Do not give up on us' - a knowledge exchange educational training resource to promote health / oral health and to engage with people experiencing homelessness. Award £25,000.

Public engagement seed funds. Award: 25K.

The aim of this seed fund is to support active researchers by providing seed funding that fosters cross-disciplinary activity with artists, animators, writers and scientists.

The project highlighted the need to invest in co-production of knowledge exchange training resources that place people with living and lived experience at the centre.

Project aims:
1. To improve practitioners’ knowledge and ability to communicate and to engage with people experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless, and 2. To empower and to improve services and people’s experiences on service provision, practitioner approach and public engagement.

Therefore, a knowledge exchange training package is proposed to address practitioners and student’s training.
Specific objectives are to co-produce:
1. An e-book training resource on eight themes of health promotion and social participation designed to be flexible and adaptable to practitioner’s audience and local circumstances.
2. Two comic books on young people’s views on barriers to access services and to engage with practitioners.
3. A new Smile4life guide for trainers to cover a wide range of homelessness and oral health-related topics.
Methodology:
The external partners will actively participate in this project and mediate the access to people with living and lived experience. A series of online meetings will be carried out by the PI and Co-Is with all involved to examine the current key findings from the previous work mentioned and to co-design the new content and format of this knowledge exchange training package.
Regarding the Covid-19 pandemic the partners responsible for mediating the contact with homeless participants are fully aware and following Government safety procedures. These organizations kept the contact with their clients during lockdown through digital open sessions; Facebook contact times; via online messaging, videocall or telephone. Tablets were also given for young people living in supported accommodations in Glasgow and Dundee to keep their contact and support offered. Currently, there are safety measures in place and these organizations, gradually are returning with some activities within their places/communities. Hence, there is no concern regarding the participation of young people and adults on the online workshops.