Our involvement principles
Involving and communicating with partners, stakeholders and the public in the planning, design and delivery of services is essential if we are to get this right. Your voice matters to us so we have set out how we make sure we listen to you, and act on it in a set of involvement principles.
As communication and engagement colleagues we also have principles on the way we work together. You can also download a plain text version of our principles on the way we work together.
We have also produced guidance to offer useful information on how to engage and communicate with the workforce and staff union representatives during any change within an organisation.
We want all Partnership communications, inclusion and involvement activity carried out by and on behalf of us to be...
Accessible and inclusive
We are ambitious for the people we serve and staff we employ. We will ensure our communications and involvement activity is accessible. We must make sure alternatives are readily available and must produce information in an accessible way. This is legally required and means we will reach more people. We will ask for help to get things right from those with lived experience.
Informed by data
We will use insight and evidence to understand the communities most affected by inequity and use this intelligence to inform our involvement and communications work. We will work with communities to develop our plans to ensure our work meets those needs.
Clear, simple, and meaningful
Our messages need to be easily understood by all. For example, acronyms will be clearly explained. We will not use jargon and will write in clear and simple terms so that everyone can understand what we are saying.
Consistent and fair
No matter where you live in West Yorkshire you can expect to receive the same opportunities to get involved.
Open, honest, and transparent
We will be clear from the start what our plans are, what people are and are not able to influence, the reasons why and ultimately, how decisions will be made.
Targeted
We are committed to tackling inequality; we will focus efforts on reaching people and communities who experience barriers to involvement. We will make sure we get messages to people in the right way. We will work with our public assurance groups and other networks of people to inform and tailor our approach to involvement activities, looking at ways to enable and extend reach.
Timely
Making sure people receive information and opportunities at the appropriate time and have enough time to respond, keeping them updated on progress. We will involve people at a time and place that is convenient to them.
Two-way
We will listen and respond, and let people know how their involvement has made a difference in our feedback to them. This is a true partnership. We have empathy with staff and people
Value for money
We will use our available resources and skills creatively and effectively. This will include working together to avoid duplication and avoid involvement fatigue. We will use our resources wisely so that every £1 matters.
Our approach also aligns to NHS England ten principles of partnership involvement set out in the Integrated Care Systems: Working with people and communities (September 2021).
- Put the voices of people and communities at the centre of decision-making and governance, at every level of the integrated care system
- Start engagement early when developing plans and feed back to people and communities how their engagement has influenced activities and decisions.
- Understand our community’s needs, experience and aspirations for health and care, using engagement to find out if change is having the desired effect.
- Build relationships with excluded groups, especially those affected by inequalities.
- Work with Healthwatch and the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector as key partners.
- Provide clear and accessible public information about vision, plans and progress, to build understanding and trust.
- Use community development approaches that empower people and communities, making connections to social action.
- Use co-production, insight, and engagement to achieve accountable health and care services.
- Co-produce and redesign services and tackle system priorities in partnership with people and communities.
- Learn from what works and build on the assets of all integrated care system partners – networks, relationships, activity in local places.
West Yorkshire local Healthwatch organisations are effective partners in the development of our communication and involvement approach. Their role is to challenge the Partnership on areas of concern and to hold us to account if we don’t follow our principles of involvement.
The West Yorkshire Healthwatch ‘I’ statements:
- I care about the NHS
- Listen to me
- Care about me and respect me
- See me as a whole person
- Support me to stay healthy and look after myself
- Be there for me when I need support with my health and don’t keep me waiting
- Encourage and assist me to use digital technology but don’t let that replace all human contact
- Share my information with each other and work together to deliver my care.
- Understand that if I have a mental health condition, autism, or/and a learning disability, I am more likely to be having a poorer care experience
- Understand that if I am from a minority ethnic community, I may face more barriers to understanding what’s available to me and how to access it
- Look after the people who care for me.