If we want to make positive, lasting change to health and care services in Dorset, we need to listen to the people that use them. Not just listen – really hear what they have to tell us, engage with their experiences, and use what we learn to influence how services are run and developed.

There are many ways to engage with local communities. Depending on the type of conversation you want to have, or the type of insight you are trying to gather, some may be more appropriate than others. This site is not an engagement toolkit. While surveys, polls and other forms of engagement are valuable view-seeking tools, here we focus on the power of conversation, creating an effective listening culture in Dorset.

Experts in public engagement from across Dorset’s health and care system have come together to compile 11 conversational approaches. These approaches have been used locally to engage with people and communities and have provided vital insight that has gone on to help improve the way we provide health and care services.

For each approach we have given a brief overview, some useful information (for example, budget, time, and training requirements) and examples of where it has been used locally. Hopefully this information can help you make an informed choice about the type of conversational approach you would like to use when view-seeking on your next project.

While each approach is different, they all have one thing in common: they help make meaningful connections, through conversation, with our local communities to improve health and care in Dorset.

Public engagement experts from across Dorset’s health and care system worked together to identify, compile and develop the conversational approaches on this site. Some of these partners have existing engagement platforms which you may find useful when carrying out your next project.