Citizen's Panel
A citizens' panel is a dedicated group of people who are actively willing to engage with us either face-to-face, over the phone or take part in regular surveys to help us improve our services and as a council.
- are you a resident of Ashfield?
- are you aged 16 or over?
- do you want to represent your community?
- do you want your views heard by Council decision-makers?
- do you want to make a difference?
- do you want to add something different to your CV?
Sign up to the citizens' panel
The personal information that you provide will be handled in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018. Your information will not be disclosed to any other parties and will not be used for any other purpose without your permission.
This also means that the details you give us are held independently to any other council records, so if we have got any of your details wrong let us know.
How it works
Every so often we'll host a focus group or send out a survey to find out your opinion on something. We aim to be as flexible as possible with how we communicate, so you can either choose to have us contact you by email or by letter.
Once the survey or focus group debate concludes your responses will be analysed confidentially. A report will then be put together to the relevant service area, allowing them to make an informed decision on the matter.
Wherever possible, you will receive an anonymous summary of the responses.
Your role as a panel member
You are welcome to contact us on any matters relating to the panel and its surveys or focus groups. As we care about what you think, please be as open and honest as you can. If something we've said or asked of you isn't clear, please let us know.
Not all panel members will share the same opinion, so at focus groups, please be respectful to one another, including our staff. Remember, we're not able to take on individual complaints or matters that don't relate to the panel.
Once you join, you can be a member for as long as you like - it's free, there are no obligations to take part in anything you don't want to, and you can opt out at any time.
You will be treated politely and with respect at all times, no matter what method you choose to communicate with us. We don't have a standard turnaround time for getting back to panel members' queries, but we try our best to respond within 3 working days. If you choose to communicate with us by letter, our response may take a little longer.
Leave the citizens' panel
You can leave the citizen's panel any time you like, and you do not have to take part in all the surveys or focus groups we run.
If you want to leave you can do this online.
Other ways to contact us
You can contact us about the citizens' panel by:
- telephone: 01623 450 000
- email: improvement@ashfield.gov.uk