wanted

engagement to work. (More information can be found here).

Those principles are:

We have open and transparent conversations with residents that reflect our ethos

as a borough and offer an equal voice to all.

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Lambeth is committed to fairness and opportunity for all, and the political administration

puts high importance on equality. It is therefore essential that all our residents are able to

engage about issues that matter to them. This means that engagement opportunities need

to be planned which suit the preferences of different groups, including those who are less

likely to attend a public meeting.

Engagement is about building productive and sustainable relationships

Community engagement should not be seen only as an activity that takes place within a

specific project, at a certain stage of that project. Instead it should always be seen as an

opportunity to build and develop relationships. One way that this can happen is by officers

and councillors working more closely together. Councillors often have existing relationships

in their ward and good networks. Councillors also have an understanding of the community

they represent which is a valuable source of insight in relation to any specific project of

issue the council wants to talk to the community about.

Thinking about engagement as building relationships, rather than an occasional activity,

would also help address the fact that members of the community can’t always see the

impact their contribution has made, and do not always receive a follow up communication

about what happened next. This can be damaging to trust and undermine relationships. It

should be a matter of good practice that the council maintains contact with local people

throughout any process, and ensures they are informed about what happens next. It also

means that these ongoing relationships can help improve cooperation between the council

and local people in the longer term, once a specific project is complete.

Given the council’s commitment to building a more equal partnership with residents as a

cooperative council, it is important that good engagement is recognised as a key part of how

this will be achieved.

Knowing the community is essential to good engagement

The Council holds a great deal of information about the borough’s communities – for

example the different ethnic groups who live in the borough and where they are based, the

languages spoken, the socio-economic status of different communities and so on – however

it does not always use this information to shape engagement.

Working with councillors is part of the solution, as councillors can often add to any picture

that data can give with a more nuanced understanding of the community. This might include

the needs of the community, major issues it is faced with, who the community leaders are

and who is already active and engaged. The other part of the solution is to make better use

of the council’s data and research. For example in recent years the council has conducted

research into the Polish, Portuguese and Black Caribbean communities, and it often uses

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ethnographic research to plan engagement or even activities with these communities. This

insight can form an important basis for planning engagement.

Good planning and coordination is key to effective engagement

Good planning is essential to effective engagement and the ability to use engagement as a

means of building productive and sustainable relationships, as detailed above.

Good planning involves:

Being clear about the scope of any engagement activity, and leaving the door open

for future conversations by others. Ensure that councillors and other network

owners are part of any engagement work so that conversations are meaningful

over the long term.

Making time to feed back to participants the results of any community

engagement activities, and any materials arising such as minutes or actions. The

panel found that it is difficult for people to trust that they have been listened to or

that their views have been heard, if officers do not feed back.

Taking into account how people prefer to engage and going to ’where the

community is’ – for example places where people come together such as places of

worship, cafes and school gates.

Ensuring that language is not a barrier to engagement by ensuring that the

council’s translation policy is adhered to.

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Knowing Lambeth’s communities

Before we embark on community engagement it is important to understand our

communities. There is not one definition of ‘community’ within Lambeth, and we have a

very diverse demographic makeup.

Our ethnic minority and cultural mix

Nearly a third of a million people live in Lambeth and the borough has a complex ethnic and

cultural mix, with large African, Latin American and Portuguese-speaking populations.

Lambeth is an important focus for the black Caribbean

population. It is a destination for many migrants,

especially the young, from around Britain and abroad - in

particular Poland and other EU countries as well as

Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Approximately

12% of the population leave each year and are replaced

by around 12% new arrivals, underlining the fact that the

borough is changing. Anecdotally, Lambeth has the

largest European Portuguese speaking population outside

of Portugal and there are 6,400 adult Polish speakers in

the borough. A good starting point for developing an

understanding of people who live in the borough and the

changes it is facing is the council’s annual State of the Borough report.

There are further detailed research reports on the Lambeth website and all Lambeth-owned

data is accessible here. For further information about data we hold and how to interpret it

please contact Georges Sen-Gupta gsengupta@lambeth.gov.uk.

Understanding characteristics like languages spoken, ethnicity and faith will help identify

barriers to participation. However the best way to overcome those barriers is to tap into the

knowledge and networks of colleagues. If you are working on a particular subject area find

out whether there are people in the Council that have already worked with this group. Some

of Lambeth’s main networks are listed in Appendix 5. For further information about

Lambeth’s networks contact Susan Sheehan ssheehan@lambeth.gov.uk.

If you are working in a particular neighbourhood, ward councillors are essential community

connectors. They have a detailed knowledge of their wards and are well acquainted with key

individuals. Councillors are all contactable directly via the contact details listed on the

Lambeth website. Anyone can contact a councillor – there is no specific protocol to be

aware of. In practice councillors are often very busy and focused on case work so email or

phone may not be the best way to contact them. Check with colleagues to avoid duplication

and try talking to them at meetings where you know they will be present such as

“Councillors are very

important community

connectors. They have a

detailed knowledge of

their wards and are well

acquainted with key

individuals”

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neighbourhood forums or resident association meetings. This will also give you the chance

to get to know the community that you want to work with.

Councillors are organised in neighbourhoods and meet regularly in their groupings to

discuss issues that affect their local areas. You may be able to attend one of their meetings

or get your project on their agenda. Lead neighbourhood councillors are listed in the table

below:

Figure 3: Neighbourhood leads

Brixton - Councillor Florence Eshalomi

Clapham - Councillor Marsha de Cordova

North Lambeth - Councillor David Amos

Norwood - Councillor Fred Cowell

Streatham - Councillor John Kazantzis

The Mayor of Lambeth has a role to play in supporting community engagement in the

borough. The mayor is a figurehead and is invited to all sorts of events across the borough

but this means he/she gets to know lots of people and can help make links between the

Council and the community. The Leader of the Council can also attend community events

but her role is more political and she receives more invitations than she is able to attend.

Guidance on inviting the Mayor and the Leader to your events is contained in Appendix 6.

If you are unable to get in touch with councillors please talk to the Cooperative Business

Development team c/o Susan Sheehan ssheehan@lambeth.gov.uk who will liaise with the

Whip’s office and opposition councillors as appropriate.

The Metropolitan Police Safer Neighbourhood teams are organised by council ward and

often have good local networks. They are regularly invited to local neighbourhood events

such as estate days and street parties. They are contactable via the Lambeth Metropolitan

police website.

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Knowing what we want engagement to do

Every email, letter, conversation or workshop is important because it is a way of creating

and building relationships with citizens. If we are engaging effectively, this can build trust

and can potentially lead to greater participation of local

people. As a cooperative council, we want to work

closely with residents to tackle the issues that they care

about, and this means providing the ways and the

means for residents to participate and become active

citizens. The best engagement comes from working

with a community which already has a relationship with

the council and is well networked with other groups in

the borough. If we know what motivates people to

participate then we can understand how to engage with

them in the first place.

According to a large study by the National Council for

Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) there are four things that need to be present for

participation to take place:

Figure 4: Four things need to be present for participation to begin -

Source: Pathways through Participation, 2011, NCVO. http://pathwaysthroughparticipation.org.uk/

Personal Motivation. This could be helping others, developing relationships, having

values and beliefs, having influence or being able to realise some kind of personal

benefit

Trigger. The main triggers are an emotional reaction, such as anger, a response to

a threat, a personal life event, an external influence

Resources. These are practical resources such as time and money, learnt resources

such as skills, knowledge or experience, and ‘felt’ resources such as confidence

Opportunity. This might be ‘the right environment’ or conditions such as being able

to meet easily because there is a convenient space for that to happen, or being

able to tap into good social networks.

