Welcome

The Faculty of Health and Wellbeing at Sheffield Hallam University designs and delivers education and research across a wide range of disciplines, including health and social care. Further details about the faculty can be found on the University website:

http://www.shu.ac.uk/research/hsc/index.html

Sheffield Hallam University is committed to involving people who use health and social care services in education and research. People who use health and social care services include service users, carers, patients and members of the public. Some people identify with these terms; and some choose to refer to themselves in other ways. We recognise however, that different words have their supporters and critics and that one term may not necessarily embrace the views of all people or groups. However, throughout this web site we have used the term 'service user' to represent the whole spectrum of people involved and to aid easier reading.

Social movements and political requirements in the last decade have encouraged and supported service user involvement in health and social care services. As a direct result, providers of education and research in health and social care are now increasingly required to involve people who use health and social care services in the education of current and future health and social care practitioners, as well as in research that informs health and social care services.

Within the Faculty of Health and Wellbeing, service users are involved in a range of activities in health and social care education and research. This currently includes student and staff recruitment, curriculum design and delivery, and designing, undertaking and overseeing research. There is a Network of Service Users and Carers (insert link) as well as a wider Service User Forum (insert link) whose members work with academic and research staff to further develop and strengthen service user involvement in the Faculty of Health and Wellbeing. The Faculty also have staff that are linked with groups such as the North Trent Cancer Research Network Consumer Research Panel http://www.ntcrp.org.uk/ , Sheffield Cancer Services Advisory Group (SCSAG) http://www.sheffield.nhs.uk/scsag Email: SCSAG@sth.nhs.uk Telephone 0114 2265057 and Yorkshire Cancer Research Network (YCRN) http://www.researchandme.org.uk

In addition, the Faculty employs two part time User Involvement Co-ordinators (insert when we confirm appointments) to support all staff and service users in achieving best practice for appropriate and sustainable involvement.

The website is designed to promote and support service user involvement across the Faculty of Health and Wellbeing. As with most websites, pages are kept as up to date as possible, however, some pages may be incomplete. The website is intended to provide information and guidance on best practices and processes for involving service users; including recruitment processes, payment of fees and expenses, training for and personal support, conduct and legal requirements, and feedback and evaluation of service user involvement. The website gives information on current and past projects involving service users getting actively involved in education and research rather than being participants or subjects. In the future we also hope to develop a networking page for service users and academics working at the University.

In the interests of developing and promoting service user involvement across the Faculty of Health and Wellbeing we welcome your comments or suggestions. To give views, or to find out more about service user involvement within the Faculty, please contact the User Involvement Co-ordinators (insert name and contact details once appointed).