Why the English Devolution Bill must put lived experience at its heart
At Revolving Doors, we believe that the people most affected by policies and services should have a real say in shaping them. That’s why we’ve joined with 14 other organisations to write to the new Minister for English Devolution, Alison McGovern, urging the Government to strengthen the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill by embedding a statutory duty to consult and involve people with lived experience in decision-making.
We welcome the ambition of the Bill to bring decision-making closer to communities. But that without a legal duty to involve those with lived experience, there’s a risk that devolution will simply transfer power from Whitehall to local town halls, without changing how decisions are made.
At Revolving Doors, we know that those closest to the problem are also closest to the solution. Through our work we have shown time and again that services are better when co-commissioned, designed and evaluated by those who have experience of needing those services. True lived experience brings unique insights into what works and what doesn’t.
Too often lived experience involvement is conducted in ways that are tokenistic. Involving lived experience people from the outset, rather than as an afterthought, helps ensure policies are grounded in reality and more likely to succeed.
We’re calling on the Government to:
- Introduce a statutory duty to consult and involve lived experience in local decision-making.
- Ensure that this duty applies across policy areas that directly affect people’s lives.
- Make involvement meaningful, not superficial, by embedding it into commissioning and service design.
There’s precedent for this. Back in 2007, the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act introduced a “Duty to Involve,” requiring public bodies to engage local people in decision-making. While this was later repealed, elements of meaningful involvement remain embedded in areas like health and social care.
The English Devolution Bill now presents a real opportunity to embed lived experience consultation and involvement in the culture of local authorities, and by doing so in communities.