“One of the ways to

ensure that people have a

good experience is to

understand that not

everyone wants to

participate in the same

way.”

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According to the same report, once participation is established, it is easy for it to continue,

as long as the experience is good quality and there are resources in place. However it can

also stop quite easily, if the experience is poor quality, and resources are lacking. Also

people might have to stop because of a change in the personal circumstances.

One of the ways to ensure that people have a good experience is to understand that not

everyone wants to participate in the same way. Community engagement specialists, the

Kaizen Partnership, have come up with seven archetypes of engagement by the community.

All of these types of engagement are valuable and are not mutually exclusive- residents can

and will do different types of engagement.

The seven archetypes are:

Helping - People who help out by doing things. Examples of this could be assisting

an elderly neighbour with her shopping, or taking a pot of soup around to

someone who is ill, or picking up some litter off the street

Reactive - People who react to things that happen and say when things go badly, or

when they go well. Examples of this could be calling up to report a burnt out car, a

parent telling their child’s school that they are being bullied, or writing to thank

the nurses at the hospital who gave such wonderful care to someone you care

about

Responsive – People who respond when asked for their view or opinion. Examples

of this could be filling in a survey about the local area, attending a community

meeting, being part of a focus group, voting, or responding when asked: “what do

you think about....”

Strategic – People who operate at a strategic level and influence policy, projects or

organisations. Examples of this could be being a parent governor at a school, being

on a local tenants association or being a trustee of a charity

Supportive – People who support projects and schemes that are already

happening. Examples of this could be volunteering at the local charity shop,

recycling, being a special constable, or staying at the nursery for stop and play

sessions

Generative – People who generate new projects, organisations or initiatives, based

on seeing that something is missing. Examples of this could range from being a

social entrepreneur and setting up a new organisation, to establishing a free

school, or starting a new project within your organisation

Engaging – People who engage, catalyse, connect or encourage others. Examples of

this could be network building, introducing two people (or organisations together)

or facilitating and engaging others to be a part of a project, or to change their mind

Individuals might play different roles in different situations. For example someone might be

‘supportive’ and do their recycling, but they might also participate in workshops and help

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their neighbour out. If we can provide opportunities for each of these archetypes in our

community engagement then we have a better chance of engaging with a wide range of

people.

Figure 5: Not everyone wants to work in the same way – The Seven Archetypes of

Community Engagement

Source: Kaizen Partnership

Questions to think about when engaging (plan/do/review)

Plan

What is the purpose of the engagement? What is the right level of engagement for

this issue?

Who are the key communities to engage with? (by area, service users, ethnicity

etc.)

What will they want to get from the engagement?

Are we already engaging with these communities? Do we already have contacts in

these communities? Can we join together with others in the Council who also want

to engage with these communities?

What barriers are there to making this work?

How could we improve on previous engagement efforts?

What council resources are available to help with this (using other teams’

experience, councillors, overlap with other projects going on etc.)?

What methods will we use to engage with the community?

What will success look like?

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Do

Are we doing what we said we would do?

Are we keeping everyone informed?

Are stakeholders being given proper feedback and explanations?

What are we getting from this engagement? Does the strategy need to be adjusted

at all?

Are we doing equalities monitoring?

Where are we holding the events?

Review

Did engagement reach all of the desired communities?

Was the engagement a success? How did it match/differ from the original

outcomes?

Has the work been feedback to the community?

How could the lessons from this help improve future community engagement?

Has this been evaluated against the council’s evaluation framework?

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Skills & Techniques for effective community engagement

Lambeth staff are required to exhibit behaviours that focus on citizens. In practice these

behaviours are still relatively new to some people and have yet to become embedded so

there is support and training for officers, councillors and the community from the

Cooperative Business Development team c/o Susan Sheehan ssheehan@lambeth.gov.uk.

The table below highlights some Dos and Don’ts that came up at the Community

Engagement Cabinet Review Panel

Figure 6: Dos and Don’ts for effective community engagement taken from

discussion at Community Engagement Cabinet Review Panel

DO DON’T

Be facilitative – help people do the things they want to do

Think that just because it is beyond your remit to try to solve a particular problem that you can’t try to find other people to work with

Keep the big picture (a better borough) in mind and keep discussions open

Close discussions down if they are not going exactly the way you want them to go

Be open and transparent Hold information or insight back until you have approval to share it

Make sure people feel at ease so that they too are open and share information with you

Make them think your council position could get them into trouble

Share the problem, not just the solution Think that just because you don’t have a solution now it is not something that could be done in the future

Be clear about who is making decisions, timelines and any other constraints

Tell half the story because you think people are not capable of understanding the full story

Be personable, empathetic and share your personal reasons for involvement

Be an overly formal ‘council officer’

Make the community feel like an asset and appreciate the value they bring

Make the community feel like a burden

Maintain on-going communication and get back to people with results/developments

Just engage for one project/activity and then disappear

Appreciate that every contact with citizens contains the potential for greater participation. Your contact is helping build trust generally.

Allow dissatisfaction with the Council to fester. It will lead to distrust of the Council in general.

Acknowledge issues in the local area, even if the council is not directly responsible, so that residents feel supported

Refuse to engage on community issues because they are not council related and make residents feel ignored

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There are a wide range of methods & techniques that can be used for community

engagement. They are summarised in the table below.

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Figure 7: Methods for community engagement/coproduction in Lambeth

Method What’s it good for? Strengths Weaknesses Rung on ladder of

participation

Further information/help

Leaflets/posters Publicising an event or a regular activity

Reaches people who are not on the internet

Not the best way of communicating detailed or complex information. Doesn’t offer opportunity for discussion.

Low How to design a leaflet/poster – see Appendix 3

Email Keeping in touch with the same people regularly

Once people have asked to be on your email list you can regularly engage with them and vice versa

People are bombarded with emails and do not necessarily read them all. Not everyone has access to a computer.

Low A lot of council officers have email networks see Appendix 4

Websites Sharing more detailed information to a large number of people over a long period of time, potential link to social networking

Facilitates openness and transparency. Allows for a story to build up

Not everyone has access to a computer

Low How to set up a website see Appendix 3

Social networking eg Twitter & Facebook

Tapping into on-line communities. Allows for ad hoc conversation & awareness raising

Can help build relationships and communities and enables conversations

Impact limited to people who already use social media

Low/Medium How to use social media – see Appendix 3 link to good Lambeth social media networks eg Portuguese facebook

Designing an App, Game or Web Tool

Can create a fun way to deal with complex issues

Can be fun and highly visual Can enable complex discussion eg regarding funding

Impact limited to people who have access to a computer Can oversimplify a complex issue Cannot be difficult to link directly to decision making

Low/Medium Lambeth has developed apps for libraries and parks to help inform discussions about available spending and decisions that need to be made. You can read about the library app here: http://www.theguardian.com/local-government-network/2013/jul/30/lambeth-library-app-challenges-residents

Newsletters Sharing more detailed information; establishing a brand

Can communicate lots of messages

Can be out of date quickly. Does not allow for further discussion – message is one-way

Low How to write a newsletter – See Appendix 3

Pop-up stalls Face-to-face communication at places where people go

Can give information and get feedback Can generate a lot of interest

People need to know what happens next so need to design follow-up eg capture people’s contact details &

Medium A new Loughborough Junction Masterplan coproduction toolkit provides some good practice

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give out leaflets with your own contact details so conversation can continue

advice. For further information please contact ssheehan@lambeth.gov.uk

Door knocking Face-to-face communication in a particular neighbourhood.

