The Experience of People Engaging with Local Authorities
Since 2021, the LGMA has been commissioning surveys of the public to find out what people know about local authority services and what their views are on those services. In addition, each year, one topic relating to service delivery is explored in detail, through additional survey questions and focus groups.
In 2024, the research sought to explore the experiences of people engaging with local authorities in order to find out what was working well and what could be improved.
The survey element was conducted by Red C in May 2024 and 1,378 people answered questions about their last engagement with local authorities. They provided information about why they had contacted their local authorities, how they had contacted them, how long the engagement took and how many staff they dealt with. They also rated their engagement experience and identified what they would like to see changed to improve things.
The focus group participants discussed their experiences of engaging with local authorities and identified the positive and not so positive elements of their engagements.
While the majority of respondents from both groups had positive experiences, there were some areas identified that could be improved. These related to greater transparency of the engagement process, a greater variety of engagement channels and good interpersonal skills, which are detailed in this report.
Executive Summary
What kind of experience did people have engaging with Local Authorities?
Survey Findings
- Most people were satisfied with their engagement, especially staff courtesy and knowledge and less satisfied with duration. As duration increased, satisfaction with staff knowledge decreased.
- Those expressing thanks, using a service or making an enquiry were more satisfied with their engagement than those reporting a fault, giving feedback or making a complaint.
- People were most satisfied when engaging with as few staff as necessary in as short a time as possible.
- Half of the respondents said they would not like any change to their experience. The most requested change was making it easier to find contact information for staff and fewer engagements with different staff.
Focus Groups
- Most people had a positive recent engagement with local authorities and were satisfied with the quality and duration of their engagement.
- What they valued most was a quick turnaround, and helpful and accommodating staff.
- What caused most frustration was unsure if emails or phone messages had been received, lack of clarity about the process they were engaging in, confusing websites and ineffective use of social media.
What people want when engaging with Local Authorities?
1: Clear and transparent engagement processes
- Confirmation that email/voicemail has been received
- Information about how long the queue/process will take
- Clear referral system if staff are out of the office
- Record of engagement so people give details only once
2: Multiple engagement channels
- Multiple channels to contact or get information from
- Improved websites and more consistency between local authority websites
- Dedicated time for older persons (in-person or on phone)
3: Good interpersonal skills
- Friendly, knowledgeable, responsive staff with good listening skills
- Clear simple verbal and written communication – no jargon
- Build a positive on-going relationship between service users and local authorities