St Mungo’s
Client
Involvement
Toolkit
Version 2
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
Index
Introduction
Page 3
Section 1: Essential areas for client involvement
Page 6
a) Involving clients in Business Plans
Page 6
b) Effective client meetings
Page 9
c) Focus groups
Page 15
d) Peer Mentors – resident led induction
Page 17
e) Staff recruitment
Page 20
f)
Page 22
Outside In
g) Involvement with the wider community
Section 2: Client involvement tools and methods
Page 22
Page 25
a) Trained Reps groups
Page 25
b) Women’s groups
Page 27
c) Anti bullying guide and workshops
Page 28
d) Effective communication and feedback methods
Page 29
Section 3: Client led activities, training, volunteering and employment
Page 31
a) Client led activities
Page 31
b) Training
Page 34
c) Volunteering
Page 35
d) Client Trainee Project Worker Scheme
Page 35
Section 4: Outside In
Page 36
Section 5: New Developments and Innovations
Page 39
Appendix
Page 40
2
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
Introduction
Definition of client involvement
Clients should be involved in the running of our services and have a meaningful say in any
decision that may affect them. Client involvement is an ethos that runs through all aspects of
St Mungo’s work from keyworking to membership of the Senior Management Board.
Client = any individual who uses a St Mungo’s service
Purpose of toolkit
This toolkit aims to guide and support the involvement of clients in the running of St Mungo’s
services. Every residential service must ensure all the Essential Areas (section 1) are
addressed. The toolkit is not prescriptive in exactly how you should involve clients, however
it aims to share good practice and give some guidance. For example, clients must be
involved in all business plans, exactly how this is achieved meaningfully is to be decided by
the clients and staff in each service. You should develop involvement methods appropriate
for your clients. The examples given in this toolkit can be replicated or re-interpreted as
relevant.
The remaining sections aim to give a “menu” of options for involving your clients. Every
service should offer a variety of involvement methods.
Why should we involve clients?
Client involvement not only improves our services but provides opportunities, increases selfesteem, empowers our clients and supports their recovery. Effective client involvement
benefits staff, clients, St Mungo’s and the wider community.
The ethos of client involvement - essential principles
Client as expert – our clients are experts on their own experiences and of being users of
our services, this knowledge needs to be ingrained in all aspects of what we do.
Rights – clients have the right to be involved in every decision that may affect them. With
rights come responsibilities, so involvement entails greater responsibilities for clients.
Recovery – our services aim to support the recovery of clients. All client involvement should
enable recovery by providing opportunities and empowering clients.
Partnership – staff and clients make decisions and find solutions together.
Early involvement – involve clients from the very start, before decisions have been made.
Choice – clients are given sufficient information so they can make their own decisions.
3
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
Client led/ ownership – clients should be given responsibility within a supportive framework
to run their own meetings, events and activities.
Peer support - the peer approach; peer facilitation, research and mentoring is at the core of
St Mungo’s approach to client involvement. This approach utilises the trust and
understanding implicit amongst peers.
Citizenship – clients must be supported to be involved as citizens in the wider community;
registered to vote, represented in neighbourhood forums, council groups and accessing
volunteering opportunities.
Feedback – ensure there is always regular feedback and updates from all discussions.
This builds trust and enables future involvement.
Recognition – always ensure clients receive recognition for their involvement.
Enabling involvement– ensure clients receive the support, training and resources to be
involved meaningfully.
Transparent management – clients need to be well informed in how our projects are run.
Make it fun! – be creative and imaginative. Involvement should be a positive experience
for clients.
The ladder of involvement
CONTROL
ownership, the buck stops with us,
total responsibility for all aspects of a project,
from fundraising to hiring and firing.
“..we can do it ourselves!”
PARTNERSHIP
no ‘us and them’ yes ‘we’
shared responsibilities for all aspects of a project
“.. this is our project!”
PARTICIPATION
what shall we do...lets do it!
action together, involvement in all parts
of the process of actions proactive, positive, flexible together
”..right from the beginning.”
CONSULTATION
what do you think..?
meetings, surveys, interviews..
language, people focussed, timely
“..part of the process rather than ‘after the fact’.”
INFORMATION
what’s going on..
newsletters, notice boards, word of mouth, etc..
jargon, context, mostly passive.
“..good quality information is essential for a
participator to put their own experience and
knowledge into a meaningful perspective.”
Each step of the ladder informs the next:
ie meaningful consultation is enhanced by how well
informed the consulted is by the previous step and so on.
Good practice can be achieved by continually recycling
the process. So the consulted are informed of the
results of the consultation and so on through the ladder.
It’s important to recognise what stage in the ladder
is appropriate for your project or initiative, and recognise
the steps needed to attain that level.
This is a helpful guide for your involvement. Different levels are appropriate for different
situations. However, as a general principle we should always aim for partnership,
consultation is not always sufficient.
4
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
The QAF, local and central government
The Supporting People QAF (Quality Assessment Framework) has been improved to have a
greater emphasis on client involvement. Section 1.5 “Client Involvement and Empowerment”
outlines the following criteria.
1. People wanting to access a service can make an informed decision before
accepting an offer and know about the range of services and support available
to meet their needs.
2. Clients are consulted on all significant proposals* which affect their lives and
their views taken into account.
3. The service encourages clients to do things for themselves rather than rely on
staff
4. Clients are encouraged to consider ways in which they can participate in the
wider community.
5. Client should know about the written complaints policy and procedure.
*A significant proposal covers every proposal that may have an impact on your clients. It
will definitely include ALL policies, procedures, rules, regulations and changes to the service.
However, we should not see meeting these requirements as the limit of our client
involvement. Our good practice should go beyond statutory expectations.
The themes of greater client control and choice run through government thinking around
health and social care. Local boroughs are looking at ‘personalisation’ whereby clients
control the budgets for their support. Client Involvement Lead workers
Every service should have a client involvement lead in the staff team. Their role is to liaise
with the client involvement manager regarding their service’s client involvement mechanisms
(meetings, representation systems, focus groups and training).
