Listening & Learning – To Improve Our Healthcare
A ‘Stronger Voice’
The ‘Stronger Voice’ project comes as a response to the recognition that we need to involve the people who need and use health services in their design and delivery. This way of working has been developing over a number of years, it has been a challenge to the ways things have been done but a lot has been learned about how to do it properly. Read more about the Stonger Voice project here.
The ‘Stronger Voice’ project is another big step in the right direction.
It will be taken forward by Healthcare Improvement Scotland and the Scottish Health Council working closely with Scottish Government officials, third sector and representative organisations, service users and members of the public. The intention is to develop proposals by the end of December 2014.
What work will be done to develop a ‘Stronger Voice’?
Here are some of the key activities which the Scottish Health Council will undertake.
- Research existing public participation models across the public sector and internationally so we can learn from elsewhere.
- The Scottish Health Council’s local offices will each organise discussion groups across Scotland to discuss what a ‘Stronger Voice’ may look like.
- Other organisations, such as COSLA and The Alliance, will undertake similar local discussion groups with other stakeholders to ensure the engagement process is as inclusive and diverse as possible.
- The Scottish Health Council will engage with staff who deliver health and social care services to get their views by holding an event on 1 October in the Crowne Plaza, Glasgow.
- During October, 3 national stakeholder engagement events will be organised across Scotland:
- 2 October 2014 at the Royal Concert Halls, Glasgow
- 9 October 2014 at Discovery Point, Dundee
- 10 October 2014 at the COSLA Conference Centre, Edinburgh
The aim of these is to share information from our research and local discussion groups, encourage discussion and develop ideas about what a stronger voice for service users and the public within health and social care might look like.
How can I be involved?
There are a number of ways people can be involved. For example:
- an online survey is available for people who are not able to participate in the local discussion groups, so that they can contribute their views www.surveymonkey.com/s/SVscot.
- an email address for enquiries has been set upstrongervoice@scottishhealthcouncil.org
- the project has its own Twitter account @StrongerVoice which will be used to provide regular updates, engagement with stakeholders and to host Twitter chats.
How can I get more information about the ‘Stronger Voice’ project?
An Engagement Plan is being finalised will shortly be available on the Scottish Health Council’s website, together with other important information about the ‘Stronger Voice’ work www.scottishhealthcouncil.org/strongervoice.aspx.
Please share this information with anyone who you think will have an interest in this work. If you would like more information about any aspect of the above, please contact us at strongervoice@scottishhealthcouncil.org
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