Engaging the public in delivering health improvement: Research Briefing

Involving members of the public in delivering public health programmes offers a way to utilise the knowledge, skills and resources within communities. Many health promotion projects involve volunteers or lay health workers; they carry out activities such as peer support and peer education, signposting to services and running community groups. Engaging citizens in co-producing health and wellbeing can help services tackle health inequalities by improving connections with less advantaged groups and by shaping provision to better meet community needs. This research briefing considers what active citizens can do for services and how services can best engage, support and sustain a community or volunteer workforce in order to improve health outcomes. It provides practical guidance on the steps that need to be taken to redesign services and maximise the long term benefits: • deciding what people can contribute to health improvement • choosing a service model • recruiting, training and supporting people in their roles • changing systems to support citizen engagement. This research briefing is based on the findings of the ‘People in Public Health’ study, independent research conducted by Leeds Metropolitan University and funded though the National Institute for Health Research Service Delivery and Organisation Programme. The research examined approaches to support members of the public who take on public health roles, with a focus on the Choosing Health priorities.