Have your say and get involved with social care

We always want to hear what people think about social care, and understand the needs and experiences of people who get and provide support. By hearing and acting on the people's views we can work to improve social care for everyone.

• What can I get involved in?
• How can I get involved?
• What difference will it make?
• Sam's blog

What can I get involved in?

We want to hear what people think about all aspects of social care and support.  We are keen to work with you when we plan things, when we make decisions, when we provide services and when we check how well they are running.

Download Help us to improve adult social care leaflet (pdf, 2.5 mb)

You may also be interested in giving your views on the changes being planned by Tower Hamlets Council by visiting our consultations section.

How can I get involved?

There are many different ways to have your say on adult social care:

• You could join THINk (the Tower Hamlets Involvement Network). THINk is there to help people influence or change social care in Tower Hamlets, and it gives local people ways of doing this. As a member of THINk, you can get involved by emailing your comments, filling in a questionnaire, becoming a volunteer, coming to THINk meetings and in many other ways.
• You could join another group or forum. There are many different groups in Tower Hamlets, including an Older People’s Reference Group run by Age Concern, a Readers' Panel run by the council to help us produce information, and a Carers' Forum run by the Carers' Centre.  
• You could sit on a decision-making panel in adult social care (for example, a staff interview panel or tendering panel).
• You could come along to an event or focus group to give your views on a particular issue.
• You could fill in a survey or questionnaire.  We often send these out to find out more about people’s experiences of support services and social care.
• You could meet with someone to talk about your experiences of social care and your hopes for the future.

For more information on how you can get involved, or to see a copy of our Service User and Carer Involvement Strategy, contact our Quality and Involvement team on qualityandperformance@towerhamlets.gov.uk.

What difference will it make?

Getting involved has the potential of making social care better for everyone. We are committed to hearing your views and experiences of social care, and to working with you to improve it. 

• You can read information on what people have told us about their support and what we are doing. 
• You can read about the feedback gathered by THiNk over the last year and what happened as a result.

Sam's Blog

Hello everyone,

My name is Sam.  I work at Tower Hamlets Council as an Engagement Support Assistant.  I also go to the Tower Project day service for people with disabilities.  This is my blog.  It tells you more about me and what I do in my job.

This is what happened to me last year in 2010:  I was working as a volunteer at Tower Hamlets Council.  I helped out at photo-shoots so that adult social care had better pictures for their leaflets, I helped run some events to tell people about "personal budgets" in adult social care, and I promoted a DVD we made about personal budgets.  I also helped interview staff applying for a job in social care.

Then earlier this year came a big discussion about my future: Tower Hamlets Council might be able to offer me a permanent job.  I thought: "have I got the job or not?"  I found out that I got the job, and I was really pleased.

When I started my job, I had my induction, and got a locker to put my things in.  Then I went to "dress for success" to get some work clothes for my new job.  I also did a presentation at Tower Project to tell other people about how I got my job.  As an Engagement Support Assistant, I have written articles for newsletters, typed up notes, shredded things, scanned things, laminated things and printed things.  I have rearranged the staff pigeon holes so that they are better, and every week I am responsible for giving out the post and answering the phone if people are in meetings.  Here is what I do each month:

October 2011

Thursday 6th October: I went to the office, and the first thing I did was to help print out a questionnaire on the "Local Account".  The Local Account is due to be printed at the end of the year, and it will tell people about the quality of adult social care.  I emailed the day centres in Tower Hamlets to ask if I could visit and hand out the questionnaire to people at the centre.  Then I printed out some information for Joanne (my manager), and answered the phone.  Then I got ready for my trip to the Coborn Centre next week by printing off a map of how to get there.  Then I had a chat with Joanne, then I went home.

Thursday 13th October: Today I went to the Coborn Centre and asked the students and staff there to fill in a questionnaire about the "Local Account", to see what they thought about it.  After lunch, I went back to the office and typed up the results of what people said.  It was a mixed bag - people wanted to see different things in the Local Account.  Then I went through the list of things to do that Joanne had emailed to me.  I put the new leaflets about social care in envelopes, ready to post to other colleagues.  Then I went home.

Thursday 20th October: Today was a bit horrible, because I couldn't find the APASENTH day centre.  I was going to visit to talk to people about the Local Account.  I found APASENTH it in the end, but then I had to go back to the office. I emailed the Manager of the centre to say sorry for the mix-up, and agreed on a new date to visit.  For the rest of the day, I helped a colleague (Shahin) write some questionnaires.  I made the questionnaires easier to understand by adding pictures to explain the writing.  Then I went home.

