Success, Satisfaction and Scrutiny:
the Resident Engagement Toolkit
Recruiting and retaining residents
Demonstrate residents’ impact
Be proactive about recruitment
Residents are much more willing to get involved
if they can see the potential impact of their
work. Our report ‘Success, Satisfaction and
Scrutiny’ is a good example of demonstrating
impact, albeit one more detailed and resourceintensive than most providers may be able
to commit to. Other smaller-scale steps you
can take to demonstrate impact include:
Recruitment should be a continuous rather
than reactive process. When panel or task
group vacancies arise there should be a
suitably skilled resident ready to step in.
Our top tips for proactive recruitment are:
zz E
stablish a ‘talent bank’ to provide the
involved residents of the future and make
recruitment to it an objective for your resident
involvement team
zz Use local events as ‘talent spotting’
opportunities
zz Use task groups, forums and panels as
nurturing grounds for new talent
zz Broaden the scouting process by making
all frontline staff aware of the opportunities
on offer. That way even seemingly the least
likely interactions with residents can prove
fruitful recruiting grounds; one of our resident
board members was initially identified when
challenging our decisions as a Stage 3
complainant
zz Ensure all vacancies are well advertised
and the benefits of membership clearly
communicated
zz Design precise person specifications / role
profiles. The focus should be on attitude
rather than aptitude; training can plug gaps
in knowledge or skills
zz Hold ‘taster days’ to help residents
understand what i