We asked, you said, we did

For more information about this consultation please click here.

We Asked

We asked residents to cast their vote for the People’s Choice Awards as part of the Delivering for Barnet Architecture Awards 2017.

You Said

We received 1,184 responses to an online survey, which was available on the Engage Barnet webpage. A list of shortlisted projects was presented for public voting, along with images of the shortlisted projects and a short description.

You can find out more about the shortlisted projects here.

We Did

We awarded the People’s Choice Award to the winner on Tuesday 21st November at an award ceremony held at Middlesex University in Hendon. In the ceremony we emphasised the importance of the People’s Choice Award as a way to engage and start a positive conversation about design and the public’s preferences.

For more information about this consultation please click here.

We Asked

For feedback on proposals for the future of the Council’s buildings and land used by community groups, also known as community assets. The proposals recognised the need to balance the value to the community provided through the community estate against potential financial returns that could be achieved.

You Said

We received 18 responses to an on line survey, of which about 60% were supportive of our proposals. We held a series of workshops with community groups, from which several issues emerged which have been addressed in a revised Community Asset Strategy. You can access this here.

We Did

We produced a revised draft Community Asset Strategy to take account of the responses we received to our consultation. Further consultation will take place with groups currently occupying community assets over the summer to inform a detailed implementation plan.

For more information about this consultation please click here.

We Asked

Residents for their comments on our proposal to no longer provide a home meals delivery service from April 2016 and we asked for suggestions on how else we can support people to get a meal in Barnet.

You Said

Residents raised a number of concerns about the impact on people as a result of ceasing the service including:

· Concern for vulnerable people, for example people with dementia and health related issues, increase in costs of other services including home care and health services ; loss of social contact; concern about financial implications e.g. paying more for meals;

· Suggestions for alternative ways of supporting people included continuation of the service, encourage and promote other initiatives voluntary sector organisations to provide services and cutting staff salaries.

We Did

Every resident receiving the home meals service has been visited in person for a full review of their needs and to talk through which other options would suit them best.

Throughout January we have been contacting service users again and their carers where appropriate to discuss what options they wish to put in place. We will closely support individuals to put in place alternative options.

We have also put together information about a range of services available in the local community and this information is available on our website. We will continue to update this information periodically.

We asked

We asked for your views on three potential options for how Barnet's library service could be provided in the future

We did: The results of the consultation will inform the development of proposals which will be put into a report on the future shape of library provision in Barnet. The report will be considered by the Children, Education, Libraries and Safeguarding Committee in Autumn 2015.

We asked

We asked what residents thought of our proposals for supporting people at home, including:

• Increasing use of technology and equipment in the home, short-term enablement support, and support for family carers.
• Increasing the use of Direct Payments so people can arrange their own support.
• Looking at how someone's independence can be maximised when they have their Annual Review
• Changing the way respite is provided to people who care for a friend or relative.

You said

You generally agreed with the proposal to look at new ways to support people in their homes. However, you said it was important that individual circumstances be considered to avoid people feeling isolated. Community facilities should be accessible to all. You said that some people may need extra help to manage Direct Payments, and to understand how they can be used. You also said that where respite was concerned, the needs of the carer should be considered on an individual basis.

We did

We will take into account the concerns you raised when implementing the proposals, and we have a legal duty to assess people's needs on an individual basis.

We will be re-establishing a Forum for Direct Payment Users and Carers to support them with using Direct Payments. We will also be looking into ways that we can improve accessibility to community facilities for all.

We asked

We asked for your views on our proposals for:

A new way of delivering adult social care in Barnet that would help people to stay well, to recover quickly from illness or injury, and to draw upon the support that their family, friends and the local community can give them.

A new way of organising our adult social care services to support the new way in which we want to deliver these services. In our proposal we short listed three potential options for how we organise the service:

• Option A - keeping the adult social care service within the council.
• Option B - creating a shared service with one or more local NHS organisations.
• Option C - establishing a public service mutual (an organisation that has left the public sector but continues to deliver public services).

An online questionnaire was published on Engage Barnet together with a consultation document which provided detailed background information about the councillor’s budget setting process and the financial challenges the council faces. Paper copies and an easy read version of the consultation were made available on request. Three consultative events were also held with groups of stakeholders.

You said

A total of 72 questionnaires and responses were completed by the public, interested groups and statutory bodies. 45 stakeholders attended the consultative events.

