At this year’s R&D Forum, HRA staff and two public contributors involved in the Shared Commitment to Public Involvement delivered a workshop, disseminating information, stimulating discussion, and listening to delegates.
The R&D Forum is a UK-wide, self-funding non-profit organisation, that connects, supports and represents those in R&D roles who enable healthcare research and innovation to happen in the UK. Its members play a key role in day-to-day involvement of the public in research.
The Shared Commitment brings together staff and public contributors from organisations involved in health and social care research to improve public involvement.
By ‘public contributor’ we mean someone who offers their independent views, based on their lived experience, to help inform, shape and challenge health and social care research.
Eirwen Malin, public contributor, and Becky Purvis, Director of Policy and Partnerships, reflect on their experience of working together.
How has public involvement informed and influenced this work?
Eirwen MalinA small team of two HRA staff and two public contributors co-created the design and delivery of the workshop for R&D Forum 2024. An initial workshop plan changed significantly, reducing the presentational aspects to favour hearing from delegates about the practical day-to-day issues. There was a lively discussion, and we will take some of the issues raised back for consideration by the Shared Commitment group.
Becky PurvisThe two public contributors gave us the confidence to pare down our presentation. Rather than lots of slides, we created time to hear their personal insights and reflections and take part in a discussion with the workshop participants.
What’s gone well, and what has gone less well?
Becky PurvisThe Shared Commitment exists to send a message far and wide that public involvement is important, expected and possible in all types of health and social care research. So it was brilliant to talk to a packed room at a conference that brings together people who can help make this happen. And who better to hear from than two public contributors who have supported and shaped this work from the start. The discussion covered a broad range of issues all of which will inform our work and the work of the Shared Commitment. And maybe we’ll have a few new members as well to help us make change happen!
Bringing together lots of people to share views and experiences is hugely valuable. But it is no small ask for those of us with health conditions or caring responsibilities to travel to and take part in a busy conference. We all need to be considerate of what it takes to participate in events like this and what we can change to make this better.
Eirwen MalinA huge conference centre and more than 800 delegates was a little daunting for individuals living daily with limited stamina. HRA staff member Barbara Molony-Oates did an excellent job of supporting me and fellow public contributor Louise Vale, ensuring that we felt welcome and removing as many of the practical pressures as possible. However, the event demonstrated to me that there is still much work to do. Even those who champion working with public contributors can demonstrate understandable, unthinking behaviours that don’t help.
What have you learnt?
Eirwen MalinThe team has a list of issues for consideration by the Shared Commitment group, one of which rings a loud bell for me. There is concern that public contributors who become knowledgeable and develop skills lose important naivety as they become effective advocates. We must look to providing different channels for involvement to encompass 'angry castle stormers' and 'quietly spoken philosophers' alike.
Becky PurvisThat we need ‘angry castle stormers’ and ‘quietly spoken philosophers’ and everyone in between if we really are going to make change happen. The discussion showed the multitude of challenges to involving people meaningfully in research, but also the multitude of solutions and benefits when we do this well, leaving me inspired that working together really is the way forward.
To find out more about how public involvement shapes the HRA's work, take a look at previous issues of our newsletter.