We are committed to the people of the Mansfield District having a greater say in how local services are developed and delivered. Only by genuinely engaging with local people can we develop services which truly meet local needs and aspirations.

In particular the effective engagement of local people is critical to the regeneration of our most disadvantaged communities. It is only by taking notice of the experiences and ideas of the people who make up these communities that we can find the range of solutions necessary to build communities for the future.

Community engagement can operate at a number of levels from participation in public meetings and focus groups, right through to direct involvement in the governance or delivery of public services.

The diagram (right) shows five levels of community engagement:

We will make progress by:

• Using a range of different methods to enable communities to contribute in their own way

• Making use of existing networks and mechanisms

• Being open and honest about what can be achieved and what the alternatives might be

• Being inclusive, not discriminating against anyone and taking into consideration all potential barriers to full participation

• Involving communities at an early stage, not just consulting on a range of  pre-determined options

• Measuring whether our engagement strategy is working

• Offering the opportunity for feedback from participants on the engagement process

• Sharing the results of any community engagement process with all the participants