Involvement Policy, (Including Reimbursing Expenses and Paying Involvement Payments)

Involvement Policy, (including reimbursing expenses and paying involvement payments)

Working with service receivers and carers to improve health and social care services.

This policy sets out how we support service receivers and carers to be involved in our work, including the reimbursement of expenses, and in certain circumstances offering ‘involvement payments’.

Involvement, (sometimes referred to as participation or engagement) can take place in a variety of ways, for example through social media, voluntary community sector organisations, forums, interviews, and patient stories. Mental Health Together (MHT) will take the approach that is appropriate to the situation and the needs of the people it is seeking to engage.

MHTis committed to involving service receivers and carers in its work. Their perspective, and experience of using health and social care services, is vital in helping to shape health and social care services to better meet the needs of the people who use them. It is our ambition to embed co-production in the design and delivery of services. MHT believes in the importance of ensuring that those who run and buy services, listen to people who use and care about services. This will help them understand their diverse health needs better, and focus on and respond to what matters.

MHT aim to offer a wide range of participation opportunities for service receivers and carers to get involved in. These opportunities will be advertised to all those who have registered an interest in our work, and have stated that they would like to be actively involved.

We are guided by the following principles:

1. We will reach out to people rather than expecting them to come to us, and will ask people how they would like to be involved.
2. We will promote equality and diversity, and encourage and respect different beliefs and opinions.
3. We will proactively seek participation from people who experience health inequalities and poor health outcomes.
4. We will value people’s lived experience and use all the strengths and talents that people bring to the table.
5. We will provide clear and easy to understand information and seek to facilitate involvement by all, recognising that everyone has different needs.
6. We will take the time to plan and budget for participation and encourage those who run and buy services to involve people as early as possible.
7. We will be open, honest and transparent in the way we work; tell people about the evidence base for decisions, and be clear about resource limitations and other relevant constraints. Where information has to be kept confidential, we will explain why.
8. We will invest in partnerships, have an ongoing dialogue and avoid tokenism, provide information, support, and training so that everyone can work, learn and improve together.
9. We will review experience (positive and negative) and learn from it to continuously improve how people are involved.
10. We will recognise, record and celebrate people’s contributions and give feedback on the results of involvement; show people how they are valued.

What you can expect from active involvement in MHT

We consider ‘active involvement’ to be membership of regular working groups, advisory groups or attendance at regular operational meetings on behalf of MHT. Those actively involved will receive:

• A full induction toMHT and your role.

• Peer Support – we hold a bi-monthly peer support meeting for all service receivers and carers actively involved in MHT.

• 1 to 1 Support – all service receivers and carers actively involved in MHT will be offered a named engagement officer who will provide 1 to 1 support as appropriate, depending on the level of involvement.

• Wellness Action Plans – all service receivers and carers actively involved in MHT will be asked if they would like to complete a Wellness Action Plan (WAP). A WAP is a tool to help people reflect on what might cause them stress and poor mental health during their involvement with MHT, so that steps can be taken to help address these triggers. This will help the engagement officer to offer tailored support to the individual, e.g. by being aware of early warning signs that someone needs support. This is optional, and should only be completed if the individual feels comfortable sharing this information. The information will be kept confidential and reviewed periodically.

• Training – we will provide training in any areas relevant to your involvement in the service wherea need is identified. We will also put on training opportunities that we consider useful and relevant to the role.

What we ask of service receivers and carers actively involved

Those actively involved in MHT will be asked to sign a copy of the Code of Conduct as shown below.

Code of Conduct

MHT is committed to maintaining a high standard of conduct in all areas of activity, and expects individuals participating in meetings, and events representing MHT, to follow this code of conduct.

Personal conduct

Those attending meetings to represent MHT must:

• Treat all members with respect.
• Not swear, use racist, sexist, or homophobic language.
• Not make derogatory, inflammatory, or personal remarks about other people.
• Respect the right of other people to speak without interruption and allow everyone the opportunity to speak.
• Respect the views and opinions of others and accept that these may not always be the same as their own.
• Welcome new members, making them feel comfortable at all times.
• Conduct themselves in a manner that is in the best interests of MHT.
• Never disclose confidential and sensitive information unless there is a legal duty to do so, e.g. in the interests of safeguarding individuals.
• Always let someone in the MHT team know if it is not possible to attend a meeting for any reason.

Declarations of interest

If a person has a personal interest or could benefit personally from a decision, they must declare this. It may be decided that they should not be involved in this situation.