Very good way of reaching vast majority of people, and knowing who has been missed. Councillors use this method of engagement regularly for political campaign work

Very time consuming. May have to work unsociable hours to find people in. Some people are reluctant to open their doors to strangers

Medium Talk to local councillors in first instance

Questionnaire/surveys Gathering quantitative (and to a lesser extent) qualitative data on community needs, assets and opinions. Can be targeted at specific groups

Can be a low cost (particularly if use digital technology such as Survey Monkey) and quick way to get feedback on a particular issue

Response rate to surveys can be low

Medium Mark Picksley mpicksley@lambeth.gov.uk

Written consultation exercises

Getting details views on complex information from interested parties

Can provide users with detailed information and allow them to give considered views. Can be used to ratify conclusions already reached through coproduction, particularly where evidence of consultation is required.

Responses can often be low Cost of printing and distributing documents can be significant Timescales can be longer than for some other methods Analysing responses can be resource-intensive

Medium Mark Picksley mpicksley@lambeth.gov.uk

Focus groups

Allows for an in-depth conversation to gain greater understanding of a particular topic/issue

Organisers can gain a lot of good qualitative information quickly. Can support the development of new groups/networks when participants find that they have shared interests or experiences and want to work together going forward to address these

Difficult to ensure there is good representation and balance in the group. Discussion in groups can lead to conflict so needs to be well managed. Not open – no opportunity for feedback and does not lead to further discussion

Medium Mark Picksley mpicksley@lambeth.gov.uk

Peer researchers Involving local people in the development of their area and using their local links and knowledge to encourage wider participation

Participants and peer researchers can develop a more effective and engaging rapport than traditional market research organisations. They are likely to speak local community languages. They are likely to know the area

Recruitment and training of peer researchers, and subsequent monitoring and quality assurance, can be time consuming.

Medium Policy team can advise on this. Contact Mark Picksley for further information mpicksley@lambeth.gov.uk

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well.

Open/public meetings Informing people about a topic and starting a conversation

Open and transparent way of sharing a problem/issue. Can lead to good relationship building if open to taking views on-board

Meetings can be dominated by individuals who are not representative of the community.

Medium Ensure councillors are briefed & ideally involved in any open/public meetings. How to publicise your event and how to run a public meeting. When to involve Lambeth Communications – see Appendix 3

Events e.g. Lambeth Country Show

Give people an enjoyable reason to attend a consultation session.

Focus does not have to be on one core issue. Can glean insight on a range of issues. Can facilitate multiple outcomes eg wellbeing. Opportunity to involve local people in design and delivery of event.

Spending on ‘fun’ events needs to be ‘proportionate’.

Medium/High For example, a councillor ran a ‘pamper’ session to bring parents together to talk about young people and gangs. Events should be ‘fun, practical and inspiring’

Workshops In-depth face-to-face detailed discussion – can take a variety of forms

Enables people to engage in informed, meaningful discussions. Allows people to develop their opinions. Opportunity to develop solutions, not just obtain views. People can split into groups so many different conversations can happen.

Requires skilled facilitation. Not all people who turn up for a workshop are able to take part fully so make sure there is space for people just to gain information and stay in touch/comment at another time in the future

Medium/High 5 steps to facilitating a meeting/workshop document – see Appendix 2

Open Space meetings Bringing people together withut a fixed agenda to move a big issue forward

Makes best use of the expertise and interests in the room Can be organised quickly, with little cost and preparation Can reveal leaders, who wouldn’t step forward in regular meetings Puts people on an equal footing – councillors, officers, residents, etc. all equal

Requires some experience of the process and confidence that it works It is important to focus on next steps at the meeting otherwise meeting may be viewed as an end in itself

Medium/High Susan Sheehan is an experienced Open Space facilitator.

Community Mapping Asking people to share their likes/dislikes/understanding of an area by putting points on a large map

People tend to find maps very engaging Can stimulate lots of discussion Can build a sense of community

Participants need to be familiar with the local area Can generate ideas which are not possible to implement

Medium/High Colleagues in planning, regeneration and transport regularly use maps for community engagement. Refer to the Making

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ownership Can be a good way to hear and listen to other people’s views

Information Work Sharepoint for information about how to request a map or make your own map.

Digital Story-telling Asking people to share their experiences/views of an issue or area and sharing it on a website or edited radio/TV channel

Can target particular individuals to get a range of representative views Recordings represent a moment in time and can spark further discussion Can help people share experiences with people they wouldn’t otherwise be in a room with.

Communication is one-way and does not necessarily encourage conversation. Some people may prefer not to be recorded and identified.

Medium A digital story-telling pilot was recently conducted by Surrey University in Lambeth. Contact Susan Sheehan ssheehan@lambeth.gov.uk for more information.

Art & creativity Asking people to express how they feel about a subject or an area by asking them to take photos and making a montage – on social media or in reality – do some Vox Pop interviews, songs, poems, artwork (eg plasticine, painting, lego) that describes an area or a change, or engaging a graphic artist to document a discussion/workshop.

Suitable for all ages Interactive and engaging Can capture a moment in time or help develop a common vision

May be off-putting to people who lack confidence in their creativity Some space/equipment requirements

Medium If you are working with young people Young Lambeth Coop may be able to help. Use local artists where possible and ask your networks if they know anyone. Sue Sheehan ssheehan@lambeth.gov.uk has some community mapping materials

Reference groups/User panels/Advisory panels

On-going coproduction Can be a good starting point for coproduction once relationships have been built. Reference group and panel members can be very well informed on issues. If groups are formally recognised there is a clear link between community inputs and influence on policy and service planning.

Difficult to ensure there is good representation and balance in the group. Individuals can be inaccessible to the wider community. Groups are normally informing people who are making the decisions rather than being part of decision-making directly. Can be very time consuming for participants, and officers need to value and support this contribution.

Medium/High For more information contact Ssheehan@lambeth.gov.uk

Champions programmes

Developing experts in the community to work with on an on-going basis

Recognises people as assets. Usually designed to address a particular issue or concern.

Can need lots of support and advice from council officers

High Eg Green Community Champions, Parent Champions, Street Champions, Digibuddies, Snow

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Can build some camaraderie Wardens Contact ssheehan@lambeth.gov.uk

Forums Neighbourhood or theme-based groupings of people who can develop their own programmes

Forums are in place for a long time. Build local leadership that is sustainable

Can needs lots of support and advice from council officer

High Contact Gerry Evans Gevans2@lambeth.gov.uk

Partnerships/boards On-going coproduction Have more decision-making power than reference groups or advisory panels. Partnerships & boards can lead the direction of work. Can be a good way of getting consensus across a range of organisations

Council officers/councillors can find it difficult to hand over decision-making – need to set clear constraints in advance and be clear about level of decision-making and what happens if there is a dispute.

High Eg Lambeth Food Partnership, SLICARE or contact Ssheehan@lambeth.gov.uk

Freshviews Getting the community together and starting a conversation/relationship in an area

Can be combined with other methods of engagement Allows officers, members and the community to work together Addresses a particular issue or concern Can build some camaraderie

Only a one day event so is time limited There is a limit to the type of activity that can happen at a Freshview

High Freshview@lambeth.gov.uk; or responsible officers Richard Easthope (REasthope@lambeth.gov.uk) or Jason Prentis (JPrentis@lambeth.gov.uk)

Street Parties Getting the community together and creating neighbourhood links, hard to reach residents can turn up, a fun way to interact with residents

Can engage hard to reach residents on the day of the event Can start local leadership Encourages pride in the borough and showcases the council in a positive light Can use the event for something specific or to glean insight on a range of issues

Only one day event so is time limited Difficult to ensure the organisers are representative of the whole community Only need council permission for road closures so can have low levels of involvement Costs of organising can by high

High TrafficManager@lambeth. gov.uk licensing@lambeth.gov.uk Online guidance here

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Monitoring & evaluation

Monitoring

Monitoring is the routine and systematic collection of information which describes the

activity, service or project being delivered. It includes data on inputs, outputs, outcomes and

sometimes impact. In the context of engagement activity, examples of monitoring

information collected may include:

- expenditure, staff and volunteer time (inputs), numbers of engagement

events/activities delivered, number and profile of users engaged, satisfaction with

activities engaged in (outputs)

- any changes or difference made as a result of your engagement, for example

increased interest in/understanding of an issue, interest in participating in future

events (outcomes)

Monitoring should ideally be planned as early as possible in any engagement programme so

that it can be built into the design. What is monitored will be informed by the aims and

objectives of the engagement activity, as well as a range of practical considerations

including financial resource available, staff capacity and timescales.

