Class 9. Public Involvement and Consultation

Class Description: Public Involvement and Consultation

Contents Table

Public Involvement

The Trust is fully dedicated to promoting the widest possible user involvement in all programmes of care. It plays a vital role in the formation of our short and long term plans for the car and services that we provide. The type of participation will vary across the Trust depending on the programme of care. The Mental Health Programme has a service user group known as L.A.M.P (Life after Mental Health Problems). They work as an advisory group to the Trust and in particular to the Mental Health programme. L.A.M.P are key stakeholders and equal partners in service provision and are fully involved in the recruitment and selection of staff, induction and staff training, all management meetings, and operational forums. This group works directly with other service users and agencies representing their views and opinions that ultimately influence the decision making process in the programme.

The Elderly Programme recently developed a directory of services as a direct response to their Focus Group. Likewise an E-Directory of services for disabled children, Disability Information for Kids and Youth – DINKY, the first of it’s kind in Northern Ireland, was developed in partnership with parents and community organisations who provide services to children with a disability.

Equality Impact Assessments

Where the Trust makes a decision to close a service or makes substantial changes to the way that a service is provided, an Equality Impact Assessment process is required under section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998. The purpose of this process is to widely consult among the population to investigate the impact to which the proposed closure or change in service might have on the particular section(s) of the community when compared to others. The process requires the Trust to undertake an eight stage assessment that includes providing relevant policies and information to a broad range of individuals and representative groups to examine the likely impact of the change.

Class No: 9

Class Name: Public Involvement and Consultation

Class Description: Details of Consultation, procedures, decision making processes, timescales and responses, consultations in progress and how you can be involved.

Reference Number	Content Title	Content Description	How to obtain / format	Frequency of update	Available from
9.1	Withdrawal or change in the provision of service	Departmental Circular on closures and change of use of facilities	http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/ Hard copy on request	As required	DHSSPS
9.2	Strategic Review of Consultation	Review to consider the effectiveness of the Trusts consultation process (August 2002)	Hard copy on request		Chief Executives Office 02890 327156
9.3	Volunteering Policy and Procedure	This policy was developed in consultation with voluntary agencies and in response to government policy. It covers recruitment, selection, placement, expenses, complaints procedures etc for volunteers in the Trust	Hard copy on request	As required	Corporate Affairs and Human Resources Department 02890 327156
9.4	Community Development Strategy	The strategy highlights how the Trust communicates with and involves the community of North & West Belfast in planning services	Hard copy on request	As required	Planning Department 02890 327156
9.5	Voluntary Services at Muckamore Abbey Hospital	Guidelines for becoming a volunteer at Muckamore Abbey Hospital	On line Hard copy on request	As required	Muckamore Abbey Hospital 02894 463333
9.6	Society of Parents and Friends of Muckamore Abbey Hospital	Details and contacts for the society	On line Hard copy on request	As required	Muckamore Abbey Hospital 02894 463333