Sheffield Supporting People Service User Involvement Strategy Draft Tim Fordham Mayfield Housing Services March 2005 Contents Background Introduction ODPM Objectives Key Standards in service user consultation Summary Current structures for consultation and involvement Future consultation and involvement Appendices Appendix 1 Table giving detail about how service users can be involved at different levels Appendix 2 Advantages and disadvantages of different types of consultation for different service users 13 14 3 3 5 5 7 7 9 Appendix 3 Oldham approach to developing service user involvement in 20 the SP programme and evaluating service involvement within provider organisations Appendix 4 Engaging with hard to reach groups Appendix 5 Initiatives that may need to be pursued in working towards a long-term service user involvement strategy Documents referred to in compiling the strategy 23 26 27 2 Background The purpose of the following strategy is to outline Sheffield Supporting People Partnership's approach to service user involvement. The strategy will be developed using the requirements of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on user involvement and within the principles of Sheffield City Council's overall strategy and guidance for Service User involvement. We also recognise that many providers have a long tradition of involving service users in their support services and the intention of this document is to complement this activity. We would welcome any input from providers that helps us to learn from their experience. The aim of the strategy is to state how the Supporting People Partnership will develop user involvement, to ensure that service users have a say in future service planning and delivery within the supporting people programme. It will also set out how the team will guide, support and measure support providers in developing consultation and participation within their services. Introduction The Supporting People programme encompasses a diverse range of services, delivered in various ways, within different settings to a wide variety of individuals and groups, who require housing related assistance to either achieve or maintain independent living. Diverse groups of people require diverse housing services to meet their needs and a range of consultative methods in order to engage them in the planning and reviewing of services they receive, or potentially may use. Many of these groups are likely to include people from black and minority ethnic groups, whose particular needs will require a culturally appropriate response. The very diversity of people requiring housing related support ­ in terms of needs, capacities, circumstances and the relationships with the wider communities in which they live ­ poses a real challenge in terms of developing effective user involvement. This strategy outlines a framework for service user involvement in all aspects of service planning and delivery within the Supporting People programme. We recognise that those involved need to feel valued and adequately resourced. This will mean a need for: · · Appropriate training when required Effective and timely information We want our service users to see themselves as stakeholders in the process, developing services with us through dialogue and negotiation. Through the consultation framework, we hope that ideas can be shared, activities coordinated and problems solved. Succinct and timely information will be crucial to the success of effective involvement and we will endeavour to provide this at all times. 3 The Sheffield Supporting People Partnership demonstrated the importance of service user involvement in their approach by establishing a specific post of service user engagement officer. This means that gaining the views of and involving service users will remain a core activity, rather than an afterthought. Service user involvement in decision-making incorporates differing degrees of `taking part' in the process and these include receiving information, being consulted and fully participating in the development and evaluation of a service or project. Information Giving; This lets people know what is happening once a decision has been made, in situations where, realistically no choices are available. Consultation is a discussion, either spoken or written, that takes place in order to find out people's views. Essentially, it can be an information gathering exercise and a process of listening and responding to people. On most occasions the information collected through the consultation process is acted upon and is a catalyst for change. Participation is a term often interchanged with consultation. Participation, however, tends to be more intensive and interactive than consultation. It is an approach that encourages a greater involvement in the exploration of issues and therefore an increased sense that people are sharing the process of decision-making. For a more detailed description of the different levels of involvement as suggested by the ODPM in their guidance on user involvement, see appendix 1. Involving service users in the development, monitoring and evaluation of services is a key element of the Supporting People programme. The reasons why involvement is important include the following: · · · · · · · It furthers the goal of independence, through facilitating inclusion, encouraging the development of life skills and enhancing self-esteem. It is a way of bringing people together to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. It ensures that services reflect the needs and wishes of the people who use them and creates a sense of ownership if involvement initiatives are sustained by action. It can help to guarantee a better quality service. It adds value to service planning, development and delivery. It enables the organisation to draw upon