Effective monitoring can help identify if engagement activity is reaching the intended people

and whether the opportunities offered by this engagement are being maximised. It helps

demonstrate what has been achieved, contributing to accountability and transparency. It

also provides learning and material with which to evaluate the programme and develop it

further going forward.

There are a range of different tools for collecting monitoring data including:

- Monitoring forms. Standard equality monitoring questions are set out in the

Lambeth equality monitoring policy.

- Surveys or questionnaires. These are a good way of capturing whether

participating in an engagement event or activity has changed people’s

understanding or perception of an issue, for example.

- Feedback sheets. These are particularly important if you are trying out new

approaches or trying to engage new groups of people and want to understand how

well an activity has worked as part of evaluation activity (see below).

- Interviews, in particular vox pops. These are powerful for capturing individual

perspectives on issues or experiences, and with appropriate consent can be used

as a communication tool.

- Records and notes.

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It will not always be possible or appropriate to ask people to complete a monitoring form or

survey, for example. This is especially true if people will have had very brief interactions

with the activity or it has been very ‘light touch’. In these instances it is worth considering:

- A signing in book. This is useful for drop in events. Ask people to sign in their

names and add a comment. You will be able to see if people are attending

regularly and, if you ask for contact details, be able to contact them again.

- A photo and a comment. Take a polaroid picture and pin it up with a post-it

comment, or use a digital/social networking platform such as twitter or Instagram

and collate at the end.

- Taking photos. Photos of large events will give a good idea of who has attended.

Evaluation

Evaluation is about using data (including monitoring information) to make judgements

about the value of engagement work and what has been achieved as a result of it. It is also

about using this information to make changes and improvements.

As with monitoring, it is helpful to plan how you will evaluate engagement activity as early

in the process as possible so that you can put necessary data collection methods in place.

The scale of any evaluation activity you undertake is likely to reflect how much engagement

activity you are undertaking and whether it is part of a broader programme of work. For

example, the evaluation of engagement undertaken at a one- off event will be very different

form evaluation of engagement undertaken to inform or support large and/or high profile

programmes of work.

The council is currently developing an evaluation toolkit that will include guidance relevant

to community engagement. In the meantime here is some broad guidance to follow when

evaluating community engagement work:

- Link back to the first part of your plan, do and review process and assess the work

by the initial outcomes that you established.

- Think about right kind of evaluation for the policy – this may include:

o ‘process’ evaluation (how your engagement activity was delivered);

o ‘impact’ evaluation (what difference the engagement activity made);

and/or,

o ‘economic’ evaluation (whether the benefits outweighed the costs).

In all likelihood, most engagement activity can be evaluated using process

evaluation with an element of impact evaluation. Economic evaluation is likely

to be difficult to deliver because of challenges associated with attributing

financial value to engagement outcomes.

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- Evaluation of your activity will probably involve analysing data collected as part of

monitoring activity (see above). If you want to ask participants to reflect on and

evaluate their experiences of engagement in more depth, you may also wish to

consider using methods like in-depth interviews or focus groups.

- Think about whether your methods are ethical, offering anonymity to people

offering feedback. Also think about whether the team involved in evaluation

activity will be able to encourage open and honest feedback and analyse results

objectively.

- Ask for help if you need it. If you are unfamiliar with evaluation practice or simply

need more resource, ask colleagues for help. Lambeth’s policy team has a number

of members with evaluation expertise who may be able to help you.

- Share learning from your evaluation. Colleagues in other services across the council

are likely to benefit about what you have learned from the evaluation of your

engagement activity, particularly if you have been testing new approaches or

targeting communities we have not engaged in the past. Consider sharing your

learning on Yammer, on the learning and evaluation team site or as part of a

lunchtime learning session.

- It may be that you would like to evaluate your work but that you do not have the

financial resource or capacity to do this. In these cases it is worth approaching

academic institutions (schools or universities) to see if they have an interest in

helping you with the evaluation.

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Appendices

Appendix 1: Engaging with specific community groups –

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BME Communities

Understanding the community: what do we know?

The BME community is not a single cultural group, but is made up of different and diverse communities with different needs; some groups have a long history as residents of the borough, where others do not. Lambeth is a highly diverse community which is home to nearly a third of a million people. 142 languages are spoken and only 40% of residents are white British, with 25% being black, as well as significant Latin American and Portuguese speaking populations. Lambeth is a destination for many migrants, particularly young people, and 12% of the population changes each year. Black people make up a quarter of the population (25%). Lambeth’s largest non-white ethnic group is black African (11.5%), followed by black Caribbean (9.8%). Lambeth has the second largest proportion of black Caribbean people in London (9.5%) after Lewisham (11%). Lambeth has a very small Asian population compared to many places in London. Only 7.8% of Lambeth residents are from Asian backgrounds (including Chinese), much less than the inner London average (14.5%).

Do’s

Try to understand the different cultures within the BME community in relation to things like dress, physical contact, cultural behaviour, community languages and food

Engage with BME organisations as they have links across the community. These groups may respond better to voluntary sector organisations

Support BME organisations to make wider links with existing networks and statutory organisations

Consider the need to translate information

Provide culturally-specific food such as halal, kosher and vegetarian

Be aware of cultural celebrations, and ensure there are no clashes with events– consult a faith calendar

Go into the community to hold events so the community is comfortable and the location is neutral

Encourage BME residents to join in civic life e.g. taking part in events, joining tenants’ organisations or the boards or steering groups of projects or initiatives in the borough

Don’ts

Assume that all BME cultures are the same

Ignore the networks that BME organisations have

Engage with BME organisations in a silo without making wider connections for them in the community

Only provide information in one format

Assume that all communities work on the same schedule as the council

Make the community come to the council

Think that just because BME residents are not currently involved in civic life it means that they are not interested in further opportunities in this area

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Faith Communities

Understanding the community: what do we know?

Faith groups are conduits to large numbers of people. Over 60% of Lambeth residents have a religion and 28% have no religion. Christians (53%) and Muslims (7%) are the largest group of residents by religion, which have differing ethnic profiles. In broad terms, Lambeth’s Christian population is about 34% white British, 18% other white, 15% black African and 13% black Caribbean. The Muslim population is about 31% Asian, 33% black African and 10% other ethnic group. Over a quarter of residents have no religion. These are overwhelmingly white British (60%), white other (15%), and 9% of mixed ethnic groups.

Do’s

Ensure you have the contacts of the key organisations that represent faith groups: mosques, churches, temples, synagogues, gurdwaras etc.

Make sure that meetings are timed appropriately e.g. not during the time Muslims break fast in Ramadan.

Ensure refreshments are appropriate e.g. kosher, halal, vegetarian

Dress appropriately when visiting or hosting faith representatives

Engage with local interfaith organisations as they will help you gain a greater understanding of the communities, as well as having links with faith groups

Develop relationships with people in faith community to develop an awareness of community politics or specific issues

Develop relationships within communities. There are usually communities within communities who do not often get an opportunity to be involved- do research to find out where these sections come together

Have meetings at a neutral location or, if multifaith, try and vary the faith-based venues

Consider the need to translate information

Don’ts

Initiate physical contact such as hand shaking with faith members as some orthodox communities may not be comfortable with this

Assume that members of the same faith will be the same- there is a mix of liberal and orthodox in any faith group and a range of sects and denominations

Hold meetings at places where this is alcohol

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Portuguese community

Understanding the community: what do we know?

