Annex : This is an output of a workshop held on April 28 2010 to introduce Richmond Borough residents to Health and Social Care

in the Borough. For the main workshop report and other annexes, see http://www.richmondcvs.org.uk/CITraining.html GETTING INVOLVED: GOOD PRACTICE AND CHALLENGES Workshop participants discussed their experience of getting involved in health and social care decision making. During the discussion, several good practice tips emerged, as did some challenges. Good practice Tips for service users, carers, other members of the public: Buddy system link up with another user/carer/lay person, and support each other; particularly when someone is new. Have discussions in small focused groups, not just big meetings. Make connections; network; join up with others and hear what they are doing. Read the meeting papers; be prepared. Get assertiveness training if necessary Use the Council or NHS Richmond channels to get information to front line services. Engage in national consultations, not just local ones. Use email networks to get information out more widely. Breakdown in information in subject areas into manageable chunks. Develop user-led engagement, i.e. where users discuss issues with other users. This can be via extended telephone interviews parties and get togethers - not just meetings. Challenge staff and encourage staff. When jargon and acronyms are used, just ASK! Communicate the same data but in different ways anecdotal information is important (e.g. stories). Let your involvement grow and evolve over time. Start with donating a Christmas cake and end up running a group! Dont give up if you dont get immediate results! You dont have to be IT literate. Request information in other ways. Remember that your input is your take only and not representative of all carers or users. Good practice tips for service providers and officials Develop Information prescriptions - where a GP or care professionals prescribes or signposts to useful information. Ensure right information is available at the point of diagnosis. Make meeting papers easy to understand. Provide hard copies of papers, dont just email them. Expect for some people to drop out along the way. Promote engagement opportunities in many ways: on notice boards of GP surgeries and libraries; through mobile phones, texts, recorded telephone information; through secretaries of local groups; use word of mouth promotion.

Always remember your users understand them always use the right words make the language accessible. Encourage more GPs to have patient panels.

Challenges that can be faced by members of the public getting involved in decision-making o Can take time to see results. o Jargon! o Staff turnover just when you are getting somewhere with a key person, they move on! o May need specific skills/ committee skills. o Can be lengthy documentation. o Can be intimidating daunting; need confidence to speak in larger committees. o May need to fight to get an opportunity to get heard and get listened to. o Can be time consuming/difficult to fit in with other demands on time. o Health needs and caring responsibilities can make involvement difficult. o Difficult to reach hard to reach people. o You want to speak for others too but are not a representative and have your own views. o People need to understand before they can take part. o Changes to service can overturn good work. o In mental health services, you feel like a 4th class patient (the opposite of cancer patients, made to feel special), so it is even harder to voice your views.