Issue - meetings

Report of the Assistant Director - Strategic Support

The Committee considered the report of the Assistant Director – Strategic Support that provided information on the Public Engagement and Consultation Panel’s (the Panel) 2024 Annual Report.

The report indicated that the main purpose of the Panel was to coordinate and ensure that the quality of public engagement and consultation, was in accordance with the standards for engagement and consultation; that during 2024, there had been six meetings of the Panel, and the Panel had appraised:

• 23 proposals for consultation
• 8 Feedback and Evaluation Reports
• 4 information presentations from the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, the coproduction for the Short-Term Assessment Unit, Digital Technology update and Have Your Say Sefton engagement activity.
• 3 updates from the Strategic Youth Voice Steering group

and that in addition, 2 proposals for consultation had been shared virtually for feedback during the year, both in connection to the Short Breaks consultation.

The report also indicated that recently, the Panel and Council had agreed a refresh of the Public Engagement and Consultation Framework (the Framework) which included the use of a scorecard to check whether the Framework was having an effect and to identify areas in need of development, and areas where good practice was identified.

The report also provided information on the “You Said, We Did” summary for the Your Sefton Your Say Consultation Hub; advised that the Your Sefton Your Say Consultation Hub homepage had had a redesign to use new design templates that were more engaging for the user; and that it was the intention to review the functionality of the system so that it could also become an engagement tool, as well as a consultation tool.

The report concluded that the standards for consultation and engagement and the Panel, as set out in the Framework helped to quality assure the consultation and engagement that was taking place in Sefton; that the Scorecard adopted by the Panel was helping to monitor whether the plans for consultation and engagement included accessible information in different formats, involving people with lived experience (coproduction) and the use of equality monitoring (as part of our Public Sector Equality Duty) and working in partnership; and that following each meeting of the Panel, key messages were recorded and uploaded to the Consultation and Engagement Intranet Page and shared with the Improving Information Group. 

Attached as Appendix 1 to the report was the Public Engagement and Consultation Panel Comparison Table.

RESOLVED:

That the report on the Public Engagement and Consultation Panel’s 2024 Annual Report be noted.

Report of the Assistant Director - Strategic Support

The Committee considered the report of the Assistant Director – Strategic Support that provided information on the Public Engagement and Consultation Panel’s (the Panel) 2024 Annual Report.

The report indicated that the main purpose of the Panel was to coordinate and   ensure that the quality of public engagement and consultation, was in accordance with the standards for engagement and consultation; that during 2024, there had been six meetings of the Panel, and the Panel had appraised:

·       23 proposals for consultation

·       8 Feedback and Evaluation Reports

·       4 information presentations from the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, the coproduction for the Short-Term Assessment Unit, Digital Technology update and Have Your Say Sefton engagement activity.

·       3 updates from the Strategic Youth Voice Steering group

and that in addition, 2 proposals for consultation had been shared virtually for feedback during the year, both in connection to the Short Breaks consultation.

The report also indicated that recently, the Panel and Council had agreed a refresh of the Public Engagement and Consultation Framework (the Framework) which included the use of a scorecard to check whether the Framework was having an effect and to identify areas in need of development, and areas where good practice was identified.

The report also provided information on the “You Said, We Did” summary for the Your Sefton Your Say Consultation Hub; advised that the Your Sefton Your Say Consultation Hub homepage had had a redesign to use new design templates that were more engaging for the user; and that it was the intention to review the functionality of the system so that it could also become an engagement tool, as well as a consultation tool.

The report concluded that the standards for consultation and engagement and the Panel, as set out in the Framework helped to quality assure the consultation and engagement that was taking place in Sefton; that the Scorecard adopted by the Panel was helping to monitor whether the plans for consultation and engagement included accessible information in different formats, involving people with lived experience (coproduction) and the use of equality monitoring (as part of our Public Sector Equality Duty) and working in partnership; and that following each meeting of the Panel, key messages were recorded and uploaded to the Consultation and Engagement Intranet Page and shared with the Improving Information Group. 

Attached as Appendix 1 to the report was the Public Engagement and Consultation Panel Comparison Table.

Members of the Committee asked questions/commented on the following issues:

• praise was offered to Jayne Vincent for all her hard work and the significant improvements reflected in the report
• details were sought on how to effectively engage with young people and hard to reach communities
• it was noted that hard to reach groups and digitally excluded people were part of the framework

RESOLVED:

That the report on the Public Engagement and Consultation Panel’s 2024 Annual Report be noted.

Report of the Assistant Director - Strategic Support

RESOLVED:

That consideration of this matter be deferred to the next meeting of the Committee to be held on 10 June 2025.