Mental Health Involvement and Development is about ensuring that the experiences, views and ideas of people affected by mental ill health help inform and shape the development, delivery and improvement of mental health services, support and policy. People with lived experience, unpaid carers and family members bring valuable knowledge and insight and should have meaningful opportunities to influence decisions that affect them. Alongside this, mental health development involves working with organisations, services and wider partners to strengthen existing provision, identify opportunities for improvement, develop new approaches and support a stronger, more connected mental health sector.
Our Mental Health Involvement and Development Officer works alongside people with lived experience, unpaid carers and family members, as well as organisations, services and wider partners, to:
- Provide information, guidance and support to enable meaningful participation in mental health involvement and development.
- Create and promote opportunities for people to share their experiences, views and ideas and influence change.
- Support people to have their voices heard in the planning, development, delivery and review of mental health services and support.
- Promote meaningful involvement, participation and co-production across mental health services and organisations.
- Support people to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to participate effectively in involvement opportunities.
- Develop accessible opportunities for people to provide feedback and contribute to service improvement.
- Promote equality, diversity and inclusion to help ensure involvement opportunities are accessible, inclusive and representative.
- Work with organisations, services and stakeholders to identify needs, opportunities and priorities for mental health development.
- Support third sector organisations and other partners to develop, strengthen and improve mental health services and support.
- Provide advice, guidance and practical support to organisations seeking to develop their services, approaches and ways of working.
- Support organisations to identify opportunities for collaboration, partnership working, shared learning and service development.
- Help promote and raise awareness of relevant mental health services, support and opportunities available within communities and across the sector.
- Contribute to the development of new approaches, resources and opportunities that respond to identified needs and gaps in provision.
- Support the sharing of good practice, learning, information and resources across the mental health sector.
- Facilitate meetings, groups, forums and other opportunities that bring people, organisations and services together to share experiences, identify priorities and develop solutions.
- Support people in involvement roles, including participation in meetings, consultations, planning activities, recruitment processes and other appropriate opportunities.
- Develop and share accessible information, resources and learning to support involvement, participation and service development.
- Contribute to the development and sharing of good practice in mental health involvement, engagement, co-production and service development.
- Provide appropriate one-to-one and group support to people taking part in involvement and development activities.
- Build effective relationships with people, communities, organisations and services to identify and develop opportunities for involvement and wider sector development.
- Encourage services and organisations to listen to, value and respond to the experiences and perspectives of people affected by mental ill health.
- Support organisations to consider lived experience and community perspectives when developing, reviewing and improving their services.
- Help strengthen connections across the mental health sector by encouraging partnership working, communication and the sharing of knowledge and expertise.
