Quality of Life Foundation unveils Code of Practice to transform community engagement in development, planning and design

Today, the Quality of Life Foundation publishes the highly anticipated final version of our Code of Practice for effective community consultation and engagement in development, planning and design. 

As the government promises high levels of housing growth in coming years, this new Code of Practice will ensure that local voices are genuinely heard and integrated into decision-making processes about where and how those homes are built. 

A new standard for community engagement

The Code of Practice provides a comprehensive framework for meaningful consultation and collaboration. It offers practical guidance to developers, housing associations, and local authorities, focusing on ethical practices, inclusivity, and transparency. By adopting these standards, organisations can enhance community engagement, reduce risks, and achieve more successful and community-backed projects

Matthew Morgan, our co-founder and director said: “Effective community engagement is crucial for creating sustainable and resilient neighbourhoods. As the new government places increasing emphasis on housing growth, it is more important than ever to embrace this agenda and ensure that our consultation and engagement practices meet the highest standards.

“We’ve developed our Code of Practice with input from experts across the engagement world. It sets a new benchmark for how we involve communities, ultimately leading to more successful and community-backed projects.

Support services and resources

In addition to the Code of Practice, we are launching support and training services to assist organisations in implementing the new principles and standards. These include the publication of case studies showing ‘good’ and ‘excellent’ examples of community engagement in real life; a freely-available self-assessment tool that organisations can use to reflect on their own practices; and paid-for support and training packages to help with specific projects, strategies or organisational practices as a whole. These services are designed to help organisations effectively integrate the principles of the Code into their projects and operations.

Why it matters

Community consultation and engagement are critical components of planning and development, impacting everything from local satisfaction to project success. But research carried out through the Community Consultation for Quality of Life project found that across the UK the quality of practices are inconsistent and often inadequate. By adopting the Code of Practice, organisations can ensure that their processes are not only compliant with best practices but are also genuinely effective in reflecting community needs and aspirations.

By setting out clear, ethical principles and standards, the Quality of Life Foundation aims to drive positive change across the sector and foster more collaborative relationships between developers and communities.

Some thank yous

We are hugely grateful for funding through both the The National Lottery Community Fund and the Arts and Humanities Research Council. The combined university teams on the Community Consultation for Quality of Life project, and Angela Koch at Imagine Places and Pepper Barney at BiBo deserve particular thanks for their support in developing the code and self-assessment.

Join the movement

We invite organisations in the built environment, planning and housing sectors to embrace this new Code of Practice and commit to a higher standard of community engagement.