and make effective use of people's skills and capacities. It is a requirement of national policy. The Supporting People Partnership and local providers will achieve effective user involvement if both staff and service users develop relationships whereby views and ideas can be exchanged in a culture of mutual respect. As a result 4 decision-making processes and working practices for staff at all levels will improve and positive outcomes for service users will be achieved. ODPM Objectives To achieve meaningful involvement of service users from so many diverse groups ODPM have set clear objectives. Overall, these objectives will ensure that users of services have the opportunity to express their views at key sages of the Supporting People process. The objectives include: · · Ensure provision of appropriate information in accessible formats. Find out what kind of service people want or need, so this information can contribute to the 5 year strategy and help identify gaps in current service provision. Ensure people contribute their views in an annual update of the 5 year strategy. Ensure service users participate in service reviews to say what works well and what could work better. Service users should participate in service reviews to help identify gaps in service provision that includes complementary services e.g. move on supported accommodation or provision of health and social care services. Service users should have a say in how services are remodelled or how services are developed. Supporting People teams should check that service provider policies and procedures for service user involvement meet those outlined in the Quality Assessment Framework. · · · · · Key standards in service user consultation Outlined below are the key standards that will form the building blocks of our consultation framework. · · We will ensure that the results of consultation are used to inform the Partnership's policy, planning and decision-making process. We will make sure that consultation is clearly understood and embedded into the Supporting People culture. Having the support of staff at all levels is key to developing a successful approach to consultation. This objective is fundamental to success, as it underpins the whole Supporting People programme. 5 · Our documents will be written in simple language and will be clear about their purpose. Fundamental to this standard is that we must be clear about what we need to know and why. Being clear also means not giving false expectations and being honest about what we can and cannot change. We will endeavour to provide service users and stakeholders with timely information on services and changes, so they can make informed choices about the services they use or provide. This also assists the service users to give an informed view when consulted. · We will strive to ensure that consultation is inclusive and accessible and values diversity. Involving service users in the supporting people programme may not always follow traditional methods of consultation because the groups involved are diverse: Some of the traditional means of communication are ineffective, either because of physical or mental disability. For some the barrier is language or culture. Some client groups have deep personal problems that require sensitive approaches. Some groups are `hard to reach' ­ this may be because some service users are living chaotic lifestyles. In these circumstances, it may be difficult to get people to come to a meeting or stick to an appointment time. Some client groups cover people who are in some form of crisis. In this situation it may be better to involve people when the crisis has passed. In some circumstances, it may be appropriate to have direct contact with the service user and in others, the consultation may need to be carried out through a third party who has the necessary skills and the client's trust, for example when gaining the views of people with learning disabilities. · Due to the complex nature of service user involvement, supporting people tools and methods of consultation will be varied depending on the needs of the particular client group involved in the consultation (see appendix 2 for details about the advantages and disadvantages of different types of consultation for different service users.) For those service users who wish to become actively involved, we will provide training and support where appropriate. The service user involvement officer post will play a key part in this initiative. We will encourage those consulted to give honest views by assuring confidentiality. · · 6 · We will ensure that the results and the outcomes of consultation are fed back to service users and disseminated to relevant stakeholders. Feedback is essential for continued participation. It makes participants feel their contribution has been worthwhile and creates a better understanding of the reasons for decisions. We will feedback the outcomes of consultation via our providers, any service user networks and forums that exist, newsletters, public events and the council's internet site. Summary Sheffield Supporting People Partnership aim to promote service user involvement within the development of the Supporting People programme. The team will inform service users of the programme, schemes and initiatives and involve people directly in the development of policies and the evaluation of services. The team will also assist schemes funded through the Supporting People programme in developing techniques for involving service users by providing training, information and advice. In addition the role of the team, through service reviews, will be able to assess how local Housing Support Providers involve service users in developing their own services, policies and in service development and the actual management of the organisation or