Table 2 Themes identified from open meetings, which informed training development by the working group
Theme | Integration into training |
|---|---|
Topics of learning | |
Basic understanding of research | Content created on research methods and ethics – formed first training module. |
Understand the context:   • Research process that lay assessing fits into   • Role in relation to other public involvement roles | • Content included to show and explain research cycle and public involvement roles that fit into points on the cycle. Game included to help participants understand stages that must be navigated before research can start. • Two modules created which pivot around stages in research – lay assessing pre-funding and lay assessing post-funding. |
What research organisations exist and key contacts | List of local research organisations and key contacts included in training. |
Confidentiality | Highlighted as part of training on ethics in research. |
Intellectual property | Not included. |
Diplomacy | Public involvement professional facilitators available to offer ‘insider’ viewpoints. |
Approach to learning | |
Learn by doing | • Activities built in to training, using real life research examples. • Opportunity to conduct lay assessment of a grant application. |
Guidance rather than diktat | Emphasis placed on participants coming up with their own answers, through discussion. |
Social support:   • Sharing experiences and ideas   • Mentoring | • Group activities included, to prompt discussion between participants. • Establishing a mentoring scheme was deemed beyond the scope of the pilot programme, due to resource limitations. |
Impact of learning | |
Increased confidence to question and challenge | • Emphasis placed on discussions between participants. • How participation affected perceived confidence in role as lay assessor was included in evaluation of training. |
Opportunity for progression in public involvement | • List of local research organisations and key contacts included in training. • Information on national resources (People in Research, INVOLVE) included in training. • Information on involving the public in service improvement (Patient Participation Groups in primary care) included in training. • Public involvement roles other than lay assessing highlighted in training. • Reports from participants on their public involvement activities following training was included in evaluation of training. |
Accessibility of training | |
 Public involvement in development of training | Working group, including public members, co-produced the training. |
 Different access routes:   • Face-to-face – group training or one-to-one if preferred.   • Training material available online   • Paper versions of online material | Group face-to-face training offered only, with paper-based resources to take away. Other options were deemed beyond the scope of the pilot programme, due to resource limitations. |
 Advertise widely | Decision taken to advertise internally to members of the public, who have already had contact with public involvement professional members of the group, to ensure that demand could be managed and to maximise use of existing networks. |
Flexibility of training | |
 Training optional | Public invited to attend but not conditional to doing public involvement work. |
 Training according to people’s preferences and needs | • Participants not obliged to attend all three training modules. • Participants could attend at one or both training centres. |