Sheffield Local Involvement Network

We had a full house at Dr Angela Tod's meeting on 26 January. Dr Tod, Principal Research Fellow at the Centre for Health and Social Care Research at Sheffield Hallam University, shared her research findings on engaging 'seldom-heard communities'. The audience included representatives from many grassroots groups as well as the local NHS trusts.

Her presentation, based on research carried out looking into public engagement by NHS Sheffield, led to some animated discussions. In particular, members of the local BME community aired concerns about engagement with them. Dr Tod's findings showed that in terms of public engagement activity Sheffield was 'ahead of the game' although there's more to be done on being creative and using different methods of consultation. Overall, the event was a success and is already affecting how LINk carries out its work.

Speaking after the event, Dr Tod said, "I really enjoyed the opportunity to present and discuss the project findings. It was an enjoyable and lively discussion that indicated a real interest in community engagement from the wide range of people present."

Click here to see the Dr Tod's full report.