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Welcome to the Scottish Homelessness Involvement & Empowerment Network
Whether you are front line staff, manager, policy maker, or service user, whether you have a long standing interest in service user involvement, or are relatively new to the subject, the resources you can access through this website will support you in your activities.
We define Service User Involvement as a way of enabling people to participate in decisions and actions that affect their lives. This could be by asking people what they think of a service, e.g. by questionnaire or comments box or in a 1:1 interview, or it could be that service users co-lead in organisations (by being on management committees, recruitment panels etc). Or a whole host of other participating activities.
The main point of service user involvement is to enable people to participate and/or influence the planning, the running, and the design of services.
Find out more...
SHIEN
History of the Network
Some Useful Definitions
Events and Training ****
Publications
Being a Networker
Becoming a Subscriber
Get involved...
We would like to hear about your experiences of service user involvement. If you have organised or taken part in any innovative service user involvement activities please email SHIEN.
SHIEN is a national network, facilitated by Glasgow Homelessness Network and funded by the Scottish Government.
It is a network for those who recognise the importance of involving and empowering people to have a say on the decisions that affect their life.
SHIEN recognises the overlaps between homelessness and other forms of inequality and exclusion - and so we also warmly welcome membership from service users, practitioners, policy makers and planners working toward wider health and community care objectives across Scotland.
The Scottish Homelessness Involvement and Empowerment Network launched in December 2008, with the aim of using the collective experience of GHN and member organisations in the area of service user involvement to support the work of organisations nationally.
To date, almost 300 organisations and individuals have become part of the network,both as Networkers and Subscribers.
SHIEN supports best practice through workshops at conferences, and dedicated events around the theme of participation.
Service User Involvement: Service User Involvement is a way of enabling people to participate in decisions and actions that affect their lives.
Empowerment: The enabling of individuals to claim their rights, and to achieve their potential and aspirations. This is the principal behind and intended outcome of Involvement at the personal, social and political levels (although of course, personal empowerment maybe attained independently from any Involvement).
Service User: The people for whom homelessness services were created, and who currently use those services.
Volunteer: Those who contribute time and energy, do so of their own free will, and are not motivated by financial gain. Some services describe service user involvement as volunteering, for example when a person using the service takes up wider volunteering activities on behalf of the organisation.
The next SHIEN Shared Solutions workshop will take place on Wednesday 8th September in the Dumfries and Galloway area. Download poster and booking form here.
All documents that you are able to download on this page open in a new window, and are in PDF format. Most computers will open these automatically, but you may need to download a copy of Adobe Reader (which is free).
Those who are Networkers of SHIEN are welcome to access information on SHIEN, upcoming events and training, plus copies of relevant publications. If you would like further information, please contact us.
Networkers can access the Best Practice Resource Exchange & read Best Practice Examples submitted by organisations from across Scotland.
There are a host of benefits associated with becoming a subscriber of SHIEN:
- A guaranteed place at local and national events hosted by SHIEN.
- Free exhibition space at SHIEN events, where available.
- Reduced rates on training delivered by Glasgow Homelessness Network and I.E. (Service User Involvement Training)
- Login details to the Best Practice Resource Exchange website.
- Opportunities to be actively involved in events.
- A Toolkit.
Finding the time and resources to be able to attend events can be a challenge; the SHIEN website is an inclusive way of networking, sharing experiences, and finding out about best practice in service user involvement. Becoming a Subscriber allows you and your organisation to make best use of the exchange facilities.
Please complete the joining leaflet, and return to GHN. Subscription is subject to an annual subscription fee.
'When you do nothing, you feel overwhelmed and powerless.
But when you get involved, you feel the sense of hope and
accomplishment that comes from knowing you are working to make things better.'
- anonymous service user quote.
