Community engagement: improving health and wellbeing and reducing health inequalities

Using evidence‑based approaches to community engagement (see collaborations and partnerships and peer and lay roles).

Being clear about which decisions people in local communities can influence and how this will happen.

Recognising, valuing and sharing the knowledge, skills and experiences of all partners, particularly those from the local community (see the section on learning and training).

Making each partner's goals for community engagement clear.

Respecting the rights of local communities to get involved as much or as little as they are able or wish to.

Establishing and promoting social networks and the exchange of information and ideas (on issues such as different cultural priorities and values).

plan to provide sufficient resources (see the section on identifying the resources needed)

start community engagement early enough to shape the proposed initiative

establish clear ways of working for all those involved

start evaluating community engagement activities early enough to capture all relevant outcomes (see the section on evaluation and feedback).

identifying and working with community networks and organisations, particularly those reaching vulnerable groups or recently established communities

involving communities in setting priorities.

An asset-based approach – to build on the strengths and capabilities of local communities.

Community development – to give local communities at risk of poor health support to help identify their needs and tackle the root causes. This support comes from statutory organisations.

Community‑based participatory research – to provide collaborations and partnerships with background knowledge and insights into the nature of the community they are working with.

Area‑based initiatives – to work with local communities to improve local health and education and support urban regeneration and development to tackle social or economic disadvantage.

Co-production methods – to ensure statutory organisations and the community can participate on an equal basis to design and deliver health and wellbeing initiatives.

For more details, see Public Health England's guide to community-centred approaches for health and wellbeing.

Bridging roles to establish effective links between statutory, community and voluntary organisations and the local community and to determine which types of communication would most effectively help get people involved.

Carrying out 'peer interventions'. That is, training and supporting people to offer information and support to others, either from the same community or from similar backgrounds (see the section on learning and training).

Community health champions who aim to reach marginalised or vulnerable groups and help them get involved.

Volunteer health roles whereby community members get involved in organising and delivering activities.

For more details, see Public Health England's guide to community-centred approaches for health and wellbeing.

Processes that make it as easy as possible for people to get involved. See the section on making it as easy as possible for people to get involved.

Service contracts for providers that specify the need to collaborate with local communities. See the section on statutory obligations.

Help for local services and organisations to build community engagement principles into their work (see the section on overarching principles of good practice).

Planning to ensure the resources needed for community engagement are available. See the section on identifying the resources needed.

Methods of monitoring, evaluating and reporting on engagement with the relevant local communities. See the section on evaluation and feedback.

Processes to ensure learning from community engagement is reflected in health and wellbeing initiatives, for example, in the way they are designed or targeted.

use the joint strategic needs assessment and other data to understand the demographics of local communities

plan ways to make it as easy as possible for people to get involved (see the section on making it as easy as possible for people to get involved)

identify the 'assets' (skills, knowledge, networks and relationships) and facilities available locally

plan how to build on and develop these assets as part of the joint strategic needs assessment (see the section on learning and training)

plan how the local approach can meet public bodies' statutory obligations (see the sections developing collaborations and partnerships to meet local needs and priorities, involving people in peer and lay roles to represent local needs and priorities, and statutory obligations)

act on community needs and preferences and take account of changes in these needs and preferences over time.

Identify barriers to involvement, particularly for vulnerable groups and recently established communities.

Decide which types of communication would get people interested and involved. Include ways of communicating that reflect the needs of: vulnerable or isolated groups, recently established communities, those with low literacy or learning difficulties, and people who do not use digital or social media.

Involving community members in the initiative's recruitment process (see the section on involving people in peer and lay roles to represent local needs and priorities).

Offering to phone, write, email, use social media or call round to see people.

Providing information in plain English and locally spoken languages for non‑English speakers. This could include encouraging members of the community who speak a community language to get involved in translating it.

Ensuring the timing of events meets people's needs.

Establishing and meeting the needs of participants with disabilities. For example, providing information in formats that people can understand (see NHS England's Accessible Information Standard), using venues that are fully accessible to them and providing the equipment they need.

Providing childcare support, such as crèche facilities.

Using places familiar to community participants and creating an informal atmosphere.

Helping them meet mandatory requirements, for example, to get disclosure and barring service checks if necessary (see the government's information on the disclosure and barring service).