National Voices Service User Panel
National Voices puts service user voices at the heart of everything it does, and as such the Service User Panel plays a pivotal role in the organisation’s operations. The panel informs and invigorates our choice of policy priorities via a variety of involvement events, which cover a diverse range of subjects relating to health and social care.
By working closely with our Service User Panel, member organisations, partners and specialist networks, we aim to capture the needs and wishes of service users and carers, so that they can directly influence policy-makers to improve health and social care services. Involving people in various ways that recognises their different needs, experiences, concerns, knowledge, interests and abilities, is central to the work of National Voices.
The Service User Panel continues to grow, both in its membership and in its representation of National Voices’ four key membership constituencies within the field of health and social care; ie. large, medium, small and BME / ‘seldom heard’ organisations . It is a major initiative and is the first real step in bridging the gap between service user experiences and policy development and implementation.
Structure
National Voices' member organisations and other affiliates nominate service user or carer representatives from their networks to be part of the Service User Panel. This then feeds into National Voices’ work and functions, so enabling their voices to be heard in the wider world of health and social care. The Service User Panel reflects the diversity, varied conditions and demographic of National Voices’ membership and as such is an expert resource for those that want to involve service users and carers.
How it works
We involve people in a variety of ways as we recognise that each individual will bring a unique and fresh perspective to the Panel and the issues being reviewed. The level and frequency of participation is at the discretion of each individual. Opportunities for involvement include:
- Participating in research, consultations, reviews, surveys, workshops, seminars and conferences
- Taking part in online and face-to-face discussion groups on specific service and policy issues
