Changing social care: an inclusive approach
People who use services driving culture change - Reward people for sharing their expertise
- Acknowledge individuals as experts by rewarding them for their time and contribution, as well as meeting their expenses.
- Be aware, and make your participants aware, that any payment made will impact on state benefits.
- Include budgeting for payments in the planning stage of any change.View DH guidance about payment.
Milton Keynes citizens’ advice bureau
Organisations are invited to subscribe to the ‘Involvement Helpline’ at the Milton Keynes bureau. This is a free telephone advice service providing expert, individual and confidential guidance to people who use services and their carers about whether involvement activities and any related payments will have an impact on their welfare benefits. The service was commissioned by SCIE, CSCI, Skills for Care and GSCC.
See more on the Involvement Helpine (PDF)
How we know this
- Finances are often a particular consideration for people who use services and the costs of participation should be met for individuals and carers (Turner and Beresford, 2004).
- There are many tensions in user involvement. One of these is the payment distinction between service users and service providers, which is coming under question. For example, Turner and Beresford (2004) argue that involvement work should be paid and recommend changes to the benefit system, a relaxation of the rules surrounding ‘permitted work’ and education for Job Centre staff as a means of dealing with barriers to this.
