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Criteria: Listening to and acting on feedback
 
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Consultation about the introduction of a no-smoking policy at Ilford Centre David McMaster, Stop Smoking Service Co-ordinator  David McMaster  25 January 2006
This consultation was about what the alternatives were to meet the needs of our smoking service users, once the policy comes into effect at Ilford centre on 1st January 2006.  Questions such as when the building becomes a no smoking area, where will smoking be permitted? If the garden is used, how can it be used safely and with respect? We had a month's consultation (november 2005) during which time service users were invited to give their opinions and feedback.

After the month, although no-one came forward in a formal capacity with suggestions about what the best way forward was, there were comments made and taken into consideration. It was agreed that smoking would be ok in the rear garden and we now have a covered area just outside the back door, which folds down after use, as well as a bin with sand as the ashtray. The reasons why the building was to become smoke free were understood well and met with good support from service users.

 
Signpost - volunteer led reviews of the service Jonathan Whitehouse - GMST Project coordinator - Positive East - 020 8509 3440 - Email: jonathan.whitehouse@positiveeast.org.uk  Jonathan Whitehouse - GMST Project coordinator - Positive East 020 8509 3440  07 August 2006
As part of the volunteer/service users activity within Signpost (telephone helpline), regular one-to-one and team meetings are undertaken. This not only helps to maintain and develop the team working aspect of the helpline, but also provides an opportunity to input and comment as to the current status of the project, and how it may be developed in the future.

To this aim, the helpline volunteers/service users are encouraged to not only take part, but also actively lead review aspects of the service. This to encourage and further develop a sense of ownership of the telephone support service by the volunteers/service users.

Team meetings are held around every three months: the most recent (April 2006) specifically focussed on issues regarding placement and frequency of advertising.
As an output of the April meeting, the team agreed a new advertising strategy, which would target specific groups:
• a set of advertising was developed and the decision was made to place small text only adverts in local newspapers aimed at our primary target (men who have sex with men that would not usually have contact with health promotion material). The result of this new advertising would be monitored.
• Secondary to this is the development of a second stage of adverts using a “road sign” theme. This is currently being developed (June 06).  

In addition a different answer phone was installed that would enable us to record the date and time of each call to better monitor the “out of hours” calls the line received, even if no voice message was left. The objective here is to investigate how many calls were received during the day to enable a more effective review of hours of service.

As part of the follow-up activities, weekly emails were circulated to the team members, highlighting progress to the agreed timetable. Following the completion of the initial lineage advertising stage, a draft report would be circulated to the team, enabling them to provide feedback comment as to its impact, and whether this was an area to explore further, or to investigate alternative avenues.
 
Compliments, comments and complaints David McMaster  David McMaster  15 May 2006
• Suggestion boxes have been introduced to encourage compliments, comments and complaints.

• An informal feedback session was held which allowed for specific issues to be raised from service users and from this answers were given both at the time and via a follow up information sheet.

• One group had a number of meetings to discuss concerns about practices and procedures within the group and the desicions from these meetings formed the basis of a newsheet, designed by a group member.

• Feedback forms (and face to face sessions) for groups have been completed and the information from these has guided the development of groupwork.

• We are planning to hold regular service user meetings/forums

• Our gay men’s website includes a section for feedback enabling visitors to the site an opportunity to make suggestions. These are passed on to the website co-ordinator and team for consideration.

• Development of a formative evaluation tool for leaflets aimed at South Asian Gay men who have sex with men (MSM). This included a process of consultation to ensure leaflets met the needs and were relevant.  
Board of Trustees David McMaster  David McMaster - last sentence added by Mark Santos  18 August 2006
People from communities affected by HIV, service users, members of the public and interested parties are encouraged to become members of the board of trustees. This will enable them to have the opportunity to shape and influence our future development.

60% of the current Board of Trustees are people living with HIV who have used or are currently using Positive East's services. 
Feedback page on PE website David McMaster  David McMaster  08 August 2006
We use feedback and input from service users to assist the direction of our services. Involving our service users at this level gives them ownership of the projects as well as supporting the individuals in buidling self-esteem, assertiveness and confidence, which are part of our mission statement. This section exists to publicise these developments.  
Consultation about the introduction of a no-smoking policy at Stepney Centre David McMaster  David McMaster  08 August 2006
Using the same consultation procedure as the Ilford Centre, we offered a month time frame during which service users were invited to give their opinions and feedback. After this time the results of the feedback were posted on the walls of the centre, available on flyers and on our website (the fact that there were no comments during the time from anyone was a shame). There were however a number of comments after the policy was introduced, which we are responding to.  
African Communities Support Groups Mark Santos  Mark Santos  18 August 2006
The charity runs 6 African Community Support Groups accross Each London.  One of these is targeted at Francophone African communities, two are for women only and three are mixed groups for men and women.  The groups occur in different parts of East London 2 in Redbridge, 1 in Waltham Forest, 1 in Newham, 1 in Barking & Dagenham and 2 in Tower Hamlets.

The aim of the groups is to provide peer support, access to information/advice, access to services and to support the independence and well-being of clients.  Activities include social/peer support, speakers, workshops, and a hot nutritious meal.

The groups undertake an annual planning meeting which includes a session with clients planning out activities/speakers/workshops for the coming year.  The end result in an annual plan of activities for the year.  This process means that the group programme is driven by client needs and such is better tailored to supporting and enabling clients.

An example of the activities plan can be seen on our website www.positiveeast.org.uk under the African Community Section   
Advice Services - Client Surveys/Focus Groups Mark Santos  Mark Santos  18 August 2006
Every 6 months the Advice Service Manager undertakes a process of survey and focus groups with clients as part of a process of monitoring quality and client experience.

The last session of these reports flagged up an issue that clients were expressing about access to our telephone advice line services. Telephone advice line service were available four days a week between 10am and 1pm.

As a result of the feedback the Advice Services Manager together with the advice team considered the matter and restructured the advice lines and they are now available four days a week between 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm.     
Advice Services Quality Monitoring Mark Santos  Mark Santos  18 August 2006
The Advice Services Manager periodically sits in with advice workers as part of the process of supporting staff, monitoring quality and ensuring the client experience.

One of the issues that came up from such sessions with our Clients Services Worker(Generalist assessment and advice workers) was that clients felt rushed with our 30 minute appointment slots.  Following a consideration of this issue the Advice Services Manager with the team felt that these appointments needed to be extended to 45 minutes to address this issue and also ensure that we were effectively picking up and meeting clients needs.

This system has now been implemented  
African Team - Parenting Skills Training Programme Mark Santos  Mark Santos  18 August 2006
African Team members were increasingly supporting clients around parenting related issues.  This included matters such as raising children in a different cultural context, understanding British Education/Social Service/Health systems (for the benefit of their children and young people), dealing with disclosure of HIV status (whether that be parents sharing about their own status and/or informing a child that they were HIV positive), fostering and making wills.

As a result of this cases the African Team Manager consulted with client and from this together with the African Team the Parenting Skills programme was born. We have just completed the second programme and had changed from the initial programme as a result of the evaluation of the project by clients.