Healthy communities
Improving health for young people
We designed, facilitated, analysed and managed the formal consultation process of the National Delivery Plan for Specialist Children's Health Services for the Scottish Government in 2008. This included analysis of written consultations, design, facilitation and write up of consultation events for professionals and parents/carers and specific sessions for children and young people. It was important that children and young people who were recipients of these services had ways to engage with this consultation. As well as running focus groups for young people, we trained and supported two groups of young people to undertake peer research. These young people then interviewed other young people, either in-patients or using out patient facilities, on their experience of services and what they saw as key priorities. This process enabled a wider range of young people to have their say on this topic. We designed the questionnaire and analysed the findings as part of the overall consultation. Each local grouping also used their findings to inform local agendas.
From ill health to employment
We were commissioned to evaluate EQUAL Access Partnership which focused on facilitating access to the labour market for disadvantaged and disengaged groups and in particular those experiencing ill health as a barrier to work. We tested the aims and objectives of the programme: to create better linkages between services; test ways of engaging with health care professionals; and look at different ways of delivering community based employability projects. We were able to help the partnership:
- bring together and motivate partners across the health, social work and employability sectors;
- understand motivational factors that encourage individual clients to become involved;
- develop the skills, experience and support systems required by an effective case manager; and,
- involve service users successfully in service design and delivery.