Consultation Policy

The aim of any consultation is to improve the Council's services and to ensure that they meet the varied needs of different communities. The Council will consider when it is appropriate to consult with different audiences, including individual residents, partner organisations and businesses. Some of the most common opportunities for consultation arise with the periodic review of an existing service, or the introduction of a new policy or service, and also during the normal day-to-day contact with residents. The Council will use a range of techniques, including large-scale representative surveys, and small-scale discussion groups.

There are four core reasons why we consult:

• we are committed to seeking the views of residents, Councillors, employees, partners and other stakeholders to find out what communities think of our services and how they can be improved, extending to the development of new services and policies, as the Council changes in response to local needs and national legislation
• consulting people who use and pay for services is best practice and the involvement of service users and service deliverers in shaping a service makes it more responsive to the needs of local people and can lead to greater community ownership of local services
• it is useful, through consultation with non-users, to establish why people do not use our services and eliminate barriers to access
• consultation is required by central government and many funding organisations to shape certain policies

Consultation Principles:

• clear and concise
• have a purpose
• be informative
• last for a proportionate amount of time
• targeted (if appropriate)
• agreed by Council/Committee
• be transparent
• should not be launched during pre-election periods 

Spelthorne Council is committed to:

• carrying out full, open and appropriate consultation with all sections of the community as required
• using methods of consultation that are in line with the issue and value for money
• carrying out research that meets industry guidelines and codes of practice
• reporting back the results of any research
• making full use of all of our communication channels and platforms to have a two way dialogue with residents

Find out more: Council's Communication and engagement strategy.