Mental Health Service User Involvement

Lee Colwill – Service Improvement Manager – Mental HealthJustine 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

• 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– 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

• 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?