The Portuguese speaking community in Lambeth is large and embedded, and can be difficult to penetrate and research. The community possesses many valuable people and organisations that make a noticeable effort to act in a socially responsible manner. Recent successes show that people are working hard to improve their own community. Furthermore, the vast majority of key stakeholders and endorsers display a willingness to work with the communications team to improve the lives of Portuguese speakers in Lambeth

Do’s

Talk to as many and as varied an amount of people as possible (less than 3 people present, 30m-1h30m, had over 30 face to face meetings and more via email)

Ask interviewees for recommendations for further contacts for engagement

Undertake a thorough scoping exercise before starting engagement (work out what the desired outcome would be so that research can be structured and focused accordingly)

Keep it sustainable (build a contact list of stakeholders and endorsers so that they can get feedback and be kept in the loop for future actions)

Make people feel at ease so they share information (stop idea that they could get in trouble talking to the council, be personable, share reasons behind research- by the end people were talking about it and approaching researcher themselves)

Consider the need to translate information

Use established social media platforms

Help to explain how the council’s works, both in terms of services and politically

Use existing events to engage e.g. Day of Portugal

Don’ts

Assume all members of the Portuguese community want have the same needs- older generations are more likely to speak less English and suffer from isolation, women have less access to formal social gatherings

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Polish community

Understanding the community: what do we know?

Polish people have become a major presence within Lambeth. The Polish population are increasingly visible in the borough, especially in Streatham, where there are an increasing number of Polish shops and restaurants. However, this visibility is in stark contrast to the representation of Poles within local political forums and decision making processes, where the community is virtually silent.

Do’s

Work with Polish speaking groups, as these have a much wider reach through the community

Consider the need to translate information

Help to explain how the council’s works, both in terms of services and politically

Engage with families as this helps to capture a wide age range

Don’ts

Assume all members of the community are the same. There is a generational gap between older members who do not speak English well and are more isolated, and younger members who have more of a European identity and focus on their careers

Use negative stereotypes when referring to the Polish or Eastern European community

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Business community

Understanding the community: what do we know?

Businesses are important to the borough. Lambeth is a place where businesses are welcome and encouraged to grow and engaging with businesses to help create this sustainable business base is vital. It is important to remember that businesses are users of local public services; services provided in an area and the physical environment can have a big impact on their profitability. When engaging businesses in Lambeth, remember that in Lambeth there are many sole-person and family businesses owned and run by local residents who will also engage with local services in that capacity. Remember also that businesses will be keenest to engage on the issues that have an immediate impact on their trade.

Do’s

Hold meetings when business are not open

Make the issues relevant to the business

Think local and have smaller events close to businesses

Reduce the burden on businesses by joining up with other engagement activites

Use local business networks that bring together business support organisations

Use businesses to engage with other similar businesses e.g. geographical area, sector

Show results from the work

Be clear on timelines

Remember that business owners are people too! Avoid jargon and be clear and concise

Don’ts

Hold events during working hours as businesses may lose money by attending

Be vague about the outcomes of the work

Make businesses have to travel a long distance

Forget that businesses are their own community with existing networks

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Children and Young People

Understanding the community: what do we know?

Clarity is particularly important when working with young people. If you have £20,000 to improve an existing youth facility – say that. Be clear about the context in which you are engaging and what the boundaries are. It is extremely important that the findings of any engagement and subsequent action that has been taken is fed back to young people. Lambeth has a well-established Youth Council and a number of peer educators. Be sure to inform them of any events you plan and seek their advice and support. The Protection of Children Act 1999 requires that Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks are conducted for anyone working with children. The definition of ‘working with children’ is contained within the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000. Lambeth Council has a CRB policy which it may be useful to consult before undertaking a project involving consultation with children. Remember that when working with young people of certain age groups or tackling specific issues you may be required to gain the permission of their parent/carer in advance.

Do’s

Use facilities that CYP use on a regular basis e.g. schools, play centres, nurseries, libraries, sport centres, community workers, youth workers, Connexions etc.

Involve parents and carers

Make sure the literature being used is attractive to young people and age appropriate

Organise fun activity-based events

Tailor your work to specific ages- only a few years difference can mean the engagement needs to be altered

Think about the timing and venue depending on the season

Consider your clothing

Don’ts

Randomly approach children in informal settings

Assume that all CYP have the same views and priorities

Make CYP come into formal and intimidating professional settings

Wear formal office wear or try too hard to wear ‘youthful’ fashions

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Carers

Understanding the community: what do we know? Men, women and children may have childcare and other caring responsibilities. Your methodology and approach needs to take this into account. There will be different approaches dependent on the group, your aims and your budget.

Do’s

Remember carers have very busy lives and may have jobs alongside their caring responsibilities

Seek help and support from statutory or voluntary agencies that also support and deal with issues relating to the people they care for e.g. Age Concern

Find out if crèche provision is needed

Post notices of events in local day care centres, GPs surgeries, health centres, community centres, schools etc.

Use events like Carers Week to target activities

Don’ts

Forget that carers have other responsibilities

Have events when carers would need to collect their children or during holidays (unless there are child-friendly activities)

Ignore the other organisations that carers interact with

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Disabled people

Understanding the community: what do we know? Disabled people are often more likely to use a range of services from all key partners including the voluntary, faith and community sectors, health, police and social services. You may find it difficult to identify the groups that need to be engaged. A good place to start is to make use of those people who have existing expertise in this area. External agencies can often act as intermediaries and it may be possible to work with community leaders to build relationships. The Care Standards Act 2000 requires that Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks are conducted for anyone working with vulnerable adults. This ensures the suitability of those working with vulnerable people, thus protecting them from neglect or abuse.

Do’s

Consider the barriers for access, not just in terms of physical barriers but accessible language and information

Ensure that you find out people’s requirements when organising the event

Use existing networks and organisations run by and/or for disabled people

Remember that not all impairments are visible or obvious

Consider involving people in their home or in a venue that they are used to

Allow for longer comfort breaks due to the scarcity of disabled facilities

Ask if people would like a family member, carer or support worker present

Make it clear that it is the disabled person’s opinion that you are interested in, not the person they are with

Don’ts

Forget that accessibility is about more than just physical access but also how language and information is presented

Make assumptions about people’s abilities or needs

Focus on the supporter or advocate they are with instead of the person themselves

Assume that traditional group settings are the best way to engage

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LGBT Community

Understanding the community: what do we know? In addition to its own Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) resident population, Lambeth also hosts a substantial LGBT social and commercial scene.

Do’s

Use existing research and consultations that have been done with the community e.g. LGBT Matters

Use the LGBT police liaison officer in the borough

Work with existing community champions and officers

Work with outreach workers

Work with LGBT organisations that exist

Use LGBT channels that already exist e.g. cafes, bars, publications, internet

Facilitate in neutral spaces

Remember that there are communities within the community who don’t always get involved who need to be accessed

Remember that LGBT overlaps with other areas like faith, age, ethnicity

Don’ts

Assume that all LGBT communities are the same

Ignore existing LGBT channels or organisations and the networks that these bring

Have a narrow focus and ignore the broader London or national LGBT context

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Older people

Understanding the community: what do we know? Engaging with older people is a principal means of empowering them. Although there is increased awareness of the need to engage with older citizens when formulating and delivering policies and services, the challenge is to identify and use effective models that will ensure active engagement.