5
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
Section 1:
Essential areas for
client involvement
Introduction
All services must involve their clients in the following areas, as part of their approach to client
involvement.
a) Business Plans
b) Effective client meetings
c) Focus groups
d) Peer Mentors
e) Staff recruitment
f)
Outside In
g) Involvement with the wider community
a) Involving clients in Business Plans
Clients should always be involved in and be central to all business planning. This requires
meaningful decision making, not just a case of consulting clients or asking them to comment
on drafts.
Clients should be involved in:
•
The business planning process – deciding themes and issues that clients want at the
core of the plan
•
Updates, feedback and reviews throughout the year.
Key principles
6
•
Creating the business plan is a partnership.
•
Involve clients at the very beginning of the discussion process – before any decisions
have been made.
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
•
Use a variety of methods to get the views of your clients, taking into account literacy,
cultural issues and an individual’s wishes.
•
Make it simple and easy for clients to be involved – no jargon, minimal/ simple
paperwork, translate technical language, remove barriers.
Joint resident and staff away days
The aim is to find out the priorities for your clients (what they really want from the service)
and then ingrain these themes into the business plan.
The projects that have done this most effectively began with a joint resident and staff away
day. These consisted of a creative, brainstorming session - allowing clients to voice their
priorities for the service – often followed by a social activity (bowling, BBQ or a meal).
To make this successful:
•
Use an independent facilitator
•
Create strong ground rules to help clients feel comfortable to speak up
•
Use a relaxed informal approach (add games, music, coffee, good venue)
•
Involve clients in the planning and promotion of the day.
Below is an outline of a typical business planning session.
Example
Islington Away Day
1. Introduction
Who we are.
Aims of the day – business plan and giving clients a voice.
2. Ice breaker
In pairs introduce your neighbour – find out one interesting fact about that person.
3. Group contract
Agree ground rules for the session. Include: be positive, be solution focused, be creative, be
collaborative.
Aim: Make clients feel comfortable to speak openly.
4. GROUP WORK EXERCISE: “What do you want from your stay with St Mungo’s?”
7
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
Aims:
•
•
•
For the residents to create their ethos for the project
To develop partnership between clients and staff
Explore ideas of recovery.
Split into groups for brainstorming
Discuss themes that emerge, differences and similarities
Consider:
•
•
•
•
•
The changes you want to take place
How will you differ when you leave from when you arrived?
Be ambitious and hopeful
Feedback to the group
WRITE UP: An ethos of the project (draft version to be agreed later).
Feedback to the main group
5. GROUP WORK EXERCISE: “What must clients and staff do to make these changes
happen?”
Consider:
•
•
•
Services and activities offered
Keyworking – person centred/recovery
Ideas to go into the business plan.
Themes raised at away days...
This session is simple but has created interesting debates and raised issues including:
recovery, contact with family, peer support, training, involvement with the wider community,
women’s issues and many more. The themes can then be ingrained across the various
sections of the business plan and addressed with specific action points.
After the away day
Write up notes as soon as possible with clearly noted actions and distribute to all clients.
Look for a ‘quick win’ - an action that can be resolved immediately, to build on the
momentum of the planning day.
Follow up with meetings and focus groups to look at specific issues in depth. For example, if
the visitors’ policy was an issue raised, it can’t be resolved immediately, but a date can be
booked to hold a focus group to discuss the policy. This way, clients are assured they are
being taken seriously and the issue is in hand.
The project manager should capture the main themes when drafting the business plan.
8
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
Other uses for resident and staff away days
Away days are a simple and effective method for involving clients informally but allowing indepth discussion. They are also good for: major changes, project redevelopment, reviewing
policies, procedures or just creating positive relations between residents and staff.
Teams that do not hold regular client meetings like specialist services and community
support can use away days for effective involvement.
Alternative methods for involving clients in the Business Plan
•
Surveys and questionnaires are an effective way of getting a snapshot or overview
of clients’ views and identify issues to be explored in focus groups.
•
One to one interviews/ keyworking should be used for clients who do not like
groups and allow a safer environment for expression.
•
Peer Researchers (trained clients) can write and conduct interviews.
Good practice examples
•
Harrow Road – the residents went on a walk and picnic with a member of staff and
created a long list of issues that were incorporated into the plan.
•
Cromwell Road went for a more formal approach and established a Committee
(consisting of residents and staff) to develop the business plan over a series of
meetings.
Contact the Client Involvement Manager for facilitation, training or more information.
b) Effective client meetings
Every residential service should work as a team – clients and staff – to ensure it holds
regular effective meetings. An effective meeting must produce results; clearly minuted action
points that are completed. Each project needs to develop the type, structure, frequency of
meeting that is most appropriate for their clients. This section outlines some key principles
and good practice examples that will help to improve your meetings.
Key principles
9
•
Meeting should be as client led as possible – clients should be trained and supported
to chair, write minutes, create group contracts and clients should develop solutions.
•
Clients set the agenda (although staff may add to it).
•
Preparation – good meetings take time, teamwork commitment and trial and error.
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
•
Good meetings require excellent facilitation.
•
Informal and relaxed – yet well structured!
•
Resident meetings should not be solely for complaining, nor should they create
cliques.
•
ALWAYS follow up action points and be pro-active in distributing feedback (use a
variety of methods).
•
Consistent, clear feedback will create trust over time.
•
Develop ways of including clients who may not attend meetings.
Group contract (ground rules)
All client meetings must have a group contract.
An example group contract:
9
9
9
9
9
Respect diversity
Only one person speaking at a time
It’s OK to disagree – but don’t be personal
If you make a complaint – what do you think the solution is?
The meeting is to discuss issues that may affect all in the hostel – not personal
agendas
A group contract should be created by the participants, re-capped at the start of each
meeting and displayed on the wall. Ownership of the contract – these are our rules –
increases their usefulness. All participants have a responsibility to remind each other of the
ground rules, and over time, adherence will become the culture of the group.
Different meeting types
Client only (all or part of meeting)
Many effective meetings have a client only section. This has many benefits;
•
It widens the scope of discussion by enabling clients to raise issues they may not feel
confident to mention to staff.
•
Clients can create an agenda that is real and theirs.
