The Future

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We want to continue to strive to provide the best possible service for patients, carers an their families, centring them at the heart of everything we do. This ambition is shared throughout the Trust, and to help drive improvement, the IEV team has joined a newly formed Participation directorate.  The formation of the Participation directorate, which includes Peer Support, Complaints and the Recovery College teams, will emphasise collaboration between service users, carers and professionals, and aims to ensure services are more effective and responsive to the needs of those they service.

The IEV team is central to this ambition and over the next year, the team will actively pursue a strategy to boost and strengthen the number of people who meaningfully participate in improving our services, recognising the vital contribution of participation to healthcare services and patient well-being.

By the time of the next annual report, the team will increase the number of participants, enhancing the diversity of the participant base, create novel and innovative means for patient and carer involvement, and improve the overall participant experience.  The team will also focus on integrating participants more strategically within the Trust's broader system transformation efforts.

1. Increase participant numbers and diversity:  We will continue to refine our approach to participation, actively engaging local communities to increase the range and diversity of volunteers and involvement partners, with the goal to triple the number of participants within the next three years.
2. Increase patient and carer feedback : We will co-produce diverse methods for service feedback, with a particular emphasis on ensuring feedback opportunities are accessible for historically marginalised groups.
3. Improve participant experience: We will provide meaningful and impactful participant roles, ensuring participants feel valued, and offering opportunities for personal and professional development. Participants will be supported to realise their full potential by establishing a pathway for each of them, whether this is to support recovery, for future career opportunities or for personal well-being.
4. Strengthen the link between participation and health outcomes:  We will work across the health care system to maximise the positive impact of participation on patient care and address health inequalities.
5. Integrate participation into system transformation: We will ensure meaningful participation is recognised as an important enabler in the Trust's broader efforts to improve healthcare delivery and community engagement. This will includeadvising and supporting staff across the Trust so that all teams listen and act on the experiences of service users.
6. Measuring and evaluating impact: We will continue to innovate, assessing the effectiveness of participation initiatives and adjusting as needed.
7. Celebrating and recognising volunteers: We will acknowledge the value and impact of participant contributions.