Olly Benson

Olly Benson

I work for NHS England in the Public Participation Team and have an interest in how we work with communities to improve health outcomes for everyone.

Location Warwickshire, UK

Activity

  • Hi @WaogodoCABORE - thanks for joining the course. I hope you find something useful from it. Best wishes, Olly

  • Hi @PaulScharakowski - thanks so much for your comments and glad you enjoyed the course. Olly

  • Hi @RebeccaOliver - I hope this course provides something useful for your work. Best wishes, Olly

  • Hi @SallyFisher - thanks for joining. I hope you enjoy the course. Olly

  • Hi @RebeccaLunkuse - thanks for joining. hope you find it useful. Olly

  • Hi @EstherFasugba - great to have you as part of the course. Hope you find it useful. Olly

  • Hi @GABRIELASILVA - welcome to the course!

  • Hi @AdinaLalu - welcome to the course. We hope you find it useful.

  • We chose to move away from a ladder approach as it implies that some forms of participation are "better" than others; and, particularly in healthcare, that's not necessarily the case. The top of the ladder can often involve very small numbers of people, whereas approaches further down the ladder can involve many more people; and whilst both approaches have...

  • Hi @KwakuAdjei - lovely to have you on board, and hope you get some value from the course. Olly

  • Hi @susanvarley - thanks for joining the course. hope you get something useful from it.

  • Welcome Dr @manickamm - I hope you find the course useful. Olly

  • Hi @OwenRichards, I'm not aware where we're promoting the Ladder of Engagement, and the petal diagram was specifically to move away from that approach. The Statutory Guidance is the policy document that NHS England should be using.

  • HI @LorenaFernandez - great to have you as part of the course. I hope you get something of benefit from it. Olly

  • Thank you for sharing your stories @CyaneSullivan. Some good examples of where being heard makes the difference.

  • Hi @KellyPhizacklea - thanks for joining and hope you get something valuable from the course.

  • Hi Kenneth - hope you find the course useful.

  • Welcome @VikiShaw. Hope you enjoy the course.

  • HI @PatsyQuinn - thanks for pointing this out. It looks like the Campaign to End Loneliness has removed this from their website. Best wishes, Olly

  • I think this point about people with lived experience being expected to speak "for their community" is an interesting one.

    Having people with lived experience involved in decision-making about your project shouldn't stop you doing other forms of engagement such as surveys and questionnaires, which can show what a wider community may be thinking. Where...

  • Hi @arifaShakeel - thanks for joining the course. Hope you find it valuable.

  • Welcome @GemmaBradford - hope you find the course useful.

  • Thank you @BrigidBose - glad you enjoyed it.

  • Thanks for your feedback @TamsinCallaghan. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

  • HI @AnthonyO'Connor and @ElaineD - thanks for your really thoughtful comments and questions. My understanding is that Indigo is a funded service and has paid staff supported by volunteers.

    @ElaineD I think your point about how asset-based approaches could be used to reduce statutory provision, and increase inequalities, is spot on. There is evidence...

  • Hi @FrancescoPalma - thanks for your post. I'm presuming it is not specifically about content on this page, but more generally on the course.

    I'd be interested in why you feel references to the Outcomes Frameworks would enhance this course. They provide a mechanism for NHS performance to be measured at a national level. There are some data points that...

  • @JaneLyons The Peer Leadership Development programme offered by NHS England might be what you are referring to: https://www.england.nhs.uk/personalisedcare/peer-leadership/

  • Thank you for your kind words @JaneLyons - glad that you enjoyed the course.

  • Welcome @ShararaFarhadi - I hope you find the course useful.

  • Thank you for choosing to share your story @AnthonyO'Connor. I'm glad that as a result of the GP taking the time to listen to you, you've been able to find appropriate help.

  • @ClarissaD I'm really glad you enjoyed it Clarissa. Please do encourage colleagues to participate if you think it would benefit them.

  • @DebDrinkall Thank you so much for your kind words.

  • They @ReynaldoCaceres - I don't know what the legal framework is in other countries, and the healthcare model in the US is very different to the UK. Would be interesting to know how a market based system in the US recognises that value of working with people and communities beyond their immediate patients/customers? Olly

  • Welcome @KevinAlférez - thank you so much for joining this course and I hope you get something of value from it. Best wishes, Olly

  • Hi @AnthonyO'Connor - thanks for your feedback and sorry the videos are difficult for you to hear. We did try and record in quiet environments - the video with Fiza, the GP, we had to film indoors in the cafe which wasn't ideal. All the videos have subtitles and a transcript so I hope you are able to follow along that way. We'll review the videos regarding...