•
Gives clients greater responsibility to seek solutions and reach consensus
Each client can suggest an item they would like to discuss; the chair or facilitator will help
identify clear themes and consensus to create the agenda. The manager or member of staff
will then join the meeting half way through to discuss the agenda the clients have
formulated.
10
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
The process: Re-cap group contract Æ open discussion Æ chair helps define agenda Æ
discussion with manager Æ action points agreed and minuted Æ issues manager wants to
raise Æ any other business Æ close
This process can also be achieved with a cycle of alternate client only and client/ manager
meetings.
Social and informal meetings
Effective meetings can work through very informal social get togethers, where staff and
clients chat in a relaxed environment. These can be promoted as coffee mornings, breakfast
clubs or drop ins, with games and food provided. This will create trust and clients will be
more likely to say what’s on their mind. Staff can ask questions, such as:
•
“What can we improve?”
•
“Any ideas for new activities?
•
“Is our visitors’ policy fair?”
This type of meeting can be more inclusive and will attract those who would not go to
traditional meetings. However, informal get togethers can still: be written up, create action
points, resolve issues, generate ideas for management and be a forum for feedback, much
like a formal meeting.
Community meetings
This is neither a client nor a staff meeting but is open to all and will address any issue
relevant to the project – a genuine partnership. Ideally it would be a 50-50 split and both staff
and client perspectives are equally valid. Both groups are responsible for solving issues and
improving the hostel as a place to live and work.
Good practice example:
“A simple thing that helps running resident meetings is to avoid going in with a staff created agenda.
I’ve found going into them as a blank canvas for residents to say what they want to talk about
generates a lot more discussion and apparent interest – for the last couple of years we have always
had turnouts of over 50%. My habit has always been to start the meeting off by going round all the
clients in turn and giving them a chance to propose issues that they want to talk about. This has rarely
failed to produce all that is needed for the agenda and clients take ownership of the issues.
I always make a point of indicating on the minutes, which client raised which point and gave credit to
any comments made by clients. I think the more that you can indicate the clients input, then the more
ownership they will take.”
MC –Barnsbury Road
11
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
Guidance for running meetings
Role of staff
Staff have a crucial role in enabling and encouraging more client led meetings. The clients’
role is to develop the content (what they want to discuss) whilst the staff role is to support
the process. For example, this may involve:
•
Meeting with the chair beforehand to offer support and encouragement
•
Enabling access to IT
•
Providing information about policies
•
Asking questions to help clarify agendas
•
Arranging training
•
Coaching on chairing techniques.
Contact the client involvement manager for client training that can cover:
•
Facilitation
•
Group contract
•
Communication
•
Assertiveness.
Training can be designed to meet the specific requests of your clients.
Frequency
Infrequent resident meetings can result in frustration building between meetings, a lack of
continuity and agendas becoming so full that little can be achieved. Review the frequency of
your meetings. More frequent meetings can be more concise, allowing more opportunity to
update and feedback. There is enough time to explore issues in sufficient depth. A meeting
at least once a month is recommended.
Facilitation and chairing
Whoever is facilitating – client or staff – should be either trained or already sufficiently skilled
to facilitate confidently. Client chairs should receive ongoing support from staff. The
facilitator’s role is to:
9 Ensure the group contract is followed – assertively challenge where appropriate
9 Create a safe atmosphere enabling honest discussion
12
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
9 Not dominate
9 Remain neutral
9 Prevent individuals dominating, and encourage quieter members to speak.
9 Help clarify discussions, spot common themes and create agreement.
Tips for effective facilitation:
Have two facilitators who can support each other. Rotate facilitators so it does not become
misinterpreted as a privileged position. Try a client and a member of staff facilitating
together.
We run an 8 day Peer Facilitation Course that enables clients to confidently run meetings.
It covers communication, assertiveness, and presentation skills. It’s also an effective course
for personal development, has helped clients in their recovery and has been a stepping
stone towards further opportunities.
The course can also be delivered in Bite Size Workshops at your project.
For training please contact the Client Involvement Manager.
Scope and subject matter
Effective resident meetings will cover a broader scope of issues and also reflect what really
matters to the residents. Previously, involvement may have been limited to discussion
around more minor decisions – “what colour shall we paint the TV room?” Now, more
meaningful/ difficult decisions require client involvement; visitors policies, re-development,
funding bids etc. Client only or independently facilitated meetings are effective ways to
broaden the scope of issues to be discussed.
Minutes, action points and feedback
•
All resident meeting minutes must be written up in an accessible, easy to read way,
with very clear action points.
•
Action points should be allocated to a named person and always require feedback
and commitment. Make action points SMART (Specific Measurable Agreed Realistic
Timescaled).
•
Feedback is especially important if there are complications or delays – if nothing
appears to be happening people need to know why.
•
Use a variety of feedback methods; notice boards, word of mouth, via night staff - be
proactive.
13
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
Involving those who don’t attend
There is a danger that the resident meeting could develop into a clique that is seen to be
more powerful than other residents – “in with management”. Develop methods of involving
those who don’t attend, in discussions started at resident meetings. Some projects have
done this effectively by; discussing minutes in keyworking, having the minutes available on
reception and informally chatting about the issues as people drop by – “Have you seen this
idea? What do you think?”
Support Outside In
Please email your minutes to Outside In ([email protected]) this helps them to have an
overview of issues across St Mungo’s and enable your residents’ views to inform their
discussions with directors.
Outside In can, on request, allocate a trained Peer Facilitator to support your resident
meetings, train your residents and offer advice.
Further ideas: invites guests, involve the local community, have themed meetings.
Example agenda
Harrow Road
Residents’ meetings structure
AIM:
To offer all residents of Harrow Road the opportunity to discuss issues and
ideas for improving and taking ownership of Harrow Road Project.
CONTRACT:
Residents have agreed a meeting contract to ensure all who attend feel safe
and confident enough to express their feelings and be heard.
ROLES:
Residents have agreed that presently, they would like to keep the same chair
person and minute taker. This will be reviewed when it is felt necessary by the
involved parties.
