Involving people who use services

1. Involving people who use services Rocket science?

2. What layers of involvement? • Individual – people being involved in decisions which affect their own lives • Organisational – people who use services having an influence over the service they use • Strategic – influencing legislation, policy and service design and development across services, at the highest levels

3. People who use services… • Require those services for a reason • Are more than their need for a service • Are not simply defined by their needs • But usually continue to have those needs while participating

4. guided walking signing speaking well husbands brothers women wheeling fathers gay impaired seeing straight happy neighbours sisters men wives mothers young people older people carers lonely unwell supported

5. Working holistically • Recognising the real and valuable contribution that can come from genuinely involving the people who use services • Recognising and valuing and working with the differences of all of the unique individuals who are involved

6. What’s the point? • Benefit to the system and service users generally by becoming more considered, more person-centred, more responsive and more effective • Benefit to the people who are involved – as part of recovery, redress, development and sometimes (gulp) therapy

7. Tokenism and traps • Pick people who “fit in” • Don’t tell them who holds the power • Ignore their organisations and facilitate tame and “domestic” users • Avoid democracy and accountability • Timing • Duration • Location

9. People First (Scotland) The national independent self-advocacy organisation of people with learning difficulties in Scotland.

10. People First (Scotland) • Became a company in 1989 • Over 80 People First groups from the Borders up to the islands. • About 950 members

11. How we run People First • Run by us, the members • Board of Directors • Staffing Committee • Chair’s Committee • Elections

12. Local Groups • What local groups do • Women’s groups • Area-wide groups • Sit on local planning bodies and strategic groups

13. National Work We represent People First (Scotland) on: • SAYIG and working groups • Multi-agency Inspection Steering Group • QIS • Care Commission User and Carer group • Cross-party Learning Disability group • Scottish Parenting Network • User and Carer Panel of 21st Century Social Work Review • SIAA Board • Mental Health Act Implementation group

14. National work • Conferences • Consultations • Training

15. International work Conferences: • Canada • Alaska • London Visits: • Wisconsin • Ireland • Germany

16. People First Europe conference, Edinburgh 2005 International work

17. Why People First is important Change on 3 levels: • Individuals • The way we are treated and seen by others • Laws and policies