Easy read guide to participation requests

In this guide we will explain what participation requests are.

There is a lot of information. It might be helpful to take a break between sections.

A group of people sitting around a table talking

Participation is when you are involved in a discussion, and give your views on how things should be done

A person in a wheelchair smiling and pointing their finger upwards. There is a light bulb in the top left hand side of the picture beside them

Request means to ask someone to do something

A group of people including a council worker, nurse, firefighter, police officer, doctor

A public body means an organisation like a Council, or the Police that is funded by the government to carry out a public service

A group of people standing together smiling and giving the thumbs up sign

A community group can be a charity, but they don’t have to be. They might just be a group of people who meet together regularly

They might be people who:

Live in the same area, or
Share an interest. For example, a fishing group, or
Have a common identity. For example a women’s group, or a group of disabled people.

What are participation requests?

The Scottish Government wanted to make it easier for communities to have more of a say in how public services are run.

A policeman standing in front of a legal document

They brought in a law called the Community Empowerment Act.

Participation Requests are part of the Community Empowerment Act.

Two images of a man. On the left image he is frowning and holding a sign with a red cross and giving a "thumbs down". In the right image he is smiling and holding a sign with a green tick and giving the "thumbs up" because things are better

Participation requests are a way that communities can ask to work with public bodies to make services better.

Two people standing either side of a flipchart. The flipchart has numbered bullet points. 1 and 2 have green ticks beside then and 3 has a red arrow pointing towards it

Communities can also get involved in doing things that help make the services better.

a group of people sitting round a table talking

If a community group makes a participation request to a public body, the public body will have to talk to the group about their idea and how it might work.

A picture of an annual report accompanied by two images of man. In the first image he is holding a sign with a red x on it and frowning. In the second he is holding a sign with a green tick and smiling

Each year, the public body must write a report to the Scottish Government about their participation requests.

They must tell the Scottish Government what services have been made better by working with community groups this way.

Participation requests can do different things

A woman who is smiling and pointing one finger upwards to the sky. There is a light bulb image beside her head

Community groups can tell public bodies about what their community needs or ways that things could be better.

Someone listening carefully to another person who is talking

It helps communities to be heard by the people who make decisions about services that affect them. Services will be better as a result.

3 people sitting round a table and working together on some paperwork that is on the table

Community groups can get involved:

in helping to design new, or better, services.
in delivering services.
when services are being reviewed.

3 people sitting at a table with raised hands. The word "questions" is in front of the table

Community groups can challenge decisions and help public bodies to look at other options to improve services.

Making a participation request

Public sector workers meeting community members and shaking hands

Participation requests are another way to speak to public bodies.

If your group is already working with a public body and you are happy that it is working well, you do not need to do anything different.

A woman putting a form into an envelope. Her head is turned to the side and a speech bubble says "Help please"

If your group does want to make a participation request, you can ask for help to do that.

Public bodies must make sure support is available to help people make a request.

Some other support organisations are listed at the end of this document.

Every public body has its own participation request form that needs to be filled in to make a request.

A young woman making a phone call and a man wearing a headset who is taking her call

You can contact the public body and ask them to tell you how to make a request to them.

A computer screen showing a website image that says "Welcome"

Public bodies should have their form on their website.

If you cannot fill the form in on their website, you can ask them to send you a form.

There are a few things you must tell the public body when you make your request.

You should say:

who your group is and how to get in touch with the group.
which public body you are making the participation request to.
what you want to make better.

Your group does not have to have a constitution, but if you do, then you should send that with your request.

A constitution is the rules that say

who can join your group.
who can be on the committee that runs the group.
how your group will run.

You might need some help to choose the right words and write it as a participation request.

You should say:

why it would be good for your group to work with the public body to make things better.
the things that your group can do to help.
how things could be made better by working with your group.

If you need more than one public body to be involved in your request

You only need to make 1 Participation Request, even if there is more than one public body involved.

Think about who the main public body is that you want to work with.

You should make the request to the main public body.

A man talking. In the speech bubble are an image of the NHS and the Police

When you make your request, it should say what other public bodies that you want to be involved.

What happens after you make your request?

If your Participation Request is only to one public body, then they must let you know if they agree to your request within 30 working days.

Calendar pictures of Saturday, Sunday and December 25th with a large red cross through them

Working days do not include Saturday and Sunday. They do not include some public holidays either.

The number 6 beside a calendar showing a week

Usually, this will mean it could take up to 6 weeks to hear back.

A group of people in different uniforms in the background. In front, one man is talking to another

If your request involves more than one public body, then the public body you made the request to, will give you an answer from all the public bodies.

They must let you know within 45 working days.

Calendar images showing Saturday, Sunday and December 25th with a red cross going through them

Working days do not include Saturday and Sunday. They do not include some public holidays either.

The number 9 beside a diary page showing a week

Usually, this will mean it could take up to 9 weeks to hear back.