  • Hi @DebsTeale - the AbilityNet website linked above has lots of advice on how to change the colours in your browser. It's best to do that at browser level so you can keep the same settings across multiple websites. Hope that helps, Olly

  • Thanks @KarenGibson - it's good to see that they are included in Mandatory and Statutory Training as that isn't always the case!

  • Hi @KatrinaCopping - all the videos have subtitles. We've updated the information about to make it clear how to switch them on. Thanks, Olly

  • Hi @KatrinaDavies - thanks for joining and hope you find the course useful. Olly

  • Hi @VickySherratt - thanks for your positive feedback. Hope your new role goes well. Olly

  • Hi @EmmaBeatty - thanks for joining the course. Hope you find it useful. Olly

  • Hi @AliBarbuti - all the videos have subtitles and transcripts. You can start the switch the subtitles on by pressing the captions button at the bottom of the video when it starts playing.

  • Thanks @SueProsser - glad you found the course useful.

  • Hi @AmandaBall - thanks for your feedback and glad you enjoyed the course. Please do help spread the word.

  • @SarahD - Thanks Sarah. Feel free to recommend it to other people.

  • @AngelaCorry - it's quite an impactful film. If you get the chance, Jeff, Jamesy, Julian and Mandy do regularly do talks about their experiences and I'd recommend getting along to heard from them directly.

  • Hi @KatieBradshaw - thanks for joining and hope you find the course useful. Thanks, Olly

  • @HelenMorris - we often talk about the importance of "weak ties", eg not the people that you know, but their networks. So there is no expectation that you should know every asset, but you develop your network so that you can think "who is likely to know about x in this area" and even if one of your network doesn't, they can connect you with someone who...

  • Hi @LouiseLacey - great to have you joining the course. Olly

  • Thanks for your comments @LauraRogers. I think with reference to your final paragraph, this is true to a certain extent, however we also need to be aware that sometimes so-called community leaders can be self-appointed or come from a particular part of the community/hold a particular agenda. It's really important we don't just rely on the same few voices...

  • Hi @AnnaWebster - brilliant to have you on the course. Hope you get something valuable from it. Olly

  • Hi @SueProsser - welcome to the course. Thanks for taking part. Olly

  • Welcome @SarahD. I hope you enjoy the course. Olly

  • Hi @LisaWesthorpe - sadly there isn't the function of private messaging on FutureLearn. You might be able to find each other if you are both registered on our #StartWIthPeople network on Future NHS: http://future.nhs.uk/pppnetwork/.

  • Thanks for your feedback @DawnBamforth. Some interesting thoughts about Lived Experience; I have plenty to say on the topic!

  • Hi @DeanneHill - thanks for some really interesting points. I've seen (and indeed hosted) Jamesy, Jeff and Mandy all talk about their experience on several occasions. I've never seen them asked them if they had any information prior to becoming homeless; and whether they would have valued it. Like anyone, I doubt they particularly saw themselves as "at...

  • Hi @AndreaBland - very glad you are able to participate in the course. I hope you get something out of it to build on your existing experience. Olly

  • @AndreaBland - it was really hard to find a website that actually told you how to improve browser accessibility from a user point of view. Glad you found it useful.

  • Hi @TrinaDeGiorgio - brilliant that you are able to join us. Sounds like you already have some excellent experience that you can bring to the course. Olly

  • Hi @FrancesBeavis - great that you are able to take part in the course - hopefully it gives you some new inspiration. Olly

  • Lovely to have you as part of the course @yvonnewellsrichardson. I hope that you find it useful. Olly

  • Thanks for joining @GraceBurgon - hope you enjoy the course. Olly

  • @JonathanHeawood We can but hope!

  • Thanks for this @EsmeHarvard. We always encourage people to get the community to help complete Equality Impact Assessments - otherwise it can become a desk-top exercise based on personal opinions.

  • Thanks for sharing @EsmeHarvard - looks really interesting work. Although I have a personal niggle with the term "putting people at the centre" etc as it sounds like we're moving them for our benefit.

