Over the last year, we have sought to build a community of public members who have expressed an interested in working with us to make our research more meaningful to local communities, more representative and bringing a public perspective that is often complementary but different to an academic viewpoint.
This may be based on: the personal lived experience of a particular condition or disability; caring for someone with a disability or condition; being a patient or carer for someone who is a user of our local health and social care services; or someone with previous experience or professional insight of our health & social care systems. We believe that everyone has something worthwhile to contribute.
We now have 11 Theme Public Advisors working with our eight Themes. They have taken on the role of helping us with the organisational work (governance) of ARC KSS, making sure the research we support is relevant to our local communities and that it meets our objectives. This is achieved by working closely with their aligned Theme and also through the Public Involvement Network (PIN), an oversight group of public members who help to embed public involvement throughout the whole organisation.
We have recently released a video of one of our Public Advisors, Karin Webb, who explains why she wanted to become a Public Advisor for the Living Well with Dementia theme and what it means to her.
New to our family of public members are Public Contributors. Again, members of the public with a desire to help support our research and bring with them lived or professional experience relating to local health & social care services, as well as connections with other community organisations and groups. They are able, willing and supported (by the PCIE team) to be involved in your research projects, activities or meetings to offer insights, comments and suggestions that otherwise might be overlooked and to act as a critical friend.
Suggestions for their involvement include (but not limited to):
- Being part of a focus group to help identify research priorities (joining a meeting where ideas and local needs are discussed)
- Commenting on possible research proposals (finding out about what researchers locally believe needs investigating and how they intend to do that and providing feedback on this)
- Offering feedback as part of a project’s steering group (being part of a group who help direct research projects as they progress)
- Helping to develop research documents such as information sheets for patients, ensuring they are written in a way that can be understood by all
- Carrying out interviews with research participants (helping the researchers to carry out the research)
- Helping to share research findings
- Helping to make sure research findings can improve services, policies and practice
- Designing and delivering teaching or training for researchers or other Public Contributors
With our public advisors and our public contributors, we currently have a group of about 22 members (and growing as we speak) each with their own unique experiences, insights and connections. They are waiting to be contacted by yourselves to help with your projects. Whatever your query or subject area, I am sure we can find someone with relevant experience or someone who knows someone with relevant experience.
Please do get in touch by
If you know any members of the public who would like to be a public contributor, please refer them to our website or ask them to contact us on the above email, we would be delighted to speak with them.
