USER INVOLVEMENT

Seeking the views of service users, for example through the establishment of focus or advisory groups or the use of questionnaires, is a common feature of Care Equation's work. Recent examples include:

Project: Crack cocaine needs analysis in Eastbourne and Hastings
Client: East Sussex Drug and Alcohol Action Team
Date: 2005

Undertaken jointly with The Foundry, Leeds

The purpose of this research was to inform the DAAT about the developments needed in adult drugs treatment services, to serve the needs of crack cocaine users in the Eastbourne and Hastings areas. It involved face-to-face interviews with crack users and service providers, focus groups with community workers and with a group of previous crack users in Lewes prison, and secondary analysis of drugs service and police data. The individual interviews with crack users were undertaken by members of The Foundry, themselves a group of ex crack users – who were therefore able to identify, and obtain the confidence of, people not actively in touch with services as well as those who were. The particular contribution of The Foundry combined powerfully with Care Equation's specialist knowledge and research expertise to produce a wide-ranging and well evidenced set of recommendations for service development.

Client feedback:

The team worked incredibly hard to follow the project outline and delivered results which exceeded our expectations. They liaised with the DAAT, providing regular updates and produced a well researched, well written and very well presented research project. The resulting study was delivered within the agreed timescale and provided the DAAT with a well balanced understanding of local trends of crack use and the needs of the individuals misusing crack. The assessment will enable us to determine which treatment services are appropriate and the way in which they should be delivered. We would be certain to re-commission Care Equation and The Foundry to complete future project work on our behalf.

See also Research and Development

Project: Research into experiences of Black and Ethnic Minority communities in using local health services
Client: Adur, Arun and Worthing Primary Care Trust
Dates: 2005-06

We were commissioned by Adur, Arun and Worthing Primary Care Trust to conduct a series of focus groups with representatives of local ethnic minority communities, to explore their experiences of using local health services and their perceptions of health related needs. This entailed identifying the main ethnic minority groups from Census and other subsequent material and consultation with local agencies, identifying and engaging with key representatives of the communities in question, working out with them the most effective and appropriate way of engaging the participation of others in the community, and getting publicity materials translated into the appropriate languages. A total of six focus groups took place (with interpreter facilities as required) covering most of the main local ethnic minority groups. The emerging messages from the different groups bore a broadly common set of themes and implications for service delivery; local health services per se were generally perceived as good, but communities experienced a range of problems in connection with language and communication, cultural sensitivity and awareness, and provision of targeted information in their own languages.

Client feedback:

I was very pleased at the level of commitment and enthusiasm Care Equation gave to this project. They seemed genuinely interested in the subject matter and I firmly believe this led to the high quality outcome achieved. Care Equation will be the first organisation we contact to discuss future similar projects.

See also Research and Development

Project: Research review on user involvement in promoting change and enhancing the quality of social care services for older people
Client: Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE)
Date: 2003

This was one of a series of four reviews commissioned by the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), to explore what is currently known about the ways in which, and extent to which, different groups of service users have been able to influence and shape social care services.

An important dimension of this work was the establishment of two older people's advisory groups, one in the north of the country and one in the south, with whom half-day workshops were held at key points in the project. Almost all of the participants were users of older people's social services; all were concerned in one way or another to play an active role in promoting older people's involvement in a range of issues. The contribution of these groups added a crucial dimension to the outcome of the review, grounding the project in reality, and enabling us to balance the material in the research literature against the day-to-day experiences of a sample of older people receiving "routine" social care services.

The four component reviews are now published as a summary report by SCIE under the title Has Service User Participation made a Difference to Social Care Services?

Client feedback:

Assessors felt that the review was a good quality piece of work, containing valuable information that will make a significant contribution to the debate on the nature of knowledge in social care.

See also Research and Development

Project: Research into prevalence and prevention of drugs use in rural areas
Client: Chichester and Horsham Community Safety Partnerships
Date: 2003

Undertaken in partnership with Health and Social Policy Research Centre (HSPRC), University of Brighton

This project was commissioned by the Chichester and Horsham Community Safety Partnerships to provide an insight into the availability and extent of drugs use in the rural areas of Chichester and Horsham, and to ascertain how rural communities can be effectively reached with drugs interventions.

The project made extensive use of focus groups undertaken with clients of drugs support and recovery services in the area. These were used to explore what started people on using drugs in the first place, who or what influences might have prevented them from doing so, and their views on rural service development needs. We also worked with the specialist service providers to develop a questionnaire to obtain the views of young people (aged 18 and under) with severely problematic levels of drug and alcohol abuse, living in rural areas, who were being supported by the West Sussex Young People's Substance Misuse Service; these questionnaires were completed by the young people with the support of their key workers.

Client feedback:

It has been a real pleasure working with Care Equation on this research, They have a real understanding of both the challenges and the delights of working in the public sector. We would highly recommend Care Equation and would commission their services for future research without hesitation.

See also Research and Development

Project: Analysis of drug and alcohol services provision in Worthing
Client: Worthing Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP)
Date: 2003

Care Equation were commissioned by Worthing CDRP to carry out research into the shape and extent of drug and alcohol issues in the borough and the degree to which these are matched by service provision, and to produce recommendations on the areas where services most needed to be developed.

The research was based on a combination of national and local statistical material and extensive discussions with commissioners, providers and users of services, as well as the police. As with the Horsham and Chichester project, focus groups with people using alcohol and drugs recovery services constituted a key input, both to understanding the drugs and alcohol environment from the perspective of the substance user, and to giving a vital perspective on what services work and why – and identifying the service gaps.

Client feedback:

A full and comprehensive picture with useful recommendations for leverage and policy planning.