A man standing at a door and holding up his hand to say stop

If the public body says no to your request, they must tell you why.

Two people shaking hands and smiling in front of a plan

If the public body says yes to your request, then they will tell you how they think you should work together.

They must start to talk to you about your ideas within 90 days.

The public bodies you can make participation requests to

A council building with people standing in front of it

A local council

A health board

A college

Highlands and Islands Enterprise

Police Scotland

Scottish Enterprise

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

NatureScot

A regional transport partnership

Information about the Community Empowerment Act

An Easy Read guide to The Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act can be found on the Scottish Government’s website.

More information about participation requests

Scottish Community Development Centre has more information about participation requests on their website to help you make a request.

A screenshot of the Participation Request toolkit

Glasgow School of Art has a Participation Request Toolkit with information and exercises to help you make a request.

Local support

A laptop screen showing the word click and a cursor hand hovering over it

Find a link to your local council on this national website

a woman helping another woman fill in a form

Ask your council’s Community Learning and Development (CLD) team for help.

Third Sector Interfaces (TSI) provide support for local community groups and organisations.

You can find your local TSI on the Scottish Government website.

There are two combined images. One is a laptop screen with an image saying email and the other is a man making a phone call.

You can contact SCDC to ask for help by emailing andrew@scdc.org.uk or by calling 0141 248 1924.

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Participation Request Content

Easy read guide to participation requests

In this guide we will explain what participation requests are.

There is a lot of information. It might be helpful to take a break between sections.

Participation is when you are involved in a discussion, and give your views on how things should be done

Request means to ask someone to do something

A public body means an organisation like a Council, or the Police that is funded by the government to carry out a public service

A community group can be a charity, but they don’t have to be. They might just be a group of people who meet together regularly

They might be people who:

Live in the same area, or

Share an interest. For example, a fishing group, or

Have a common identity. For example a women’s group, or a group of disabled people.

What are participation requests?

The Scottish Government wanted to make it easier for communities to have more of a say in how public services are run.

They brought in a law called the Community Empowerment Act.

Participation Requests are part of the Community Empowerment Act.

Participation requests are a way that communities can ask to work with public bodies to make services better.

Communities can also get involved in doing things that help make the services better.

If a community group makes a participation request to a public body, the public body will have to talk to the group about their idea and how it might work.

Each year, the public body must write a report to the Scottish Government about their participation requests.

They must tell the Scottish Government what services have been made better by working with community groups this way.

Participation requests can do different things

Community groups can tell public bodies about what their community needs or ways that things could be better.

It helps communities to be heard by the people who make decisions about services that affect them. Services will be better as a result.

Community groups can get involved:

in helping to design new, or better, services.

in delivering services.

when services are being reviewed.

Community groups can challenge decisions and help public bodies to look at other options to improve services.

Making a participation request

Participation requests are another way to speak to public bodies.

If your group is already working with a public body and you are happy that it is working well, you do not need to do anything different.

If your group does want to make a participation request, you can ask for help to do that.

Public bodies must make sure support is available to help people make a request.

Some other support organisations are listed at the end of this document.

Every public body has its own participation request form that needs to be filled in to make a request.

You can contact the public body and ask them to tell you how to make a request to them.

Public bodies should have their form on their website.

If you cannot fill the form in on their website, you can ask them to send you a form.

There are a few things you must tell the public body when you make your request.

You should say:

who your group is and how to get in touch with the group.

which public body you are making the participation request to.

what you want to make better.

Your group does not have to have a constitution, but if you do, then you should send that with your request.

A constitution is the rules that say

who can join your group.

who can be on the committee that runs the group.

how your group will run.

You might need some help to choose the right words and write it as a participation request.

You should say:

why it would be good for your group to work with the public body to make things better.

the things that your group can do to help.

how things could be made better by working with your group.

If you need more than one public body to be involved in your request

You only need to make 1 Participation Request, even if there is more than one public body involved.

Think about who the main public body is that you want to work with.

You should make the request to the main public body.

When you make your request, it should say what other public bodies that you want to be involved.

What happens after you make your request?

If your Participation Request is only to one public body, then they must let you know if they agree to your request within 30 working days.

Working days do not include Saturday and Sunday. They do not include some public holidays either.

Usually, this will mean it could take up to 6 weeks to hear back.

If your request involves more than one public body, then the public body you made the request to, will give you an answer from all the public bodies.

They must let you know within 45 working days.

Working days do not include Saturday and Sunday. They do not include some public holidays either.

Usually, this will mean it could take up to 9 weeks to hear back.

If the public body says no to your request, they must tell you why.

If the public body says yes to your request, then they will tell you how they think you should work together.

They must start to talk to you about your ideas within 90 days.

The public bodies you can make participation requests to

A local council

A health board

A college

Highlands and Islands Enterprise

Police Scotland

Scottish Enterprise

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

NatureScot