project. Current Structures for consultation and involvement The involvement of service users in the Supporting People programme is critical, as their views will inform the direction of the Supporting People Strategy in terms of: · · · · Helping to identify gaps in current provision Identifying the kind of services that people would like to see in the future Helping to continually improve services Checking whether the key objectives of the programme are appropriate The current structures for ensuring that service users are consulted and their views taken into account are detailed below. The tables in Appendix 3 show Oldham's approach to planning for the above. Current structures · Service reviews Distribute questionnaires to service users prior to validation visit. Interview service users as part of service review. Attach interview questionnaires. There have been particular difficulties interviewing service users with learning disabilities 7 · Strategic reviews of groups of services We identify the key issues for consultation and consult via a range of methods according to the client group. Some groups are very organised e.g. older people. In this case it is possible to work within their existing structures. I am delivering a presentation to the Elders' Congress informing them about Supporting People with a view to establishing a sub-committee covering supported housing issues. They can report back to Congress and give a representative response. Other groups need different approaches. We are trying a phone comment line, structured questions put by key workers, questionnaires circulated by user representative organisations or day centres. Material from the service user interviews in the service reviews also contributes to this process. Annual review of strategy Not yet in place Service user engagement strategic consultation A series of one-to-one interviews across client groups fed back through a video made by service users. Involvement within provider organisations · · · The picture varies greatly across our provider organisations. Some are very advanced and share decision making at all levels. E.g. service users carry out policy reviews and participate in any training identified by the review process. Others have further to go. A snapshot exercise that asked providers to assess themselves on the level of their engagement work indicated there were trends that conformed to expectations. · There is more engagement at the lower levels of inform and consult than at the higher levels of include, share and give control. · Exceptions to this are for support planning that requires a shared approach to satisfy the qaf and for social activities and environment ­ areas where it is relatively straight forward to delegate control. It was interesting to see that there are organisations who are involving service users in staff meetings. One organisation posts the minutes on a service user notice board. Few people are sharing decision making with their service users in areas such as management structures, policy development, business planning or recruitment although some who are do it well. There are particular difficulties for short term services. There was a low return rate for this consultation so a more detailed picture needs to be built up. · Direct input to SPIG/commissioning group I report the work of the Service User Engagement Project to alternate meetings of the SPIG. 8 · Hard to reach groups The one-to-one interviewing approach used for the strategic consultation above succeeded in reaching client groups who would normally be hard to reach and we have contact via providers. This work needs further development. Future Consultation and Involvement Future consultations · Service reviews The reviewing officer circulates a questionnaire to service users pre-review The reviewing officer interviews 10% or 5 service users, whichever is greater, as part of the review process We require providers to feed back review outcomes to service users If, however, we have concerns, i.e. if the return rate of the initial questionnaire is unusually low or if there is little evidence of effective service user engagement seen during the review or if the overall standard found during review gives cause for concern then the Supporting People team will facilitate the post review engagement with service users. This should entail: An exercise to measure service user satisfaction immediately post review An action plan for engaging service users in the implementation of the actions required post review An exercise to measure service user satisfaction at a later point - to give some picture of movement Longer term Training service users in peer research techniques to enable them to interview other service users and feed back to reviewing officers. · Direct input to SPIG/commissioning group Proposed pyramidal structure. Build consultative mechanisms within client groups. Identify service users who might lead or contribute more to feed to a core group of service users of all groups. I will report to the commissioning group from the core group. This will take time to build. Responsibility should be devolved to service users as their skills and experience develop. This structure can then be used to feed into the other strategic work that the team do, such as strategic reviews of groups of services and reviews of the Supporting People strategy Service user engagement strategic consultation Service user steering group. Representatives of client groups to give a strategic steer to the engagement worker post. · 9 · Hard to reach groups Arrive at a shared understanding about who we mean. Develop methodologies that work for each client group. Learning disabilities ­ tapping into existing structures and cross-fertilise good practice to other projects. Learning Disabilities Parliament. Drugs