Thursday 27th October: Today I went to Poplar Day Centre.  I gave out a questionnaire to people at the Centre (Poplar Day Centre is for older people) to ask what they think about the Local Account.  Then I went back to the office. I typed up the results of what people said about the Local Account.  I emailed over all the results to my colleagues, who are writing the Local Account.  After lunch, I learned more about how to add pictures and boxes onto word documents.  At the end of the day, there was an office meeting to say goodbye to someone who was leaving.  Then I went home. 

November 2011

Thursday 3rd November: Today I went with my Manager (Joanne) to an event at Toynbee Hall.  The event was called "your Say, Your Day", and it is for people who have experience of mental health issues.  The event was about "personalisation".  I helped Joanne to run a stall, giving out information and leaflets.  I also asked people to fill in a questionnaire, so we can get their views on the Local Account.  Then I listened to the presentations people gave at the event.  Then there was a question-and-answer session, then I went home.

Thursday 10th November: Today I went to the office.  The first thing I did was check my emails.  Then I started work on resizing photos to make sure they aren't too big when they are emailed.  The photos are used in leaflets and information we give out.  After lunch I wrote my blog, then I worked with my Manager to learn how to do posters.  Then I went home.

December 2011

Thursday 1st December: Today I went to the office.  I carried on resizing photos.  And I got my pay cheque!  After lunch I scanned some documents, and wrote up some notes on how to use the scanner so I will remember for next time.  Then I carried on resizing photos before I went home.

Thursday 8th December: Today I went to the office and checked my emails.  Then I spent the rest of the day putting together letters to send out to Team Managers in adult social care: I posted each Manager a copy of the new leaflets in adult social care, and a copy of the new DVD on Personal Budgets.  I wrote each person a letter explaining what the information was.  Then I went home.

Thursday 15th December: Today I was in work in the morning, and I was off in the afternoon.  In the morning, I checked my emails and replied to some.  I got two Christmas presents.  After lunch I went to a party at the Bromley-by-Bow Centre.  I sang carols, ate food, had another present and sang more songs before I went home.

Thursday 22nd December: Today I spent all day re-sizing photos.  The photos and pictures we have are really big when they are emailed.  I used a website to re-size them so that they are not so big.  Then I looked at emails before I went home.

January 2012

Thursday 5th January: Today I was back at work.  The first thing I did was check my emails, then I carried on the job I started before Christmas: resizing photos.  After lunch I sent some emails about visiting a colleague for a meeting, and I printed some stuff off for Joanne (my manager).  I also took some phone messages for my colleagues, Keith and Andrew.  Then I went home.

Thursday 12th January: When I got to the office, the first thing I did was meet with Joanne (my manager) to talk about my tasks for today and next week.  My task today was to help deliver leaflets about adult social care around the borough so that more people know about it.  I went to another office to pick up the leaflets.  I went to shops and learning places to deliver them.  Then I went home.

Thursday 19th January: This morning I met with my colleagues, Rod and Kulbir, to talk about a presentation I will be giving at an event next week.  The presentation is about how I got this job, and the event is for people who go to Coborn Day Opportunities.  In the afternoon, I carried on delivering leaflets about adult social care.  This time I went to another part of the borough.  Then I went home.

February 2012

Thursday 2nd February: Today I went to the office and checked my emails, and then I went to Coborn Day Opportunities (a centre for people with a learning disability).  At Coborn, I gave a presentation about how I got my job.  People at the centre asked me questions about it - for example they asked "what was it like to work?".  After lunch, I met a Manager at Mile End to talk about what leaflets they need, and how many.  Then I went home.

Thursday 9th February: Today I went to the office and started to work on a database.  People have filled in surveys asking for their views on social care.  I helped put the answers people gave to the survey in a database.  Next I wrote up the questions people asked at Coborn last week, and the answers I gave.  Then I picked up some of the new leaflets about adult social care, and put them out around the borough.

Thursday 16th February: Today I helped with shredding, stapling and putting things out in the post.

Thursday 23rd February: Today I carried on putting survey results into the database, so we can see what people have said about adult social care.  I spent the rest of the day saving photo's.

March 2012

Thursday 1st & 8th March: I mainly helped with admin tasks, like scanning documents and putting survey results in the database.

Thursday 15th March: Today I carried on with admin tasks like putting survey results in the database.  When I went home, I made Shepard's Pie.  I helped to chop the carrots and tomatoes.

Thursday 22nd March: I started by shredding some documents, then I did some stapling.  Then I met with Julie to talk about the Learning Disability Partnership Board.  I will be working with Julie to hear people's views.  There is going to be an event in May.  After lunch I carried on putting survey results in the database.

Thursday 29th march: Today I went to another office to pick up leaflets.  I collected them and brought them to Coborn Day Opportunities (a centre for people with a learning disability).  Then I came back to the office to do a few other bits, then I went to Stratford.