Norfolk Residents' Panel

As the Council looks to the future, and the many challenges it faces, we want local residents to help us decide which direction to take and how we can all get Norfolk thriving.

We set up the Norfolk Residents' Panel to help us have these conversations.

How to sign up

You can sign up to the panel online by following the link below.

If you would like to become a member of the Norfolk Residents' Panel, but would prefer a paper copy of the survey, or if you would like to receive a translated survey, email residentspanel@norfolk.gov.uk.

Sign up online (opens new window)

More about the Residents' Panel

The Norfolk Residents' Panel is your chance to have your say on matters that affect Norfolk.

The purpose of the panel is to enable local people to share their views on how Norfolk County Council can best provide and improve its services to the county's residents. It will also to help shape Norfolk's future as the county faces up to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The panel is made up of an average of 2000 residents from across Norfolk. They are invited to participate in surveys, focus groups and online sessions throughout the year about a range of topics affecting Norfolk. They help Norfolk County Council make decisions and improve our services.

Members of the panel will be recruited to be broadly representative of the wider population of the area in terms of demographics and where they live in Norfolk. Panel members will be invited to be involved in engagement exercises and participate in surveys throughout the year, enabling us to:

• Seek feedback on local services, particularly around how they may need to change in future, as we deal with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic
• Help identify future needs and priorities
• Give views on any new proposals
• Be a voice on how we share information with residents

Why have I been asked to be a panel member?

Our recruitment to the panel is made up of two strands:

• Organic recruitment - this is when someone asks to be a member of the panel independently, maybe after clicking a link on social media or hearing about the panel through the press
• Targeted recruitment - this is when we contact people whose email address we got from leased email data. In the case of the Residents' Panel, this was provided by a consumer database from a GDPR compliant data supplier, UK Datahouse. Consumer data is legitimately collected from websites, online forms and lifestyle surveys, where people have indicated they can be contacted for sales and marketing purposes via an opt-in method of sign up. Norfolk County Council is working with independent research group M.E.L Research to oversee this process.

Regardless of how you found out about the panel, if you choose to join you will get the same experience.

What will I need to do?

Panel members will be invited to take part in at least three online surveys a year and may also be invited to take part in further research. All participation is voluntary. We will keep you updated on the results of the research and tell you about you of more ways to get involved via a regular email newsletter.

How often will you contact me?

You will receive a regular newsletter via email, but we will keep correspondence with you to a minimum. These newsletters will feature results of surveys, regular updates on further engagement opportunities and a rundown of decisions made by Norfolk County Council.

What do I get for taking part?

As well as helping to shape Norfolk County Council services, those who complete a survey will be entered into an annual prize draw for the chance to win one of three £50 cash prizes.  The more surveys you enter, the better your chances of winning!

If you are chosen to participate in further research there will be an additional cash incentive.  The prize draw is paid for, administered and managed by M.E.L Research.

Who are M.E.L Research?

For the first two years of this project, Norfolk County Council have partnered with M.E.L Research, an independent social research company. Read their privacy policy (opens new window) to find out how they use the information you've provided, including your privacy rights and your right to withdraw your consent at any time.

Your privacy and data

We'll keep the personal information you give us safely and will only use it for legitimate research purposes. All data stored through the surveys will comply with GDPR regulations and with the privacy policies set by Norfolk County Council.

Read our privacy notice.

If you have any queries about the Residents' Panel, email residentspanel@norfolk.gov.uk.