Help us to improve your experience with us

Why are we doing this work?

Every two years our Community Survey helps us to find out how we can improve the way we work with the different groups that make up our Community, which includes Research Ethics Committee members, the Confidentiality Advisory Group, and members of the public who are involved in our work.

We want to make sure the findings from our 2026 Community Survey leads to meaningful, practical actions.

This work will help us:

• check that we have understood the survey results correctly
• focus on the issues that matter most
• co-design realistic actions with the people these are for and about
• agree how these actions should be taken forward

What is the activity?

We are running two workshops with 40 members of our HRA community to:

• test ideas based on our survey findings
• understand what works well and what doesn’t
• identify gaps or missing perspectives
• develop practical solutions together

Between workshops, we will review feedback and adjust our approach if needed.

What is involved?

You will be invited to take part in:

• One 2-hour online workshop

13 July 2026 from 10am to 12pm or 22 July 5pm to 7pm

• One shorter online follow-up session on 12 October 2026 10am to 11:30am to share the final survey findings and proposed action and gather feedback on working with us.

The workshops will be held on Zoom and will include a 15-minute break. Discussions will be transcribed so that we can capture everyone's contributions.

Before the first workshop, we will:

• send you a short summary of the survey findings
• ask you to review this in advance

During the workshops, you will:

• discuss key findings
• share your views and experiences
• work in small groups to consider solutions
• help prioritise what actions should happen next

We will ask questions such as:

• what stands out from the findings?
• what should we do about it?
• what would success look like?
• who needs to be involved?

What difference will I make?

Your input will help us to:

• confirm the most important themes from the survey
• identify practical and realistic actions
• improve how we involve people in shaping our work
• ensure future decisions are informed by real experiences

We will share how your feedback has influenced the next steps. Where we can’t action your suggestions, we’ll explain why

What support will I receive?

Our HRA  Community Ways of Working  sets out what you can expect when working with us, and our expectations for working together respectfully, inclusively and impactfully.

We have a small team at the HRA who will support your involvement with this piece of work. If you are invited to take part in this activity, we will ask you to share your access and support needs and any requests for reasonable adjustments.

What experience do I need?

We welcome members who:

• are either a REC or CAG member or someone who has helped shape our work through public involvement
• have not worked with us recently (within the last 6 months including simplified consent work, access and support needs work, Community Committee or developing a public contributor agreement for example)
• we want to hear from both people who completed the survey, and people who didn't complete the survey
• available to attend a workshop on either 13 July 2026 from 10am to 12pm or 22 July 5pm to 7pm and one shorter online follow-up session on 12 October 2026 10am to 11:30am.

How will we choose who takes part?

We will:

• review applications against the criteria above
• remove names to ensure a fair process
• shortlist people who meet the criteria
• if needed, select randomly from those shortlisted

Optional demographic information

As part of the application process, we will ask you to provide optional demographic information.

This information will:

• not be used to select participants
• only be used to help us understand who is engaging with us
• help identify whether any groups may be underrepresented so that we can consider further outreach and engagement activity

Providing this information is entirely voluntary and choosing not to provide it will not affect your ability to participate. Demographic information will be separated from identifiable application information so individuals cannot be identified.

Any demographic data collected will be securely managed, retained only for as long as necessary, and handled in accordance with our privacy notice. If any information collected could identify an individual, we would ask for your explicit consent before processing this data.

For further information about how your information will be used, stored and protected, or how to object to processing, please refer to our privacy notice or contact: data@hra.nhs.uk

Will I receive payment?

In line with our payment policy, we offer:

£82.50 for preparation for and attending one workshop including pre-reading and correspondence.

£55 for attending the second workshop including pre-reading and correspondence.

If you are unable to attend the second workshop on 12 October, we will offer you £27.50 to read the findings and provide written feedback on your experience of being involved in the activity.

Will my expenses be covered?

Yes. It is our policy to cover reasonable expenses, if agreed in advance. For example, travel, additional childcare, or for a carer or personal assistant. We offer a £5 contribution towards any incidental expenses incurred by attending online meetings.

Questions?

If anything is unclear or you’d like to talk it through, please contact our engagement team at engagement.team@hra.nhs.uk