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Getting involved
Improving services through resident involvement
Improving services through resident involvement
We would like you to be involved in decisions that affect your home and your community. This section of our website explains the ways you can do this with Aldwyck.
Involvement is for everyone
If you are an Aldwyck resident (or a carer of an Aldwyck resident) or receive any services from Aldwyck then we want to hear your views.
Aldwyck provides homes and services for many different groups of people of all ages. All of you have a right to be involved in decisions that affect where you live and the services you receive.
Why do we want to listen to you? Because the only way we can make sure we provide the best quality services is by you telling us what is important to you and how well our services are provided. The following pages list the main involvement activities we support and they are graded by the amount of time or commitment it takes to become involved.
Involvement ratings
As a guide to the amount of time or commitment each involvement activity takes up, we have developed a rating system ranging from one star (*) to five stars (*****). The involvement rating appears at the top of each involvement activity page and the guidelines for each rating are below:
| * | These activities can be done at home. They take just a few minutes of your time but give us a lot of useful information to plan our services. |
| ** | These activities may need you to spend a bit more time or to attend a meeting close to your home |
| *** | These activities involve local travel or you may need some training, which will be provided close to where you live. They can also be annual events. |
| **** |
These activities generally take place at Aldwyck’s offices in Houghton Regis or may need some training which will be provided either at Houghton Regis or at some distance from where you live. They often take place over a longer period of time and may require you to attend more than one session. |
| ***** | These activities require a substantial commitment over a long period of time. They may require specialist training and for Aldwyck to provide ongoing support. |
Our commitment
We will provide whatever support is needed for you to make your voice heard. Let us know what you need and we will find a way for you to find your voice. We can offer training tailored to meet your needs and offer a named employee to work with you as a ‘buddy’.
Our support
We will reimburse your travel and childcare costs if you decide to get involved. We have prize draws for surveys and questionnaires that you may complete. If you decide to become part of a focus group or train to be a mystery shopper then we will reward you with some gift vouchers.
Advocacy
It is important that the needs and aspirations of all our residents are met. Where you may need additional or specialist support we will encourage independent advocates to speak on your behalf. These may be your carers or friends and if they are unable to act as advocates, we can contact a range of agencies who will provide an advocate for you. If you need our help to find an advocate please contact the Community Involvement Team on 01582 869104.
Translators and signers
We will produce information in any language requested and make it available in a suitable format. We provide a telephone interpreting service through Language Line for one-to-one communication and, where requested, interpreting and signing at public meetings.
