College of Health & Social Care

College of Health & Social Care

UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD

College of Health & Social Care

Public Involvement Payments Guidance

Introduction

This guidance is provided for staff within the School of Health Sciences and the School of Nursing, Midwifery, Social Work and Social Sciences at the University of Salford who are planning some means of public involvement in research or other academic activities, such as teaching or enterprise. It is to be referred to when thinking about any kind of involvement of the public in your work so that means of payment and/or reward for their contribution can be considered and built in as appropriate. The guidance has been developed to prevent variability in practice in respect of payments and to assist staff with this complex issue. Within the guidance the term ‘involvement’ is used in its widest sense to include any form of involvement, participation and engagement.

Please read up to the end of Section 1 and then jump to the next section you require.

Background

Previously, payment for involvement in research, community engagement and teaching has been undertaken in various ways if at all, depending on the knowledge of individual staff about payments issues and the practice within different teams, directorates and schools. This has led to some inequity in what payment our public partners have received and confusion amongst staff who have been unaware of the payments systems in place. This guidance was developed after appraising national good practice guidelines and considering existing payments practice across the School of Health Sciences and the School of Nursing, Midwifery, Social Work and Social Sciences. Its content was put together with stakeholders including staff from the above two schools and Finance colleagues from the former College of Health & Social Care.

By public we mean people working/engaging with us in a non-professional capacity that draws on their perspectives as a past or future user of NHS, public health and/or social care services. Students can be included under the umbrella of ‘the public’. Sometimes the nuances between paid, voluntary and ‘financially rewarded’ activities (thank you payments) are unclear. Further information on definitions is provided at the bottom of page 8.

Format

The guidance is available online and in printable versions via the following link xxxxx. It will be updated in May each year so please ensure that you are using the most up-to-date version.

The guidance is divided into seven sections followed by a conclusion and appendices comprising useful resources (e.g. standardised text for use in information sheets for the public, web links, list of signatories).

  1. Payment issues for all public ...... page 2
  2. Payment issues for public involvement in research ...... page 4
  3. Payment issues for public involvement in other academic activities

(teaching, community engagement, etc) ...... page 5

  1. Payment issues for waged public ...... page 6
  2. Payment issues for un-waged public (children, young adults,

adults of working age, retired persons) ...... page 6

  1. Payment mechanisms and procedures ...... page 8
  2. Where to go for further information and help...... page 13

Appendices ...... page 14

Appendix 1 Sample Adviser Information Sheet

Appendix 2 Standard ‘benefits’ text

Appendix 3 Resources

Appendix 4 Payment examples

Appendix 5 Signatories

  1. Payment issues for all public

When to consider payment

Wherever possible consider payment or reward at the planning stage of any activity that may involve the public. Sometimes funding is not available, yet at other times it can be found with a little effort or knowledge or maybe a business case is needed to present the case for funding. Where funds for involvement are not immediately available to you, you should discuss any plans that have a cost implication with your Director/Head of School. If funding is likely to be available, decide on a suitable payment/reward mechanism and cost it into the planning process (see Where to go for further information and help on page 13). If unfunded, consider alternative means of recognition or reward e.g. a free place at a conference or the University’s library access scheme (see page 13).

For some public involvement, especially short or one off involvement activities (e.g. a consultation event, listening event, presentation at a School of Nursing, Midwifery, Social Work & Social Sciences (SNMSWSS) Student User Carer conference, a teaching session), payment may not be available. This is acceptable so long as the involved public are happy with this. Some public, such as SNMSWSS User Carer Forum members, give their time freely on a more substantive basis for their attendance at meetings and Student User Carer conferences and such volunteering is entirely acceptable. Where paid, it is usual to pay more for in-depth work such as providing advice in a project Steering Group role compared with less involved work such as one-off physiological testing or interviews.

There is an ongoing debate as some people would argue that it is more ethical to offer payment whereas others think volunteering should be unpaid. It is the involved public’s choice as to whether the reward offered for an activity, or the absence of payment, is acceptable to them. It is our duty to be socially responsible and endeavour to provide suitable payment or reward if at all possible. In some cases you may not be responsible for rewarding the public e.g. school children (as their school may have its own practices to follow).

Whether paid for their involvement or not, the public should be given a good standard of refreshments if they are travelling in to the University or other venue to work with you. For prolonged or mid-daytime activities, lunch should be provided and you should ideally ask what kind of lunch/refreshments people would like beforehand. It may seem a small point but identifying if some people need decaffeinated drinks or prefer cake to fruit can have a very positive effect on the public’s experience of engaging with you. Also check if people need reasonable carer or childcare costs covering to enable them to be involved.

If funding was not considered prior to an activity starting, there may still be time to consider payment/reward and it is better to address this late than not at all. Whilst it may be too late for financial reward, other means can still be available e.g. acknowledgement/co-authorship of project outputs, library access, a testimony about their contribution to University initiatives for their CV, or an end of project celebration (lunch, showcase, trip out).