Do’s

Find out where the concentrations of older people are in the borough

Engage with groups, organisations and networks that work with older people already e.g. Age Concern

Hold events in places where older people go e.g. lunch clubs

Think about the time and place for meeting e.g. is it after dark, is it an accessible venue

Ask how older people want feedback as not all will want or use technology

Don’ts

Make assumptions about older people and the amount of energy, enthusiasm or experience they may have

Ignore the wider networks that are already in place

Hold events in hard to reach places or late at night

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Appendix 2: 5 steps to facilitating a meeting

1. Setting up the meeting a. Set the scene – circle of chairs = all equals b. Background materials available e.g. notes of previous decisions, pics on walls (photos,

maps etc.) c. Materials available that invite people to contribute e.g. post-it notes, market pens, blu

tak –DIY tools for contribution d. Notice boards up as people come in – ask people to put up things like:

i. Good news since last meeting ii. Notices of events

iii. ‘Parking area’ – people can note things that haven’t been discussed or raised

2. Opening the meeting a. Ground Rules or ‘culture of meeting’– ask for suggestions from the room. Below are

some examples: i. Phones on silent

ii. If you need to it’s OK to leave the room and have a walk around iii. Hand up if you want to speak iv. Take your turn, respect the chair v. Make comments not speeches – 1-2 sentences

vi. Allow others to speak if they have spoken less than you – look after the group and make sure everyone’s needs are being met

vii. To agree something shake hands viii. ‘Parking area’ if can’t get something into the discussion

ix. All comments should be positive – no negative comments b. Agree chair (may be convener of meeting), note taker, timekeeper,

shepherds/facilitators (people to check that all voices are being heard) c. Agree agenda/what you will achieve in the meeting and timings i.e. how much time to

give to each point i. Presentations should be kept short (5 mins max)

– people get fed up if they feel they have just been invited to a meeting to listen (unless it is clearly sold as a lecture)

– they can lead to frustration and ‘overheating’ ii. If there are people who have attended previous meetings and therefore don’t

need so much background consider breaking the group up so some can get going more quickly

3. Achieving consensus in a large group a. Avoid answering points directly straight away – doesn’t have to be a ping-pong b. Listen to all of points being made c. Do you have to respond at all? Your role might be to listen d. Empathise with points being made before you present an alternative view e. If you need to present constraints be clear about where those constraints come from

e.g. legally we have to do this and this is how we have managed it before but we will look around for other best practice…

4. Breaking out a. Breaking into groups gives more people a chance to speak

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b. If you break the group it is best to break the work – have each group discuss something different. Move around groups so you can see notes from previous group and add to that, rather than just duplicate

c. Need to allow time to feed back to main group and allow time for consolidation of thoughts, which in turn should give time for consensus to be achieved

d. Be clear about how you want people to feedback e.g. pick three main points e. Make sure all of discussion recorded – each breakout group needs a recorder/scribe f. Ground Rules should apply to breakout groups as well as main group

5. Concluding the meeting a. Need to allow time for a proper wrap-up b. Check ‘Parking area’ and flag any key points now or for next time c. What are next steps? Make sure this is clear to all participants d. What have you agreed? What decisions have been reached? RECORD again – be clear e. Is there an Action Plan – have you assigned tasks (important to give people tasks at end

of meeting) f. Allow time for networking at end of meeting and don’t rush off

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Appendix 3: Communications expertise

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How to design a leaflet or poster

Posters and leaflets are great ways to publicise your project or event. They can be placed

and/or handed out in targeted places to grab the attention of your audience, and leaflets

have the added advantage that they can be taken away for future reference.

Step 1: Decide on your format

In order to design a leaflet/poster you must first think about its purpose so you can then

decide the information that . Its functionality can be based around its target audience.

Size is important (www.papersizes.org/a-paper-sizes.htm). A leaflet should be a size that is

not an inconvenience to carry around (so A5 or smaller) and a poster big enough to catch

people’s attention from a distance (A4 or larger).

Step 2: Write your text

A poster will need less text (maximum 50words) as the reader wouldn’t normally have a

long time to engage with it. A leaflet can be taken away the so text can go into more detail.

As a minimum it should contain name of project / event, a description, contact information

(including website if available) and any relevant logos. If it is promoting an event it needs to

include time, date, address. Make sure the text you write is accessible. Write in plain

English, without jargon and complicated sentences. If you are writing in another language,

make sure it can be understood by your target audience.

Step 3: Design your leaflet

Using a professional designer

A professional designer has the knowledge and expertise necessary to design a

leaflet/poster. Contact them well in advance and leave plenty lead time for printing,

checking and editing. Provide them with an explanation (often called a brief) of what you

need. Here you can detail the cause of the leaflet, who the target audience is, the size you

want, whether you want it to be double sided and send them text and images you want to

go onto the leaflet. They will book your work in and agree costs and deadlines for proofing

and sign-off.

Do it yourself

If you don’t have the resources to use the services of a designer, you could design a simple

leaflet or poster on your own. Here are some useful links on how to do so. Microsoft word

and publisher are the perfect beginner’s software to use to produce this.

www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Poster-Using-Microsoft-Word

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www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Leaflet

Step 4: Print and distribute your poster or leaflet For a professional finish, its best to get a print company to produce copies of your material. Think about where they will go and how many you will need. Allow at least 3-4 days for them to be printed and where they need to be delivered to (if not to you).

Do’s and don’ts

Do

Remember you are part of the creative process - use your brief and feedback to give your

direction of how you want your final piece of work to look like.

Send through any brand guidelines that the designer may have to follow

Make sure that your text is error free as this will cut down on any amends needed, all of

which affect the final design costs

Don’t

Forget to let the designer know if they need to follow any brand guidelines

Just copy and paste pictures from the internet to use in posters or leaflets, you need to get

permissions from photographers or purchase from photo libraries such as iStock

(www.istockphoto.com). You can also source free images (an example is

www.freeimages.com) but be sure to check permissions as there may still be some

restrictions.

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How to produce a newsletter

A newsletter is a regular publication that can be used to keep people informed about a project, campaign or service. To produce a newsletter you will need a software package like Microsoft Word or Publisher, which are widely available on many computers. To distribute your newsletter you can print it and post it through doors, leave it in your local shops and businesses, hand them out at events or send an electronic version via email. Step 1 Think about your audience Wwho are the people you want to read your newsletter with? Where are they, what would they be interested to know and how best do you communicate with them – for example email or print.

Step 2 Decide how often will your newsletter be produced Think about how much time you have to produce the newsletter and let your readers know how often they can expect to receive your newsletter and stick to this. Step 3 Confirm your budget How much money do you have for design, print and distribution? To keep costs down you can design a newsletter in Word or Publisher. Creating a PDF newsletter and emailing this to your readers won’t cost. Step 4 Think about your format You can either produce a printed or electronic newsletter. Printed newsletters are typically two or up to eight pages long. Electronic newsletters should be kept short and snappy and where possible link to web pages for more information. Step 5 Producing the newsletter Decide who will coordinate the production of the newsletter, who will write the articles, take the photos, edit copy, design, proofread, print it and arrange distribution.. Step 7 Writing articles The best way to make sure as many people as possible can understand what you are saying in your newsletter is to use plain English and keep it jargon free. Use clear headings and lists where relevant to break up the text. Step 4 Design your newsletter

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You can design the newsletter yourself (see above) or you could get a professional designer to do the work. You would work with them to make sure everything is correct and the newsletter looks how you want it to. Step 8 Distribution of your newsletter Decide in advance who you are sending your newsletter to and put together a mailing list (either postal or email) so once your newsletter is designed and printed it can be distributed straight away. Do’s and don’t’s Do

Use an online service such as Mailchimp (www.mailchimp.com) if you want to

produce an electronic newsletter

Produce a timetable with deadlines to make sure you leave enough time to create

each newsletter

Vary the content – you could include upcoming events, features, news etc, to make

it more interesting for your reader.