14
Chair:
K.A
Minutes:
M.T
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
AGENDA:
The agenda will be discussed for the first ten minutes of the meeting, if
management have any issues to discuss they will be required to pass over their
agenda before leaving the meeting until they are called for.
Any issues identified which require further discussion will be notified to SJ to
enable a focus meeting to be arranged.
Management will be invited to attend the residents’ meeting for the last section.
Staff are not required to attend any residents’ meetings unless invited.
MINUTES:
M.T at present is happy to take the minutes; these will then be passed to SJ
to type. When the residents computers are working fully, I.K will take over.
Meeting minutes should be produced within two weeks and a copy given
to everyone who attended, and a copy for the file and a copy to be hung on
the notice board.
Produced and agreed by residents 26.11.08
c) Focus groups
Focus groups are meetings that explore a single topic enabling greater depth, time and
reflection. They allow for brainstorming, hearing a broader range of opinions and can provide
solutions for more difficult issues. Focus groups are central to every project’s client
involvement, as the amount and level of involvement expected is not possible through
resident meetings alone. With a creative approach focus groups should be interesting and
enjoyable.
When to use focus groups
Focus groups can be run regularly or as one-offs. They are very effective for:
•
Addressing complex issues that arise frequently in resident meetings yet are not
resolved (due to time and full agendas) - resettlement or activities may be typical
examples
•
Negotiating significant proposals – policies, complaints procedure, changes to the
service, business planning
•
Resolving urgent issues or emergencies – ongoing disputes, problems in the local
area
15
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
•
Specialist teams to ensure clients’ views are central to their business plans
•
Exploring results from surveys and questionnaires in more depth.
The key principles for resident meetings still apply - setting group contracts, preparation.
With focus groups there is more scope to use techniques from training – ice breakers,
flipcharts, splitting into pairs, etc. The aim is to create an atmosphere where everyone feels
comfortable to contribute. Focus groups can be led by clients or staff but it is advisable that
the facilitator has had some form of training around group work or training. Consider the
benefits of using an independent facilitator, especially if there are tensions and conflicting
opinions regarding the issue in question.
Good practice example:
16
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
d) Peer Mentors – resident led induction
This is a simple way to welcome new residents into a project and to help develop a sense of
community. The Peer Mentor will greet new arrivals, show them round the project, chat with
them informally over a cup of tea and answer any questions. The idea came from clients as
a way of making the first few days in a hostel less daunting. Cromwell Road has also
extended the booking in procedure over a period of two weeks, so it becomes more like an
employment induction.
Key principles
•
Peer mentors promote key messages that inform the ethos of a project (i.e. no
bullying, residents’ rights, recovery and the visitor’s policy).
•
Greater acceptance of rules and regulations when explained by a peer and seen as
their rules.
•
There are clear boundaries and guidelines to the role (it normally only involves two
meetings).
17
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
•
Peer Mentors are trained in confidentiality, including when it is appropriate to share
information with staff.
Good practice examples
The following examples explain the role and can assist your clients to develop a system
appropriate for your service.
1. This is a description of the role used at Cromwell Road:
Examples: Cromwell Role Peer Mentor Job Description
KEY JOB OBJECTIVES
To welcome new clients and help them to settle into Cromwell Road
RESPONSIBILITIES
To assist new clients to settle into the project during the first week of
their stay.
To help introduce the client to other people living and working in Cromwell Road
To assist with and support the client induction process.
The Peer Mentoring scheme is an important part of the way that Cromwell Road provides
services to clients. Moving into a project can often be a difficult time, and having someone
who really understands the experience is a great benefit.
Peer Mentors can help new arrivals to understand the systems in the hostel, answer some
of the questions people have and generally give informal support.
It is important to note that Peer Mentors do not provide formal support or advocacy, and
that the mentoring role is limited to the first week of a client’s stay. We do not expect Peer
Mentors to be available at all times of the day and night to answer queries. Sessions are
time limited and focused on specific parts of the induction process. Staff will help to clarify
this with newly arrived clients and Peer Mentors can meet with project managers each
week to discuss. 2. Do’s and Don’ts and Checklist for Harrow Road’s Peer Mentors
Peer Mentor Guide
Harrow Road – do’s and don’ts
Do welcome the new resident to Harrow Road.
Do ensure you are approachable and friendly.
Do be responsible within your role as a peer mentor.
Do set clear boundaries of what your role is.
18
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
Do show the new resident around Harrow Road and the local area if they so wish.
Do introduce residents to staff and residents already living at Harrow Road.
Do enforce the NO BULLYING and ANTI-DISCRIMINATION policy.
Do have a meeting within the first few days and then a follow up 2 weeks later.
Do advise the resident of who to speak to with any problems.
Don’t take on somebody’s problems, refer them to the staff member who can assist.
Don’t keep confidences if it will be detrimental to the residents’ health and wellbeing or to
some one else.
Don’t give out the impression you’re a member of staff.
Don’t offer encouragement to take on your lifestyle choices.
Don’t pressurise someone to tell you their personal business.
Peer Mentor
Basic Checklist
Resident shown around the building.
Inform resident of dining room opening times.
Advise the resident that there is free washing powder in 1st floor office.
Show resident how to use washing machine.
19
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
Show resident where the cleaning cupboard is.
Offer a cup of tea and explain it’s free and that the office has stocks of tea and sugar.
Show the notice board with training opportunities and activities.
Explain the smoking policy.
Explain if a resident loses their key they have to pay £5 for a replacement.
Inform resident to report any maintenance issues to staff.
Remind about the fire procedure, room checks and the weekly fire test. (Staff will
eexplain all the relevant policies and procedures during the booking in session)
Explain about the wet and dry lounges.
If you have time you could show external amenities, for example nearest post office,
jjjob centre, local housing benefit offices, markets, supermarkets.
Other roles for Peer Mentors:
•
Inducting members of staff - introduce them to other clients, give the client
perspective and make them feel welcome, etc.
•
Showing visitors around the project, including people who are considering moving in.
Training available:
Contact the Client Involvement Manager to provide Peer Mentor training for your clients.
e) Staff recruitment
Trained clients on interview panels
A trained client must participate on all panels recruiting staff working directly with, or have an
influence on, our clients. Clients have been involved in the recruitment of Area Managers
and Directors.
