Resources and contacts

Local information

Oldham Info

You can register with Oldham Info to access data about local areas, for example births, benefits and deprivation statistics.

Voluntary Action Oldham

Voluntary Action Oldham can help you make links with the voluntary community and faith sectors in Oldham.

The Oldham Partnership Consultation Network

The Oldham Partnership Network is a forum for partnership staff who are involved in consultation or engagement activates to keep up to date with each other and identify opportunities for joint working.

For more information on the network, please contact Ian Flanagan Smith, Partnership Coordinator (Research and Performance) or Susan Kirkham, Research and Intelligence Manager:

NHS Oldham – Get Involved

NHS Oldham’s Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) provides advice and support to residents to help them deal with any concerns they may have about the care they receive.

Oldham Link

Local Involvement Networks (LINks) aim to give people a stronger collective voice in how their health and social care services are delivered. Oldham LINk is driven by local individuals and groups and is supported by Gaddum Centre. The role of Oldham LINk is to identify what people want, monitor local services and use LINks legal powers to hold service providers to account.

National and regional information

Gov.UK

UK National Statistics

Local Government Improvement and Development

Community Development Foundation

Manages programmes that fund projects in communities, carries out research into what works, and uses that to improve policy and practice.

Key Policy and Research Documents

A collection of key policy and research documents on Citizen Engagement and Community Empowerment

  • Key documents - Local Government Improvement and Development website

Involve

Involve are public participation specialists who bring institutions, communities and citizens together to accelerate innovation, understanding, discussion and change.

Joseph Rowntree Foundation

This is an independent charity that aims to understand the root causes of social problems, identify ways of overcoming them and show how social needs can be met in practice. The website has a library of useful publications and research looking at community empowerment.

Community Development Exchange (CDX)

CDX is a UK-wide membership organisation that aims to develop the principles of community development among its members.

Councillors

It is important to involve local councillors in citizen engagement, as they are best placed to understand the issues affecting their community and the people who live, work, study and visit there.

Councillors have a good idea of the best ways to effectively engage with that community, and may be able to help facilitate the engagement process.

Councillors' role in empowerment

Useful information on understanding the Role of Elected Members in Citizen Engagement

Guide for Councillors

A guide for Councillors on Community Engagement and Empowerment.

Case studies

Case studies on the involvement of Local Councillors in citizen engagement.

Housing information

Oldham Housing Investment Partnership

OHIP is the social housing sector partnership for Oldham and may be able to offer advice and information on engaging citizens about housing issues.

First Choice Homes Oldham

First Choice Homes Oldham manage properties across Oldham and can offer advice and information on engaging citizens about housing issues.

Contacts at First Choice Homes Oldham:

Neighbourhood Manager Elaine Morgan
Phone: 0161 770 3590
Email: elaine.morgan@fcho.co.uk

Customer Involvement Officer Lisa Brown
Phone: 0161 770 5420
Email: lisa.brown@fcho.co.uk

Equality and diversity information

The Corporate Equality Group and Partnership Equality Practitioners Group

These groups work to improve the equality and diversity outcomes for citizens, the council and partnership organisations within Oldham.

For more information on the groups or how equality and diversity can be considered in your engagement activities please contact: Fiona McAdoo:

Interfaith Forum

The Interfaith Forum can help to inform engagement activities around issues of faith.

For more information on the Interfaith Forum, contact:

Fazal Rahim (Development Officer)
40 Union Street West
Oldham, OL8 1DL
Phone: 0161 624 6733
Email: oldham_interfaith@msn.com

Crime and safety information

Community Safety Partnership

Oldham's Community Safety Partnership is involved in keeping crime in Oldham down.

Greater Manchester Police

You can get in touch with neighbourhood policing teams for advice on engaging with citizens on crime and neighbourhood safety.

Contact for the police:

Chief Inspector Rob Tinsley
Email: robert.tinsley@gmp.police.uk

Greater Manchester Probation Trust

The Greater Manchester Probation Trust is involved in commissioning Community Payback and may be able to offer advice on engaging with citizens on issues of community safety.

