Involvement Strategy

Praxis Care is committed to involving service users in the development and monitoring of the quality of its services. The Organisation recognises that involving users in decisions about the provision of services, at both an operational and strategic level is vital to the improvement of their services, as well as being a fundamental right.

Praxis Care’s commitment to strengthening user involvement is evident in the Organisation’s Service User Charter, Operational plan and Strategic plan.

It is Praxis Care’s vision that involving Service Users becomes an integral component in the development, monitoring and evaluation of services. Praxis Care believes that the reasons why involvement is vital include:-

Involvement strives to further the goal of independence, through the development of skills, improving self esteem and actively facilitating inclusion.
Involvement is a method of by which the organisation can bring people together to create a cohesive and empowering force where mutually desired outcomes can be achieved
Involvement creates a sense of ownership while the needs and wishes of the people using the service are reflected
Involvement can assist the organisation in continuing to improve and provide quality services
Involvement ensures that key processes – planning, developing and delivery receive valuable input.
Involvement increases confidence in, and understanding of, services
Involvement by actively seeking the views of users so that services are inspired by collaborative learning
Involvement assists the organisation in developing a culture within Praxis Care that puts service users at the centre of everything the organisation provides.

In doing so Praxis Care will follow these principles:-

Users will be involved, when appropriate, at an early stage, in identifying and prioritising needs, service planning and delivery and monitoring
The organisation will not take the commitment and input of service users and staff for granted; it will be treated seriously and followed through to achieve results.
Praxis Care will support and develop the capacity of its staff and service users so that they will be able to become more involved.
The Organisation will recognise the particular circumstances of service users regarding transport, scheduling, timing and any particular needs regarding meeting and communicating with them.
Praxis Care will be clear about which decisions can be influenced, which cannot and why.
It will provide information that is clear and jargon free.
Those involved will be informed about what has happened as a result of their involvement.

The aims of this user involvement strategy are:-

To co-ordinate user involvement activity across Praxis Care
To develop a culture where service users feel able to tell Praxis Care staff what they think of the service they are receiving
To make sure any form of user involvement activity leads to demonstrable benefits to service users and improvements in support and outcomes;
To explore how Praxis Care will involve service users in the planning, development, delivery and monitoring of accessible services in partnership with staff;
To raise awareness amongst staff of the need for effective user involvement
To build on the good practice already established throughout Praxis Care; and
To develop relationships with a wide range of other organisations in the statutory, voluntary and community sectors to share best practise in service users involvement.

If you would like to receive a copy of Praxis Care’s Service User Involvement Strategy, please contact:

Brian McCready, Assistant Director, Quality & Governance Department, 25-31 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7AA

Tele: 028 90727152

Email: brianmccready@praxiscare.org.uk