More information about the People's Panel

How do I join in? 

You can join the People's Panel by filling in the Sign up survey. We will then start sending you things to take part in.

How much time will I need to commit? 

It's completely up to you, you can take part in as many polls and surveys as you would like. From time to time there may also be the opportunity to take part in focus groups, interviews, user testing and workshops.

What do you need to know about me and why? 

To ensure our research is fair and as representative of the city residents as possible, all panel members will be asked a range of demographic questions such as age, gender and postcode in the sign up survey. The questions are not compulsory, but if not completed it may limit panel activities you are invited to participate in if we are looking to target a specific group of people.

What happens to my personal information? 

All personal information will be held by Southampton City Council and Southampton City Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and will not be passed to other organisations in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018, unless we are required to do so by law. Your information will only be used to contact you about participation opportunities and information on services. Any published survey results will be fully anonymised.

How long can I take part in the People's Panel? 

You can take part in the panel for as long as you like.

What if I want to leave the People's Panel? 

Simply email us to let us know at Peoples.Panel@southampton.gov.uk and we will delete you from our database. We will remove all of your personal data from our People's Panel system and you will not be contacted to participate further. You can re-join the People's Panel at any time.

How will I find out the results of the surveys and polls I have participated in? 

We usually send the results of the previous survey or poll out with the invitation to the next survey or poll.

As a member of the People's Panel can I take part in other surveys or consultations? 

Involvement in the People's Panel does not commit participants exclusively to the People's Panel, they can take part in any consultation and research opportunities available to the public. However, there may be some surveys which we run in parallel with the public and the People's Panel.

Do I get paid? 

Members of the People's Panel will not be paid for completing surveys and polls, however from time to time there may be opportunities to be entered in to prize draws. Some activities, such as focus groups may offer attendees a voucher or something similar to say thank you for your time.

Can I join if I live near Southampton but not in the city boundaries? 

Yes, although there may be some surveys and groups which are specifically for residents of the city.

If you need any more help on this please email peoples.panel@southampton.gov.uk