offenders single homeless ­ Met Probation in February and agreed to disseminate PAT tools to some of their staff and then run a consultation event around outcome definitions in the first instance and work from there to build up their consultation processes Domestic violence - made contact. Attended Domestic Abuse Floating Support Service managers' meeting. Will work with them to develop safe methodology that works Mental Health ­ use a range of methods including questionnaires, focus groups, telephone message line, on line consultation, participatory appraisal techniques. Young People ­ build on excellent participative work of providers. Maybe a user group can work here. homeless families ) refugees ) to be developed teenage parents ) Likely to entail working with stakeholders and in partnership with others developing similar areas of work, eg working with probation to disseminate participatory appraisal techniques and use them to carry out consultation Bme service users. Produce BME newssheet quarterly (with planning group) Develop strategy · Involvement within provider organisations The supplementary objectives of the qaf that relate to service user involvement (S1.1 ­ S1.4) to become mandatory. Work via provider forums to ensure providers understand what theyhave to be doing to meet performance level C by the time this happens. Look hard at areas where there are particular concerns in attaining higher standards. E.g. floating support, short term services. Look at how we can get a clearer picture of the status quo across the provider organisations. Get providers to take a lead in sharing and developing good practice. Web site to be constructed. Work with contract management team to monitor service user engagement work in individual serviced and intervene as appropriate. · Specific projects. Encourage the team to look at each piece of work and ask how we can involve service users in it. As, for example, with the outcome measures project identify issues to consult on and do so. Use these opportunities to feed into the bigger piece of work on service user representation building 10 Examples of work being carried out in other Administering Authorities. In Oxfordshire, sub-groups have been convened that have service user representation to look at the implementation and long-term commissioning issues for each of the major client groups who will access Supporting People funded services. In some cases a Supporting People team representative joined an existing group and for others, they convened a new sub-group. More details are given in the Oxfordshire Supporting People guidance pack. In South Tyneside, they have a two-stage approach to their consultation process. Stage 1 involved consultation with stakeholders on the 5 year strategy. The following groups of stakeholders were identified: · · · · Service users of providers of Supporting People Services Providers of Supporting People services Key partners and multi-agency groups Key voluntary organisations Stage 2 of the process will involve: · · Providing information and training to service users and other stakeholders. Consulting with service users, associated organisations and stakeholders on future plans, including strategic plans and performance of existing plans. They say that a mix of factors will come into play, including previous work and training with service users and other stakeholders, to empower them to play an active role in the process. This is particularly challenging with hard to reach groups. In appendix 4, some of the difficulties of engaging with hard to reach groups are outlined, together with some ideas for engaging them more successfully. Due to the success of the one to one interviews used to consult service users on the 5 year strategy, we recommend that this method is also considered for hard to reach groups. In the table in Appendix 5, we have identified some initiatives that may need to be pursued in working towards a sustainable strategy. We have set them out in a tabular format that can be changed and/or added to. In this way, actions required to meet the aims, by when and by who can be added to the table. 11 12 Appendix 1 Table giving detail about how service users can be involved at different levels. Level 1 Exchange of Information Level 2 Planning day to day activities ­ providing opportunities for people to get together Level 3 Level 4 Involving users in more broadbased activities such as planning and evaluation of services and policy development Involving users in service management This is achieved by the organisation providing relevant information to service users · Organisations would have discussed with service users what information they think would be useful · Service users should be involved in the development of information materials · All information is produced in a format that meets the needs of the service user · This enables groups of service users to express their views and influence decision-making through a range of methods that meet the requirements of the service user. · Methods would include open forums, discussion groups and interviews · Where appropriate service users would work in partnership with the provider organisation and/or referring agency, such as Social Services in developing individual packages of care and/or support. At a strategic level, service users can be involved in: · Service planning and development · Shaping policies · Staff recruitment and training · Evaluating the scope and quality of provision · Service users could be involved in the development and management of housing support services. · This is achieved through providing opportunities for users to be elected or appointed to serve on the management committee of the organisation · 13 Appendix 2 Advantages and disadvantages of different types of consultation for different