Hard to Reach?Improving area engagement with ‘hard to reach’ groups

Hard to reach? 

It may sometimes be hard to engage with some communities but remember it may sometimes be hard some communities to engage with you or your group.

So who is really hard to reach?

Understanding an area and the communities within it 

People – Places – Organisations

• To help understand your area you need to look at your areas demographic profile that means you need data relating to the area and particular groups within it

And

• Have a clear engagement plan (but be ready to change that plan!)

Starting work with a new community 

Before you start:

1.Understand the place as well as the people. GeographyDemographicsHistoryKey local issues

2.Find the people who know the area.

3.What is happening at present? Any new work needs to fit in with what is going on in the area already.

 

When engagement goes bad! 

What problems can develop during this work?

In groups, discuss possible problems

Write each one down (in just a few words) on a separate sheet of paper 

Some key points to consider 

• What change do we want to achieve?

• What decisions need to be made and by who?

• What awareness work may need to be done?

• How does building engagement deliver the change?

• Who are the key communities and groups?

• What will you want them to do?

• How is this going to be resourced?

Developing an Engagement Plan 

• Take a scenario from your own work

• Develop an engagement plan (guide provided in the next slide)

• It is important that you take time to show and discuss the plan with your area

Or

• Use the plan guide to develop your area’s engagement plan as a group

Engagement Plan Guide 

A: The overall outcomes

• What changes you are trying to achieve

• The decisions that need to be made and who makes them

• The overall time-scale

  

Engagement Plan Guide (2) 

  

B: Building engagement

• How the profiling work will be done (if not done already)

• How you will identify the key communities and groups to be targeted

  

Engagement Plan Guide (3)  

  

   B: Building engagement (cont’d)

• Who else needs to be aware of / engaged with your work

• How will awareness be raised to help build engagement

• What kind of communications work will be most effective in reaching and engaging

• Where will you start (and what happens next)

  

Engagement Plan Guide (4)  

  

   C: Making change happen

• How do people and groups help deliver the change?

• How long is this going to take? (you should think about a time-line)

• How is this going to be resourced?

• Who else might help or offer resources?

  

The Engagement Plan – 5 steps 

 

  

  

1. What - are your key aims and objectives

2. Who - needs to be involved: individuals, community groups, local authority, parish council, faith groups, the area partnership etc.

3. Resources - what do you need? Funding, skills, time, information?

4. When - what is the time-line you need to work to?

5. Risks - what are the potential risks, why might they occur and how will they be tackled?