20
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
Why we involve clients
Involving clients has made our recruitment more effective. When selecting staff, clients place
a high value on candidates’ values, attitudes, people skills and motivation to work in our
field.
Clients have experienced our services first hand, therefore intuitively know the skills,
attitudes and personality required to be a good worker. This adds immense value, and a
different perspective to panels.
Client participation allows managers to see how candidates interact with clients.
Clients have a right to be involved – it’s their home.
Key principles
•
Clients are equal members of the panel. Staff must be proactive in making them feel
welcome and their contributions valued.
•
Clients should be trained beforehand to give them an understanding of how we
recruit, and be empowered to participate meaningfully.
•
Staff should support and encourage clients to feed back honestly – even if their
opinion is different.
•
Staff should support clients to prepare for interviews – seeing paperwork well in
advance, travel to venue and providing lunch.
•
Clients should have the opportunity to create a question.
•
Remind clients of the importance of confidentiality.
Training
The training takes 2-3 hours and can be delivered at your project. All clients should be
trained before taking part. Please contact the Client Involvement Manager to book a session.
The training covers:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What is interviewing?
Equal Opportunities
Why involve clients?
Writing a good question
Practice Interview
If you recruit frequently, aim to have a pool of trained clients. Once a client has been trained,
the chair of the panel should meet with them to go through the specific details of the
recruitment – the job description, person specification, interview questions and logistics for
the interview – preparing the client to be fully and effectively involved.
21
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
f) Outside In
Outside In is client led group that ensures clients have a say in the running of St Mungo’s.
They meet with Directors every six weeks. They set the agenda, chair this meeting and aim
to represent the views of St Mungo’s clients. The minutes of this meeting are emailed to all
staff and feedback from staff and clients is very welcome. Please see section 4 (page 36)
for more information on Outside In.
You must aim to have your project participating in the Outside In network, by taking the
following actions:
•
All hostels and semi independent borough groups must ensure at least one of their
clients is an active member
•
Create methods to ensure all staff and clients understand the role of Outside In.
For example, explanation by peer mentors and a regular slot in resident meetings
•
All minutes, flyers and Outside In promotional material must be displayed and
distributed amongst clients and staff
•
Your clients should be encouraged to discuss and feedback on the major issues in
the Director’s Meeting minutes
•
You must be proactive in promoting Outside In’s events to your clients and give them
support to attend
•
Invite Outside In members to visit your project on a regular basis (obviously the
frequency will be appropriate to the size of your service).
g) Involvement with the wider community
Client involvement is a form of citizenship - St Mungo’s clients are members of the wider
community and society as a whole. People who have experienced homelessness have often
been marginalised from mainstream society, isolated from friends and family. Involvement in
the wider community is an essential prerequisite for preparing clients to move on from our
accommodation and to prevent dependency. Research what is available in your vicinity and
ensure your clients are represented and aware of opportunities available. Develop
partnerships with local groups and organisations.
Key principles
•
Ensure clients have a say in their immediate neighbourhood – representation on
neighbourhood committees and tenants’ associations.
•
Ensure clients have a say in the wider community – representation in borough wide
forums, registered to vote.
22
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
•
Ensure clients actively participate in the community – volunteering, community
groups.
•
Support clients to have a social network outside of where they live.
•
Peer Mentors can explain options to new residents.
These principles should be addressed in keyworking and ingrained in the business plan.
Good practice tips
•
Create an up to date resource file, easily accessible to clients.
•
Hold Open Days where local organisations are invited to the project to informally
meet residents and promote their services. Open Days can be themed, for example,
on health or education.
•
Develop clients’ IT skills so they can look online for opportunities
•
Prepare clients for moving on - in keyworking ask, “When you have a flat, what are
you going to do during the day?”
Opportunities for clients to be Involved in the wider community
Neighbourhood Forums
Client representation on local neighbourhood forums is a good way of improving relations and
challenging negative stereotypes. Neighbours can also be invited to the project for more informal
events – BBQs, residents’ meetings or Open Days.
Local Drug Action Teams (DATs) Client Groups / and Borough Client Groups
Most local boroughs’ DATs have their own client involvement groups. Contact your
borough’s Client Involvement Coordinator and link interested clients in to their forums. They
quite often provide training for clients. Local boroughs also have client led groups (for
example, Camden Homeless Forum). Research the options in your area and promote
participation.
Client Led Organisations
Involvement with client led organisations offers training and vocational opportunities as well
as representing the views of clients. Contact organisations such as Groundswell (020 7737
5500), or Brent Homeless User Group (BHUG) (020 8969 8336) to find out more.
Volunteering
Volunteering can support clients’ recovery by increasing confidence, skills and self esteem,
making friends and act as a stepping stone towards employment. Contact your local
volunteer bureau. For more information visit:
23
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
http://www.volunteering.org.uk/IWantToVolunteer/
Other options:
•
Local libraries, local papers, town halls and council One Stop Shops are good places
to find out what’s going on in the local area. Or online options:
http://www.londonisfree.com/
http://www.timeout.com/london/features/2892/Free_things_to_do_in_London.html
•
Fitness and health – local gyms, sports teams, alternative health centre, yoga
•
Social and leisure - art, drama, music groups, gardening
•
Local befriending and mentoring schemes – contact your local council to find out
more
•
Community Centres
•
Places of worship
•
Local colleges - Barnsbury Road has a very successful link with Westminster
College, they run weekly sessions at the project.
•
Local employment services
•
Financial inclusion – support clients to manage on a budget. Toynbee Hall can
provide support and training.
http://www.toynbeehall.org.uk/page.asp?section=00010001000100080001&pagetitle=Financ
ial+Inclusion
24
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
Section 2:
Client involvement
tools and methods
Introduction
This section describes methods and tools that can add variety and further scope to your
project’s approach to client involvement.
