Get involved as an involvement partner

We want to make sure that we are working in a way that best supports the people who use our services. As part of this, we involve the people who use our services when we are designing new services or making improvements to services we already offer. 

We listen to people who have used our services in many ways for example,  feedback via our Patient and Carer Experience surveys, Care Opinion stories, complaints, and lots of other ways that you speak to us. Although these are great ways to hear from you, we want to take it to the next level, and we have thought of a process in which we can do just that - Involvement Partners!

It's an opportunity to make a difference to make sure that YOUR thoughts opinions and ideas are being heard. You will get support from the staff running the project and from staff in the Involvement, Experience and Volunteering team, but please remember this isn’t part of your treatment pathway or the care you are receiving. It’s all about you having an influence and making a difference.

If you or a member of your family, a close friend, or relative has received any care, treatment or support from a service delivered by staff members of Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust then you can be part of a community that works together to influence and make change happen.

We are looking for people who have experience of healthcare services and can work with us to make them the best they can be. However, if you have a current issue with a service that you need to address, you should raise this with the service directly (or by providing feedback). We want you to share your experience, good and bad, but we also need you to hear different people’s experiences and work cooperatively on a range of topics.

For example, let’s say you’ve seen a poster about a change that is going to take place within the service you are being supported by.  The service want to update the clinic waiting area, and they are doing this because people who use the service have given feedback that the area isn’t making people feel comfortable whilst waiting to be seen. This is called a Service Improvement project.

The staff team are looking to talk to families, and patients who attend appointments to find out what they think could make this space better. This is what we call ‘Involvement’ - it is the involvement of people who have experience of those services help design or improve them.  If you're interested in joining this project but unsure of what it involves, then initially it would likely involve meeting with staff and other people to discuss improvements such as gathering ideas on things like colours, lighting and seating. This might then lead to a meeting with a design team to plan out how to bring these ideas to life.

We want to make sure that we are working in a way that best supports the people who use our services.  As part of this, we involve the people who use our services when we are designing new services or making improvements to services we already offer. Below is just a small example of some of the types of work where we involve people who have used our services and make sure that they have a voice.

• Recruitment of staff (e.g., patients or carers might sit on interview panels)
• Treatment pathways
• Communication with patients and carers/families (e.g. designing or improving information leaflets or referral letters)
• Venue design (e.g if we are opening a new building or improving a waiting room)
• Care planning
• Transformation
• Transitioning from young people’s health services into adult health services

It's an opportunity to make a difference to make sure that YOUR thoughts opinions and ideas are being heard. You will get support from the staff running the project and from staff in the Involvement, Experience and Volunteering team, but please remember this isn’t part of your treatment pathway or the care you are receiving. It’s all about you having an influence and making a difference.

Click here to see our current Involvement Partner Opportunities

 

Training:

The Involvement, Experience and Volunteering Team offer free training for Involvement Partners. Some is specific to roles, some is open to all. These include:

• Partnerships: How to work collaboratively to make a difference.
• Building your confidence.
• Representing yourself and others in meetings and projects.
• An introduction to Quality Improvement.

Once you’re registered, you will be sent information about upcoming training, including how to book yourself on. There is no pressure to attend training, it is offered as an opportunity for you to learn new skills and contribute confidently to involvement projects.

 

Support:

The person running the project you are involved with will provide you with the support you need to enable you to be involved. This might include:

• A ‘Welcome’ call, to introduce themselves and answer any questions.
• An introduction to the service and / or project.
• Practical help, to access a venue or join an online meeting.
• The information you need to take part.
• Support in the meeting or call.
• Help to claim expenses.

You can speak to this person if something isn’t quite right, for example, you don’t feel able to contribute fully. You can also speak to the Involvement Experience and Volunteering Team if you have any difficulty with being involved or want to speak to someone outside of the project. Our contact details can be found on this page.

We may contact you about group support too if you’re in a specific role, for example, sharing your story as part of colleague training. This is a good opportunity for you to meet other people like you, and it helps us to understand whether people are being supported properly, enjoying what they’re doing and feel they’re making a difference.

Head over to our registration pages to find out more.  You will need to select from two options depending on wherher you are under or over the age of 18.  for both options we have some helpful guides and an online registration form to complete (there is also one to print out and post to us).

We will confirm your registration by email and you will be sent information about the upcoming projects and roles that you have asked to be involved with, including any training opportunities. You will also be given the name and contact details of the ‘host’ of the project or role with which you’re involved.