  • Hi @BeckyVarndell - thanks for your feedback. Glad you liked the course. Olly

  • Hi @AndrewBlackstock - thank you so much for your lovely feedback. Really glad you enjoyed the course. Best wishes, Olly

  • Hi @AnubhaPrasad - thanks for joining the course. Hope you enjoy it. Olly

  • Hi @EsmeHarvard - thanks for joining the course. I hope you find this course useful. Thanks, Olly

  • Hi @TemitopeEmmanuel-Alonge - thanks for joining. Hope you find some value in the course. Olly

  • Hi @ED Very glad you are joining the course. I hope you get some inspiration. Part of the purpose of the course is to show that working with people and communities is something that every member of NHS staff (and beyond) should be involved in. Olly

  • Hi @JohnTansley - if you haven't seen it already, you may really enjoy Jeremy Heimans and Henry Timms book on New Power: https://thisisnewpower.com/. You can probably find a talk they do on it on YouTube as well.

  • Hi @CallumGutteridge - thanks for your feedback and glad that you enjoyed the course. The purpose of this course is to get everyone working in health and social care thinking along these lines, so please do spread the word to colleagues so that they can take part too. Best wishes, Olly

  • Hi @TimWilson - thanks so much for taking the time to comment. You raise some really valuable points. There is lots of really good things happening in Liverpool and I'm sure people would be very willing to help you think about what could achieved in Huyton. Good luck! Olly

  • Hi @AlanGurbutt - thanks for your feedback and glad you found it useful. Olly

  • Hi @ChristianCaruana - I'm sure you will be great in your new role! Thanks for participating in the course. Olly

  • Thanks @HelenCrumley. Really appreciated you taking the time to leave your comments. Please do share the course with others who you think would find it useful. Best wishes, Olly

  • Hi @SandraT - thank you for your feedback. Really appreciated. Hope you get to put some of it into practice soon! Olly

  • Hi @CindyCavie - thanks for your kind comments. Glad you enjoyed the course! Best wishes, Olly

  • Hi @TemitayoRoberts thank you for joining our course. It sounds like you are doing some really good work already - I hope you get some value from this course.

  • Agree @SueGowton - having patients and public representation really can change how services get developed. But I'd argue it's not just about inviting patient reps into our space; it is as much about us as professionals (whether clinical or non-clinical) meeting people where they are, and being invited into places that are important to them.

  • Hi @RosieWatts - glad you are able to take part in the course. I hope you find it useful.

  • Hi @MoriamMustapha - thanks for joining the course. I hope you get something useful from it.

  • It's an interesting point @RobertShelswell. For me, the key is listening to what outcome is being sought rather than necessarily the method. The oft-referenced Henry Ford quote (of which there is no evidence he actually said it): "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses." is meant to be about how the public doesn't know...

  • HI @CharlotteDingle - thanks for joining the course. I hope you get what you need from the course.

  • Thank you @RobertShelswell - glad you enjoyed Week 1. Brilliant takeaways as well. Hopefully Week 2 will help you think about how you go about doing all this within the work you do.

  • Thank you @ElizabethHughes. We hope you are able to take some of the examples in the course and use them as a basis for the work that you do.

  • Thank you so much @JohnCope. I'm glad you enjoyed the course and found it useful.

  • Hi @EmmaDurnall - thanks for joining and hope you enjoy the course.

  • Hi @SandraT - thanks so much for this comment. This is why we've moved away from the "ladder of participation" to more of a petal approach. Each piece of engagement often requires more than one approach, precisely because more intense engagement involves working with smaller cohorts of people, which reduces the number of voices that you hear. There is no...

  • Thanks @CaroleSchubert. I really like Liberating Structures too.

  • Welcome @LouiseHornagold - I hope you find the course useful and there is lots that you can use in the work that you do.

  • @KieranBright - thank you so much for sharing this powerful personal story.

  • Hi @KarenJoseph - great to have you as part of the course and hope it gives you some inspiration and ideas.

  • Thanks @KieranBright - one of my favourite definitions of "agency" is the "right to make the wrong choice." If you are preventing people making the 'wrong' choice; they don't have agency.

  • HI @KieranBright that's a really important point. You also see those changes between age groups - the expectations of the younger generation are different to the older generation etc.

  • Hi @KieranBright - great to have you join the course and hope you get something valuable out of it.

  • Hi @DawnBamforth - great to have you on board. What was the first course you did? I hope we live up to your expectations!

  • Welcome @NoaChicava - brilliant to have you on board and hope that you get lots out of this course.

  • @ChristianCaruana It's exactly that. I remember being introduced to it in the mid-90s as a young person on a youth development course.