The six steps to help every council communicate more effectively

As a council, we know you're really busy.

Managing meetings, delivering services, overseeing projects, as well as dealing with information requests, complaints, planning responses, grants and everything in between.

Yet, if the work you're doing is not being communicated clearly and regularly to your community, it might as well not be happening.

That is because when residents do not consistently hear from their parish or town council, they may not automatically assume it is busy. People may even wrongly assume it is not doing anything at all.

That unintended silence can create a trust deficit that can be genuinely difficult to recover from.

Communicating in a way that builds trust

Councils know that communication matters. Councils know that communicating in a way that builds trust with their community sits at the heart of effective governance.

And yet the realities of running a busy parish or town council mean this is easier said than done.

There's not enough time.

It can be hard to know what to say or how to say it.

We also know there are particular communication challenges all councils face from time to time:

• Justifying precept and budget increases

• Communicating unpopular or other difficult decisions

• Explaining Local Government Reorganisation and other changes

• Rebuilding trust after difficult periods

We've developed a simple, six step framework to help councils communicate in a way that builds trust, even when they're busy.

The six steps to effective council communications

Step 1: Listen

Set up simple, regular ways to gather feedback such as short surveys or informal conversations. Look for patterns in what residents are saying so you can act before issues escalate.

Keep a note of the themes of the recurring issues residents raise in emails, meetings and conversations, so you can more easily spot patterns and address concerns before they grow.

Step 2: Plan

Decide what residents need to understand before creating any content. Be clear on your key message, audience and intended outcome for each communication.

Keep looking ahead at what is coming up so you can identify in advance which issues, decisions or changes may need to be explained clearly to residents.

Step 3: Create

Use simple templates or structures to draft updates quickly and consistently. Focus on clarity over perfection so messages are easy to understand.

Use accessible language, with short sentences and avoid council jargon so residents can quickly understand what you are doing and why it matters.

Step 4: Share

Choose channels based on where your residents are, not just what is easiest for you. Use a mix of methods to reach those who are offline as well as online.

Reuse the same update in different formats, such as a noticeboard summary, a website post and a short social media post, to save time while reaching more people.

Step 5: Respond

Acknowledge comments and concerns promptly, even if you cannot resolve them immediately. Stay factual and calm, avoiding defensiveness in challenging situations.

Agree in advance who will respond to communication queries, public comments or concerns so nothing is left sitting unanswered for too long.

Step 6: Improve

Review which communications are getting attention and which are not. Adjust your approach based on what you learn so each update is more effective than the last.

Set aside a few minutes each month to review what worked, what prompted questions and what residents seemed to be unaware of, then refine your approach for the future.

Join us for a free webinar where we dive deeper into how your council can communicate more effectively with your community.

Register for your place today.