FEATURE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
in partnership with public contributors in research and development activity .
However , there is also a need for public contributor readiness , requiring clarity about the role and opportunities for training and support if and where required .
Representation : Who are the right people ? So , who were the right people to involve ? This can be a knotty issue and there is considerable debate about diversity in PPI . Our experience of working as a group suggests that it is important to have a range of perspectives from people who have a breadth of lived experiences and can constructively contribute to the activity .
This diversity of experience includes demographic and protected characteristics , but importantly recognises that all group members are individuals with valuable experience . However , we realised that as a small working group , diversity was not fully covered but that it is an ongoing and developing process that needs particular attention .
Openness to learn from one another : People were concerned about being critical of the organisation and there were dilemmas for public contributors about how honest they felt that they could be .
It was important to communicate our aim to be a listening and learning organisation that respects everyone ’ s perspectives . This reassured people and there was recognition that public contributors were coming into a safe space where critical perspectives were welcome .
Opening safe , flexible communication channels between organisations and the public and instilling a mutually respectful environment is key to creating a space where everyone can learn from one another .
Evaluation , feedback and learning We recognised that it is essential to take time to evaluate , listen to feedback and act . This closes the loop and generates understanding of the impact on both the outcomes and process of involvement . It explores what everyone has learned from working together , what can be improved and how we might do it differently next time .
We are still learning and very much want to work in partnership with people with lived experience , their families , and carers as public contributors to reflect on and improve , so that our activities will continue to be shaped by their views and experiences . Some of our key learning points were :
• value the people you work with – different people bring different perspectives and opinions ;
• try to understand power relationships within your context and your role , and how to promote inclusion with different ways of communicating ; email , printed copy , sent in advance ;
• use language carefully – avoid jargon ;
• consider inclusivity of meetings – face to face / virtual access / blended ;
Further reading NIHR INVOLVE : www . nihr . ac . uk / health-and-careprofessionals / engagement-and-participation-in-research / involve-patients . htm
NIHR Centre for Engagement and Dissemination – Recognition payments for public contributors : www . nihr . ac . uk / documents / centre-for-engagementand-dissemination-recognition-payments-for-publiccontributors / 24979
NIHR Being inclusive in public involvement : www . nihr . ac . uk / documents / being-inclusive-in-publicinvolvement-in-health-and-care-research / 27365
Royal College of Occupational Therapists ’ Research and Development Strategy 2019-2024 : www . rcot . co . uk / node / 2421
UK standards for public involvement : https :// sites . google . com / nihr . ac . uk / pi-standards / home
• listen and seek agreement – paraphrasing and reaching compromises so that everyone feels listened to ;
• be prepared to be flexible ;
• commit to developing an ongoing relationship ;
• evaluate , share and reflect – keep learning , all the time ; and
• support staff and members of the public to develop confidence and skills in co-production . People are sometimes nervous of getting involvement wrong . Co-production should be challenging , and this should mean that it is not always easy ( if it ’ s easy you ’ re probably doing it wrong ).
As one of our public contributors said : ‘ Just start , your intentions are good . You won ’ t always get it right , but listening , learning and developing from the mistakes are what is important .’
References
Atkin H , Thomson L and Wood O ( 2020 ) Co-production in research : co-researcher perspectives on its value and challenges . British Journal of Occupational Therapy . 83 ( 7 : 415-417
Harries P , Barron , D and Ballinger C ( 2020 ) Developments in public involvement and coproduction in research : embracing our values and those of our service users and carer . British Journal of Occupational Therapy . 83 ( 1 ): 3-5
Helen Atkin , Diana Atkinson , Karen Day , Hazel Goldman , Thea Healey , Sarah Markham , Una Rennard , Julia Roberts , Isaac Samuels , Angie Thompson , Michael Turner , Lauren Walker and Gill Ward , members of the RCOT Patient and Public Involvement Consultation Group
46 OTnews December 2021