The majority of respondents supported the proposals for a new way of delivering adult social care in Barnet, including a strengths-based approach, use of hubs for assessments, and proposals for a collaborative approach with the community and voluntary sector. Most respondents also thought that extending the information and advice the council provides about access to adult social care support would be effective. However, only 42% of respondents thought that introducing new online services would be effective. Comments included concerns about online information not being suited to older people, those who have serious or long term sickness, those with learning disabilities and the visually impaired.

In response to the proposals for a new way of organising our adult social care services, option A (keeping the service within the council) had the highest level of support in the public consultation, with 50% of respondents supporting it. 41% of respondents supported option B (a shared service with one or more local NHS organisations). Option C (a public service mutual) was the least popular of the short listed options - 63% of respondents said they were opposed to this option.

We did

The qualitative responses to our proposals for a new way of delivering adult social care identified important areas which we have taken into account when implementing the approaches, such as ensuring that home visits are still available for those who need them.

Work to further develop assessment hubs, strengths-based practice and the mental health enablement pathway will include a co-design approach with staff and residents and take into account the consultation feedback. The work will also be coordinated with the Councillor’s Customer Access Strategy and Digital Inclusion Strategy, to ensure that everyone in the borough who is capable of being online is supported to get online and that there are special access arrangements in place for those who cannot use self-service.

Because of the feedback from consultation, the risks and the minimal financial benefit, the Adults and Safeguarding Committee agreed that the public service mutual option would be no longer pursued as an alternative delivery model approach. A progress report on the development of the two remaining options was presented to the Adults and Safeguarding Committee in March 2017.

We Asked

We asked for your views on the recommendations for the draft Playing Pitch Strategy (PPS).

A variety of methods were used to consult including:

• The questionnaire on Engage Barnet,
• Direct emails to all sports clubs for the questionnaires,
• Other promotion methods such as Facebook.

Public consultation on the draft PPS for Barnet was undertaken from 16th January to 27th February 2017.

You Said

Overall, we received 31 responses to the consultation. More respondents agreed or strongly agreed (average 49.98% across all sports) with the strategic directions for the individual sports than disagreed or strongly disagreed (average 7.91% across all sports).

77.42% of respondents had taken part in formal sport activity during the year prior to the consultation.

We Did

The results of the consultation were delivered to the Environment Committee on the 15th of March 2017. The Environment Committee noted the outcome and adopted the draft Playing Pitch Strategy for Barnet. This has signed off by Sport England, England & Wales Cricket Board, England Hockey, Football Association, Lawn Tennis Association and Rugby Football Union. This creates a framework for future pitch provision as well as helping to deliver other outdoor pitch sports.

Work has started on the development of West Hendon, Barnet Playing Fields and Copthall Sports Hubs in line with the Playing Pitch Strategy. A detailed action plan with timeline is being developed for the remaining recommendations. Development of alternative facilities for Gaelic Football in Barnet has begun and the renovation of an artificial grass pitch at Graham Park.

A steering group formed of Sport England and other National Governing Bodies has been set up to develop schemes with national bodies and local interest groups to ensure that playing pitch need in the borough is met. Discussions have commenced with National Governing Bodies regarding improvements to the quality of pitches.

We Asked

We asked residents to give us their views on the effectiveness of the election and electoral registration services – especially those based upon personal experience, so that the independent reviewer, former Chief Executive and Returning Officer for Sunderland City Council, Dr Dave Smith,could use these to inform his findings and contribute to the recommendations that he made.

You Said

Overall we received 38 responses covering a wide range of topics related to voting and registering to vote in Barnet. This included feedback on personal experiences of registering to vote and of voting in polling stations, by post and by proxy. Respondents also gave us information about how easily they were able to access the necessary materials for registering and voting and the effectiveness of the communication channels used by Barnet’s Electoral Services.

We Did

All of the responses received in the consultation were provided to the independent reviewer. He used the responses, along with all of the other information that he collated and reviewed and the evidence gathered by conducting interviews with staff, councillors, Barnet MPs and Barnet and Camden’s GLA Assembly Member. He used all the feedback to produce his findings and recommendations in a report that went to the Council’s General Functions Committee on 9 November 2016. All of the recommendations from the independent review were accepted at the committee meeting. Council staff are now actively working on implementing these recommendations. You can read the report of the independent review and the council’s initial responses here.