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4 Challenges of Service User Involvement
For Service Users
- Definitions and understanding of service user involvement can vary and this can lead to confusion about what it is and how people can become involved.
- Research indicates that some service users often evaluate their relationship with their key worker rather than the service that they receive.
- Some service users may be cynical about the value of service user involvement because their previous experience has been of a tokenistic nature.
- Service users may be worried about expressing their view for fear of reprisal especially if they are dependent on services.
- Some service users may not feel confident enough to participate in groups and must be given the opportunity to contribute at a pace and in a manner that meets their needs.
- Service users can lose faith in the involvement process if they are not kept informed of what has or has not been done because of their involvement, or if there is no improvement to the service.
- Literacy issues can preclude some service users from participating.
- Any cynicism expressed by service providers can affect service users' participation, either positively or negatively.
Service Providers
- The variety of definitions of service user involvement can lead to confusion for staff about what is being asked of them.
- Services can have difficulties changing where the culture of user involvement has not been the norm.
- Staff may feel threatened by perceived criticism.
- Resource implications can create challenges for services to involve service users.
- Services may need to try different models of involvement before finding the best model.
- Services may use a variety of models at any one time to engage service users.
- The needs and abilities of service users vary within services therefore different methods may have to be used at the same time.
- Services can, at times, find it difficult to establish a consensus with service users about the best way(s) to work together.
For Service Commissioners
It will be necessary for service commissioners to improve their knowledge of user involvement and to include a clear description in the service specification of exactly what they want service providers to do and how that activity should be evidenced.
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