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What is Shropshire People’s Panel?
Do you have ideas about how things could be improved? One of the easiest ways for you to have your say is to join the Shropshire People’s Panel.
The panel is made up of approximately 1,000 residents aged 18 or over who represent the population of the Shropshire Council area. Panel members provide us with their perspective on a range of topics and issues. To maximise the contribution that the People’s Panel make, topics may cover services provided by other community and public organisations.
The panel complements the existing (and developing) community networks and forums, such as the local joint committees, the Disability Network and the Youth Forum.
How does it work?
Questionnaires
We send questionnaires to panel members three or four times a year by either email or post. Panel members receive a regular newsletter, updating them on survey findings, proposed actions and achievements. These newsletters will be published online.
Other Methods
We also ask panel members if they would like to help us improve services by joining our Shropshire Facebook Panel, Readers Panel, Discussion Forum, or even training to become a mystery customer. For more information about these initiatives please follow the appropriate links.
Variety of areas
The People’s Panel allows us to consult an easily accessible group of people in a variety of ways on a regular basis. The opportunity exists to ask a range of questions to be asked each time the panel is surveyed, and we aim to cover areas of interest to the general population as well. To keep the panel fresh we recruit new members (up to a third) every year.
How can I become a member?
If you are interested in becoming a member please contact us using the details on this page and we will send you an application from. You can also apply online via the link on this page. We will let you know that we’ve received your application and when to expect your first survey. Panel members may leave the panel at any time just by letting us know.
Personal Information
We ask panel members for some personal information which helps us to make sure the panel is representative of the Shropshire county area, and to help us understand the views of different groups of people. Personal data is stored securely and used in accordance with the organisation's data protection policy. The information you give out will only be used for research and consultation purposes; the reports and results we create do not give out any panel members’ personal details, nor do we pass these on to any third parties.
Why should I become a member?
Being a member of the Shropshire People’s Panel will give you the opportunity to:
- tell us about your experiences of living in Shropshire and what you expect from local public services
- inform decisions made by the council and other partner organisations
- help represent the views of the whole community by bringing your ideas and viewpoints to the panel
How is the panel used
The panel is used to find out residents’ views on a range of topics and issues. A few examples of how the panel has been used in the recent past include:
- The future of primary schools in Shropshire
- Personal health and health services
- Views about the local area
- Employment and training opportunities
- Identifying priorities for the Shropshire Partnership
Feedback from the People’s Panel is used alongside feedback from other groups and sources of information to help us make informed decisions about matters such as policy development and the design of services.
While we do as much as we can to make sure most people are able to take an active part in the panel if they wish, there are some people who may still be excluded. For this reason, we use a range of consultation and engagement methods, for example reviewing complaints or working directly with service users and groups to ensure we hear from as wide a range of people as possible.
More Information
If you would like to know more about the People’s Panel contact us using the details on this page, and look out for the newsletters summarising each survey's results, which will be made available on this site as they are published.