Kensington and Chelsea Council is set to trial a resident oversight panel to review the implementation of its new public participation commitments, marking a shift towards greater community involvement in decision-making.
The move follows a review of the council's Charter for Public Participation, which was adopted in January 2020. The review, undertaken between January and October 2025, involved over 600 local people and resulted in a revised document titled 'Our Public Participation Commitments'. This new framework moves beyond traditional consultation to embed accessibility, proactive outreach, and transparency at the heart of all council engagement. It also broadens the scope of public involvement, ranging from informing residents to co-producing solutions with them, clarifying expectations for both councillors and officers.
The 'Our Public Participation Commitments' outlines when the council will consult, engage, co-design, and co-produce with residents, clarifying expectations for both councillors and officers. It broadens the scope of public involvement, ranging from informing residents to co-producing solutions with them. The new commitments give a greater breadth to how the council will involve local people - from informing to co-producing with them - and allows the council to be clearer on the type of engagement required.
To ensure accountability, the council will establish a resident oversight group in 2026. This group will review the progress of the new commitments against an evaluation framework and publish an annual progress report on the council website. The resident oversight panel will review the progress of the new public participation commitments' implementation against an evaluation framework, with a progress report published on the website annually. The resident oversight group's draft annual report will also be shared with Scrutiny, so together the council can review and assess whether participation is at the right level and properly adjusted for different situations and needs. This collaborative review process will also help the council address any shortcomings identified by the resident oversight group.
Additionally, the council plans to implement a staff training programme to ensure understanding and adherence to the new commitments.
The council also intends to publish case studies showcasing positive approaches to public participation and update its Consultation and Engagement Toolkit and Good Practice Guide. Furthermore, the council will collaborate with Scrutiny to assess the inclusivity of participation levels in major council decisions.
All these initiatives will be communicated to residents through the 'Your Community, Your Voice' campaign throughout 2026-27. The council will create a range of more accessible versions of the new public participation commitments, which will articulate the new commitments in a simpler, more accessible format. The council will also publish all information in digital and print formats with online and in person ways of hearing and responding. Materials will be made available in other formats e.g. Easy Read and in commonly spoken community languages by request.
The Administration Committee discussed the Review of the Charter for Public Participation at its meeting on 17 November 2025. Apologies were received from Councillors Joanna Gardner and Marie-Therese Rossi.