Confidentiality

During your involvement with MHT you may have access to personal and sensitive information provided by patients and members of the public. This might be on paper, computer, visually or audio recorded, or held in your memory. This information must not be disclosed without the consent of the individual, unless there is a lawful reason to do so e.g. to protect someone from serious harm. Please seek advice from a member of the team before making a disclosure.

Confidential information may also be discussed during operational or strategic meetings that you may attend on behalf of MHT. Please adhere to any instructions regarding confidentiality and check before disclosing any information that has been discussed.

Valuing equality and diversity

MHT welcomes and values difference. We treat everyone with respect and offer equal chances to participate. To help us to achieve this, we have an Equality and Diversity Policy which informs our thinking, governance, management and practice. All volunteers must be aware of and abide by our Equality and Diversity Policy, this can be found on our website or you can request a copy. We ask that volunteers:-

-Value and support the principles of equality and diversity.

-Recognise gaps in knowledge and understanding of difference, and be open to developing understanding.

-Consider what may offend others.

-Oppose all direct and indirect discrimination.

Safeguarding

MHT take the safeguarding of vulnerable people very seriously. If you come across someone you think is being mistreated or abused, please speak to your appointed engagement officer or, if they are not available, to another member of the staff team. A plan of action will be agreed together. For more information about safeguarding please read our Safeguarding Policy which can be found on our website or you can request a copy.

Health and safety

Anyone actively involved in MHT has a responsibility to work in a manner that considers the health, safety and wellbeing of themselves and others. You will be provided with a Health and Safety Information Sheet, which you will be asked to sign to say you have received this, and have read the contents.

Breaches of the code

Any breaches of the code should be reported to Karen Ritchie CEO of Healthwatch Derbyshire, or one of the engagement officers for MHT.

Recognising the contribution of service receivers and carers

There are many ways to recognise the contribution made by service receivers and carers who are actively involved in MHT:

-Thanking them

-Providing an acknowledgement in writing

-Supporting them to develop skills and experience

-Showing improvements made as a result of their input

At MHT we recognise and show appreciation for the contribution of service receivers and carers.We treat people respectfully, listento their views,say ‘thank you’ and provide feedback back on the impact of their involvement. We will also support service receivers and carers to develop new skills and enhance their knowledge by facilitating and encouraging access to training and learning opportunities.

In addition to this, we recognise that we need to remove or minimise the financial barriers that can prevent or discourage participation, hence reasonable expenses will be paid for most activities. In some cases involvement payments may also be offered, to recognise the significant level of input, expertise, and accountability that the role involves.

The two types of financial payment MHT may offer are:

-Covering out of pocket expenses – by this we mean reimbursing the costs that are incurred by service receivers and carers whilst being involved in activities for MHT. E.g. travel costs.

-Offering involvement payments – by this we mean a payment offered to service receivers or carers, which is offered in addition to covering expenses, and is to recognise the substantial input of time, expertise and level of public accountability involved.

Both these payments support inclusion and create an incentive for active involvement. The aim is to support people whose financial circumstances mean that they might otherwise be unable to contribute.

With regards to the reimbursement of expenses and involvement payments we will:

-Be open and transparent about whether expenses will be reimbursed and/or an involvement payment offered when advertising opportunities for involvement.

-Provide you with a ‘named engagement officer’ to liaise with about your expenses. If you have particular barriers or specific support needs you will be able to discuss these with your engagement officer and they will do their best to resolve any issues.

-Reimburse expenses in a timely manner.

-Ensure that payments are made with ‘best value’ in mind, as we are spending public funds. We need to be mindful of using the most cost effective options.

-Reimburse expenses incurred where meetings or events are cancelled at short notice.

Categories of financial support

There are 4 different types of involvement, each with a different level of financial support.

Role 1 – people choose to respond or comment on open access engagement opportunities, for example responding to online surveys, relaying an experience to an engagement officer, attending a meeting in public, or drop in session. For these interactionsno expenses are paid.

Role 2 – Service receivers and carers are invited to attend workshops, events, advisory groups, or focus groups on a ‘one off’ basis. Out of pocket expenses are reimbursed.

Role 3 – Service receivers and carers are members of a regular working group, advisory group or operational meeting. Out of pocket expenses are reimbursed.

Role 4 – Service receivers and carers are engaged in activity that requires a substantial input of time, expertise, and a level of public accountability. Out of pocket expenses are reimbursed and an involvement payment is offered.

Payment rates

Travel and parking

Payments for out of pocket expenses are paid at the rate stated on the receipt, e.g. bus ticket, parking ticket. (Payments cannot be made if receipts are not provided).

If you have a bus pass please use it.

