Person-Centred Approach & Service User Involvement: More Than Add-Ons
Person-Centred Approach (PCA) and Service User Involvement (SUI) are not “extras” in health and social care – they are the foundation of safe, effective, and compassionate practice.
When we put people at the centre, we shift from doing things to them to working with and alongside them. This is a sentiment that many care professionals will recognise. It has been echoed in practice standards, national policy, and professional regulatory guidance for years. From the NHS Constitution and the NHS Long Term Plan, to the Health and Care Professions Council and Nursing and Midwifery Council standards of proficiency, the message is consistent: safe, effective, and compassionate care is only possible when people are seen not as passive recipients, but as active partners.
This principle is continuously moving beyond aspiration into expectation. It is now embedded in commissioning frameworks, inspection activities, and research funding requirements, reminding us that person-centred care and meaningful service user involvement are not optional ideals, but professional, ethical, and regulatory imperatives.
As Professor @Lucy Chappell - CEO NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research) and Chief Scientific Advisor Department of Health and Social Care emphasised:
“We are very clear that research inclusion is essential—not political. If your research isn’t representative, it’s not going to improve outcomes across our population.”
Her words highlight that involving people is not a nice-to-have, it is scientifically necessary to achieve credible, equitable outcomes across all aspects of Public health and social care.
NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research) guidance on Working with People and Communities (2025) reinforces involvement at every stage of research as standard practice, with funders embedding accountability around PCA & SUI being central to research.
What is this about?...
It is about public health professionals, using data and lived experience side by side to design policies that work.
It is about social care leaders, embedding service-user voices in everyday decision-making, not just during inspections or reviews.
It is about educators or researchers, creating knowledge with people, not just about them.
PCA and SUI are the keys to credibility, resilience, and true excellence across our public health and social care systems.
By listening, involving, and co-producing, we move beyond delivering care – we deliver change, we deliver trust, and we deliver a future that reflect the voices of the people at the very heart of public health and social care.
If this resonates with you and this commitment to embedding person-centred and service-user-led approaches into your professional practice reflects the values that shape your practice and organisation, join in this conversation.
How we can continue to shape research, policy and practice that listens, involves and transforms. Let me know in the comments...