How to discuss payment and reward-is thisa good example given it is over the £150 per day limit and stipend doesn’t sound like a discretionary payment??

The key to this activity is to have the discussion at all. Then follow up the discussion in writing so all parties know and can recollect at a later date, what was offered/agreed and any conditions attached (for example a stipend of £75000 to attend 5 Advisory Groups including meeting preparation). If possible speak to people prior to involvement to set out possibilities around payment/reward. If discussing matters in a group setting, always talk generally but discuss individuals’ circumstances and choices around payment/reward, in private. People can feel pressured not to accept payment/reward if others choose not to.

Choice of payment/reward means

At some point a judgement may need making to determine if the involvement activity constitutes ‘teaching’. Public who have a regular input to ‘teaching’ may be viewed as having an employee/employer relationship with the University. Any decision about employment status must be made in partnership with the University Payroll Section and will follow guidance they have from the HMRC (see page 8). The payment rules and procedures for teaching (which may be viewed as employment) and involvement in classroom discussions to share personal experiences and such like (which may be viewed as public involvement only) have very different payment rules.

Pay/reward in a way which the involved public want paying/rewarding and do not assume what their preferences are. For example, not all young people want vouchers for a single shop (which they may not shop in). General high street vouchers are popular but give a choice if possible (as some people don’t shop in any of the eligible stores). The small effort in tailoring the reward goes a long way to showing how valued the involved public are. Be aware the vouchers have expiry dates. If you have vouchers left over they can be used in other projects by arrangement with the Finance Department. A record of vouchers issued is needed. Wherever possible cash on the day is preferable to many people (as opposed to bank transfer) but it depends on what is possible by the Finance Department and how happy the involved person is to carry cash. If preferred, the Finance Team can arrange payment to go to the person’s charity of choice rather than be paid direct to them as individuals. Vouchers and payments should be age appropriate (ie suitable for children) and permission may need to be gained for some people to be paid/rewarded for involvement e.g. prisoners. For information on how to pay or give reward see Payment mechanisms and procedures on page 8.

How to manage travel and travel expenses

Whilst some involved public, especially those who live locally, are happy to fund their own travel, it is good practice to fund travel expenses when people are coming into the University or travelling elsewhere to meetings or events on your behalf. When carrying out work/involvement you have specifically asked people to undertake such as a teaching session or research meeting, you should discuss their travel needs. For many this will mean checking their travel requirements to make sure they are suitable e.g. economy class train, and taxi only where needed e.g. for people with a disability that makes other transport difficult. Travel costs should be calculated accurately in the preparation of bids for projects or research (see Where to go for further information and help on page 13). Beyond this, appropriate authorisation should be sought and justification given for more costly travel means such as taxis.

Wherever possible, offer to pre-book travel tickets and on-account taxis so that the involved public do not have to pay up front and reclaim expenses. They can be costly and some people may struggle to be out of pocket even for a short time until reimbursed. Mileage can be recorded by the public or you can calculate it for them using the AA Route Planner ( Receipts should be collected from the public who have paid for their own travel initially. Again, discussions about travel with the public should be done privately as they relate to issues about their personal finances. On the day of travel it is your responsibility to monitor the travel you have organised, such as whether on-account taxis turn up, so that the involved public are not left stranded.

It is good practice to always reimburse travel expenses and to not view these as payment.

  1. Payment issues for public involvement in research

Funding source / Pre-project: Seek internal support for funding public involvement in study design. You can also apply for a Public
Involvement Award (circa £350) to fund public involvement in study design if your proposal is for any national, peer-reviewed, open-competition funding call for applied health or social care research (e.g. NIHR, MRC, ESRC). See
Within-project: Specify costs for payment/reward of the public in research bids. There is a new pilot Benefits Advice Service to help people in receipt of benefits wanting to be involved in research. See
Payment rate / Research funders generally expect best practice and will not look favourably on under-funded involvement. Best practice is £150 for a full day for in-depth involvement (of adults) such as committee work. Amounts can be less than this for less involved work such as a one-off consultation or attendance at a discussion group. Look at the nature of the work expected and judge payment amount accordingly. Discuss what constitutes an acceptable rate/reward type with those you are planning on involving. Accommodate preferences wherever possible e.g. people may prefer cash to vouchers. Children of school age can be rewarded more modestly and money would usually be paid to their parent/guardian or the child directly having informed parents beforehand. Remember young people of working age should not be offered payment/reward at children’s rates.
Payment method / See Payment mechanisms and procedures on page 8. Include payment details in any information sheet you provide to the public about their involvement (see example in Appendix 1 )
  1. Payment issues for public involvement in other academic activities (teaching, community engagement, etc)

