1. Introduction to Client Involvement and Peer Support
Lucy Flegg, Service User Involvement Officer

2. What will be covered:
Overview of client involvement and ways that clients can be involved
The benefits of involvement from an client/service/organisation perspective
Best practice when involving clients
Challenges and potential solutions
Useful resources
Questions and answers

3. What is client involvement?
Client involvement is about ensuring that the people using a service are actively involved in the planning, delivery and review of services

4. How can clients be involved?

5. How can clients be involved?
Campaigns
Peer Support
Trustees with lived experience
Sharing story in the media, events etc.
Research and evaluation
Delivering training
Policy
Recruitment and selection
Service design and delivery

6. Benefits of involvement to clients
Being a peer adviser is very rewarding – it’s given me a sense of achievement. We can relate to the women on a personal level. We understand the fears and anxieties of these women because we have often faced similar issues on our own journey through the prison system.
My journey continues to go from strength to strength and I have very high hopes for the future
Out of a bad situation, some good has been derived. I have benefited so much from this experience and derived a new found feeling of my own self- worth…It not only aids my own resettlement, but also advances the resettlement of other offenders, so it’s win-win!
Helping others has helped me to grow as a person and made me more outgoing and chatty. Though some would think that’s a bad thing! Haha!

7. Benefits of involvement to services
Clients are best placed to know what works: they are experts by experience
Improved quality of service provision, value for money and increased user satisfaction
Increased understanding and recognition of diverse needs/issues
Improved outcomes for clients

8. Benefits to organisations
Policy and campaigns that better represent the voice and aspirations of service users
Evidential data to support bids and funding applications for new and existing projects and services
Helps to meet organisational objectives

9. Examples…
 Women’s Voices Lived Experience Group

10. Manchester Women’s Sector Conference 2016
‘Creating Confidence Through Co-production’ break out session led by Women’s Voices group

11. Achievements of the group
Manchester Women’s Action Plan with women’s voices at the heart
Shortlisted for the Spirit of Manchester – Equalities Award
Key involvement in the Manchester Homelessness Charter
Speaking in Parliament about trauma and abuse

12. Good practice when involving service users
Provide clear information about opportunities, what they will involve and agree a set of values/objectives together
Value everyone’s involvement, make opportunities accessible, don’t exclude people- explain and train
Reimburse any costs related to involvement
Co-evaluate, be open to learning and changing!

13. Good practice when involving service users
Ensure that the impact of involvement is fed back to those involved
Don’t consult if you can’t change anything or won’t act on feedback
Regularly recruit to avoid ‘burn out’
Provide opportunities for clients to move on and progress when they are ready

14. Challenges Difficulties recruiting new people to get involved
Involving hard to reach groups
Clients feeling that nothing will change
Service users moving on from groups/projects
Clients may feel they lack the skills or confidence to participate
Lack of ‘buy in’ from management
Ensuring effective support for staff

15. Useful Resources
A guide to Service User Involvement and Co- production, Clinks
User voice: Putting people at the heart of impact practice, NPC
Service User Involvement with Offenders in the Community: A Toolkit for Staff, Revolving Doors
Running a peer research project with offenders in the community: A handbook for staff, Revolving Doors

16. Useful Resources
Shared Learning Group on Involvement
Inspiring Change Manchester inspiringchangemanchester.shelter.org.uk
Making User Involvement Work: Supporting Service User Networking and Knowledge, JRF
Homelessness and Health: Resources to Support Peer Activity, Groundswell

17. Thank you Lucy Flegg, Service User Involvement Officer