Diapositive 1

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View from the peer
Alex Christopoulos, Senior Research, Ipsos MORI
Social Research Institute
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Clamour for consultation and involvement
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Consultation and involvement

• A decade of reform to boost involvement and
  accountability
• Surveys
• User engagement
• Juries
• Workshops
• Consultation strategies
• Local area fora
• Local Strategic Partnerships
• And now elected hospital boards, elected or local
  community police boards, library boards . . .

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People want to be listened to
Q Which are the most important for local District
Councillors to do?
Keep you informed
Support the local community
Deal with complaints
Listen to the views of local people
Attend local Council meetings
Represent local Council meetings
Attend open meetings with local residents
Hold surgeries for people with problems
Dont know
Base 1,016 residents
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Q How strongly do you agree or disagree that . .
.?
Agree
Disagree
My Council needs to make more effort to find out
what local people want
Quality of Council services are good overall
Treats all types of people fairly
Too remote and impersonal
Good value for money
Does not play important part in improving quality
of local life
Base 2,488 residents aged 16
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But are they being heard?
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(No Transcript)
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Ethnic diversity and inpatient care
Taunton Somerset NHS Trust
Airedale NHS Trust
University Hospitals of Leicester
Ratings of overall care
Sandwell West Birmingham Hospitals
Medway NHS Trust
Newham Healthcare
North Middlesex University Hospital
West Middlesex University Hospital
Ethnic diversity
Source NHS Acute Trust inpatient surveys
2001-2/MORI
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Over 65s and PCT ratings
South East Dorset PCT
South Huddersfield PCT
Bexhill Rother PCT
Lambeth PCT
Eastbourne Downs PCT
Tendring PCT
Overall PCT rating
Havering PCT
Redbridge PCT
Newham PCT
Bradford City PCT
population that is aged 65
Source PCT patient surveys 2003/Census 2001
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Hard-to-reach groups?

• Offenders
• Elderly people
• Asylum seekers
• Drug users and street drinkers
• Homeless people and travellers
• People with disabilities
• Young people with educational difficulties
• People from ethnic minority backgrounds

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So, how do you reach them?
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What do the general public want?
support
oppose
Opinion surveys
Local referendum
Residents groups
Neighbourhood forum
Ward Advisor Board
Elections for Mayor
Council meeting
Ward sub-comm
Internet conference
Base All respondents (1,545)
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Hard-to-reach groups need a different approach

• Who are they?
• are they anti-establishment?
• How open will they be?
• Will they feel threatened by approaches?
• Where do they go?
• Can you tap into these?
• Who do they know?
• The indirect approach?
• What do you want to know?
• How can you find out?
• How can you involve them?

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Peer research trial
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Peer research trial
Recruitment and training
Mid 20s, male, coke addict, suffers from
depression Mid-late 30s, woman, crack cocaine
addict
Parallel Fieldwork
Experienced Ipsos MORI interviewers Peer
researchers
Analysis
Research Findings
Wider impact
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The project set-up
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Recruitment Training Challenges

• Ability to deal with pressure
• Assessment of stage in drug career
• Risk of slipping into old routines
• Ensuring the safety of peer researchers
• Avoid an agency clone
• Halo effect avoid bias
• What level of training to provide
• How to assess Communication skills with peers
• Contractual issues
• Data Protection Act/ MRS Code of Conduct

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The research findings
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Benefits of the Peer Interviewing Approach
Quickly establish a strong RAPPORT Detailed
PROBING techniques Use and instigate correct
TERMINOLGY Able to EMPATHISE with interviewees
EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION
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The Different Approaches
Researcher
Peer
EXTRACTING INFORMATION
EXCHANGING INFORMATION
SIMILAR FINDINGS
OUTPUT FOCUSSED
OUTCOME FOCUSSED
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The wider findings
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Wider Issues for the Peer
Enjoyment
What I enjoyed of it was the fact that you put a
bit of trust into me. You didnt know me from
Adam, you come up from London, you didnt know
me, you just gave me all that stuff and I think
its quite good that someone put a bit of faith
in me.
Given the chance
Viewed as an expert
Its given me the confidence in myself that I
can talk to people, and that I can open doors, if
Im forthright and confident I would have done
it anyway, its been brilliant.
Confidence
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Wider Issues for the Agency
What extent of responsibility needed?
Cant be a substitute for other agencies
Where does engagement end?
Support needed for the researcher
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Summing up
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Striking the balance
?
?

• Different interviewing skills due to knowledge
• Adds value to agency findings
• Wider access to users at different addictive
  stages
• A more authentic/ trustworthy voice?
• Wider benefits to peer - Confidence

• Resource intensive
• Recruitment set-up and training bias
• Essential to be flexible
• High risk and might go wrong
• Would it work within procurement procedures?!

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Thank you
For further information contactalex.christopoulos
_at_ipsos-mori.comor on 020 7347 3000