Mind in Brighton and Hove: Service User Involvement

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"As Service User Consultants we meet once a month, which I always find very interesting and informative. All of this has improved my confidence and self-esteem. I really feel that it’s a great way of getting our own voices/experiences heard and to challenge any bad practice in the system. The great thing about it is that you can become involved as much or as little as you wish"

Service User Consultant

"We found the contribution of the Service User Consultants invaluable. It was a really good use of our time and we will be implementing changes to our service in line with comments made on the day."

Mental Health Service Provider - Day Hospitals

The Service User Involvement Project works with service users by encouraging, supporting, empowering and enabling them to become involved in the health and social issues affecting their lives. We believe that service users are best placed to consult on how services should respond to their needs.

Mind in Brighton and Hove has five main areas of Service User Involvement:

	The LiVE Project
	You’ve got to Involve to Evolve
	West Sussex Service User Involvement
	Service User Representation

The LiVE Project
The LiVE Project runs a Service User Consultancy Group which trains and supports its members to become Service User Consultants. Service User Consultants:

	attend meetings as ‘experts by experience’
	train mental health staff
	are involved in recruitment and selection
	are consulted on their views about services (focus groups, surveys etc)
	utilise their unique experiences in a way to improve mental health services for themselves and others

Currently, there are Service User Consultants on the Women’s Mental Health Network, the Community Mental Health Team Review Task Group, the Vocational Strategy Forum, and as ‘Ward Reps’ in Regency Ward at Mill View.

The Service User Consultants meet once a month for support and information swapping, as well as having invited speakers occasionally.

The LiVE Project also facilitates The LiVE Session, a quarterly open forum providing people with mental health support needs the opportunity to speak with senior management of local statutory services such as the local NHS Trust and the Primary Care Trust. The agenda for this forum is set by service users.

You’ve Got to Involve to Evolve
‘You’ve Got to Involve to Evolve’ is a service user involvement awareness training workshop which can be delivered to service providers. The facilitators of this training are the service user involvement worker and a service user consultant.

West Sussex Service User Involvement
A project covering the whole county working with young people to improve participation and involvement with West Sussex CAMHS. This is currently a pilot project until June 2006. We hope to get funding for the longer term.

Service Opening Hours
The Brighton and Hove Service User Involvement Projects operate 9am-5pm on Monday-Thursday. Please click here for contact details.

The West Sussex Service User Involvement Project operates 9am - 5pm on Monday-Friday. Please click here for contact details.

Project Funding
The Brighton and Hove Service User Involvement projects are funded by Brighton and Hove Primary Care Trust. The West Sussex Service User Involvement project is funded by West Sussex Children’s Trust.

Downloads
What is the LiVE Session?
LiVE Session Minutes
Day Hospital Review
LiVE Poster
Service User Charter


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