The Central Bedfordshire Together Board considered at its March 2012 meeting a report detailing the findings and recommendations from Central Bedfordshire Council’s Customer and Shared Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The report looked at performance and potential future arrangements for Let’s Talk Together (LTT) meetings.

Board support for LTT

The Board welcomed the report, which supported the concept of the LTT meetings and acknowledged the importance of an issue based model that focuses on outcomes rather than the process.

The Board requested that a small task and finish group involving partners be set up to further analyse the data and feedback, and develop an alternative model of face to face community engagement.

LTT to continue…

The task and finish group concluded that face to face engagement does add value to service providers, communities and customers by providing an opportunity to build relationships. It also helps to improve service delivery through consultation, engagement and involvement. The group recommended that:

• The LTT model should continue, and be flexible and adapted for use by partners to carry out face to face engagement;
• Partner involvement should be strengthened with each partner taking the lead for at least one LTT meeting;
• Each meeting should have a clear objective, and focus on outcomes;
• Next round of meetings to take place in the Autumn 2012; and
• Venues and locations should be chosen based on the issues to be discussed, previous attendance and the desired outcome.