

Welcome to the main website of Shaping Our Lives.
Shaping Our Lives National User Network is an independent user-controlled organisation, think tank and network. We started as a research and development project but became an independent organisation in 2002. We now work with a wide and diverse range of service users. Click here to find out more about Shaping Our Lives.
On this website you can find out about publications on user involvement, some produced by Shaping Our Lives and some by other organisations. You can have a look at our most recent newsletter (published November 2009) by downloading it here.
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Sex and drugs and rock and roll - just write it and I've got your attention. But sex, drugs, rock and roll and social care - that seems a complete public and political turn-off. Yet why should it be? Does it have to be? Bear with me while I try to explain. Click here to read more on Peter Beresford's blog Date added:28/01/2010 Mental Health & Learning Disabilities Research & Practice Journal - Special editionThe Mental Health & Learning Disabilities Research & Practice journal is publishing a special edition on service user and carer involvement in mental health or learning disability research, practice and education in October 2010. You are invited to submit an article to be considered for publication - deadline 1st April 2010 Click here for more information Date added:28/01/2010 London 11th February 2010 and Manchester 1st March 2010Are you someone who likes taking initiative and longs to change the world around you? Do you want to influence the way your NHS provides services in your area? If only you knew where to start? RADAR and the Appointments Commission are running two seminars in early 2010 to support and equip people living with Ill health, Injury or Disability (IID) to successfully apply for Non Executive Director roles with their local NHS services – this could be with your Primary Care Trust, your Ambulance Service Trust, your Acute or Foundation NHS Trust or Strategic Health Authority. Click here for more information and application form Date added:14/01/2010 Developing User Involvement in Social Work EducationNew Report written by Fran Branfield, Shaping Our LivesIn 2003 – 2004 the training for people who wanted to become social workers changed. For the first time people who use health and social care services were to be involved. For a long time service users have been saying ‘Nothing about us without us’ and now these important changes made it a requirement that service users should be involved in the education and training of social workers. To view the full report in PDF click here To view the full report in Word click here Date added:17/12/2009 Shaping Our Lives is working in partnership with the National Centre for Independent Living (NCIL) and RADAR, as one of 11 groups chosen by the Department of Health to take part in the ‘Third Sector Strategic Partner Programme’. Our role in this work is to improve and strengthen two-way communication between service users and our organisations and the Department of Health. From previous work we have carried out and from listening to and meeting with many service users we have identified two areas which seem to us to concern service users above other issues. Click here to find out how to have your say Date added:2/12/2009 The research is funded by Skills for Care and will help them to identify what is important to disabled people when employing staff and retaining (keeping) staff over a long period of time. We are looking for Disabled People who employ their own Personal Assistants (PA)/Carers/Support Workers to take part by completing the survey. We would also like to receive completed surveys from family carers or anyone else who manages PA's or receives an individual budget or direct payment on behalf of the person being supported by PAs. Click here to complete the survey online Survey available in different formats, please contact Reshma Patel on 0778 754 7466 or email paresearch@hotmail.co.uk Date added:2/12/2009 |
We are always keen to hear feedback about this website. If you have any comments please email jenny@shapingourlives.org.uk.