service users Although it is important not to generalise, different types of consultation tend to work well with some service user groups and not so well with others. This should not mean that certain types of consultation are not considered as an option with some service users. However, it may be helpful to bear in mind when planning consultation exercises because it is likely that the involvement of different service user groups will be more successful if different methods of consultation are utilised appropriately. The table at the end of the section sets this information out at a glance and the advantages and disadvantages of different types of consultation for different service users are discussed below. Forums Although forums can be open, one off events to discuss or provide information on a particular issue, they are often periodic and ongoing and are more effective if some of the same people attend each time. They therefore tend to work best with service user groups who require long-term support, such as older people and people with learning disabilities. Where established groups exist, they can also be successful within refugee groups and BME groups. They can also be made to work with young people if the format for the event is accessible and interesting. However, they would not be appropriate for young people who are highly transient. The advantages of forums are that a large number of people can be consulted at one time and it can be a very positive experience for participants to be involved in an event with other service users. One disadvantage of forums is that many of the people who attend can remain `invisible' and their views remain unheard because, with a large number of people attending, usually only a minority of people tend to speak. This problem can be alleviated to a certain extent by ensuring that the format of the event encourages discussion, by breaking down into smaller groups, for example, or encouraging people to write down their views, as well as verbalising them, which some people may find easier. Other disadvantages are that they take a great deal of organising and there is no guarantee that people will attend. Interviews If they are carefully planned and pitched at an appropriate level, interviews can be very successful with most of service users. However, for very transient groups or for people in crisis, such as women fleeing domestic violence, they may not be appropriate. The advantages of interviews are that they are relatively easy to organise, there is a high response rate (in that few people do not turn up for a planned 14 individual meeting), and the number of participants is known because this can be set at the beginning. It also provides an opportunity to focus fully on the participant and provide quality information. Questions can be explained and individuals are given space to expand on answers to questions that are particularly pertinent to them. Since interviewees will not be distracted by or potentially influenced by other people's responses, they are likely to provide an accurate picture of people's views. Face to face interviews can be time consuming and may mean that the person carrying out the consultation has only time to gain the views of a smaller number of people than by using questionnaires or forums. For certain groups, it may be advantageous to have an advocate present, such as when interviewing people with learning difficulties or people with enduring mental health issues. For refugee groups, it may be necessary to organise an interpreter to be present. Questionnaires Questionnaires tend to work better for groups that are receiving ongoing support, particularly older people who may have more time to set aside to complete it. For people that are in crisis or who may be receiving housing related support for a short period, they are unlikely to prioritise the completion of a questionnaire, so there is likely to be a very low response rate amongst these groups. The advantages of questionnaires is that they have the potential to reach a wide audience and can be sent in large volume. Information can be collected in quantity and they work well when multiple choice questions are asked or where yes/no responses are all that is required. However, return rates for questionnaires is often low and responses can vary greatly, with no opportunity to provide further explanation to participants. Discussion/focus groups Discussion/focus groups can enable the interviewer to visit a number of groups and have the potential to reach a large audience. However, it can be difficult to gather a number of people together at the same time, particularly within service user groups where there is a high degree of transience or where service users have chaotic lifestyles. This method of consultation therefore works best where people are more settled and where forums already exist. It could work well amongst older people and also within established refugee or BME groups. Discussion/focus groups are good when a general response and discussion is required around a subject area. A disadvantage of discussion/focus groups is that there is a potential that they are taken over by one or two more vocal participants, making other participants feel intimidated and not able to contribute. Also, keeping even a small group from not drifting off the subject can be very difficult. 