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Session contents

What is public and community involvement

Public and community involvement in the research cycle

Types of involvement

Examples of good practice

What difference does it make?

Planning for public or community involvement

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What is public and community involvement?

Public involvement in research is research carried out ‘with’ or ‘by’ members of the public rather than ‘to’, ‘about’ or ‘for’ them.

It is when members of the public work alongside professionals or researchers to help shape:

what research gets done

how it is carried out
how the results are shared and applied in practice

Public involvement is different to public or community members taking part in research as a research participant (for example filling in a survey)

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Involvement throughout the research process

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Types of involvement

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Scenarios

Look at these 3 scenarios and discuss where you feel these fall on the ladder of participation.

How do you think your community members would feel in this scenario?

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Scenario 1

A group of Latin American parents are asked to fill in a survey about their wellbeing and mental health since arriving in the UK and their experience of accessing mental health services.

The survey is not translated and is only available online. Some of the questions ask the parents about difficult experiences they have had since arriving in the UK. No information is given on how the findings from the survey will be used.

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Scenario 2

A group of young people help to identify a research topic that is important to them. They then take part in workshops to design how the research will be undertaken and are able to input into the interview guide, participant information forms and recruitment methods.

After the design stage the young people are not involved any further and they aren't informed about the outcome of the research.

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Scenario 3

A group of older residents are brought together to identify the biggest challenges they face to maintain good health and wellbeing.

They work alongside local authority staff to design a new service and activities to enhance the wellbeing of those aged 65+.

The council commits a pot of money to fund a pilot of the new service before the design work takes place.

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Examples of public involvement in a local authority setting

Medway Council recruited and worked with 6 community members as a public advisory group to help shape research activity across the local authority
Tower Hamlets ran 9 workshops to identify research priorities with 180 community members
Gateshead Council have worked with parents of children with autism to design research to improve oral health
more examples are available online on the NIHR RSS Specialist Centre for Public Heath website: Learning stories

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What difference does it make?

Public and community involvement can make their research more accessible, relevant and impactful.

Public and community contributors can draw on their lived experience to: 

make research more relevant and accessible
improve the experience of those participating in research
support under-represented communities to take part in research
improve the communication of findings to diverse audiences

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How can I get involved?

Add details of the activities public contributors can get involved in, in your local authority – for example as advisory board members, co-applicants on grant applications, as community researchers or in other roles.

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Planning your involvement

what do you want to get out of being a public or community contributor?
what skills and experience do you bring to the role?
what difference would you like to make to research activity?
do you need more information on the role, time commitment, payment arrangements?

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Getting started

Some public and community contributors have told us that it can be a little daunting at first. It can take a little time to feel comfortable in the role.

It is important to remember that you are not expected to be a research expert.

Don’t be afraid to ask for the support you need – including explanation of research terms and more information on the role if needed.

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Where can I go for more guidance and support?

Add details of more training or resources available for public and community contributors.

You may wish to refer to the resources provided by the NIHR RSS Specialist Centre for Public Health - Public and community involvement and engagement.