Client involvement tools:
a) Trained Resident Representative (reps) groups
b) Women’s Groups
c) Anti bullying guide and workshops
d) Effective communication and feedback methods
a) Trained reps’ groups
Resident rep systems can be an effective way of improving communication between
residents and staff. However, they will not work without a clear simple structure, planning,
consultation and commitment from the staff team to support the system. Use the following
principles to develop an effective rep system:
25
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
Essential principles for Resident Reps
1. Everyone to understand the reps’ role and responsibilities
The rep’s role is to improve communication between residents and staff.
It is not in any way a position of power or authority and should not create hierarchies.
Local projects should work with their residents to define the specific roles and
responsibilities of the rep before they are appointed.
All parties should have the same understanding of the rep’s role. Make it clear what
the rep’s role involves and importantly what it does not. The definition of the rep’s role
and responsibility should cover:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Meetings to attend
Formal and informal duties
Boundaries and confidentiality
Length of position
Aims and objectives
Code of conduct and reasons for dismissal
Only once this role has been negotiated between residents and staff and there is
clarity and mutual understanding should people put their names forward for the role.
Outside In can support projects to develop good practice.
2. Always appoint more than one rep
Aim to have a group of reps that work as a team. This is good practice for many
reasons as it:
•
•
•
•
•
Reduces the burden of the role, allows people time off
Allows for sharing of ideas
Offers peer support
Provides a better representation of diversity
Divides responsibility and clarity of role – maintenance, catering, social events, etc.
Be flexible and creative with the roles and number of reps you appoint. If someone is
enthusiastic and wants to be a rep, try and find a role that suits them.
3. All reps are entitled to training and support from outside the project
Outside In and the Client Involvement Manager will provide regular training for reps
aiming to develop good practice. Training will cover: negotiation skills, confidence
building, confidentiality, boundaries, etc. Reps should have access to IT and other
resources required for their duties. If a training need becomes apparent then, if
possible, appropriate training should be provided.
26
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
Every rep must have contact with reps at other projects, and with the core members of
Outside In. This allows:
•
•
•
Sharing of good practice and different perspectives
Peer support
For appropriate issues and themes to be taken to director’s meeting.
4. Recognition and development
Being a rep is a voluntary role and it is important that residents and staff acknowledge
that the person is giving up their time to help others. It is important that the rep does
not feel unappreciated or, at worst, harassed. If the rep develops new skills or
confidence from the role, they should be supported to transfer these skills to further
vocational aims.
Good practice examples
The best reps systems are simple and don’t overburden those involved.
Chancery Lane – the reps held an informal drop-in coffee morning every Saturday where
clients could relax and talk openly. The reps then met the manager to discuss issues raised.
This allowed residents, that may not otherwise have engaged with staff or attended more
formal resident meetings, to be heard.
Endell St - Visitors’ policy negotiation – a rep from each floor showed a draft policy to
every resident on their floor, explained it to them, recorded their views and then reported
back to the project manager at the next reps meeting. This was a simple way of ensuring all
the 53 residents were involved in reviewing the policy.
b) Women’s groups and women only activities
In 2008 St Mungo’s residents conducted a Peer Research project entitled ‘A Better Deal for
Women’. The project was a response to findings that women found it more difficult to
succeed in our services compared to men. It defined the causes as:
•
Women’s complex needs, and generally higher levels of need than men
•
Women’s backgrounds which very often include violence and abuse and loss of
contact with children
•
Services set up to meet the needs of single homeless men, who form the majority
•
Staff whose knowledge and experience may not be sufficient to meet the specific
needs of women
•
Client involvement methods – resident meetings, Outside In – were also previously
less effective at representing the views of women.
27
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
Positive actions
The report recommends that services should develop an approach specifically to find out the
views of their female clients. Informal, relaxed women only social meetings work best. If
there are a small number of women at your project work with neighbouring projects to
organise events.
Outside In women’s group
Please contact Outside In if you have clients that would like to get involved in their Women’s
Group or if you’d like them to visit your project.
Please contact the Client Involvement Manager for a full copy of the ‘A Better Deal for
Women’ report.
c) Anti bullying toolkit and workshops
St Mungo’s has carried out two Peer Research projects to develop an approach to reduce
bullying in residential projects. This involves using a toolkit and two workshops to develop a
project specific strategy. The two workshops cover:
Session One
9
9
9
9
9
Why it’s difficult to complain
What is bullying?
The impact of bullying
Is it wrong to grass
Client and staff rights
Session Two
9
9
9
Preventing bullying
Harassment and bullying contact officers
Agreeing an action plan using the anti bullying guide that:
1. Promotes a safe, caring, respectful and supportive culture that aids recovery
2. Proactively deals with bullying.
Residents have also created Residents’ Charters to define their rights and how they should
live together.
Please contact the Client Involvement Manager to arrange a workshop and for a copy of the
Anti bullying guide.
28
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
d) Effective communication and feedback methods
Client led newsletters improve communication within projects, promote IT skills and link
clients in with Bridge and Roving IT. Projects can work together to increase the scope of
newsletters (for example Homeless Diamonds – Camden projects).
Managers drop in’s enable those who do not like group environments to have their say.
These should be held on a regular basis, well advertised and actively promoted.
Local or borough wide conferences - Outside In has held Annual Client Involvement
Conferences since 2005. Borough based teams, areas and specialist services can hold
smaller scale conferences. The Irish Focus Group has held several well attended
conferences that have had an informal atmosphere – music and food – yet addressed
serious issues.
Local surveys and feedback days - surveys provide a broad overview of clients’ views and
identify issues for more in-depth discussion. Clients are more likely to complete a survey
with a guarantee of feedback. A survey should be followed by a forum for further discussion.
Any report or outcomes should be sent to all who took part in an accessible form.
Improved communication through notice boards and posters: Ask your clients about
how you communicate through posters and leaflets. Designate areas for specific themes – a
notice board for Outside In or training opportunities. Consider the appropriateness of where
posters are placed. Residents have complained that warning posters are not appreciated in
lounge areas where they relax. Don’t create an institutional feel. Revise language used – do
not sign anything ‘The Management’ and avoid jargon. Ensure all out of date posters are
removed. Leaflets and posters should never be relied upon alone, they should prompt
discussion.
Exit interviews are an excellent way to generate feedback. Clients leaving have an
overview of the entire process so it is important to capture this perspective. The fear that
criticism may affect their entitlements is also removed. This feedback method is particularly
appropriate for short stay projects and specialist services.
