Mental Health Service User
Involvement
Lee Colwill – Service Improvement Manager – Mental Health
Justine Keeble – Chair of Clarity & Service User
Why are we here
• Recognise that mental health service user
involvement in the work of North Somerset
CCG is below par.
• Starting work to change that and improve the
level of MH SU involvement / engagement.
• Seeking your views on how to better involve
mental health service users in the work of
health and social care.
Aims of this work
• “Parity of esteem”; “no decision about me, without me”
• Improving MH services through a strong service user voice
and participation.
• Developing service user involvement in shaping
service/pathway developments, and improving health
outcomes for people in North Somerset
• Valuing service user time and effort.
• Supporting engagement and involvement with local
scrutiny structures – e.g. partnership boards, governing
bodies etc.
• Ensuring service users in North Somerset feel informed, are
aware of how they can feed back to North Somerset CCG,
and are confident that these issues will be heard.
Existing picture of MH service user
involvement in North Somerset
• North Somerset User Carer Forum - CCG
• Independent SU groups – Clarity - WSM,
Moving Forward - Nailsea
• Organisation-led groups e.g. AWP Recovery
College
• Primary Care Liaison Service (PCLS) service
user-led evaluation
• AWP Safewards project
Examples from elsewhere
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Learning Disabilities Group
Healthwatch,
WSUN – physical & MH issues
Patient Participation Groups – GP Practices
SURF – North Somerset Drug and Alcohol
Service Users
What our is our ideal model?
• Learning Disabilities Group
• Almost entirely self-sufficient
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Start-up investment / pump-prime
Slow and steady development
Retaining large degree of autonomy
Solid infrastructure / consistent admin & support – via
People First
• Commissioned to deliver discrete pieces of work
– Consultations – providing MH voice and input into the
commissioning cycle / planned service changes
– Service Evaluations
Key Issues
• Support for service users wishing to be involved
• Regular communication – via email, post –
updates on the group’s work, dates and times of
meetings,
• Administrative support – to facilitate meetings,
correspondence with members, troubleshoot
issues e.g. transport issues to attend meetings
• Financial recognition – appropriate remuneration
for the time and efforts of participating SUs
Questions for the group – Part 1
• What are the biggest challenges for
organisations to overcome to promote good
quality SU involvement?
• From your perspective what are the biggest
challenges for SUs wanting to be involved?
Questions for the group – Part 2
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How would you set this up?
How would you get the message out?
How would you get members?
How would you keep members interested?
What areas of MH services would you want
the group to focus on?