Haringey uses TurningPoint

Janette Gedge of Haringey’s Communications and consultation unit, had introduced an initiative to encourage the borough’s residents to have their say and be involved in designing the services it offers. She had experience of using audience voting systems and recognised the technology could be useful way to engage the Haringey public.

‘Instead of the standard format of council officers giving presentations followed by a Q&A session, we want something more interactive and engaging,’ said Gedge.

‘We sometimes cover issues that are of very high interest to residents and have to capture very different viewpoints. Some of the meetings can get quite heated and TurningPoint means that everyone can have their say without being embarrassed about speaking in public.’

The borough is one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse in the capital with over 200 different languages spoken. While this diversity defines the character of the borough, it also brings a number of practical challenges for Haringey Council, particularly in encouraging the notion of ‘active citizenship’ and engaging as many residents as possible in the governance process.

The borough is divided into seven areas, and each has its own public assemblies four times a year. The TurningPoint audience response system enables attendees to actively participate in these meetings via handheld keypads.