Shaping Our Work
Diabetes UK is committed to involving our beneficiaries – which includes all people affected by and at risk of diabetes - in shaping our work and in developing the services and support we offer.
We believe it is vital that we listen to people affected by diabetes because we are here to care for, connect with and campaign on behalf of all people affected by and at risk of diabetes. Listening to people affected by diabetes helps us find out about what they want and need.
We promise to show that we take the views and experience of people affected by diabetes in to account. We believe working with them to develop the services, support and information we offer ensures we will use the charity’s resources in the most effective and appropriate way.
We recognise that individuals with Type 1 and Type 2 and other types of diabetes and parents and carers of children with diabetes will have different perspectives and needs. We include as wide a range of people affected by diabetes as possible in helping us shape our services and work.
We encourage all kinds of people affected by diabetes to get involved, and we seek appropriate diversity including ethnicity, geographic location, age and social backgrounds.
We are committed to giving support, information and, where relevant, training to people who want to get involved, in the way that is best for them. We provide expenses to enable all those affected by diabetes to take part in opportunities to shape our work.
In addition to formal market research, we have a number of ways we currently involve and listen to people affected by diabetes in our work:
- On our Board of Trustees – in the strategic management of the charity
- On our Council of People Living with Diabetes
- On our national advisory councils in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
- Through our Involvement Network
- Through other formal advisory bodies and groups, including those supporting our research programme and grant making process
- We are committed to the principle of ‘co-creation’ wherever we can, for example on the production of the new Diabetes UK brand, where we involved people with different kinds of diabetes, health professionals, and others in its development
- We consult on our work, including the development or review of the support and services we offer, the campaigns we run, our publications and our media work. This includes meeting with groups of people; establishing reference groups; use of social media; holding focus groups and conducting surveys.
- We provide opportunities for people to comment on our work through events such as our Volunteering Conferences and by contacting our Supporter Care Team at supporterservices@diabetes.org.uk.
