Good engagement principles

Healthwatch Coventry set out eight principles for good engagement based on feedback they continuously collect from the public.  They spoke to engagement leads from local NHS organisations and the local council as part of this piece of work.

The eight principles are:

1. Clearly identify why there is a need to engage with the community
2. Be open, honest and transparent about what will happen as a result when engaging with the community
3. Work with others (within and outside organisations) when involving people and communities to avoid duplicating previous activities and join up where this is best
4. Use different ways for people to be involved and make sure methods are accessible and inclusive to the lives and needs of the people
5. Make sure there is enough time to hear from and involve people – don’t do rushed engagement activity
6. Allow resource and skills for involvement with target communities
7. Close the feedback loop with people
8. Recognise best practice and evaluate what was done to inform future engagement work

Healthwatch Coventry will use these principles:

• To work with other organisations to support better engagement activity and when looking at how engagement activity has been done locally in their role in the accountability of the ICS.
• To ask questions about engagement activity and processes at all levels of the health and care delivery and system
• In their decision making about what they do