Abstract
This transformation programme will see the development of a new commissioning framework model for Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland. Service users and carers are at the heart of this, working in partnership with other key stakeholders.
The new Integrated Care System for Northern Ireland (ICSNI) is streamlining structures and enhancing local level decision-making to commission care and services which will address the whole life course from prevention, early intervention through to treatment and end-of-life care.
This abstract illustrates how service users and carers have been involved in co-designing the ICSNI model. This involvement ensures the voice of expert service users and carers is reflected at all ICS framework levels (regional, area and locality) and they are recognised and supported for their involvement as equal partners.
Who is it for? Central to ICSNI ethos is IFIC Pillar No.3 - People as Partners. This new culture of valuing and embedding lived experience transforms planning to improve wellbeing and health outcomes for the population. The people-centred focus, supports meaningful service user and carer involvement as strategic members, which facilitates better co-design and is an integral part of the triangulation with current population health data.
Who did you involve and engage with? In 2021, the Department of Health (DoH) agreed to form an ICS Involvement Workstream as one of nine project teams. They brought together service users and carers alongside DoH and health and social care staff with existing involvement knowledge and expertise to provide leadership and expertly guide development of an involvement ecosystem.
What did you do?
The Workstream advanced PPI by designing an integrated involvement structure to co-develop:
-Relationships – forming a safe collaborative space.
-Structures – identifying foundations for partnership working to effectively recruit Involvement Advisors, capacity build and test involvement model
-Capacity – sourcing training, identifying mentoring and coaching support through establishment of Involvement Advisors Liaison Group and ensuring built-in evaluation.
What impact did you have?
- Dedicated Workstream to advance and embed involvement across ICSNI.
-Service Users and Carers played pivotal and active role in testing involvement implementation in the Area Implementation Partnership Board (AIPB).
-Cross pollination of involvement knowledge influenced ICS public messaging and outcome indicators.
Learning for the international audience:
Key enablers for involvement integration of service user and carer voices:
-Involvement of expert citizens from concept through to pre-production phase
-Accept uncertainty, be agile and adapt quickly.
-Adjustments to address engagement barriers
-Clear role expectations and framework parameters
-Lay Co-chair
-Equal trusting relationships whilst designing model
-Ongoing planned capacity building for all involvement levels (top-down, bottom-up and middle-out)
Next steps: ICSNI will be formally established and recruitment for Involvement Advisors will commence in early 2024. The Involvement Advisors Liaison Group brings AIPB Involvement Advisors together to support engagement and provide peer network support.
This unique and innovative involvement model has co-created a bridging foundation to ensure voices are central to ICSNI.