Real voices helping shape change in mental health services at NSFT AGM
As World Mental Health Day approaches on Saturday 10 October, Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) is highlighting how the voices and experiences of service users and carers are helping shape improvements to mental health services.
Service users and carers are playing a growing role in shaping mental health services across Norfolk and Suffolk, with their contribution to improvements highlighted at Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust's Annual General Meeting (AGM).
Held at The Mix in Stowmarket on Tuesday 6 October, the AGM brought together members of the public, service users, carers, governors and staff to hear about progress and discuss the changes taking place across the Trust.
Ahead of World Mental Health Day on Saturday, which this year focuses on "Lived experience heard, real voices, real change", NSFT highlighted some of the ways people with lived experience are influencing its improvement work.
The Trust has expanded its Service User and Carer Councils across all five localities, while service users and carers have been involved in its clinical transformation programme, including workshops to help shape neighbourhood mental health services.
The Think Family and Carers programme has also brought staff, service users and carers together to identify practical improvements in how they work together. Learning has fed into wider improvement work, including key policies such as confidentiality, while the Carer's Charter is helping staff to better identify and involve carers.
Trust Chair Zoë Billingham told the AGM: "We know the real change that can happen when we listen to real voices. We are hearing those voices, acting on what we are being told and making meaningful changes.
"I am incredibly grateful for every contribution from our service users, families and carers. Thank you for your time, your honesty and your trust. Your support is influencing our improvement journey and helping us deliver safer, kinder and better care."
Service user Andrew also spoke at the meeting about his experience of working alongside the Care Quality Commission as an expert by experience during inspections.
He said: "Issues and challenges facing the Trust are not unique. These are systemic national issues, but I hope you will continue not only to fight for the improvement of the Trust, which you have clearly been doing, but also to highlight the national and systemic funding and conceptual issues which are impacting negatively on mental health services."
Eric Crossfield, a Public Governor for Suffolk, Deputy Lead Governor and member of the Service User and Carer Council, said it had been encouraging to hear from service users and experts by experience throughout the AGM. He also challenged the Trust to make sure people who give their time and share their experiences hear how their involvement has led to change.
Chief Executive Caroline Donovan said the involvement of service users and carers was increasingly embedded in the Trust's improvement work, including in its clinical transformation programme and the recruitment of new staff.
She said: "Having experts by experience involved in recruitment means our service users feel actively listened to and involved. It also helps us make sure the people we bring into the organisation demonstrate the right values, kindness and compassion.
"But while Trust-wide programmes are really important, nothing can replace involving service users and their families at every team level to improve care."
Alongside the formal AGM, a marketplace gave members of the public the opportunity to meet teams from across NSFT, including Patient Experience, Recovery College and Wellbeing services, find out more about their work and ask questions.
Zoë described the event as "warm and vibrant, exciting and full of hope".