Service User Involvement

From the very onset, service user involvement at all levels of the organisation was a key value for Tulip. We have two places on our Board reserved for service users, to ensure that the voice of the service user is heard at the very highest level of the organisation.

One of our key values is that the service user experience is a core part of the work and as part of valuing this experience we have a long and enviable track record of offering employment to people who currently use or who have used mental health services. At present, around 20% of our staff have declared that they currently use mental health services. This brings the voice of experience directly into the frontline work and deeply informs the way we work alongside service users. We have just established a group of staff who use services to critically review our policies from a staff/service user perspective; provide support for one another; advise the organisation on ways of working more effectively with service users and ensure that staff and service users continue to work in a meaningful partnership to support service users in reaching their individual goals.

In April 2002, we established an organisation-wide service user group called the Client Involvement Group (CIG). Membership of the CIG was drawn from all Tulip’s services and was established to give service users who were using Tulip’s services, a greater say in how these services were running and how they might develop. The CIG was re-invigorated in July 2007 and became the Tulip User Group (TUG). This is now a strong and established working group with an impressive work plan already under its belt.

Aims and Functions

In March 2008, Tulip’s first ever Service User Charter was devised by TUG and approved by the Board of Trustees. This Charter laid out for the first time, some clear expectations that service users using Tulip’s services should have of staff and the organisation.

Service User Charter

In April 2008, TUG published the first of several Newsletters, distributed individually to every service users using Tulip’s services. The Newsletters have become a core part of the way in which TUG keeps service users who use Tulip’s services informed and gathers information and views from service users.

TUG Newsletter Issue 1  TUG Newsletter Issue 3  TUG Newsletter Issue 5   Tug Newsletter Issue 7 - Christmas Edition
        TUG Newsletter Issue 2  TUG Newsletter Issue 4  TUG Newsletter Issue 6

In October 2008, the TUG held its first annual event for service users across the organisation and from all services. The day was participative and enjoyable for all and the material from the workshops formed the basis of Tulip’s innovative Service User-Led Standards. The annual event run for any by service users, is now a routine part of Tulip’s calendar.

In October 2009, TUG (after extensive consultation with service users), finalised its innovative Service User-Led Standards. Based on the very successful Service User-Led Standards developed by service users within the North East London NHS Foundation Trust, Standards, supported by in-depth questions were developed in 5 key areas –

1) Staff Qualities and Skills

2) Support and Care Planning

3) Service User Involvement

4) Dignity, Respect and Diversity; and

5) Information and Communication.

Service User-Led Standards

All Tulip’s staff and services will be monitored and evaluated by service users against these areas, which are being rolled out in a phased programme of implementation. Results are collated and analysed by TUG and Managers required to consider the results, write an improvement plan and report on the establishment and progress of this improvement plan directly to TUG. This means that Managers and staff are directly accountable to service users for the quality and effectiveness of the services being delivered. We have already implemented the Staff Qualities and Skills area and are currently implementing the Support and Care Planning Area.

Staff Qualities and Skills Questionnaire   Staff Qualities and Skills Survey Results

Support and Care Planning Questionnaire   Support and Care Planning Survey Results