Practical guidance
Advice for groups interested in creating a shared learning network and agreeing a clear purpose for it.
Explore training support →Current work archive
Sharebank
A learning and development network for people sharing practical knowledge about public involvement in health and care research.
Overview
Learning through shared experience
Sharebank brought together members of the public, researchers and involvement staff to exchange learning about public involvement in research.
The network model centred on practical peer learning. People could compare approaches, reflect on challenges and develop locally useful support for involvement activity across partner organisations.
Its central idea remains relevant: knowledge is stronger when people with different roles can contribute on equal terms, learn from one another and carry useful learning into future work.
What the network offered
Support shaped for local partnerships
Sharebank was designed as a flexible model rather than a single fixed programme.
Shared learning
Space for people to discuss experience, exchange resources and consider what makes involvement meaningful.
Browse communities →Local development
Support for adapting a model to the relationships, capacity and priorities of a regional partnership.
See learning work →What it can support
Benefits of working as a learning network
01 / Exchange
Share practical learning
Bring together experience from public contributors, research teams and involvement practitioners.
02 / Connect
Build useful relationships
Create regular opportunities for people across organisations to learn with and from each other.
03 / Develop
Improve local support
Identify shared training needs, useful resources and gaps that local partners can address together.
04 / Apply
Inform practice
Use collective reflection to make involvement activity clearer, more inclusive and more responsive.
A useful starting structure
Develop a shared learning space
The original network model points to a simple process that can be adapted to different contexts.
Clarify the purpose
Agree what the network is for, who it should include and what participants can influence.
Invite varied experience
Make participation accessible and include perspectives from public contributors and research settings.
Share and reflect
Use meetings, learning sessions and resources to examine practical experience together.
Record the learning
Capture useful ideas, actions and changes so knowledge can inform future involvement work.
Further reading
Published background
Co-producing public involvement training
A published account of developing, delivering and evaluating public involvement training with members of the public and research organisations.
A cooperative model for supporting involvement
A discussion of a shared approach to supporting public involvement in research through cooperation and local learning.
Working together to support involvement
An earlier newsletter feature describing the network approach and its focus on shared practice.
Questions
About this archived work
Is Sharebank an opportunity to take part in a research study?
No. The network focused on learning and development around public involvement in research, rather than recruitment to individual studies.
Who could benefit from a learning network?
Members of the public, researchers, involvement staff and organisations can all contribute different experience and learn from the exchange.
Can a local partnership adapt this approach?
Yes. A local model should reflect its purpose, participants, accessibility needs and the resources available to support ongoing learning.
What should be discussed at a network meeting?
Useful topics include practical involvement challenges, accessible communications, training needs, examples of influence and ways to improve feedback.
Where can I find guidance for planning involvement?
Visit the researcher briefing notes or the wider resource centre.
Need a starting point?
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