User panels

A user panel is a group of people who use a service or are part of the community who regularly share their experience to help organisations understand what matters and improve services.

User panels provide ongoing, real‑world insight through consistent, two‑way communication. Panels can be large or small and should strive to include voices from underrepresented groups, ensuring a broad range of lived experiences shapes decisions.

Why use User Panels?

To Consult or Involve small or large groups in person or virtually.
To understand experiences.

To identify solutions.

To generate new ideas.

To generate alternatives.

To hear from underrepresented groups.

What is required?

Duration: There is no set duration for User Panel involvement. User panels can run continuously or be time - limited, with members contributing flexibly rather than attending set meetings. User Panels should be communicated with consistently and align to your engagement plan.
Number of participants/ facilitators: User Panels can range from a small group to hundreds of participants. They are supported by one or two facilitators or named contacts, depending on the level of interaction needed.
Roles required: A facilitator who recruits panel members, organises any engagement activities, such as meetings or surveys, and distributes relevant information to members in appropriate formats and time. The facilitator is responsible for gathering and organising panel feedback.
Equipment: Online User Panels may require tools such as email, surveys, or online communication platforms to gather input. In-person meetings or activities may require meeting spaces with tables and chairs, note‑taking materials, and optional tools like flipcharts or audio -visual equipment to support discussion and capture insights.
Members can also be involved at a distance and choose to share experiences in written format using postal services or over the phone.
Venue: If meetings are taking place in-person, ensure a neutral venue that is accessible, with adequate room size to accommodate the number of panel members.
Online: User Panels may operate digitally, utilising platforms such as Microsoft Teams or Zoom to bring the group together. Email communication and digital whiteboards such as Miro can also be used.
Consent: Consent may be required when collecting personal data or lived‑experience insights, especially if contributions will be recorded, published, or used for service improvement.

How to do it

Step by step process

Define the purpose of the panel, including what insights or lived experiences you want to gather and why. Consider what these insights will inform and how it will contribute to change or improvement in the service.
Recruit members by targeting people who use the service or have relevant experience, their carers and/or families. Consider reaching out through local or third sector services, community networks, and targeted approaches to include underrepresented groups.
Plan the structure by deciding if the panel is short-term or ongoing, how often it will meet or take part in an activity, and in what format (in-person, online, digital engagement, postal engagement).
Prepare members by sharing clear information about the panel’s goals, expectations and how contributions will be used. Be clear and transparent about what you aim to do with feedback and how it will contribute to a wider change or improvement process.
Develop questions or discussion prompts that align with the panel’s purpose. Striving to co-design questions alongside a small group of panel representatives can ensure questions are inclusive, safe, and relevant to the wider group.
Facilitate contributions by running your engagement activity with the panel for an appropriate amount of time, whether it’s a one-off meeting or ongoing survey. Ensure everyone has equitable opportunities to share their experience and what matters to them.
Record and analyse feedback to identify themes, insights, and potential ideas or solutions. Ensure you have given yourself or the team adequate time for this.
Share findings and next steps with participants to show how their input influenced decisions.
Evaluate and refine the process to keep the panel effective, inclusive, and engaging. Consider asking the panel what worked well for them and what could have gone better. Embed learning from this into future panel activities.

Tips

Prepare with purpose. Be clear about what lived‑experience insight you need and design your activities or questions to directly support that aim.

Tailor to panel members' needs. Adapting the format, messaging and methods to accommodate what people need to feel able to contribute. Always use plain English and strive to provide as much notice and supporting information as possible.

Create a welcoming environment. Whether the panel activity is online or in person, aim to set clear expectations and share information transparently. This can build trust and make sure participants feel valued when sharing their experiences.

Facilitate inclusively. Use a variety of ways for people to contribute, such as verbally, in writing, voting, small groups or large events. Using aids, such as Emotional Touchpoint Cards can support people to tell their story, and a Talking Stick may ensure quieter voices have the opportunity to contribute in-person.

Evaluate and close the loop . Gather feedback on the experience, share what you learned and how it influenced decisions, and continuously refine your approach to keep the panel engaging and effective.

Advantages

An opportunity to hear rich stories, personal experiences and insights.
Can help identify gaps, concerns, or blind spots before they become bigger issues.
Supports genuine partnerships between services, organisations and those with lived or living experience and their families and/ or carers.
Often a fast, low-cost way to involve large numbers of people and gather feedback.

Disadvantages

It may be challenging to represent everyone. To truly reflect the community or group of people who use the service, aim to recruit a wide mix of people.
Panel members may drop off if not engaged with regularly. Strive to be consistent with communication and outline expectations early on.
Some panel members may contribute more often or more confidently than others, which can unintentionally drown out quieter or less assertive voices.