If your claim will exceed £30 for the return journey please check this out with the named engagement officer first before making the journey.

Mileage rates are paid at 45p per mile. If you are claiming a mileage rate for your journeys it is important that you inform your insurance company that you are using your car for this purpose. If you do not, this may invalidate your insurance. We can provide you with a letter to send to your insurance company, see appendix 4. You must ensure that you have a current driving licence and MOT. We will keep details of the make and model of your car, along with the registration number which allows us to check periodically that the car is insured and has an MOT. You are also asked to follow the guidance contained in the Drivers Handbook.

We do not pay for taxis unless this can be justified, e.g. on the grounds of cost effectiveness due to multiple people travelling to the same place, or disability,impairment or long term condition. We have imposed a restriction of £30 for the return journey, due to the limited nature of our budget.

Any parking penalties, charges or fines incurred are the responsibility of the service receiver or carer.

Subsistence

Food and drink payments are as follows:

-Breakfast – when leaving home before 7pm – up to maximum of £5

-Lunch – when away from home for more than 4 hrs including between the hours of 12 noon and 2pm – up to maximum of £5

-Evening meal when away from home after 5pm – up to maximum of £15

Involvement payments are in line with the real living wage,

There may be instances where there are barriers to participation that have not been covered in this policy. We encourage service receives and carers to discuss their needs with their appointed engagement officer so that solutions can be explored.

Paying expenses/involvement payments

All claims for expenses or involvement payments must be submitted on a claim form to the named engagement officer. These can be obtained from the office by email or by post. See appendix 2.

Travel expenses can be paid by cash on the day, if an engagement officer is present at the meeting, or can be submitted to the office (by email, or post), where a transfer will be made into the bank (if you require another method of payment please let us know). This will be done within a week of receipt, but we aim to do it within a day or two of submission.

Involvement payments are paid on the 20th of each month, and claim forms need to be submitted by the 10th of the month to be processed for payment. Claim forms should be given to the named engagement officer.

Where a meeting or event has been cancelled at short notice (48 hours or less), any out of pocket expenses already incurred will be reimbursed. A partial involvement payment may also be made for any preparatory work that has already been completed, such as reading paperwork.

Supporting people in receipt of benefits

We recognise that many of our service receivers and carers may have ongoing health conditions and disabilities that mean they will be in receipt of benefits.

Claiming out of pocket expenses can be done without it adversely impacting on benefit entitlement.

However, if people receive anything that might be deemed as ‘earnings’ or ‘income’ by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs Service (HMRC) or the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), which includes involvement payments, this may put their benefit entitlement at risk. In addition, participating in involvement activity can be seen by the Jobcentre Plus as evidence of readiness for work.

Breach of benefits conditions can result in an individual’s benefits being stopped or sanctions applied.

It is the responsibility of the individual service receiver or carer to comply with the conditions of their benefits, and not MHT. We will provide information of where individuals can get independent advice (e.g. from the local Citizens Advice Bureau) so that they can make an informed decisions about whether to accept involvement payments.

Service receivers or carers can choose to decline payments or to request a lesser amount of payment if they wish. However, although the role is not classed as a worker or employee, any involvement payments must be at least equal to the National Minimum Wage.

We are able to supply individuals with a letter outlining the nature of involvement within the service, if this is required by the Job Centre or other agency, see appendix 1.

Useful numbers

National JobCentre Plus Enquiry Line 0345 604 3719 Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline 03454 040506.

Involvement payments and Income Tax

There is some ambiguity regarding theemployment status of service receivers and carers who are paid for the benefit of their experience. Service receivers and carers are responsible for their own tax affairs, and must seek advice from the Inland Rev. For advice on income tax arrangements you can contact your local tax office HMRC Helpline on 0300 200 3311.

Where a service receiver or carers is self-employed, it is their responsibility to declare receipt of involvement payments as part of their tax return and in other relevant records and documentation, including alerting HMRC as appropriate.

Involvement payments and health insurance payments.

Service receivers and carers in receipt of income from medical insurance (either as an individual or through their employer) e.g. because they are currently on sick leave from work, should be aware that involvement activity, and especially acceptance of an involvement payment, may breach their policy’s terms and conditions, and could put future payments at risk. Service receivers and carers are advised to contact their employer or insurance provider for advice. The letter in appendix 1 can be adapted to provide information if necessary.

Working for multiple organisations

Service receivers and carers working for a number of organisations, e.g. the local authority, voluntary and community sector, Clinical Commissioning Groups, or NHS England, must be mindful of not claiming expenses, or involvement payments from more than one organisation for the same activity.