Draft Engagement Strategy
Our North Tyneside Voice – Resident Engagement Strategy 2025–2029 (Draft)
(Foreword from the Mayor to be included here)
Why we are sharing this strategy
Listening to residents and communities is one of the most important things North Tyneside Council does. The views, hopes and aspirations of those we serve matter, and directly shape the services we deliver and help make North Tyneside a great place to live, work, and visit.
This strategy explains how we will continue to listen, involve and work alongside residents to keep North Tyneside a great place to live, work and visit. It supports the ambitions in the Council Plan 2025–2029, for an even better North Tyneside and is an essential part of how we meet the standards set out in our Customer Promise, being clear what you can expect from the council every day.
We will review this strategy every year to make sure it stays relevant, inclusive, and works for people who call North Tyneside home. It aligns with our Tenant Engagement Strategy and Business Engagement Strategy, which together detail all the ways people who live, work, and visit North Tyneside can have their say.
Who we serve
North Tyneside is home to more than 200,000 residents across 20 wards, representing a wide range of ages, backgrounds, and experiences.
The council delivers thousands of of services each year — from schools, housing, and social care, to waste collection, transport, and cultural events. Because these services support everyone, it’s vital that residents have the opportunity to share their views and influence how things are done.
National legislation, including the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, the Localism Act 2011, and the English
Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill 2025, require councils to consult, involve, and empower their communities. This strategy describes how North Tyneside Council will meet and exceed those expectations.
What we want to achieve
Our vision is simple; residents are kept informed, included, and empowered through open, meaningful, and accessible engagement. We are committed not only to listening, but to acting on what residents tell us – using their feedback to shape decisions, improve services and strengthen trust.
Through this strategy we aim to:
• make it easy for everyone to have a say on the issues that matter to them
• work together with residents to improve local services.
• support communities to participate confidently and influence wider decisions and priorities, and
• keep learning from feedback and continuously improve how we engage.
How we will do it
We are committed to making engagement straightforward, inclusive, and transparent. To achieve this, we will:
• provide different ways for residents to share their views — online, in person, and through written or telephone contact
• make every opportunity to take part as accessible as possible, removing barriers where they exist
• be clear about why we are asking for feedback and how we will use it, and
• report back on what has changed as a result of engagement.
Our engagement approach between 2025 and 2029 will focus on four key objectives.
1. Expanding opportunities to get involved – giving residents more ways to share their views in a way that suits them.
2. Raising awareness – ensuring residents know when and how they can take part.
3. Linking engagement to decisions – showing clearly how resident feedback influences outcomes.
4. Improving continuously – reviewing and learning from engagement each year to strengthen our approach.
The principles that guide our approach
We will follow a clear set of principles to make sure all engagement is fair, open, and respectful.
• Inclusive – Everyone has the opportunity to take part.
• Accessible – We remove barriers to participation and offer support where needed.
• Transparent – We explain why we are asking for views and how we will use them.
• Respectful – Every opinion is listened to and valued.
• Accountable – We share results and explain what has changed
• Collaborative – We work alongside residents, partners, and communities.
We also follow the national Gunning Principles, which ensure engagement happens at the right time, provides enough information, allows sufficient time for responses, and considers all views fairly before decisions are made.
Our engagement standards
To ensure our engagement is meaningful, inclusive, and effective, we commit to the following standards:
1. Engage early: We will involve residents, service users, and stakeholders at the earliest possible stage, so their views can shape ideas and decisions from the outset.
2. Clear purpose: Every engagement activity will have a clear purpose. We will explain what we are seeking views on and why involvement matters.
3. Full information: We will provide all relevant information that is available and legally permissible, so everyone can participate fully and make informed contributions.
4. A range of opportunities: We will offer a variety of ways for people to get involved, so individuals can choose the method that suits them best.
5. Seek out voices: We will actively reach out to all sections of our community, with a particular focus on including those whose voices are less often heard.
