Service User Involvement and Co-Production
This guide is for managers, staff, trustees and volunteers in organisations wanting to involve service users in service management, design, delivery and evaluation. An accessible introduction, it also gives examples of good practice and checklists, and signposts further information and support. Voluntary and community organisations, statutory agencies and other groups working with offenders,
ex-offenders and their families are constantly looking to improve the services they offer. Service user involvement (SUI) is recognised as an effective tool to achieve this.
There is good evidence across a broad spectrum of service delivery, including health, education, social care and housing, that SUI can make services more effective. And there are many different ways to involve service users. SUI can also have positive benefits for the service users involved – from raising self-esteem to opening the door to paid employment. Desistance theory, for example, shows how playing an active role in their community and taking on responsibility can help offenders move away from crime.
The guide covers:
- An introduction to service user involvement
- Getting started, including strategy development, ethics, problem solving, and equality and diversity
- Project planning and delivery
- Recruitment, reward and support
- Further resources.
We believe this guide will also offer support to service users involved in an SUI project and will be of interest to commissioners and funders.
