This article by Simon Parker, a fellow at the Office for Public Management, previously head of public services at Demos, suggests
"three broad recommendations that should appeal to everyone. The first step is for councils to find a way to build personal relationships with citizens. People who need a lot of contact with the council - especially the "I have nots" - should get a named personal adviser in the local authority call centre who they can always contact to help solve their problems.
The next step is to sort out the public's faith in decision-making; this is especially important for the "we haves" and "we have nots". Start by simply getting councillors out in public more; politically staffed ward offices and regular patch walks would help give local politicians extra resources and a higher profile. By connecting with the decision-makers, the public can gain a better understanding of the decisions.
Finally, make sure the council is making its decisions in a way that citizens agree is fair. A participative process of creating a local "decision-makers' charter" could set out the key things councillors will do every time they make a big choice, including making sure that all voices are heard, that there are mechanisms to review the decision, and that it can be reversed if need be."
All makes very good sense to me...now where did I put my Harringay Charter?
Demos publication, State of Trust