Don’t

Be afraid to refresh the layout and structure of your newsletter from time to time

so that it doesn’t get stale.

Forget to ask for feedback, it will help to improve your newsletter.

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How to organise an event

Managing events are good opportunities to develop your relationship with important

stakeholders or decision makers to your organisation. If you have thought about the

purpose of your event and decided it’s a good way to reach your overall objectives, then it’s

vital that it organised well and it runs smoothly.

Step 1 Plan ahead

Give yourself enough time to plan and promote your event

Depending on the size of your event, it is wise to give at least 3 months planning time before

your event takes place. The bigger the event, the longer lead in time you will need.

Step 2 Find out your budget and your team.

How much do you have to spend on your event and who is going to help you to organise it?

Events can cost a lot of money to put on and take a lot of work to be successful. It’s

important you confirm your budget and find people with different skills to help – this could

be colleagues and / or volunteers.

Step 3 Decide who you want to invite

Think about who you want to come to your event. Depending on the type and profile of

your event your guests may consist of VIPs alongside local residents and colleagues. Write a

list and get their contact details, either postal or electronic.

Step 2 Decide on a date and venue

Once your guest list is decided and you have confirmed a suitable date in the diaries of most

important attendees you can book a venue. Make sure it’s big enough and that has all of the

facilities that you may need e.g. catering, stage, AV equipment, break out rooms. Make sure

the venue is in an accessible area and that the event is at a time that is suitable for your

audience.

Step 3 Organise the event

Have regular meetings with your team to ensure that the organisation process is going to

plan. It’s useful to have a timeline showing tasks that need to be completed to keep

everyone on track. Ensure that all bookings are confirmed and tasks are completed by event

day.

Step 4 Publicise the event

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Whether your event has a closed guest list, or it’s open for anyone to attend, it’s important

that you promote it to achieve your desired attendance. See ‘How to publicise you event’

for more information.

Step 5 On event day

Make sure you have all items needed for the event. Arrive early to ensure everything is set

up as required. As your guests arrive make sure they know where to go and what is

happening throughout the event. Make sure you and your team are available to answer any

queries.

Do’s and don’t’s

Visit your venue at least once before your event, it will give you a good idea of what you can

and can’t do when you are there.

Delegate work to different people and let an experienced person coordinate all activities.

Think about any problems that may arise on the day and plan for these

Don’t

Forget to take guest and supplier contact details just in case someone is running late and

you need to get in touch

Be afraid to contact people / organisations who have held similar events to get some advice

/ tips

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How to organise a public meeting

A public meeting is normally held to push ideas, issues and campaigns into the public

domain, and secure support from individuals and organisations. People who attend

generally either support or oppose the issue and will expect to be able to voice their opinion

whilst at the meeting.

Step 1 Know the focus of your meeting and who you want to attract

Be sure of why you are having the meeting, what you want to get out of it, and what the

benefit is to the public who attend. Ensure the issue you are discussing is timely and will

appeal to the target audience.

Step 2 Get your meeting in diaries early on

Decide who you want as speakers and confirm their availability as early as possible. These

could include your local MP, community groups, councillors and industry representatives.

Invite them by email or letter and ask them to RSVP and ask them to arrive at the meeting at

least 15 minutes before the start time.

Step 3 Organise the Chairperson

An assertive and impartial Chairperson is very important to keep the meeting on track and

on time. Ensure your Chairperson is well briefed on speakers and potential issues that may

come up.

Step 4 Book your venue

Find somewhere to hold your meeting that is accessible and easy to get to by public

transport. Ensure it has any equipment you may need, including PA system, microphones,

laptop and projector, as well as catering facilities. Otherwise organise to bring these to the

meeting yourself.

Step 5 Promote your meeting

Posters and flyers can be sent to your target audience and put in places where they will see

them. E-mail invites are also useful ways to invite people who you already have contact

details for, as is social media. You can send out a press release to relevant media, and even

book ads in local papers/magazines. Use local community groups and influential people to

spread the word as wide as possible.

Step 7 Hold meeting

Enlist some helpers (if you’ve not done so already) and arrive early to make sure that you

have all equipment set up, any handouts and display materials organised and refreshments

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available. If you haven’t asked people to register their attendance beforehand, collect their

contact details so that you can get in touch after the meeting. Let the chair know of any

scheduled fire alarms and other logistical issues.

Step 8 Follow up

Get in touch with speakers and those who attended. Thank them for attending and let them

know that you will be following up with next steps soon after.

Do’s and dont’s

Do

Use an online system like EventBrite to encourage your guests to register beforehand so you

know how many people to expect.

Record the meeting as it may be useful for future reference but let the audience know you

are doing this.

Think about how the meeting met your objectives and plan your next steps quickly

afterwards to keep momentum going

Don’t

Be afraid to confirm attendance of your key speakers a week before the event. Sometimes

diary’s get double booked and it’s better to know of any issues in advance

Expect to have everyone to be on their best behaviour at the meeting. Public meetings turn

into lively debates, with sometimes aggressive comments and actions. This is where your

Chairperson comes to the fore.

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Appendix 4: Case studies

Neighbourhood Enhancement Programme (NEP)

The Neighbourhood Enhancement Programme (NEP) was the biggest ever investment by the council in streets

and neighbourhoods from 2012-14. It was part funded by TfL and focused on 8 areas in the borough led by a

different councillor, each receiving around £230,000. This use of NEP funding was meant to be co-designed, so

to move from asking residents ‘do you support this proposal?’ to ‘what would you like to see in your area?’

Participation was promoted in numerous ways:

Involvement of ward councillors to raise awareness

Participatory evaluation- stakeholders decided how they wanted to be involved,

what issues they wanted to explore

Interviews (both 1:1 and by phone)

Email replies

Consultation survey document where respondents allocated the NEP funding

themselves

Co-design workshops with a ‘blank sheet of paper’ for communities to share ideas

Going out to groups e.g. primary schools, wheelchair users, Stockwell Partnership

“They made the effort to come down in the evening to meet people. They had no agenda of ideas which was

refreshing. They were proactive in contacting community groups” (resident)

There were many successes from the work. The council went to the community to co-design the project,

holding ‘blank sheet of paper’ workshops, working with primary school children and discussing accessibility

requirements with wheelchair users. Staff learnt the skills they needed for this work, with high levels of

interdepartmental working and a push for inclusiveness. The leading role of councillors helped to ensure that

the group was representative and strengthened their relationship with the community. This cooperation of the

community, council staff and councillors meant that most viewed the work as a genuine dialogue between

Lambeth council and Lambeth residents

“It is good for the Council to consult with residents on improvements, and give the opportunity to shape

things – especially at a time of cuts” (resident)

The work also demonstrated how to improve future coproduction. NEP was an inaccessible name, and there

continued to be a lack of diversity of engaged residents. Lambeth Living had particularly low levels of

communication during the project. There also needed to be stronger expectation management, as residents

were frustrated when their ideas were not included and staff were challenged during the co-design process

when issues were raised at short notice.

