Open AccessPublic participation and marginalized groups: the community development model [Note 1. The authors work closely with HealthLINK. Eileen O’Keefe served ...]
Author(s) -
O’Keefe Eileen,
Hogg Christine
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
health expectations
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.314
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1369-7625
pISSN - 1369-6513
DOI - 10.1046/j.1369-6513.1999.00058.x
Subject(s) - borough , active listening , statutory law , public relations , set (abstract data type) , representation (politics) , sociology , quality (philosophy) , public participation , public administration , nursing , internet privacy , political science , medicine , computer science , politics , law , philosophy , communication , epistemology , programming language
Objectives To develop ways of reaching house‐bound people and enabling them to give their views in planning and monitoring health and social care. Strategy HealthLINK – a project based in a community health council – explored ways of involving older house‐bound people in the London Borough of Camden, in planning and monitoring health and social care using community development techniques. Results HealthLINK set up an infrastructure to enable house‐bound people to have access to information and to enable them to give their views. This resulted in access for health and local authorities to the views of house‐bound older people and increased the self esteem and quality of life of those who became involved. Conclusions Community development approaches that enable an infrastructure to be established may be an effective way of reaching marginalized communities. However, there are tensions in this approach between the different requirements for public involvement of statutory bodies and of users, and between representation of groups and listening to individual voices.