15 Newsletter Newsletters are quite a good way of disseminating information and can be useful where other forms of participation are problematic, such as amongst women fleeing domestic violence. However, newsletters are only useful in providing people with information rather than gathering people's views about a particular subject. They can also be time consuming to compile and there is no certainty that your target audience is actually going to read a copy. Producing a video This method of consultation could work well where there is already a programme of activity taking place within the housing project. It can therefore often work well amongst young people and amongst homeless groups who are not in short-term accommodation. In Telford and Wrekin, one service provider of accommodation and support to people with learning disabilities has filmed a worker engaging with service users to ascertain their views and opinions about their accommodation and the support they receive. It seemed that the presence of a camera actually created interest and people gathered around because they wanted to appear on film. It can be a fun activity and also brings out people's creative skills, if they have an input into how the video is put together. However, making a video can be time consuming and requires a level of technical ability. Drama This tends to work for similar groups as above. It would probably be more successful for people who require long-term support, since putting together a drama requires an ongoing commitment. In Telford and Wrekin, a group of service users with learning disabilities have established a drama group (arty party) who put on performances highlighting particular issues that they are facing especially with regard to people's preconceptions and prejudices towards people with learning disabilities. Creative writing This could be a way of engaging with a number of service user groups (see table for details.) People can write in their own time, so there is no pressure to be at a particular place at a certain time. It also enables people to put into there own words how they feel about particular issues, so they are not working to someone else's agenda. The disadvantage is that it is not useful if a clear viewpoint is required about a particular subject because by its very nature there is freedom of expression and it would be very difficult to use the information in a uniform way to contribute towards a decision about a service or strategy. It can however offer insights into how people feel about their environment. 16 I.T. The use of information technology, including the internet, is an extremely under utilised method of service user consultation. For groups with easy access to I.T. resources (which seem to be a growing number) it is a very easy way of giving information to a large number of people, through an internet site or an electronic newsletter. It would also be very straightforward to have questionnaires that could be filled in electronically. The disadvantages are that the information will only reach those who have access to the technology and it may not be suitable to consult about a particular policy or strategy in this way because people access the information at different points in time. However, it may be useful in gathering more general information that does not need to be back by a particular deadline. 17 Table showing the types of consultation that work most effectively with which service user groups Types of Consultation Forums * Interviews * Survey questionnaires Discussion/ Focus groups Newsletter Producing a Video Drama Creative writing I.T. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * with advocate * basic * * * * * * * * * * with interpreter * * Older people Young people Learning disability Homeless Mental health Physical Drug disability and alcohol offenders Domestic refugees violence BME 19 Appendix 3 Oldham Approach Level Level 1 Exchange of Information Developing Service User Involvement in the Supporting People Programme Date To be arranged Evidence Action · The SP Team will provide Service users with information about what schemes / projects are funded and the complaints system · · · The team will inform users and providers on the Charging Policy for SP Services. Develop a database of user forums and tenants groups and pass on the information to service users and providers Provide training to providers / organisations on User Involvement, where service users have been trained to deliver the training Inform providers / organisations on updates on developing user involvement through a Newsletter, other relevant material and Forums Provide feedback from Service Reviews · · 20 Level Level 2 Planning Day to Day activities Level 3 Involving users in more broad-based activities such as planning and evaluation of services and policy development Action · · · Promote higher levels of service user involvement through the quality assessment framework (QAF) The team will access service users through established provider service user / tenants groups or forums Develop opportunities for service users to be involved in policy development, for example Supported Accommodation Strategy and the SP 5 Year Strategy The SP Team will endeavour to promote service user involvement within related strategies and initiatives that they are connected to but not necessary lead on Service users will be trained to deliver advice on involvement. Techniques for accessing views and comments will be provided through a `Top Tips' Guide Develop a `Contract Monitoring / Renewal' process that enables service users to have opportunities to feedback on services that they have been in receipt of Develop a `Contract Monitoring / Renewal' that includes service user peer review and monitoring processes The Team will ensure that the SP initiative is incorporated into Social Services' Business Planning Process. To consider process for recruiting service users to the Core Strategy Group Date To be confir med To be confir med Eviden ce · · · · · Level 4 Involving in service management · 21 Evaluating Service User Involvement within local Housing Support Service Providers /organisations Level Level 1 Exchange of Information Action · · Assessing how information about the service is presented to Service Users, accessible