The Government's Duty to Involve

April 1st sees the Government’s Duty to Inform , Consult and Involve come into force. So, will it really allow citizens a stronger role in shaping the services designed for them? So far the guidance is vague. It states that local authorities need to engage on ‘routine functions’ and ‘significant one off decisions’. This invites the question what else is there? Less positively the guidance lists three reasons why involvement may not be appropriate. One of these is ‘high costs-low benefits’. It is suggested that authorities need to weigh the costs of involvement against the likely benefits. This sounds like a bit of a loophole and one which can be exploited by those authorities interested in business as usual. We shall wait to see what happens later in the year as local authorities respond. I for one am fascinated by the prospect of implementation which makes a difference. We have a lot to learn from the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act which has been in place since 2007 and is based upon similar mechanisms and approach.