What is FEEDBACK?

FEEDBACK is the name of our Citizens' Panel.  The panel comprises local residents who are regularly consulted on local issues and services. 

What is a Citizens' Panel?

A Citizens' panel is a group of residents (aged 18 plus), representative of the local population, who are consulted on a regular basis on a range of local issues and services.  The purpose of the panel is to provide local residents with a chance to 'have a say' on issues or decisions that are important to the local community and the Council.  Through the panel, we have the chance to consult with the community regularly and also have the opportunity to go back in future years to see if attitudes have changed.

What are the benefits of FEEDBACK?

• Involves the community in local government
• Gains a picture of local views and opinions
• Feed information swiftly into our decision-making processes
• Quick turnaround of information
• Quick to set up and produce, easy to maintain
• Positive public relations
• Cost effective.

How does the panel work?

Questionnaires are sent out to FEEDBACK members up to five times a year, normally as a postal survey (or via email).  A modest reward is offered as an incentive for FEEDBACK members to complete and return their surveys by the deadline.

For details on the questionnaires sent to the Citizens' Panel, and the results of these projects, please click on the link below.

Past Citizens Panel Consultation

Recruitment

We currently have just over 1,100 individuals (from separate households) on the panel, who are broadly representative of the population in the Borough in terms of age, gender and ethnicity.  When recruiting for the panel we look at the 2001 Census information and where we have, for example, in excess of a particular age group, we will keep their details on file for when panel members leave.

At the moment we are particularly interested in recruiting more local residents between the ages of 18 and 24.  If you are in this age group, please contact us on 01372 732000 or email contactus@epsom-ewell.gov.uk Confidentiality

Panel members' name, address, telephone number and email address are not used for any other purpose except for the running and management of the panel.  All questionnaires are sent with a unique reference number, which enables us to log responses and send reminders. However, individual answers remain anonymous.

Citizens' Panel Newsletters

An annual newsletter is sent to FEEDBACK members, usually in October / November. The purpose of the newsletter is to update panel members on the results of surveys in which they have participated, as well as letting them know how their responses have been used by the Council to improve the services we provide.

Further Information

Telephone:  Research, Consultation & Information Analyst on 01372 732000 
email contactus@epsom-ewell.gov.uk