New forum for mental health care

People needing mental health support, their families and carers are being invited to join a forum to help shape future help in Norfolk.

The Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) is creating a Service User and Carer Council.

The Project Lead for the Service User and Carer Council’s development, Lucy North, said:

“The council’s mission is to ensure that service users and carers are central to all our activities at NSFT through high-quality involvement and engagement.”

What will it do?

The council will include service users, families and carers who have experience of accessing or supporting others accessing mental health services in Norfolk and Suffolk.

They can take part in discussions about:

the quality of care

their experience

how things are monitored and can be improved

The forum will tie in with other changes being made including new Locality Councils which  advise and help people getting support from NSFT and their carers in their local areas.

Lucy said: “We would really like to hear what people think the council’s key priorities and goals should be, and how best we can support those in joining the council as a member.”

Chief nurse Anthony Deery said it was vital to have those accessing help,  their families, and carers at the forefront of improvements.

He said: “We need to make sure that theirs is the voice we hear when we work towards making NSFT a safer, kinder, and better organisation.

“They are the experts in their own health, and they are the people we need to listen to.”

How can you get involved?

There are seven positions open to any resident in Norfolk or Suffolk who are:

  • receiving mental healthcare services, either currently or within the past five years,
  • or people with experience of supporting a person receiving
  • or having received mental healthcare services within the past five years.

Applications close at 11.59pm on Sunday 11 August. To apply, complete this short form: https://forms.office.com/e/BuE02nJ6gu

People can also leave feedback using an online form accessed via this link https://forms.office.com/e/m7aJxXKy75

If you would like to find out more information about the Service User and Carer Council, email [email protected]