Funding source / Teaching: Public contributing to formal/substantive teaching should be paid as visiting lecturers. Some public may be happy to volunteer for unpaid teaching activities which is their choice, but they should not be expected to do it for free. Paid teaching input requires authorisation by your Head of School but you should also make them aware of any unpaid teaching by the public not least as you will need to seek authorisation to pay their travel expenses. Funding guest lecturing is expensive and such public involvement needs to be used selectively where it will add value to the curriculum and have most benefit to students. You are advised to discuss your plans with your Director.
See also commentary about what constitutes ‘teaching’ in Choice of payment/reward means on page 3.
Community Engagement: Most community engagement is viewed as volunteering and as such is unpaid. Reward is often viewed as the exchange of skills or knowledge between you and those involved, or achievement of a goal that benefits the community you are working with. If you are asking the public to travel or undertake a specific activity relating to a community engagement project, such as to give a presentation or attend a funding panel, then you should reimburse travel expenses and offer payment/reward accordingly. In a funded community engagement project, try to specify costs for payment/reward of the public involvement aspects according to the funder’s application guidance.
Payment rate / Visiting lecturer rate is currently £34 per hour. Travel expenses should be offered to all public involved in any teaching activity.
Payment method / See Payment mechanisms and procedures on page 8. Payment for teaching has to be by bank transfer. Travel can be reimbursed by bank transfer or cash but do not send the public to the Finance Department for cash – this should be done by the staff member.
  1. Payment issues for waged public

Funding source / Involved public who are employed will have tax and National Insurance deducted from their payment for involvement e.g. guest lecture payment. Cash payments, such as can be made to the public involved in research, have no deductions made and it is up to the individual to declare this payment or not to any authorities (e.g. HMRC, Job Centre Plus).
Payment rate / There is no difference in payment rate for adults, including school leavers up to people beyond retirement age. Care needs to be taken not to discriminate against people e.g. adults with learning disability although advice can be sought from experts working with such populations.
Payment method / See Payment mechanisms and procedures on page 8. Payment for teaching has to be by bank transfer. Travel can be reimbursed by bank transfer or cash but do not send the public to the Finance Department for cash – this should be done by the staff member.
  1. Payment issues for public in receipt of state benefits/un-waged public (adults, children, school attending young adults of working age, retired persons)

Funding issues / Involved public who are in receipt of state benefits/un-waged may have tax and National Insurance deductions made prior to payment for involvement e.g. guest lecture payment, as these payments are made by bank transfer. Cash payments can be made to the public involved in research or community engagement, with no deductions having being made and it is up to the individual to declare this payment or not to any authorities (e.g. HMRC, Job Centre Plus).
You have no responsibility in relation to what the public do with payment they receive. However you have a duty to notify them that there may be a risk if they receive payment for involvement when they are in receipt of state benefits or currently unemployed. In some cases involved public can have their benefits reduced or stopped altogether which can be catastrophic for them. There are similar risks should unemployed people turn down paid involvement which may be viewed as them refusing paid work. You are therefore required to advise potential involved public prior to involvement of the need for them to check their personal circumstances with Job Centre Plus or the HMRC. You need to do this verbally and in writing and do your best to ensure the information is understood (see example in Appendix 2)
Payment rate / There is no difference in payment rate for adults, including school leavers up to people beyond retirement age. Care needs to be taken not to discriminate against people e.g. adults with learning disability although advice can be sought from experts working with such populations. Some people in receipt of benefits can receive up to a certain limit of payment without it having an adverse effect on their situation.
This issue is complex so do not be mis-led into thinking a certain amount of payment spread over a certain timeframe is acceptable, as it will not be for all people. You can adjust the payment amount and payment schedule to fit with what someone is allowed to receive, if they wish and so long as it is manageable by the Finance Department. Again, it is up to the public to be accurate and not your responsibility to seek verification of what they tell you.
Payment method / See Payment mechanisms and procedures on page 8. Payment for teaching has to be by bank transfer. Travel can be reimbursed by bank transfer or cash but do not send the public to the Finance Department for cash – this should be done by the staff member.
Children and young people who are still at school can be paid more modest amounts depending on the nature and extent of involvement. It is usual that shopping vouchers are used with school age children and CE marked toys for very young children. There can be novel variations on this e.g. event tickets, training shoes, letters of achievement, mobile phone top-up cards etc. Parents/guardians should usually be informed about payment/reward although cash payment is very unusual.
You may wish to register your project with VInspired ( which validates skills developed as a result of volunteering. Awards are made depending on the amount of volunteering a young person does which are recognised and valued by many employers and Higher Education Institutions. As with other involved public, travel expenses should be reimbursed. Payment and reward of young people is complex and you may wish to read payment guidance for children and young people available from INVOLVE ( Also look at the resources in Appendix 3 of this document.
  1. Payment mechanisms and procedures

The financial procedure for payments to the public will follow Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) legislation closely. There is specific tax legislation which covers volunteers, lay participants and participants in clinical trials in research projects. Payments for all other types of public involvement are covered under general employment/tax law.

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