Involvement Strategy 2025-27

4. What does involvement mean in Carmarthenshire County Council

For Carmarthenshire County Council, involvement goes beyond simply providing information or asking for feedback. It represents a deep, ongoing partnership with our communities, ensuring that residents are not passive recipients of services but active participants in shaping the future of their county. Based on the key principles noted above involvement means: 

• Empowering residents: We strive to empower individuals and communities by giving them the tools, knowledge, and opportunities to have a say in decisions that affect their lives. This involves creating spaces for genuine dialogue where people feel heard and valued, and where their contributions are integrated into decision-making processes. 

• Collaboration and Co-creation: We are committed to working collaboratively with our residents and stakeholders. This means engaging with the public early in the decision-making process, co-designing solutions to local challenges, and fostering an atmosphere of partnership rather than simply consulting on predetermined options. 

• Inclusivity and Accessibility: Ensuring that every voice matters is central to our approach. We will actively seek to engage those who are often marginalised or excluded from traditional decision-making processes, including young people, those in rural communities, minority groups, and individuals with disabilities. We will use diverse methods of engagement, from public forums to online tools, to make participation accessible to all. We will listen to our communities to ensure that our approach is accessible. 

• Transparency and Accountability: Involvement is built on trust, and Carmarthenshire County Council is dedicated to being transparent in how decisions are made. We will clearly communicate how public input has influenced outcomes, ensuring that residents see the tangible impact of their contributions. 

• Continuous Engagement: Public involvement is not a one-off event. We are committed to maintaining an ongoing relationship with our communities, listening to their concerns, adapting our services to meet their evolving needs, and continuously improving how we engage with the people we serve. 

In summary, involvement for Carmarthenshire County Council means creating a culture of collaboration, ensuring that our residents are active, informed participants in the decisions that shape their communities, and building lasting partnerships to deliver outcomes that benefit everyone in Carmarthenshire. 
 
Consultation and engagement are essential methods employed by local authorities to incorporate community input into decision-making, making sure that services and policies align with public needs and opinions. Although these processes are interconnected, they have distinct purposes and function at different levels of participation.

Consultation

Consultation is a method where a local authority gathers input from the public or stakeholders about an issue, policy, or proposal. It is usually structured, has a set timeframe, and aims to collect views on alternatives. The process generally involves, presenting a clear proposal, gathering feedback through surveys, public meetings, or online platforms and evaluating the responses to inform decisions.  Although feedback is gathered, the ultimate decision remains with the local authority. This approach promotes transparency and inclusivity, even though not all suggestions may be acted upon. There are statutory areas in which we must consult, and further details can be viewed see below.

Engagement

Engagement encompasses a wider, more continuous process of maintaining a dialogue with the community to understand their evolving needs, preferences, and aspirations. It involves a higher degree of interaction and participation, enabling more collaborative approaches to problem-solving and planning. Engagement is both proactive and inclusive, aiming to cultivate a sense of shared ownership and responsibility for local issues. Within the context of a local authority, engagement may:

• Involve collaborating directly with communities to co-design solutions, policies, or services.
• Promote active involvement in continuous decision-making processes.
• Utilise various methods such as workshops, focus groups, participatory budgeting, and social media discussions to collect diverse viewpoints.

Engagement focuses on forming long-term relationships with residents and stakeholders, ensuring opinions are considered when shaping services and initiatives. Unlike consultation, engagement often takes place earlier in the decision-making process, influencing the development of proposals from the outset.

Insight and evidence
 
Incorporating feedback received from stakeholders and the public through our involvement work is key in making good decisions. Feedback provides valuable insights and diverse perspectives which may not have been previously considered. 

We collate data and insight from numerous sources and aim to ensure that this information is analysed, shared and reflected upon when we plan our services, support our workforce and involve our communities. By incorporating insight and data, we will achieve better outcomes, and our decisions will align closer with the needs of residents and communities.