At a glance
1:1 and group conversation
This project originally grew out of the Covid-19 pandemic to improve communication and capacity-building for the voluntary and community sector (VCS) across Dorset. It has a particular focus on supporting people with protected characteristics and is centred around a network of champions representing the voluntary and community sector, supported by a team of three experienced professionals from the VCS and public sector. The network shares information in a clear and timely manner, grows links within under-served communities, engages with and listens to feedback from community members and provides bespoke co-produced health information for these groups. It seeks to address the significant issue of representation within the wider health and care system and the communication barriers and health inequalities that result from that.
About this approach
Useful for talking with
Groups with protected characteristics that may be under-served by and/or under-represented in the provision of health and social care services across Dorset.
Purpose of this type of conversation
To build trust with communities through working closely with Trusted Voices champions who themselves go on to engage with their communities, improving communication, informing service change and strategy planning.
Type of conversation
The project utilises a wide range of listening and engagement methods. The project team works closely with champions, giving them the skills, support and confidence to engage with their given communities. There is an emphasis on empowerment, co-production and health literacy, helping to make health education materials more relevant and understandable for specific communities. The project team works with champions through regular network check-ins, both online and face-to-face. There is also a regular Trusted Voices newsletter for all champions.
Training requirements
There are no specific training requirements for those wanting to join the Trusted Voices Champions’ Network. However, training and development opportunities are made available through the network, for example health literacy and training in cultural competency.
Budget requirements
The project is currently funded up until April 2025. There are no costs associated with signing up to become a Trusted Voices champion.
Time commitments
Champions need to be actively engaged in their identified community and willing to contribute toward the bi-monthly network meetings.
Trusted Voices
Where we’ve used this locally
Workshops with Nigerian community in Dorset
Nigerian Community in Dorset (NCD) had worked with Trusted Voices during the Covid-19 lockdowns to fact-check the information they were hearing about Covid and the vaccines. This was valuable to them, so after the lockdowns they approached Trusted Voices to ask for more health information relevant to their community.
NCD requested support on three key areas that specifically impact the Black community in nuanced ways: diabetes, prostate cancer and mental health. The Trusted Voices team sought out relevant topic experts, and organised some online webinars.
“On all of those three events all I needed to do was just say to Hannah I’m thinking about this topic and it’s a case of ‘leave it with me’ and she’ll engage with everyone she needs to engage with. I don’t think we would be able to do any of those topics if it weren’t for [the Trusted Voices team].” – DBA Trusted Voices Champion
People attended these webinars from across Dorset and abroad. The prostate cancer webinar was particularly well received because there was a Black speaker and the attendees happened to be almost entirely Black men. This meant attendees felt comfortable discussing the topic. The other workshops led to some valuable feedback regarding cultural competency.
“People tend to listen to someone who’s like them. The feedback was ‘this is less like me’. [The presenter] talked about a ‘typical plate’, and the feedback was this is less like what I eat.” – NCD Trusted Voices Champion
This feedback led to a significant increase in focus on co-production in the way Trusted Voices worked, and a focus on being a ‘good host’ to both presenter and attendee. Since then, a lot more focus has been given to ensuring presenters are given adequate time, advice and resources to create culturally competent and health literate materials.
“I think I that one of the main takeaways from that was about asking and involving the community themselves instead of prescribing. Not going in with ‘this is what we’d like to tell you or teach you or show you’. Finding out from them first. So it is place based and it is community centred. We’re not telling them what we think they should be aware of or know, we’re hearing from them first before we design any kind of approach.” – LWD staff member involved in NCD workshop
Workshops with Dorset Blind Association
Dorset Blind Association (DBA) reached out to Trusted Voices for support for their members. The Trusted Voices team went out to meet blind and partially sighted members of DBA in person. Conversations which were often animated through strength of feeling highlighted how the specific needs of blind and partially sighted people were often overlooked by NHS services, and that navigating the world can be extremely stressful.
“It was really brave of [the Trusted Voices team] to reach out in person. That’s the problem usually, people don’t do that, it’s fob off instead… I was really impressed with [them] because they put themselves out there.” – DBA Trusted Voices Champion
The Trusted Voices team worked with DBA to co-produce guidelines for how to create content useful for blind and partially sighted people, eg emphasising the senses, avoiding visualisations, and making content memorable because many cannot take notes or read handouts. The Trusted Voices team then worked with LiveWell Dorset to create materials on two topics: how to navigate and advocate for yourself in the health system, and mindfulness for stress relief. This was an iterative process where the Trusted Voices team acted as a bridge between DBA and LiveWell Dorset to improve the materials. Workshops covering both topics took place in January 2024 on two consecutive weeks so that lessons could be learned from the first to apply to the second.
Sixteen members attended the first workshop and fourteen the second.
“The workshop delivery was on point. All members were positive after the first session and again after the second with them all asking when the next workshop would take place. The team listened to feedback from the first session and tweaked it accordingly… One member cried during the first workshop when Paula asked everyone to repeat ‘I am doing my best’, this member returned for the second workshop and smiled the entire time. Another stated the workshops were perfect with a score of 100% and asked to attend future sessions. Thank you for enabling these workshops to take place. They have been excellent and opened discussions on various things including NHS staff benefitting from visual impairment awareness training to knowing those with sight loss have a right to have information in a format of their choice instead of being ignored. It has empowered DBA members.” – DBA Trusted Voices Champion
Trusted Voices
