Influencing local decision makers

A toolkit for hospices to help influence decision-makers at a local and national level, and ensure that palliative and end of life services are placed firmly on decision-making agendas

A toolkit for hospices to help influence decision-makers at a local and national level, and ensure that palliative and end of life services are placed firmly on decision-making agendas.

Introduction

Hospice UK works to influence the development of national policy about palliative and end of life care. 

Local influencing is just as critical as national engagement. It helps you fulfil your mission, raise your profile, build partnerships and create new opportunities.

By working together to influence decision-makers at a local and national level, we can help ensure that palliative and end of life services are placed firmly on decision-making agendas.

What is influencing?

Influencing is the process of persuading others to help you effect meaningful change. It can be a powerful tool to help you:

  • amplify your voice
  • advocate for your services, communities and the wider sector 
  • raise awareness of your skills, expertise, solutions and services
  • build new partnerships and grow local networks
  • create new opportunities and reach more people
  • secure funding and investment.

This can seem like a daunting process. We’ve put together some step-by-step information to help you effectively engage with and influence your local decision-makers.

Planning

Before you start any influencing work, you need to plan how you’re going to do it. This will help make sure you are working in a co-ordinated way, targeting the right people and using consistent messaging.

Find out how making an influencing plan will help you clarify your purpose, decide who you need to talk to and understand your audience

Local influencing: deciding who to talk to

Find out how making an influencing plan will help you clarify your purpose, decide who you need to talk to and understand your audience.
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Join the conversation and be a part of Hospice UK's work to build a vibrant community championing hospice, palliative and end of life care

Local influencing: what to say and how to go about it

Get help to decide how best to engage with your stakeholders, including clarifying your message, deciding on your approach and getting the timing right.
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Patient and healthcare worker

Understanding the health and care system

An introduction and overview of all of the health and care systems in the UK, including how they are structured, health and care policy and guidance, and palliative and end of life...
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Making your voice heard

Now you’ve decided what you’re going to do, you need to get your voice heard! There are different ways you can do this.

Find out why collaboration has become more important to the health and care system, and look at some of the key considerations for forming a collaboration

Working together to influence local decision makers

Find out why collaboration has become more important to the health and care system, and look at some of the key considerations for forming a collaboration.
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Influencing through local media and social media

Influencing through local media and social media

An example of how one hospice leveraged the media to help influence commissioners, highlighting some key lessons for public campaigning.
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A stock image of the Houses of Parliament

Working with politicians and the media

Find out how hospices can work with politicians and the media to raise awareness of the issues affecting our sector.
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Evidencing your impact

To get the most out of your influencing work, you need to present evidence to back up your case.

Local influencing: how to evidence your impact

Local influencing: how to evidence your impact

Get information about assessing local needs, demonstrating what you can offer, and tools to help get your impact across.
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Stock photo of a laptop to advertise our PopNAT tool

PopNAT

PopNAT is our interactive tool that brings together publically listed population data in one place. It helps providers, commissioners and others across health and care to understan...
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Support at the end of life: The role of hospice services across the UK

Hospice Activity Data, May 2022

Our report with the Nuffield Trust sets out figures on the reach and impact of hospice care across the country. This can help set your own data and local influencing work in contex...
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Measuring outcomes stock photo

Analysing Patient Centred Outcome Measures with PCOM360

The PCOM360 tool helps palliative care services analyse and display Patient Centred Outcome Measures (PCOMs)
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A discussion about how data can help hospices tell their story within a national context

Data: the pitfalls, the power and the story

Watch the recording of a session from our National Conference in 2023, where we discussed how can data can help hospices tell their story within a national context.
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The Houses of Parliament at Westminster at sunset

Policy and influencing

As the national charity for death, dying and bereavement, Hospice UK champions better palliative and end of life care for all by working to influence government and NHS policy.

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Get in touch

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