Charter for Involvement

• Download the Charter for Involvement (pdf)

There are 13 statements in the Charter showing how people who use support services want to be involved in the service they get, in the organisations that provide their services and the wider community.

The Charter for Involvement is unique in Scotland as it was written and developed by people who use services for service providers to make involvement better for everyone.

It is designed to be accessible for people who use services and can be used with all groups who use social care services.

The National Involvement Network (NIN), supported by ARC Scotland, published the Charter for Involvement In 2009.

Caroline Gray, Chair of the National Involvement Network said:

The Charter for Involvement is all about changing the balance of power between us and the organisations that support us.

So far, the Chief Executives from 22 social care organisations in Scotland have publicly committed their organisations to meeting the statements in the Charter for Involvement.

Martin Cawley, Chief Executive of Turning Point Scotland said:

We have used the Charter to identify areas where we are doing well and areas we need to improve further. This has been used at a local service level right up to our Board and organisational governance. The framework has helped us immensely.

Recognised as best practice

The Charter for Involvement is recognised by the Care Commission as an example of best practice in their ‘Guidance for Care Service Providers’ on ‘Involving people who use care services and their families, friends and supporters’.

‘Care News’ (Winter 2010/11) (web-link?) called this a ‘Revolution for Involvement’.

Making the Charter for Involvement work

Making the Charter for Involvement work in your organisation depends on people who use the service being supported to assess how well they feel they are involved in the organisation and identifying areas for improvement.

Over the past year ARC Scotland and the National Involvement Network have worked closely with many voluntary sector organisations to support them to implement the Charter for Involvement.

» Find out how ARC Scotland and the National Involvement network help you to get involvement right