Leading Public and Community Involvement - the space between expectations and reality?

 

Workshop Chair:

  • Paula Wheeler – Neighbourhood Co Ordinator (NIHR ARC North West Coast)

Presenters: 

  • Dr Ana Porroche–Escudero – Senior Research Associate  (NIHR School of Public Health Research)
  • Neil Joseph – Public Adviser (NIHR ARC NWC)
  • Sandra Smith- Public Adviser (NIHR ARC NWC)
  • Alan Griffiths – Public Adviser (NIHR ARC NWC)
  • Rod Leiper - University of Lancaster
  • Katerina Panagaki - University of Lancaster

High quality public involvement can make a real difference to health inequalities research and outcomes. Yet, people, teams and organisations in health research often ask 'What does good public and community involvement (PPIE/C) in research look like?'

There is an extensive literature in health research. This focusses primarily on experiences for researchers and public contributors; factors enabling or hindering successful involvement in specific projects; theoretical frameworks which enable professionals to understand public involvement; and tips and Do's and Don'ts on 'what is to be done'. However, less consideration is given to 'how things have been done, and the types of activities that can be developed to operationalise PPIE/C in the organisational architecture of a research collaboration involving numerous stakeholders and a diverse eclectic combination of structures, processes and projects.

Within the ARC NWC there are a key number of principles that underpin how we undertake applied research and PPIE/C is an integral component to the design and delivery. We are committed to ensuring that a health inequalities focus is embedded throughout the programme of research and that the discourse around social determinants of health are ‘everybody’s business’.

In this workshop we will offer our experience from a project between members of the public, researchers and practitioners and share resources and activities that have been developed whist considering–

What is the role for the PPIE/C in communicating messages re health inequalities? 

‘How did we build capacity and network capabilities to think and talk about them? 

What are the implications for broader policy and practice?