Tameside Supporting People Reward and Recognition Policy

Background and Purpose

Involving service users and carers is a key theme in the Tameside Supporting People programme

Service users and carers have been and continue to be involved at numerous levels of the programme both systematically in contract monitoring and review and to advise the programme about discrete pieces of work.

Supporting People recognises the unique value and expertise of service user’ contributions.

The purpose of this strategy is to state how their contributions will be recognised and rewarded and to provide a consistent framework for payments to service users and carers for the input of their skills, expertise and time into the work of Supporting People.

Areas of Service User/Carer Involvement:

Service users and carers are systematically involved in contract monitoring and service review in order to give feedback about their own services. Supporting People recognises, values and responds to service user/carer involvement in the following ways by:

• Sending a summary of questionnaire feedback to every service user after a visit to the service
• Asking the Provider to produce an Action Plan of how it will address issues raised by service users through interview and questionnaires
• Allocating a specific score for Service User Involvement in the Value for Money Assessment which determines the outcome of the review
• Ensuring that service users and carers are treated with respect and dignity – this is looked at as part of contract monitoring and review.

In addition service users and carers work with the SP Team and influence the delivery of the programme in a number of ongoing and one-off initiatives:

• The Supporting People team asked service users how they would like to be involved in the programme and their preferred means of receiving information
• We invited service users to feed back to us about the 5 year Supporting People Strategy.
• The Supporting People team has mapped existing service user groups and circulated this information to service users.
• Production of a regular service user newsletter.
• The Supporting People Team has recruited and trained two groups of peer reviewers (service users and carers) to assist them in interviewing service users and carers
• The Supporting People team consulted with prospective service users from BME groups to develop a BME strategy for older people.
• Service users are involved in a Service User Forum.
• Service users are involved in the decision making structures via attendance at the Core Strategy Group and the Joint Commissioning Group.
• An Access and Information Group developed with range of service user groups to produce user friendly information about Supporting People and its services.
• We have identified a group of Service users to develop and deliver training to providers about Effective Service User Involvement.
• Assisted the Supporting People Provider Forum Continuous Improvement Group to deliver Core Induction training to new staff .
• Helped to develop a workplan to improve services for young people in Tameside.
• Involvement in the evaluation process of tenders for new Supporting People services.

Recognition and Reward

• Service Users’ and Carers’ contribution is recognised, valued and rewarded in the following ways:
• Service users preferred means of communication feeds into the Communication Strategy.
• Systems are in place so that feedback from service users and carers can feed into the Supporting People Strategy review.
• Feedback about existing service user groups has been fed back to providers for circulation to all service users.
• Copies of newsletters are sent to all services for circulation to service users.
• At recruitment/booking stage, the application forms identify any specialist needs under equality headings.
• Events are arranged in line with any issues highlighted by an Equality Impact Assessment.
• When choosing venues/food for service user events, the team is committed to choosing highest quality venues and refreshments, and ensuring that food and venues are accessible
• When booking events, the SP Team is committed to arranging them at times and dates to ensure that any religious and/or child care issues are addressed.
• Feeding back to service users involved in research projects or other consultations, for example we invited all participants of the research into the supported housing needs of older people to attend the launch of the report.
• Service users receive free relevant training to enable them to be meaningfully involved.
• Peer reviewers are ‘paid ‘ for their time – see latest version of ‘Agreement between Tameside Supporting People and Peer Reviewers’. Normally ‘payment’ will consist of £10 gift voucher per half day. Service users will be able to choose their preferred gift voucher.
• Service users and carers are ‘paid’ to attend meetings – as above
• Service users and carers are ‘paid’ to attend Access and Information days – as above
• Service user and carers will be ‘paid’ to deliver training – as above
• Service users were ‘paid’ to produce workplan – as above
• · Organising transport when appropriate and paying for transport costs

Conclusion

Supporting People rewards and recognises service users and carers contributions to the programme by its commitment to:

• Ensuring that systems are in place to feedback to service users and carers in their preferred format following their involvement.
• Ensuring that events to which service users and carers are invited are of a good standard and at accessible locations and times.
• Ensuring that involvement and feedback from service users and carers is fed back to all relevant parties including at strategic levels of the Supporting People programme.
• Ensuring that all service users have a voice in the programme – this may involve providing child care facilities for some service users.
• Organising separate vents for some groups if preferred, and including one to one consultation if required.
• Ensuring that service users and carers are represented in all Supporting People activities.
• ‘Paying’ service users and carers for their time and input when they are involved in activities with officers from the Supporting People team.
• Recording our thanks for contributions made by service users and carers individually and in appropriate publications.