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10.1 Many, mainly voluntary,
organisations know what is happening on the ground, and are in a good position to tell you
what users think about your service and the problems they have. They may be advice
agencies, single interest groups or support groups, or may see themselves as having a
'watchdog' role.
10.2 Representative organisations may be made up of people who have a particular
interest in a subject and have strong views, and you need to take this into account. They
should not be used as the only means of consultation, but will be a useful source of
qualitative information about your services. They can also help you find out where you
need more in-depth research.
10.3 Representative organisations are a ready-made source of information. They
may carry out their own research or be able to provide you with feedback on users'
experiences. Many organisations are experts in particular fields: Community Health
Councils see large numbers of people who are having problems with health services;
Citizens Advice Bureaux advise people on a wide variety of subjects including benefits,
housing and court procedures.
10.4 Organisations may also be able to get the views of particular groups of
users, such as disabled people and their carers, or minority ethnic groups, perhaps
through their advice work or because they are part of a network, so know who you should
talk to.
Points to Think About
 | Finding groups: find local groups through your library, local Council for
Voluntary Services, Race Equality Council, Citizens Advice Bureaux or other advice agency.
Or look in the various directories (see page 70). Many Councils have databases of the
groups in their area. You may be able to use these to locate groups or you could keep such
databases yourself (although it can be time-consuming to keep them up to date). |
| What they do: find out what the group does, who it represents, its priorities,
what its specific interests are, how it carries out its work and so on. |
| Involving them: discuss how best you can work together. You could meet individual
groups, or hold forums where several groups get together. Fit the consultation into your
own strategic planning do you want to consult organisations every year, or only when you
review your charter or management plan, or on a regular basis throughout the year? |
| How they can help: think about whether organisations could help you by carrying
out research. But don't always expect them to do it for nothing they may be cheaper than a
commercial operation, but running voluntary groups costs money. |
| Timing: give voluntary bodies time to respond they are busy and |
| may be inundated with statutory agencies' consultation requirements. |
Pros
| Numbers to be dealt with are more manageable. |
| Allows you to tap into information being collected by independent organisations. |
| Can provide quantitative and qualitative information. |
| Can help you get views of particular groups such as minority ethnic communities or
people with disabilities. |
| Relatively quick and cheap. |
| Gives you a chance to explore views in depth. |
| Allows you to discuss detailed solutions with people with some technical knowledge. |
Cons
| Depending on the type of organisation, the group may contain particularly motivated
people who aren't fully representative of users. |
| May not provide statistical information. |
| Finding the right group and maintaining records of existing groups can be very
time-consuming. |
| Groups may require a considerable amount of time to respond. |
Costs: relatively cheap
Use to: discuss general and specific issues of relevance to particular groups of
users/consumers.
| Southwark Council Southwark Housing Management Southwark
Housing Management is the in-house management contractor looking after more than 50,000
homes for Southwark Council. It provides a local service from 16 neighbourhood offices and
prides itself on the relationships it has built up with tenants and residents. Customers
are represented on tenants and residents associations and community forums etc. Tenants
and residents make real spending decisions on repairs and maintenance and help appoint
managers. Staff believe that the investment in sustaining that relationship is the key to
improving services.
Contact: Chris Brown tel: 020 7 525 7792 fax: 020 7 525
7727 |
| London Borough of Ealing Social Services SPACE
Scheme The SPACE scheme in Ealing finds homes for adults with learning
disabilities. An independent 'User Empowerment Group' was set up in 1996 to provide a
voice for people placed with families to make sure that standards are both understood and
maintained.
The group meets once a month in the evening. Members of the group choose where they
would like to meet. Venues have included a pub and a bowling alley.
The group was set up by the SPACE Scheme as a forum for consultation, but the users
lead their own group and decide which issues they would like to discuss. Issues covered so
far have been independent living and bereavement.
An independent User Empowerment Worker supports the group and receives feedback about
the standards of care each user receives. This can be from the quality of food they eat to
issues about choice and independence. Feedback is given to the SPACE team with service
user consent.
Recently, the group has started to join in the assessment of new carers. Volunteers
from the group spend one evening assessing potential carers. The service user asks five
questions and then offers feedback about their views of the carer. This is included in the
final assessment report that is presented to the panel for approval of carers.
The group is now developing a panel that will meet new referrals to the service
independently. This will give new service users a real view of the service without the
presence of the SPACE Team.
Contact: Stephen Day tel: 020 8 579 4399 fax: 020 8 579 9592 |
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