Staff Meetings - clients can have a slot within staff meetings. If the team are making
decisions relevant to clients it can be beneficial to hear their perspective. This breaks down
‘them and us’ dynamics, promotes partnership and transparent management.
Clients work shadowing staff - this gives clients a better understanding of the staff role
and helps build trust. It makes the running of the project more transparent and is valuable
experience for those with an interest in employment within the sector. Confidentiality needs
to be taken into consideration and local guidelines developed.
Staff appraisals - this is an opportunity for clients to contribute to their keyworkers’ appraisals.
This gives valuable feedback to staff and empowers clients to have a say in the service they
receive. This was piloted at five teams during 2007 and some projects now use this as standard
practice. Clients answer a few questions (either verbally or in writing) which contribute to the
managers overall assessment. A simpler comment card version can be used for feedback on
agency or locum staff’s customer care.
29
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
Joint training for staff and clients can be very beneficial. Both parties learn from each
other and a sense of partnership develops. A good example is keywork training; it gives
clients confidence to engage, have ownership and understand the recovery process. Staff
will learn more from hearing the clients’ perspective. Clients should also have a role in
leading training and setting learning objectives.
Health and safety and maintenance - explore ways of involving clients in Health and
Safety checks of the building, directly reporting repairs to the maintenance team.
Catering - involve a representative of your resident group in any meetings with the caterers.
Supporting People and funders - direct contact between our client group and funders gives
them a better understanding of our work. Most Supporting People teams have a client forum.
Involve your clients, from the earliest possible stage, in any negotiations with your funders.
30
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
Section 3:
Client led activities,
training, volunteering
and employment
This section covers:
a) Client led activities
b) Training
c) Volunteering
d) Apprentice Project Worker Scheme
a) Client led activities
Key principles
•
Ownership of activities - clients will gain more if they are given responsibility, make
decisions and participate in organising, running and promoting activities.
Good practice examples
Harrow Road - ProAct
Residents have formed their own activities group called ProAct. Their philosophy is to
‘encourage team working, ownership, responsibility and independent living skills through
group discussions planning and participation’. They plan and run their own events and have
control over their budget.
ProAct have organised:
•
31
Guided walking tours of London
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
•
Visits to museums and galleries
•
Cooking, arts and crafts sessions
•
Quizzes, games and bingo with buffet
•
Events to address ‘Health Action Week and ‘world elder abuse’.
•
A ProAct member also visited 9 Pancras Way to promote the group.
An example of ProAct’s Philosophy and Group Contract:
ProAct
GROUP PHILOSOPHY
To encourage team working, ownership, responsibility
and independent living skills through group discussions,
fun, planning and participation.
Members will be offered the space in an informal
setting to discuss any topics, whilst increasing their
sense of empowerment, self esteem, confidence and
learning new skills.
The group promotes inclusion.
In order for ProAct to work effectively members are
encouraged to participate in planning and delivering
sessions, offering each other support and assuming
ownership of the group.
32
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
ProAct
Session Contract
Session rules were agreed on by all who are involved in
ProAct and are included to ensure that all participants are
safe and achieving the most out of each session.
• Personal hygiene must be to an acceptable level to
ensure everyone’s personal health and safety.
• No violence or aggressive, disruptive behaviour will be
tolerated.
• No consumption of alcohol or drugs including being under
the influence during sessions.
• Give reasonable notice of non-participation where
possible to a member, alternatively if a session is
cancelled or postponed you will be given reasonable
notification.
• Offer each other space to voice opinions.
• No form of discriminatory behaviour will be tolerated.
• Respect each and support each other.
• Have fun and learn new skills.
• Increase our confidence and motivation.
Many thanks
Contact Harrow Road or the Client Involvement Manager for more details.
Further good practice examples
Great Guildford Street
Maidstone trip – residents held meetings to plan and arrange the trip, making decisions
about when to go and what to do. Residents made the arrangements – telephone calls,
bookings and controlled the budget.
33
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
Saturday coffee mornings are run by clients for clients, and are very popular. It gives
responsibility to the residents to organise the session; buy the papers and refreshments (the
resident in charge of session is given a cash budget each week), encourage people to
attend, set up and clear up.
Activities with clients from other projects
Small projects can work together to increase numbers to make activities possible. This
increases social networks and raises awareness of opportunities. Be proactive to ensure
projects in your vicinity are aware of the activities you provide. Work in conjunction with other
projects to increase attendance and opportunity or to share communal space.
Clients promoting activities
Word of mouth is always the most effective way to promote an activity, event or service
especially when led by clients.
Give clients the opportunity to visit other projects and share their experiences. This is best
achieved in an informal environment. Invite clients who use these services to resident
meetings and train your peer mentors to become aware of all the opportunities available.
b) Training
Peer Facilitator Course
This idea came from clients during the Groundswell project (2004-05). Clients said they
wanted to be able to run their own meetings. The course gives people the skills and
confidence to facilitate groups. The facilitator’s aim is to empower the clients they work with.
The course covers: confidence, assertiveness, communication skills, public presentation
skills and how to run a meeting. Facilitators have used their skills to run resident meetings,
do presentations at conferences, managers’ away days, staff inductions and set up diversity
groups. All facilitators become members of Outside In and are linked in with the employment
team to look at further vocational options.
Further training and Bite Size Workshops
The Peer Facilitator’s Course has helped clients increase their confidence and
assertiveness, and these skills are transferred into their everyday lives. The Peer
Facilitator’s Course can be delivered in Bite Size workshops. Contact the Client Involvement
Manager to arrange sessions. Promote further training opportunities to clients; through
internal training, local boroughs or colleges.
34
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
c) Volunteering
St Mungo’s are creating more voluntary roles for clients. Including:
•
Peer Advisors – supporting clients with resettlement
•
Client Inspectors – supporting the PSU to audit services
•
Switched On – helping clients set up email accounts and internet access.
