The case studies on this website all display evidence of using the National Standards for Community Engagement as a basis for effective working with patients and the public.

In summary, the National Standards are:

1. Involvement: identifying and involving the people and organisations who have an interest in working with communities
2. Support: identifying and overcoming any barriers to involvement
3. Planning: gathering evidence of the needs and available resources and using this evidence to agree the purpose, scope and timescale of the engagement and the actions to be taken
4. Methods: agreeing and using methods of engagement that are fit for purpose
5. Working Together: agreeing and using clear procedures that allow the participants to work with one another effectively and efficiently
6. Sharing Information: ensuring that necessary information is shared between the participants
7. Working with Others: working effectively with others to engage communities
8. Improvement: developing the skills, knowledge and confidence of all the participants
9. Feedback: reporting back the results of the engagement to the wider community and agencies affected
10. Monitoring & Evaluation: checking and assessing whether the engagement achieves its purposes and meets the National Standards for Community Engagement

The evaluation of any patient focus and public involvement work is vital:

• How do you know that your project has successfully engaged with all your user groups?
• What difference has involving the public made?
• How have you achieved your original objectives?

For more information, you can download a copy of the National Standards for Community Engagement from the website of the Scottish Community Development Centre.