The Director of Communities and Citizen Services has submitted a report to Cabinet to request the approval to adopt the Citizen and Community Engagement Policy 2025.

Cabinet is recommended to:

1.    Approve the Citizen and Community Engagement Policy 2025; and

2.    Delegate authority to the Director of Communities and Citizen Services to publish the Citizen and Community Engagement Policy and to make any typographical amendments as may be required, before publication.

Cabinet resolved to:

1.    Approve the Citizen and Community Engagement Policy 2025; and

2.    Delegate authority to the Director of Communities and Citizen Services to publish the Citizen and Community Engagement Policy and to make any typographical amendments as may be required, before publication.

The Director of Communities and Citizen Services had submitted a report to Cabinet to request the approval to adopt the Citizen and Community Engagement Policy 2025.

Councillor Chapman introduced the report, thanking Jiajia Miao, Corporate Consultation Officer, for authoring it. He emphasised the importance of meaningful citizen engagement, noting that the Council must understand residents’ needs, views and priorities in order to make sound decisions about the allocation of limited resources. Beyond this, he stressed that proper engagement lies at the heart of accountability, enabling residents to contribute at the appropriate stage in the development of strategies, policies and proposal. Councillor Chapman highlighted that the Policy sets out a comprehensive range of tools for engaging with communities across the city, including hard-to-reach groups, but underlined that its effectiveness ultimately depends on how skilfully the Council uses the information gathered. The Policy also acknowledges the varied and distinct needs of different communities, incorporating factors that shape how citizens and groups engage, and incorporates elements of tenant engagement. Whilst there is no single national blueprint for this work, he noted that existing guidance including from the Local Government Association, had informed its development.

Finally, Councillor Chapman noted that the Policy reflects recent discussions on the Citizen Experience Strategy. In particular, points raised by Scruiny on the provision of language interpretation in parts of the city, and the importance of proactive engagement with children under 12 and young people where relevant, have now been embedded in the Policy, which he considered the appropriate place for them.

Cabinet resolved to:

1. Approve the Citizen and Community Engagement Policy 2025; and
2. Delegate authority to the Director of Communities and Citizen Services to publish the Citizen and Community Engagement Policy and to make any typographical amendments as may be required, before publication.