To find out more about volunteer opportunities for your clients contact St Mungo's Volunteer
Services (020 7902 7966, [email protected]). Consider creating roles for
volunteers to support your client involvement initiatives and activities.
d) Client Trainee Project Worker Scheme
This scheme recognises the insight and invaluable experience that using our services can
bring to working for St Mungo’s. Clients and former clients have the opportunity to apply for
12 month apprenticeships as Project Workers. Apprentices learn on the job and are provided
with a thorough training and mentoring programme. The scheme is designed for people that
may have been out of work for a significant time, or experienced issues relating to
homelessness (substance use, mental health or criminal convictions) so these should not be
barriers to stop people applying.
For more information, advice and support with the application process clients should contact:
The Employment Team
33 Rushworth St, SE1 ORB
Tel: 0207 902 7941
email: [email protected]
35
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
Section 4:
Outside In
Outside In is a group that is run by, and for, clients - to give them a voice in how St Mungo’s
is run. Outside In was formed in 2005 and is now well established and influential in the
running and development of St Mungo’s. They are based at the 6th Floor, 207 Old St, EC1V
9PS.
Below is Outside In’s Mission Statement:
Objectives
To enable:
•
•
•
Clients to be involved in the decision making processes that affect them
St Mungo’s to better involve Clients in decision making
To create opportunities to enable Clients to realise their full potential.
Our Vision
•
Homeless and vulnerable people are not the problem; they are part of the solution.
Our Mission
•
To build and sustain the partnership with St Mungo’s through Client Involvement to
improve the ability of people to achieve their full potential.
Our Aim
•
To ensure that the experience, skills and talent of St Mungo’s clients are recognised
and utilised in tackling the problems that St Mungo’s and the client community face.
Core Values
Respect and Representation:
•
•
36
We recognise and respect the right of the individual to be heard and the value of
their opinion
We recognise the diversity of people’s experience, skills and talent.
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
Involvement and Influence:
•
We understand that it is through the effective partnership of clients and support
organisations that sustainable solutions to homelessness will emerge.
Progression and Recovery
We believe:
•
•
That every client holds the potential for a positive future
That together, as a community, we will achieve that goal.
How do Outside In represent clients’ views?
Outside In meet with St Mungo’s Directors every six weeks. They chair and set the agenda
for these meetings. They find out the views of clients through a variety of ways:
•
Visiting projects
•
Facilitating meetings at projects
•
Running their own social events
•
Their monthly general meeting – all clients welcome
•
Monthly women’s group meeting.
The issues and concerns raised then inform the discussions they have with Directors.
Advantages of getting involved
People get involved with Outside In for many different reasons, including:
•
Meeting people and making friends
•
A stepping stone back to work – developing a CV, training and confidence building
•
To give something back and help other clients
•
To do something positive with their time and help recovery.
The group is flexible, so clients can get involved as often as they want and how they want.
Whatever skills or experience an individual has, these can be used and developed through
their role with the group. Active members are registered as volunteers and receive training.
Involvement with the group is always for a limited period and the Client Involvement team
will support members to move on successfully from the group. To date, at least 13 former
members of the group have used their experience to gain employment.
37
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
How to get involved
For more information please contact Outside In:
020 7549 8213 ext 3213 (answer phone)
[email protected]
Or
Steve Jones (Deputy Client Involvement Manager):
07795 237962
[email protected]
38
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
Section 5:
New Developments
and Innovations
Client Involvement at St Mungo’s is always evolving, the aim is to be creative and try new
ideas. When something is proved to work we’ll use the Toolkit to share the new initiative
across the organisation.
This section will be updated as new approaches emerge and you’ll be sent additional pages
to add to this section.
Please contact the Client Involvement Manager if you have successfully tried any new
innovative ways of involving your clients. You can also use the
[email protected] email group to share good practice, give tips,
network and ask for guidance.
39
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
Appendix
Commonly asked questions and myths
What if our clients ask for things that aren’t possible?
Client involvement is about discussion, negotiation and finding practical solutions. Initial
requests may not be possible, but explore the underlying reasons to the request and other
options may be possible. Never, just say ‘No’. If requests aren’t possible, explain fully the
reasons why.
Our clients don’t want to, or aren’t capable of, being involved
Everyone is capable of giving their opinion and everyone cares about the services they
receive, and their future. Clients may have been let down in the past and have a lack of trust
in authority or institutions. The challenge is to show that our client involvement is genuine
and meaningful. People will be more motivated if they see results – aim for a quick win to
build trust. Informal, fun and interactive methods often work best.
What if we give clients too much power?
Client involvement does not mean clients ‘tell staff what to do’ or that they are ‘in charge’.
However, client involvement is about the sharing of power and creating a partnership. Where
once staff alone may have been able to make a decision about a service, this must now be
done with clients.
It takes too much time
It may take longer to make decisions with greater consultation, or to train and support clients
to facilitate meetings, but in the long term there are huge benefits. The result is not just
better decisions but the creation of trust and erosion of the ‘them and us’, culture which can
undermine the effectiveness of the service.
Clients don’t always understand the professional perspective
And staff don’t always understand the client perspective! Client involvement is a two way
process that will involve both parties listening and revising opinions. Within any residential
project there can be an inherent tension between it being a place of work and a place to live;
effective client involvement should resolve this.
40
St Mungo’s Client Involvement Toolkit
How to promote meetings and events
How to get started
The informal approach builds trust:
“Informal engagement, building relationships by playing cards, watching TV, etc doing things that build trust and breakdown staff-resident barriers so clients will want
to attend focus groups. Staff sometimes ask, how do you get people to attend
groups, especially if working with older drinkers who may have had little positive
engagement in the past. I found it did take time to get people to want to attend
groups, I had to start with informal chats about football (Erghhh!) and TV
programmes”
-SJ Harrow Road
Do’s and don’ts
Do
•
Spend time preparing
•
Work as a team
•
Be enthusiastic and passionate about the event when talking to clients
•
Give clients ownership and responsibilities in planning and promoting the event
•
Ask yourself, why should people turn up? Make it fun, interesting, relevant.
Be imaginative and ambitious.
Don’t
•
Delegate all responsibility to one individual
•
Just rely on posters
•
Fail to prepare
•
Leave things to the last minute.
41