6. Time and support: We will give sufficient notice about engagement opportunities and offer support—such as information, training, or covering reasonable expenses—so everyone can take part.
7. Feedback: After each engagement activity, we will share feedback with participants, explaining what has happened as a result and how their input has influenced decisions.
How residents can share their views
Whether taking part in a consultation or getting in touch to share views on a particular topic, there are a range of ways to do this.
• Online: Our North Tyneside Voice engagement platform, social media and online forms.
• In-person: Community events, focus groups, councillor surgeries, drop-ins at Community Hubs and Libraries.
• Telephone and BSL: Dedicated phone lines and interpreter support.
• Written: Printed consultation copies are available at our six Community Hubs as a minimum and information is shared in print via Our North Tyneside magazine. You can also write to us to share your views.
Who we’ll work with
Effective engagement relies on partnership. Lasting change happens when residents, communities, and organisations work together.
We will continue to:
• involve residents early when developing ideas and plans.
• work with our partners which includes schools, the NHS, police, housing providers, local businesses, and the voluntary and community sector, and
• share good practice and learn from other councils and community networks.
Everyone in North Tyneside can play a part, including:
• residents of all ages and backgrounds.
• children, young people, individuals, and families.
• council tenants and leaseholders.
• businesses and local organisations.
• voluntary and community groups, and
• people with disabilities, carers, and those with lived experience of key issues.
Ongoing engagement opportunities include:
• Youth engagement via the Youth Council, Children in Care Council, SEND Youth Forum and Care Leavers Council
• Specific groups for our Council Tenants
• Meetings of the Ethnic Diversity Community Task Force
• Annual Boroughwide Big Community Conversation
• Service user groups
• A variety of council service consultations
• The Residents Survey
What is engagement?
We recognise that engagement can happen in different ways depending on the purpose.
(graphic to be included to explain options)
• To inform: sharing information and raising awareness through newsletters, social media, and community hubs.
• To consult: asking for views through surveys, forums, and focus groups.
• To involve: working with residents to shape ideas through workshops or discussion panels.
• To collaborate: partnering with residents on shared priorities, such as the Youth Council or task and finish groups.
• To empower: supporting residents to lead their own community projects and initiatives.
These levels ensure that engagement is proportionate, purposeful, and meaningful.
When this will happen
The strategy covers a four-year period from 2025 to 2029.
• In 2025 and 2026, we will build strong foundations by introducing consistent engagement standards and clear information for residents.
• During 2026 and 2027, we will broaden participation by reaching underrepresented groups and making engagement more visible in every community.
• In 2028 and 2029, we will review progress, gather feedback from residents and partners, and refresh the strategy to prepare for the next period.
Each year we will review activity and publish updates so residents can see what has been achieve
How we’ll measure progress
We will keep improving our approach by:
• Tracking how many people take part in engagement activities.
• Monitor participation across different demographics to ensure engagement reflects the wide range of people who live in our Borough.
• Asking residents for feedback on their experience of taking part.
• Showing how engagement has influenced decisions and improved services through sharing You Said We Did updates.
We will share updates through:
• An Annual Resident Engagement Report.
• The Annual Tenants Report.
• Regular “You Said, We Did” updates in community hubs and online.
• Social media
• Our North Tyneside digital and print magazine
What success will look like
By 2029, we want to see:
• More residents feeling that their voice makes a difference.
• Engagement opportunities reaching a wide range of people and communities.
• Greater confidence in the Council and how decisions are made.
• Clear evidence of how feedback has shaped services and priorities.
• Improvements showing in the Residents Survey
How to get this information in other formats
We want this strategy to be accessible to everyone. Please contact us if you need it in another format.
How to get involved
• Visit: Our North Tyneside Voice website
• Email: engagement@northtyneside.gov.uk
• Phone: 0191 643 2828
• Write to: North Tyneside Council, Quadrant, The Silverlink North, Cobalt Business Park, NE27 0BY