description
| Role: | Expert by Experience Leader |
| Location: | Cheshire and Wirral |
| Payment / Expenses: (according to Rethink Mental Illness policy) | £50 half day agreed activity£100 whole day agreed activityagreed expenses |
About the role:
This is an opportunity to transform treatment and support. Voluntary and community organisations will be working in partnership – together with each other, and together with the NHS and council – so that people experience joined up help in their community that meets their needs.
What is the purpose of the role?
To represent lived experience in considerations and decisions about how support in the community can be best offered to meet people’s needs. The goal is personalised and holistic support that improves the experience and quality of treatment and support for service users, carers and families.
How many roles are there?
There are around 6-9 roles with a mixture of the following responsibilities to work alongside the NHS, VCSE and Local Authorities:
- engaging your local community as part of a team
- membership of working group(s)
- membership of an operational working group
- membership of the decision-making programme board.
What tasks will be involved?
- attending workshops and working group meetings (as you are able to)
- leading community engagement, carrying out research (as agreed)
- regularly communicating with co-production staff.
What are the responsibilities?
- To represent the needs of a diverse range of people with lived experience, including different geographical areas, cultural backgrounds and ethnicity and experiences of mental health care (or lack of)
- To champion innovation and improvement, being ambitious for the mental health and wellbeing of people in Cheshire and Wirral
- To make collaborative decisions and propose solutions and ways forward
- To appreciate different perspectives in the co-production process
- To challenge constructively as trusted and valued partners.
Will there be support and training?
- yes: training in co-production practice and collaborative working will be available
- yes: there will be support available for the participation process.
What skills, knowledge and experience do I need?
Essential:
- some understanding of the needs of people with mental health needs, and carers, in Cheshire and Wirral
- ability to represent a range of communities not just your own
- experience of collaborative working*
- ability to read documents provided in English and sent by email
- ability to attend meetings around Cheshire and Wirral either in person or virtually
- ability to communicate by phone, email (internet video conferencing desirable).
*collaborative working includes: active listening, appreciating different perspectives, positive language, proactive, solutions-focused approach, constructive/sensitive challenging, willingness to compromise/negotiate, enabling emotionally safe environments.
You may also have:
- experience of being a member of a working group, steering group, board, or similar
- experience of engaging people in the community
- experience of lived experience research: (methods, carrying out interviews/focus groups, evaluation)
- knowledge of the health and care system.
We are looking for people that bring a different perspective so that we reflect the communities we are working with, including those from black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds, the traveller community and experience of homelessness or exclusion.
Next steps
If you would like to find out more, or apply for these roles, please send an email to: Sarah Batty on or phone on 07484002015. Thank you.
