Conferences

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Service User Conference 4

Background

The service user consultation group meets monthly and draws it's members from a variety of different services all over Scotland. The group is consulted by senior managers from within the organisation and by a variety of external individuals and agencies. These consultation events encompass students undertaking postgraduate studies in design, nutrition and wellbeing, members of the Care Commission and the Disability Rights Commission. The group members also undertake to inform other service users of current issues and involved themselves in a right to vote campaign in the run up to the Scottish elections in 2007. More recently the group have been involved in promoting activities and opportunities for developing friendships and relationships. The group runs a holiday directory and each year hosts the annual service user conference.

SUC4 2008

The Service User Consultation Group hosted the fourth annual conference at TouchBase , Glasgow on Thursday 2nd October 2008.
The SUCG members managed the business of the conference with confidence and style with Murray Farquharson and Steph Clark making sure that delegates were well informed about the building, the housekeeping, the arrangements for the day including the programme, the lunch and the evening party.

The conference programme included:

• A DVD of what service users had been doing over the last year. This has become a traditional activity for the conference compiled by Andy Crossan from clips and photos sent to him from services and special events and celebrates the wide variety of activities and events in which service users get involved.
• A panel and discussion about emotional support for service users and what they think about what they might need from staff when they are unhappy. Several people contributed to this discussion including new staff on induction training who were attending the morning session of the conference.
• The launch of the 'Good Enough to Eat' web site with Ailill Finlayson and Ann Neeson. Technical support was given by Andy Crossan and Gareth Alexander with two machines set up ready in the Courtyard for people to visit the site over lunchtime and throughout the conference.
• Lunch included all the conference delegates, the Inverness Induction staff group and our Canadian visitors and the stovies, haggis pies and massive gateaux met with general approval. This was an opportunity for conversations, meeting and greeting and exchanging ideas and there was a good, noisy atmosphere over lunch and much coaxing to get people moving downstairs again for the afternoon session.
• The afternoon session was a recording for Radio Sensation-at-the-conference before a live audience. Ewen Farquharson DJ'd. Steph Clark sang beautifully, there was an interview with Joe Gibson, music chosen by Amir Asnafzadeh 'With a little help from my friends' and a live drumming session for everyone with David McCluskey.
• The party at night, now a firm tradition was great fun with more live music, dancing and karaoke. Several staff and service users came in to TouchBase from nearby services and some of the Inverness induction training staff came in to join the party.

Yvonne Larkin's warm vote of thanks included everyone who had supported the service user consultation group to host the conference especially the catering team from TouchBase Café, the Arts team and the Admin team.

The conference received some enthusiastic reviews including:

• "I liked the radio show"
• "The way every single person was involved"
• "I liked drumming"
• "Good overall, especially being DJ for the afternoon, the food was good"
• "It has been a great day"
• "A lovely and though provoking conference…well done! Great day!"

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