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Practice experience of involving people in public health. based on work in Newcastle upon Tyne Gwen Ellison 2008 Developing a Healthy Living Centre 1995 -1998 Developing lay people in a healthy living network 2002-2006 Developing health trainer services 2006-2008.
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Practice experience of involving people in public health based on work in Newcastle upon Tyne Gwen Ellison 2008 • Developing a Healthy Living Centre 1995 -1998 • Developing lay people in a healthy living network 2002-2006 • Developing health trainer services 2006-2008
Questions about this discussion Lay people – who are they? What is public health, health promotion?- What is sustainability?
Lay people developing and running a HLC –the range • Management Board • Community group • Focus groups/informal events/surveys • Representing or representative of? • Motivation and interests – the drivers • Volunteers and legislation
Lay People developing and delivering a healthy living network • Building Social Capital – running lots of activities • People getting nationally recognised qualifications • People learning about determinants of health • Self-efficacy or collective action – me or us? • Healthy individuals or healthy communities? • Collective action or partnership working?- which is more sustainable from a ‘lay’ point of view?
Developing Health Trainer services • Governance – is this a problem with developing ‘lay health trainers’? • NHS ….. non-NHS – who has ‘control’ over the competencies? (Skills for Health) • Fully engaged scenario –the role of ‘people in public health?’ • Diversity of models and settings – an opportunity for developing lay people? • If NHS paid or if unpaid lay worker - are the outcomes the same? Are they equally valued? • Why be an unpaid Health Trainer?
Developing policy/services Why involve lay people? • They know how life is for people – this is collective knowledge that’s valuable and professionals don’t bring this expertise? • This collective knowledge has to be mobilised using a set of skills and knowledge defined within community work, there are no alternatives to this process • Lay people tell us where the system failures are • Lay people help to prioritise and to make better funding decisions and for designing better public health services • Lay people focus on people not professionals and departmental silos • It’s a duty/requirement to involve lay people
Involvement as a lay person can be empowering and enriching but …… It can often disempower and demoralise So - establish parameters at the start - be honest about powers and responsibilities Is it worth the investment of time? What’s the real cost?
Challenges • Burden of policies /procedures /legal duties • Masses of support required but where does it come from? Is it the ‘right’ support? Where’s the knowledge and experience around providing it? • Did lay people sign up for these levels of monitoring and evaluation ? • Sustainability - is it always a ‘good thing? • Will the next generation volunteer? • How to be ethical in our behaviour around working with lay people (value and respect) • Are professionals open to challenge from lay people?