East Cambridgeshire District Council has launched a new consultation to identify what issues local people are facing, what support they may need, and how the council can best engage with them.

Responses to the consultation, launched on 18 August,  will be used to inform the updating of the council’s vulnerable communities directory, which includes information on the services and support available in East Cambridgeshire; and also updating of the community engagement toolkit, which assists officers to engage effectively with members of the community, including those who historically have been harder to engage with.

Officers refer to these documents when they are assisting residents to identify the most appropriate agencies, support and routes for vulnerable people.

Cllr Anna Bailey, Leader of the council, said: “Consulting with residents to find out what issues people are facing, what support they need, and how to effectively engage with them is essential to making improvements and meeting the needs of the community. 

“Some people may experience barriers to engaging with the services they need and many people may not identify themselves as vulnerable, but the characteristics are wide ranging and include many residents within our district, therefore it is essential that we understand what can be done to improve engagement and to understand the needs of our communities.

“We would urge all residents, or their families and carers, to complete the consultation to share their views so that we capture feedback from vulnerable people and communities.”

It is hoped the consultation will help identify any gaps or barriers to engaging, so these can be addressed and any barriers removed.

The consultation will run for eight weeks, closing on 12 October 2025.

Residents can share their views on the consultation on our current consultations webpage.

The consultation will also be sent to local organisations who are already engaging with people who may be harder to reach or vulnerable. Any agencies wishing to share the consultation can email: stephaniejones@eastcambs.gov.uk 

The council's Vulnerable Communities Strategy and Community Engagement Strategy can be viewed on our policy documents webpage.