Participation and Involvement Network

The Participation and Involvement Network is a professional forum that brings together engagement leads from across the NHS, local authorities, and the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector. The group plays a strategic role in strengthening how we involve communities in health and care transformation.

In 2025, the network formally integrated with the Communities Creating Health Network, previously led by Surrey County Council, to create a unified space for professionals working in engagement, insight and community development. This reflects a system-wide commitment to more joined-up practice, shared learning, and greater consistency in how we elevate community voice across Surrey Heartlands.

The network is supported by senior leaders, including Non-Executive Director involvement to provide assurance and alignment with the governance framework of the Integrated Care Board (ICB). 

The network provides a structured forum to: 

• Support collaboration across health, care, local authority and VCSE partners
• Promote best practice in public and community engagement
• Embed inclusive, culturally competent approaches at all levels of the system
• Share learning, insight, and innovation from community-facing work
• Strengthen feedback mechanisms and the use of insight in decision-making 

While the network does not directly include individuals with lived experience, it plays a key role in connecting, coordinating and amplifying the work of those who do. 

Meeting quarterly, the network provides space for:

• Updates on engagement activities across the system
• Peer learning and discussion of practical tools and frameworks
• Reviewing local campaigns, consultations and policy development
• Exploring opportunities for joint working and collaboration
• Sharing community-led case studies and insight reports 

Recent discussions have included:

• The East Surrey Poverty Truth Commission – used as a case study to explore the impact of lived experience leadership
• The Surrey Youth Focus In Our Own Words peer research project – informing our approach to inclusive insight. Please also see the Comic Book, Impact Story, Report and Recommendations.  
• The Winter Engagement Campaign evaluation – analysing public-facing campaign performance
• The CQC Framework for Working with People and Communities – used to benchmark and reflect on engagement practice 

Following the integration of the two networks, members agreed a set of core objectives:

• Ongoing Monitoring – Regularly review engagement activities to assess quality, reach and effectiveness
• Feedback Mechanisms – Strengthen systems for collecting, analysing and responding to community insight
• Inclusive Engagement – Support partners to apply the 4Cs model: Connect, Create, Collaborate, Celebrate in all engagement planning
• Best Practice Sharing – Champion community-led and asset-based approaches to health and wellbeing
• Actionable Insights – Ensure insight meaningfully informs decisions and outcomes are communicated back
• Collaboration – Encourage joined-up working across engagement leads and public-facing teams 

This network is open to:

• NHS, public health and local authority engagement leads
• VCSE professionals working in insight, engagement or inclusion
• System leaders with responsibility for embedding public voice
• Colleagues developing policy, strategy, or service transformation

For further information or to express interest in joining, please contact us.

Email the Surrey Heartlands Engagement team