A year ago the Patient and Carer Involvement Service launched the ‘Involvement Bank’, to help the Trust co-ordinate and facilitate service user and carer involvement in specific short-term activities and projects like service design, planning and evaluation.
The Involvement Service is now pleased to announce the introduction of recognition payments for service user and carer Contributors, to underpin the Trust’s Together Strategy and our commitment to effective and meaningful involvement. The recognition payment is a discretionary payment that the Trust will offer to service users and carers in acknowledgement of giving their time and contribution. A recognition payment will only be offered to people who are invited to participate in time limited, specified activities by the Involvement Service.
An offer of an involvement recognition payment will be made where:
- the Contributor is a registered member of the Involvement Bank,
- the Trust has issued an invitation to people to attend a specific activity,
- their involvement has been confirmed by the Involvement Service as coming under the recognition payments policy.
A recognition payment will not be paid where people choose to attend information sharing or supportive events, such as: public consultations, service user or carer forums (Reference Group). A service user or carer may choose to not make a claim for payment under this recognition payments policy.
Over the past year, the Patient and Carer Involvement Service has worked tirelessly to ensure that meaningful involvement continued to be facilitated across the Trust. The number of service user and carer Contributors registered on the Involvement Bank has increased significantly and represents a diverse range of expertise and experience. Despite the restrictions and complications caused by COVID-19, Involvement Contributors have supported over 100 involvement activities.
With most meetings, consultation groups, interviews and involvement activities taking place via Microsoft Teams, the Involvement team has provided crucial one-to-one support and produced step-by-step guides on the use of video call applications for our Contributors. The Trust’s SHINE fund, has provided a welcomed grant which allowed the Involvement Service to purchase 20 iPads which will provide much needed accessibility to involvement opportunities, for those who might not otherwise have access to such technology.
The ‘Patient and Carer Guide to Involvement’ and the aligned ‘Involvement Bank Staff Guide’ are available on the Trust’s website: How to get involved. Both guides provide an overview and further details on the Involvement Bank. If you are interested in becoming a Contributor, or in accessing Contributor resource, please contact the Involvement Service by email: [email protected].