Involving clients in services

Homelessness services must involve clients in how they deliver their services. This can be done on a range of different levels and through various methods of consultation.

Client involvement goes beyond inspiring clients to take an active role in their own support and looks further into how their needs and views can affect how services are delivered with the aim of ultimately improving services for those who use them. It is crucial that whenever services are thinking about making changes, developing projects or starting something new that they always think about how clients can get involved in this from start to finish.

Learn How to successfully involve clients at all levels

Broadway have developed some really innovative approaches to client involvement, visit thier website for more details. They have developed a really useful strategy and client leaflet that you may find useful when developing your own approach. St Mungo’s client involvement approach is well established and has seen excellent participation results through their client led group Outside In, which informs organisational decisions across all levels.

To examine essential requirements for client involvement please refer to QAF, however here are some handy tips and resources.

THINGS TO CONSIDER at project level

  • Actively listen to clients– listen out for comments about how things could be better and bring them up at team meetings
  • Conduct regular resident meetings – encourage people to come by offering food, and make sure they’re at times when clients can come and staff are available
  • Display suggestion boxes and regular updates on what has happened with these suggestions
  • Encourage clients to have their say in the menu, décor, and appointment times, small things make a big difference!
  • Encourage clients to become reps - giving people responsibility can be a great way to get people involved
  • Get clients involved in organising activities, trips or small projects See how ThamesReach has its own culture group run by clients.
  • Encourage clients to set up their own groups – could they receive funding from Groundswell Small grants award scheme:
  • Use new media forums – such as facebook, twitter and independent forums, this can be great way to involve young people
  • Encourage client to utilise online self assessment tools such as Blue Salmon 

THings to consider At service or organisational level

  • Create a charter along side clients – stating your promise to them to offer opportunities of how to be involved - and display this across projects.
  • Conduct regular resident meetings across all levels; house meetings and service level
  • Conduct ‘meet-the-manager sessions’
  • Include clients on advisory and steering groups for new developing projects and research. See St Mungo's for good practice ideas.
  • Clients can become involved in audits, both internal and from external sources
  • Use regular client satisfaction questionnaires – get clients involved in the design and delivery
  • Use questionnaires about up and coming changes and  new project ideas
  • Use a 360 degree appraisal approach,
  • Ensure you have a complaints procedure  which is active, up to date and transparent
  • Involve clients in policy review on a regular basis
  • Get clients to run their own meetings - can you offer training on how to do this?
  • Get clients on the Board: learn more from Broadway case study
  • Involve clients  in the recruitment of new staff
  • Encourage clients to access training alongside staff
  • Use group peer support – do clients want to set a up a self help group?
  • Explore volunteer opportunities available to clients –how can clients become volunteers either within your service or externally?
  • Involve clients in the audit process
  • Involve clients in the delivery of training
  • Get clients involved in delivering conferences and presentations – could you get a client to talk at an AGM or present to a board?
  • Involve clients in leaflet design and branding the organisation – remember who it is meant to appeal to
  • Get clients to help with fundraising – can clients get involved in marathon running, skydives, competitions
  • Peer research – are you conducting research to help you develop your services? Could you train clients to become peer researchers, see Groundswell Training for more details. St Mungo’s has also carried out extensive peer research projects, view their most recent report on mental health and see how they got clients involved.
  • Creative groups – newsletters, interactive websites, forums, video, drama, arts, see BHT for good ideas.
  • Taking the message into the community – if you deliver education in the community would a client like to come along?

Continue and learn more about involving clients in the wider community