Change at the council
How can I be heard?
We’re making it easier for people to get involved in decision-making at the Council in a number of ways.
Citizens' Panel
The Citizens’ Panel is an online group of up to 2000 residents drawn from all wards locally who have agreed to give their views on consultation topics throughout the year.
Video: Kensington and Chelsea's Citizens' Panel
- Transcript of this video
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Transcript:
(00:00) at Kensington and Chelsea council we know how important it is for our residents to get involved with council decisions which affect everyone in the borough that's where the citizens panel comes in the citizens panel is a group of diverse residents who are regularly consulted on important local issues their opinions help to inform the council about community sentiment across Kensington and Chelsea and in doing so the panel helps influence council decisions for example in 2021 the panel consulted on the new green plan determining how
(00:34) the council will become carbon neutral by 2030. when i first heard about the citizens panel i really want to get involved in my local community especially in decision making like things like housing green spaces and transport and by joining i really want my voice to be heard the panel is comprised of about 2 000 residents some of these members may have been passionate about local issues for some time while others might be new to engaging with the council or local issues it's important that the panel and its members come from all walks of life and
(01:11) are broadly representative of key local demographics including age sex ethnicity disability and the types of housing lived in it's also important that all of the wards are represented ensuring a diverse range of voices are heard there are lots of ways in which the panel will have a say quarterly surveys and exercises focusing on strategic local issues that affect everyone's lives in the borough such as the green plan these are key components of the panel's activities and what the council should prioritise in our council plan over the
(01:45) next three years but other more creative ways of involving local people are also being considered including online discussions focus groups deliberative exercises and online budgeting exercises i think it's really important that local residents are able to have a say in local issues that affect them and their communities not only does it help us make informed decisions and ensure services are fit for purpose it also helps us build a relationship with residents across the ward whose voices may otherwise not be heard
(02:21) panel members are regularly updated with the results from these exercises and the impact their contributions have made through newsletters participating in your local democracy is a powerful and effective way to ensure your local neighbourhood is influenced for the better and residents can see the difference their suggestions have made to local life together the council and the citizens panel work hand in hand to ensure that all voices matter in Kensington and Chelsea [Music]
Panel membership is broadly representative of the borough’s population (both in terms of key demographics and the area where members live) to ensure a diverse range of voices are heard by the Council on key priorities.
- Why have a Citizens’ Panel?
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The Citizens’ Panel is another way of finding out what our residents think about Council services available to them and key decisions affecting their lives. By listening to a variety of local views, the Council can:
- Gather opinions to reflect the views of different communities
- Help ensure the high standards of Council services are maintained
- Help identify resident priorities for improving life in Kensington and Chelsea
- Reliably inform their decision-making process
- What will happen if I join the Panel?
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Panel members are asked to complete four to five surveys a year on some of the Council’s key priorities. In 2021, Panel members have been asked for their views on the refresh of the Council Plan, making the borough greener, care and wellbeing and the future of our High Streets. There will be other opportunities to get involved including online discussions, focus groups, workshops, and some one-off surveys.
There is a prize draw for each survey Panel members complete, and donations are made to the Mayor’s charity to recognise your time.
- How did you recruit to the Citizens' Panel?
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Initially, we used a trusted marked research organisation (SMSR Research Ltd). recruit to our Panel to ensure that a broad cross section of residents from all across the borough joined. We are now looking to top up membership to keep the Panel as representative as possible. We welcome residents interested in joining the Panel, or if would like more information, email [email protected].
. Before joining the Panel, you will be asked to complete a short survey about yourself.
- What about confidentiality?
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The personal information collected during recruitment will solely be used for the purpose of Panel administration and our Privacy Notice explains what we do with your information, how long we keep it and your right to withdraw your consent and leave the Panel at any time you choose.
- What will happen as a result of Panel consultations?
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The Council is committed to putting communities first and will take the views of the Panel into consideration when making decisions and improving services. Panel members receive results from each survey they participate in and are updated on what has happened as a result of their participation though regular newsletters.
Some of the changes which have resulted from the Panel include a refresh of the priorities and commitments in the Council Plan; plans to introduce a new food waste collection, more wildflower areas, and additional sites to the Bee superhighway; plans to introduce an Environmental Coalition to include residents, local community leaders, key institutions and businesses, and targeted communication about environmental issues.
There are also plans to organise more physical activity at future public events and better promotion and signposting or support and services available for carers and in relation to mental health welling. You can find out more about this on our consultation hub.
- Accessibility
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Those who want to participate in the Citizens’ Panel offline through a paper survey rather through online channels we ask you let us know your needs at recruitment stage.
Further information
For any further information, email [email protected].
Listening Forum
- During 2018-20 the Council held a series of Listening Forum events in different locations throughout the borough to hear what mattered to local people.
- At these meetings local people were able to raise suggestions, issues or concerns directly with members of the Leadership Team.
Borough-wide conversations about priorities
We undertook our biggest conversation ever with our residents on what matters to them most. We visited different areas in the borough between December 2018 and January 2019 to hear what the council should prioritise. We also held a series of community conversations in the north of the borough, discussing how we can better support our communities.
Your priorities will be used to directly shape our new Council Plan, which was launched on 28 March 2019.
See Our Council Plan page for more information
Speak at a Full Council meeting
Several speaking slots are reserved at the start of every normal Full Council meeting for people who live, work or study in the borough to share thoughts of ideas and experiences.
Visit our Speak at a Full Council meeting for how to be involved in these meetings.
What's coming up?
For details of public committee meetings, including Scrutiny committees, check the meeting calendar.
What else are we doing?
In 2017 the Council commissioned the Centre for Public Scrutiny (CfPS), a national centre of expertise on local authorities’ decision-making and scrutiny, to conduct an independent review of our governance. Their Change at the council report, published in March 2018, made recommendations about the way we make decisions and how to involve local people in making those decisions and outlined 12 principles of good governance we should embed in the Council.
Our Leadership Team officially accepted the recommendations and agreed an action plan outlined below in July 2018.
The 12 principles of good governance have now been embedded into our Constitution.
To help us deliver our Council Plan commitments and provide clarity on how we will make it easy for people to get involved in what the Council does, especially in Council decision-making, we have drafted a Charter for Public Participation. Visit our Charter for Public Participation page for more information.
We know we need to listen more and do a better job of including local people in our decision-making. We welcome feedback and will keep reviewing what we do to keep improving. Email feedback to us at [email protected].