Environment information

Groundwork Oldham and Rochdale

Groundwork Oldham and Rochdale work with Local Authorities on engaging citizens on environmental issues. Their work often includes working with volunteers on  projects such as community growing or energy efficiency.

Children and young people information

Positive Steps Oldham

Positive Steps Oldham provide a range of services to young people in Oldham around family or relationship issues, health problems or offending behaviour. They may be able to give advice about engaging with young people.

Our Oldham

Our Oldham is a database of service providers in Oldham, from childcare to leisure and recreation.

You can use contacts from the database to help inform your engagement activities.

Disabled children

Contacts for disabled children issues:

Aiming High Project Manager Julie Hawkins
Phone: 0161 770 3126
Email: julie.hawkins@oldham.gov.uk

Participation Officer – Children with Special Educational Needs Liam Sutcliffe
Phone: 0161 770 3120
Email: liam.sutcliffe@oldham.gov.uk

Oldham Youth Council

Oldham Youth Council are an elected group of young people who aim to represent the views of all young people in Oldham.

OYC provides a platform for engaging with young people in Oldham.

Contact for Oldham Youth Council:

Senior Empowerment and Participation Officer Jodie Barber
Phone: 0161 770 3117
Email: jodie.barber@oldham.gov.uk
Oldham Youth Council website

Oldham District Youth Forums

The Oldham District Youth Forums enable young people to be actively involved in decision making processes within the locality and to represent the wider views of young people within the locality.

For more information about how to engage with youth in each district, please contact:

Looked after and residential children

For advice about engaging with looked after children:

Participation Officer – Looked After and Residential Children Bernadette Deakin
Phone: 0161 770 3118
Email: bernadette.deakin@oldham.gov.uk

Health and wellbeing information

Where Wealth means Health: Illustrating Inequality in the North West

This is a study on health inequalities in the North West Region which provides useful background information for engagement activities on health inequalities.

Oldham Drug and Alcohol Team

The DAA Team can help you engage with citizens on issues relating to drugs and alcohol.

Substance Misuse Support Services

Substance Misuse Support Services can help you engage with citizens on issues relating to substance misuse.

NHS Oldham

Oldham Community Health Services has experience of engaging with Oldham citizens on health issues.

Contacts at NHS Oldham:

Associate Director, Engagement and Stakeholder Management Mark Drury
Phone: 0161 622 4326
Email: mark.drury@nhs.net

Public and Patient Involvement Lead Rosie Kingham
Phone: 0161 622 4334
Email: rosie.kingham@nhs.net

British Medical Association - Patient Participation Groups in Primary Care

This resource addresses the role of patient participation groups (PPGs) in primary care. PPGs offer GPs the opportunity to involve their patients in the running of their practices.

Experience Based Design

Experienced based design is a way of bringing patients and staff together to share the role of improving care and re-designing services.

Invest in Engagement

A comprehensive review of the best worldwide evidence of what works to engage patients and the public in healthcare.

INVOLVE

This is a national advisory group which supports greater public involvement in NHS, public health and social care research.

Just Visiting

Just Visiting keep people in touch and involved in times of need with a secure, confidential and free online service.

Public Involvement

Public Involvement works to improve the involvement and engagement of the users of public services.

National Association of Patient Participation

Advice on getting a Patient Participation Group started, as well as guidance on maintaining the Group and making it more effective.

National Voices

National Voices is the coalition of national health and social care organisations that ensures a strong voice for all those who come into contact with the NHS and care services.

Patient Opinion

Patient Opinion is about sharing experiences and opinions of health services.

The Rough Guide to experience and engagement for GP consortia

Guidance for GP Consortia on the emerging national framework governing engagement.

Older people information

Oldham Age Concern

Oldham Age Concern has experience engaging with older people in Oldham.

Where can I find?

Where can I find? is a database of service providers in Oldham for older people

You can use contacts from the database to help inform your engagement activities.

Forum4Age

For advice on engaging with older people in Oldham.

Using social media

Social media can be a useful tool for engaging with citizens.

Social Media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are very popular tools for making social connections and there are many opportunities for public service providers to use social media for effective and efficient engagement.

Social media for Local Authorities: