Listening to service user's views during COVID-19

 By BLF members

BLF members talk about how they have been working on a project to gather service user’s feedback during Coronavirus.

Rube*

As a Better Life Forum volunteer member, I was involved with the feedback of service user’s during coronavirus project.

This included gathering and recording information and data, engaging with service users via telephone and presenting findings to the Directorate Board and Trustee meetings.

This was my first engagement with the board of directors and Trustee’s and I found the experience to be positive and productive. We were able to provide valuable feedback on the work we had undertaken and an opportunity to highlight our achievement in engaging with service users and the recognition of positive engagement and providing an impartial review.  BLF forum members were asked to take a lead in delivering the project, representing productive and meaningful co-production in the delivery of the project and senior decision making. It gave us a chance to have an open discussion in identifying potential barriers in hard to reach services and tailoring our approach to improve further engagement. 

The benefits to being involved with the project has been reduction in isolation, engaging with the community, promoting well-being, developing professional skills and contributing to making a difference collectively.

My motivation for volunteering my time is to support and engage with people on a regular basis and especially during this difficult time, where social engagements have decreased. I use my passion and learning opportunities to support an organisation which shares my personal values of empowering individuals and changing lives.

Melissa

Recently I have been partaking in making calls to service users and gaining feedback about the service during Covid-19.

The benefits this has to me is gaining a sense of purpose and also gaining confidence speaking with many people during this difficult time.

Most of the feedback has been very positive and this is lovely to hear.

What motivates me to volunteer my time is that I like to stay busy and I also like feeling that I am helping during this pandemic.