“Our expectations were raised, we got involved, but then just received a bland email response that our

proposals were not to be progressed. It needed a more personal response in terms of feedback. We didn’t

feel empowered. It was very frustrating.” (resident)

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Appendix 5: Key community networks in Lambeth Lambeth Council worked with key community groups to develop a picture of who has

networks in the borough, and how they could cooperate more closely with one another. A

spreadsheet of 8- major Lambeth networks and their contact details is downloadable from

the Lambeth Connected Communities website:

https://lambethconnectedcommunities.wordpress.com/

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Appendix 6: Inviting the mayor or the Leader of Lambeth to your

event

Invitations to Mayor

To invite the mayor to your event please follow the instructions on the Lambethwebsite

https://www.lambeth.gov.uk/forms/request-for-the-mayor-to-attend-your-event-form

Invitations to the Leader of the Council

A brief Outline Michael Warren, Executive Assistant to the Leader of Lambeth Council Introduction

The Leader of the Council is always happy to receive invitation to events or requests to visit projects

the problem is that there is limit to her time and we simple can’t visit and meet all the requests that

we receive.

Inviting the Leader

Invitations can be sent by

Email – lpeck@lambeth.gov.uk

Post – Cllr Lib Peck, Leader of the Council, Lambeth Town Hall, SW2 1RW

Our preference is for email invitations, as these provide a faster and more efficient way of

processing the request.

We are happy to take telephone enquiries (020 7926 1167) about general availability and interest in

events, but we would always ask that a formal request is made in writing either by email or post.

Invitations should contain.

When sending your request you should always ensure that you included the core information

regarding your request.

1. The Reason for the Meeting – what is the purpose of the request – what is to be achieved by the meeting

2. Basic information: a. Title: b. Venue: c. Date and Time: d. Duration: e. Contact details:

3. The Role for the Leader

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To ensure that we get the right information we use the following Event Request Pro-forma

(Appendix 1). This shows the type of information that we would seek to obtain, once it is agreed

that the Leader will be involved in an event.

Assessing an Invitation

As with any busy person, choices have to be made and decisions are made on the basis of what

would be the best use of her time.

Some of the factors that we consider when reviewing requests are:

1) Time involved – is this a valuable use of her time? What are the travel arrangements – how does that fit with the rest of her agenda

2) Problem Solving -Listening Opportunity - Provides an opportunity to see first hand an issue of meet with key groups/providers to gain a greater understanding on an issue

3) Meets objectives of the Council - Provides an opportunity to promote and highlight or illustrate the ambitions of the Council – particular in highlight key political objectives.

4) Build Relationships - opportunity to give thanks to those working in the community and develop better relations – to move to the next stage

5) Client/Business Meetings – presentation and proposals for new work areas 6) Seminar/Conferences/Events – Speaking Opportunities to promote the Council and its plans

– learning/development opportunities

A suitable Replacement?

In determining attendance at an event – we will often pass on invitation to the appropriate Cabinet

Member if it would be more appropriate for them to attend. In addition we also work closely with

the Mayor’s office and exchange details of events and will pass invitations to each others offices. In

some circumstances we will also pass invitations on to appropriate officers. It is normally the

Leader’s office practice to advise senders of our actions.

Do you expect a Response?

If you wish to ensure that you receive an acceptance or decline – please state so. We try to

acknowledge all that we receive (with the exception of unsolicited business and conference events),

so it is vital that a contact email, telephone or address is included.

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Appendix 7: Further reading.

Participation Works, NEF

What is participation? Participation is a buzz-word that means different things to different

people. One way of looking at participation is using a version of the ‘ladder of participation’

first developed by Sherry Arnstein. This is now 20 years old, but is still relevant. It shows the

different ways in which the organisation responsible for an activity - for example a local

authority - can involve participants - in this case their citizens. The ladder helps us

understand what people mean when they talk about ‘participation’ or ‘involvement’. We

hope you will rule out the bottom four rungs! Always ask the question: is it possible to move

one step higher on the ladder?

The Report is from 1998 but gives 21 techniques for participation that help broaden ideas.

http://b.3cdn.net/nefoundation/e59722efbe227ca37e_4fm6b0lv9.pdf

Pathways through Participation, report by NCVO, Institute for Volunteering Research,

Involve

It considers the following questions in turn: • What is participation? • How and why does

participation begin, continue and stop? • Can trends and patterns of participation be

identified over time? • What connections, if any, are there between different forms and

episodes of participation and what triggers movement between them? • What are the

implications for policy and practice? 0

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http://pathwaysthroughparticipation.org.uk/wp-

content/uploads/sites/3/2011/09/Pathways-through-Participation-summary-

report_Final_20110913.pdf

Kaizen Partnership training document

How to design a community engagement strategy. Talks about archetypes of representation

– how people are active in different ways but can be moved along the spectrum.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5jf1s5B703TWkJUN3ZZbXpTTWc/edit

Scottish Community Development Commission

Website with lots of useful resources

http://www.scdc.org.uk/

Digital Engagement website

Ideas and practical help to use digital and social media in the public sector

http://www.digitalengagement.info/

Community engagement toolkits

Below are some links to community engagement toolkits that already exist. Many councils

have a community engagement toolkit but they tend to be generic ‘how to’ documents. We

have tailored our new tookit1 to be specific to Lambeth.

Lambeth First: http://www.lambethfirst.org.uk/Community_engagement_toolkit

Manchester:

http://www.manchester.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/234/community_engagement_to

olkit

1 Inset link to new toolkit when available

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Bolton:

http://www.bolton.gov.uk/sites/DocumentCentre/Documents/CommunityEngagementAnd

ConsultationToolkit.doc

England Athletics: http://www.englandathletics.org/england-athletics-news/reaching-out-

into-communities--new-toolkit-from-england-athletics-and-sporting-equals

North Somerset community engagement toolkit: https://www.n-

somerset.gov.uk/community/community_involvement/Documents/community%20engage

ment%20toolkit%20%28pdf%29.pdf

Tameside Community Engagement Toolkit:

www.tameside.gov.uk/engagementstrategy.pdf

DIY toolkit - NESTA:

Worksheets are clear and ready to fill in, making it easier for a person working on a project to plan. Flowcharts

clearly delineate stages of decision making and action which gives people structure and less organisational

work to have to do. The use of this as well as interactive checklists may be very useful for improving the

comprehension and ease of use for more specific, smaller engagement toolkits.

Community Engagement and Empowerment: A Guide for Councillors

A useful guide for councillors to help them understand the skills they have and need with

examples from peers across the country.

Community Tool Box

Community Tool Box has a very snappy model2 for getting started which covers very briefly

all the necessary considerations for taking action in the community. Breaks down to the

following: Assess, Plan, Act, Evaluate, and Sustain. Each of these then links to a far larger

body of information detailing specifics of how to go through with each stage. Outlines of

necessary actions are stage based, making it easier for actors to start working immediately

and not have to deal with the creation of an organisational framework.

100% Open Tool Kit

This toolkit is aimed at commercial innovation but can be drawn upon for community

projects. Splits the process for innovation into three ‘distinct phases, each with two

activities’ but can be drawn upon for community engagement projects.

Explore: Set the strategy for why they are innovating or creating the project and identify

needs not yet met.

Extract: Discover ideas for solving the problem/ a prototype for the creation of the project.

2 http://ctb.ku.edu/en/get-started

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Exploit: Pertains to commercialisation of the model, less relevant for community

engagement

Stanford Design

Gives techniques/tricks which are almost like word games which help create new ideas and

innovation to flesh out ideas and discover needs and gaps for projects to attend to.

The New Barn-Raising | The German Marshall Fund of the United States

Very long work, focuses on community funded assets such as parks, libraries, rec centres

etc. Gives tools specifically for raising awareness, raising funds and utilising volunteers. This

means that it does not seem to go above the lower rungs of the engagement ladder.

Page 31 may be useful as it gives a table with public goods which it is possible for an asset to

enhance or supply. It then gives examples of ways in which this may happen. Something

similar could be made for community projects.

Community Planning Toolkit

Developed by Community Places with Big Lottery funding to support councils and

community organisations to be able to work together to develop community or

neighbourhood plans.