A circle of seated people, one making a point with a raised finger

Foundation Taster · EL-109 For consultees

“You’re Asking Me?”.

Fifteen minutes on making your voice count when someone consults you.

Free taster One chapter, no prior knowledge required

01 Why it matters

The other side of the table

Have you or your organisation been asked to respond to a consultation? The Consultation Institute has created a detailed course on how best you can respond to a consultation, and how you can make your voice count with those who are consulting.

This taster course is a free introduction to the larger course; available to purchase on our website soon.

Produced by the Consultation Institute, with subtitles throughout. Almost everything else in the Learning Hub is written for the people running a consultation. This one is written for the people being asked.

02 What topics will you cover?

Three topics, fifteen minutes

A single chapter with subtitles. Stop and return if you need to.

What is a consultation?What the word means when a public body uses it: a decision not yet taken, put out with enough information for you to respond to it, and the difference between that and being told what has already been settled.

Responding to a consultationWhat to include, and what gets a response set aside: answering the question actually asked, giving reasons and evidence rather than a preference alone, and meeting the deadline and the format the consulting body has set.

The rules of consultationWhat the consulting body is obliged to do with what you send: read and conscientiously consider it before the decision is taken, weigh it on its substance rather than count it as one of a number, and report back on what changed as a result.

What will you achieve? A brief understanding of…

✓

Consultation and Engagement

✓

What consultations propose and what they are asking of you

✓

The law and the implications of judicial review

03 A taster

The full course is coming.

This taster course is a free introduction to the larger course; available to purchase on our website soon.

Also free · EL-103

The Consultation Charter

The seven principles you are entitled to expect when you are consulted. Written for organisers and respondents alike. View the course → Not sure what you need?

Training Needs Diagnostic

Free, and it takes a few minutes. You get course recommendations based on your experience and your practice. Take the diagnostic →

04Before you enrol

Common questions

Anything not covered here, ask us. We answer the same day.

How long does it take?

Approximately 15 minutes, in a single chapter. Subtitles are available, and your place is remembered if you stop part way.

Is this for people responding to a consultation?

Yes. It is written for the responding side, and covers how to put a case that the consulting body has to take seriously.

Is it really free?

Yes. There is nothing to pay and no membership required. You do need to be logged in to a tCI account to enrol, and you can create one as you go.

When is the full course available?

Not yet. Ask us and we will tell you when it opens.

How many CPD points does it carry?

None. The free modules carry no CPD points. Paid e-learning carries five, except the Law of Consultation which carries ten. You still get a tCI certificate of completion.

Can we put a whole team through it?

Yes, and there is nothing to pay. Send the link round, or speak to us and we will set the team up.

Someone is consulting you. Fifteen minutes to answer well

Free, one chapter, and a certificate at the end.

Take this course → All foundation modules