and clear formats Assess how information about service changes or developments are reported Assess day to day contact the provider has with the service user Question existence of permanent and temporary forums for discussion with service users Where relevant gather information about how the Provider is involved in developing the service user's support plan Question the mechanisms in place to evaluate the service within the provider organisation itself Investigate whether the organisation / project has a strategy for service user involvement Evaluate how comments and feedback from service users has been dealt with and incorporated in policy and practice Collect information on the membership of the management committee in order to establish whether service users are members Date To be confirmed Evidence Level 2 Planning Day to Day activities · · · To be confirmed Level 3 Involving users in more broad-based activities such as planning and evaluation of services and policy development Level 4 Involving in service management · · · · To be confirmed To be confirmed 22 Appendix 4 Engaging with Hard to Reach Groups Some groups of people are traditionally known for leading chaotic lifestyles, having multiple needs or not spending enough time in the same place to enable them to lead a settled way of life Providers will carry out consultation with some hard to reach groups. However, further consultation is needed for those clients we are unable to reach via the provider network of service users. The Supporting People team will endeavour to engage with these groups. This can begin to be achieved by working in partnership with key agencies/voluntary organisations. We recognise that engagement may need to be imaginative and may require working with specialist staff who liase with hard to reach groups. This could include making contact and working with: · · · · · · · · · · · · Detached and site based youth workers People who run drop in sessions People who run soup and sandwich provision on Devonshire Green The Cathedral Breakfast and Archer Projects Community development workers Health visitors Needle exchange GP's Psycho-geriatricians District Nurses Community Practice nurses Occupational Therapists When engaging with hard to reach groups, it is extremely important to consider the most appropriate approach. 23 The information in the table below has been issued as a guide to commissioners via the ODPM. The guide is called "Consulting With Hard to Reach Users of Housing Related Support Services." It advises: · That clients with special needs or those suffering from a crisis situation may need more creative methods of consultation compared to traditional methods There may be concerns about literacy, understanding or tokenism in involving clients in high-level meetings. In many circumstances it is better to involve clients when they are not in a crisis situation but hen their lives are more stable. People who are homeless may feel isolated or stigmatised and they have more pressing priorities than consulting on strategic planning for Supporting People. This is not to say that they cannot be involved in more creative ways at this time. Learning and development can be gained by participating in more flexible consultation methods. Personal confidence does have a part to play in motivation, so always be aware of using jargon and concepts. · · · 24 Preferred Methods of Consultation For Hard to Reach Groups Preferred Methods of consultation Hostel visits by commissioners Community outreach Staff advocacy Advocacy for others Day centre visits by commissioners Forums Drama Creative writing Newsletters Video IT Current network links Homelessness Drug & Alcohol Women fleeing Domestic Violence Young People Gypsies and Travellers BME Groups Crisis * Stable Crisis * Stable Crisis * Stable Crisis * Stable Crisis Stable Crisis Stable * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 25 Appendix 5 Initiatives that may need to be pursued in working towards a long-term strategy Aim Make better use of existing groups, where service users are consulted or represented, such as the Elders Forum and the Learning Disabilities Parliament Set up mechanism for consulting on specific issues ­ input into strategic development How to involve service users Client group based approach Actions Required By when By who Consult via range of media ­ questionnaire, interview, phone, focus group, internet. Develop service user involvement in Peer review ­ service user reviews validation Improve awareness of supporting People Involvement in developing Improve information about what to expect from housing related support a user guide to supported living and how to complain Identify budget for user involvement eg. For expenses and events Pilot different and creative methods Peer interviewing, making a video, photography of of consultation and continue to good/bad things in make use of one to one interviews accommodation etc. where appropriate. 26 Documents referred to in compiling the strategy Consulting With Hard to Reach Service Users, ODPM. Oldham SP Team's Service User Involvement Strategy, Jan 2003 Oxfordshire SP Team's Guidance Pack on the use of Sub-Group Approach to Involve All Key Stakeholders in Decision Making, May 2004 South Tyneside Team's Service User Consultation Strategy, Jan 2005 Supporting People: A Guide to Service User Involvement For Organisations Providing Housing Related Support Services, ODPM, May 2003 Supporting People Service User Consultation Report, Danny Antrobus, Voluntary Action Sheffield, January 2004 Supporting People User Engagement Report, Judy Parfett, Voluntary Action Sheffield, August 2003 Swindon and Wiltshire SP Team's User Involvement Strategy, November 2004 The Essential Guide to Developing the 5 Year Supporting People Strategy, ODPM, August 2004 27