Guide Community engagement guide for managers

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5. How do we engage?

There are four types of engagement or involvement which we may adopt:

  • Information
  • Consultation
  • Participation
  • Co-production

The wheel of involvement shows that we place equal value on each type.

Wheel of Involvement – produced by the Fusion consortium, who were providers of health and social care engagement in Devon.

Wheel of Involvement Diagram

We recognise that one size does not fit all so will use different methods to meet different needs.

We will use appropriate ways of engaging with people, which may include:

Informing, things like:

  • posters and leaflets
  • information events and exhibitions
  • media, such as local radio, press, and social media
  • website and social media communications

Consultation, things like:

  • complaints and suggestion schemes
  • interviews, polls, surveys and questionnaires
  • user and focus groups
  • public meetings and residents’ panels

Participation, things like:

  • community planning
  • participatory and stakeholder events.
  • workshops

Co-production, things like:

  • council and citizens working directly together
  • working with existing community organisations
  • partnerships – council working with other organisations