Taking a people-led approach ensures that changes in health and social care truly meet the needs of those they are intended to serve. It means engaging with people, with dignity and respect, as partners in designing and delivering change.
When services are people-led, outcomes become personal, coordinated, and enabling rather than standardised or system-focused.
Why people-led approaches matter
A people-led approach is not just a value statement, it shapes the quality and impact of change itself. When people are actively involved, services are more likely to be compassionate, relevant and sustainable.
People-led services are joined up to meet a person’s needs in a holistic way rather than asking them to access a number of services separately.
Meaningfully engaging people in the design of changes
People, families, and carers who use services should be involved in designing changes. Their lived experience provides a depth of insights that need to be considered when designing services.
Without their input, services may not meet people’s actual needs and could lack accessibility, fairness, or dignity.
Being trauma informed
Trauma can affect anyone and may shape how people experience change and interact with services. Understanding potential impact helps services respond more effectively and avoid inadvertently causing additional harm.
Meaningfully engaging people in the design of a service should take this into account by:
- recognising the potential for re-traumatisation
- supporting recovery through safe, respectful engagement
- valuing relationships as the foundation of trust
- using open, stigma-free language
Reducing inequalities
Health inequalities are differences in health outcomes that can be avoided. Addressing inequalities requires intentional effort to understand and respond to different groups’ specific needs and barriers. To address them:
- identify who is most at risk and design services with them in mind
- use evidence to understand needs and barriers to access
- build responses tailored to different population groups and protected characteristics
Embedding human rights
People have a right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. This right should be reflected in how services are designed, delivered, and evaluated.
Services should take this into account by being:
- available in sufficient quantity
- accessible without discrimination
- acceptable culturally and socially appropriate
- high quality safe, effective and person-centred
