Publication
Health promotion and community care: the perceptions of users, purchasers and providers of community care services
Appendix II: Focus group topic guides
Community health and social work professionals
1) What do you understand by the phrase 'enhancinghealth and well-being’?
- prompt around what they do in their everyday workwhich they consider helps people to lead a 'good life'
- what is the result of their work - is it enhancinghealth and well-being?
- examples of good practice?
- are organisational set-ups helping community care orgetting in the way?
2) What needs are not being met?
- what is it that is important to help people live anindependent life?
3) Whose responsibility is health promotion?
- do they see themselves as agents of health promotion?
- what are their experiences (if any) with healthpromotion departments?
4) What help/support/training would they like?
5) What is their experience of inter-agency working?
- how could this be improved?
- examples of good practice?
6) Anything else you would like to add?
Issue groups
1) I am interested to know what some of the issues arearound (name of appropriate issue) in (name of specific health board area wherethe group is taking place)
Brainstorm issues
2) Whose responsibility are these issues?
- to what extent/what way are the various agenciesresponsible/involved?
- which stakeholders do not come on board - why?
- does action follow - why/why not?
- who defines need in this area?
3) Where are the opportunities to develop this area?
- any healthy alliances?
- any examples of good practice - how did they getgoing?
- local politics
4) Where are the obstacles to developing this area?
- ask about funding
5) Anything else you would like to add?
Users/carers
- Introduce self, where I work, & HEBS - paying forresearch. Prompt on HEBS with examples of recent ad. campaigns e.g. Smokeline.Encourage questions about any point at any time during the process. Thankeveryone for attending - pay fees where appropriate.
- Explain the purpose of the research using somethingalong the following lines, (which is greatly expanded upon, or vastlysimplified according to the nature of the group) :
‘There are many people who are now responsible forproviding the range of services which help people lead a better life in thecommunity. What we are trying to do is to speak to as many different groups ofpeople as possible - like yourselves, to find out your thoughts on how thesepeople and services could work together more effectively, in order to help youlead a better life.’
- An explanation of the amount and type of focus groupstaking place, the health board areas chosen and the other groups taking placein their health board area. Explain about confidentiality - ask if I can tape?
- I want to ask you what a good life means to you,what’s a good life?
- Researcher prompts on some of the following issueswhere not raised:
- caring / being cared for / who would you prefer to look after you/ pressures on family / costs / quality of care / who needs the care / whogives the care
- housing / a place to live / is it important to be at home?
- transport / access to shops / food / costs of
- information
- social activity / relationships / networks / being social / beinglonely / leisure & recreation
- education / training / employment
- physical activity
- poverty / benefits agency / money
- community / what do they feel a part of / not a part of
- being older
- stigma
- mental / spiritual / emotional health
- End on an up-beat note - what/who can help youstay in a good life? Thank everyone for taking part - explain summary ofreport will be sent to (find out who will receive report). Any questions?