Positive partnership for the Self Harm Pathway

The team developing training on self harm support want to share news of a great partnership with a community forensic service user: bringing lived experience into the design stages for the first time.

Keighley (pictured with her back to the camera here) joined Georgia Konstantinou (consultant psychologist) and Melissa Sheffield (reducing restrictive practice lead for MH division) at Hollins Park to co-facilitate the Self-Harm Pathway training for staff from across the division.

Keighley wrote and delivered her own PowerPoint presentation about her personal journey through acute and secure services. She shared knowledge with staff and explained how the way staff respond to self-harm incidents is vital in supporting service users develop less harmful coping strategies.

Facilitators received positive feedback from everyone on the training. Comments on the evaluation forms included: “ALWAYS having an expert by experience – very helpful”, “It was really good – Loved the expert by experience and hearing everyone’s discussions”, “Having a service user in the session was good insight into the patients’ point of view” and “it was great and helped to hear someone else’s experience”. Every participant rated the training as 10/10 for interest and relevance!

Keighley plans to continue to deliver this on a three monthly basis with support from the specialist community forensic team.