Lived experience pathway

Community mental health services recognise and appreciate the valuable contribution that people with lived experience (either directly or as a carer) bring to the organisation. We have been increasing our workforce to represent this and plans are in motion to increase our knowledge and experience.

Mersey Care is setting an ambition for the health care system to build positive, trusted and enduring relationships with the individuals and communities we represent, to improve services, support and outcomes for people.

Community mental health services have committed to developing and implementing a Lived Experience Charter, aiming to improve the recruitment and retention of a larger, more diverse, inclusive and representative workforce.

The charter will focus on policy, organisational culture and positive practices to:

• Support open and inclusive recruitment of people with lived experience
• Raise awareness within our organisation of the benefits of employing people with lived experience, barriers faced and how to overcome these
• Provide people with lived experience the support they need from the start of their employment journey
• Develop clear progression pathways for people with lived experience 
• Develop a workplace environment and culture that is free from discriminatory practices, unconscious bias or prejudice
• Share good practice and ensure co-production of our services with people with lived experience.

Current projects

• People with lived experience have contributed to developing Mersey Care’s PROMS (Patient Reported Outcome Measures). This has involved being part of the Centre for Perfect Care Team planning output and delivery including working with volunteers to ensure that PROMS content, delivery and FAQs meet patient and carer’s expectations and needs in a co-produced piece of work
• Harm reduction calls are a ‘test for change’ which focus on making welcome calls to service users who are new to community mental health hubs. The project was developed to reduce harm during the waiting period and involved training staff to have conversations about how people are doing by using DIALOG PROMS. The ‘test’ will be evaluated and submitted to senior leaders with a view to rolling out widely across the division
• Move away from CPA/keyworkers project has developed a co-produced patient information leaflet that explains to patients and carers the move away from the Care Programme Approach to the keyworker model. Volunteers have contributed by participating and leading on developing content as experts by experience in a “You said, we did” approach.