Having A VoiceHaving A VoiceService user involvementService user involvement

Tom Mclean – Service Development Manager

Tony Willis – Constitutional Adviser

Today’s sessionToday’s session

Introductions - Tom and TonyIntroductions - Tom and Tony Having A Voice Having A Voice Service user involvement at HAV-Service user involvement at HAV-

DVDDVD Any questions or comments?Any questions or comments? Contact details and linksContact details and links

What is Having A Voice?What is Having A Voice?

Having A Voice is a voluntary sector Having A Voice is a voluntary sector mental health organisation based in mental health organisation based in East Manchester. East Manchester.

It is open to anyone aged 18 and over, It is open to anyone aged 18 and over, in Manchester and surrounding areas. in Manchester and surrounding areas.

People reach HAV in a number of ways – People reach HAV in a number of ways – through word of mouth, self-referral or through word of mouth, self-referral or sign-posting by services.sign-posting by services.

What is Having A Voice?What is Having A Voice?

Having A Voice is a membership Having A Voice is a membership organisation managed by users, or ex-organisation managed by users, or ex-users of mental health services.users of mental health services.

Currently, 5 staff are employed, most of Currently, 5 staff are employed, most of whom are users or ex-users of services.whom are users or ex-users of services.

HAV is an independent project, and is HAV is an independent project, and is funded through a number of different funded through a number of different grants.grants.

HAV has been running for 17 years.HAV has been running for 17 years.

HAV, recovery and social inclusion – HAV, recovery and social inclusion – what we do:what we do:

A drop-in (peer support) A drop-in (peer support) 1:1 counselling1:1 counselling recovery courses (workshops)recovery courses (workshops) Opportunities – involvement – volunteering etc…Opportunities – involvement – volunteering etc… Media project – produce films to raise awarenessMedia project – produce films to raise awareness Advice (welfare rights etc)Advice (welfare rights etc) Encourage – support… self-advocacyEncourage – support… self-advocacy Training to outside agencies – students etc…Training to outside agencies – students etc… Social activitiesSocial activities

What sort of user involvement?What sort of user involvement?

User led, User runUser led, User run Therefore: Therefore: 'user-centred user 'user-centred user

involvement' involvement' as opposed to as opposed to 'management-centred user involvement‘'management-centred user involvement‘

ManagementManagement CCommittee ommittee come come from from membershipmembership

Members are or have been users of Members are or have been users of mental health servicesmental health services

Involvement in what?Involvement in what?

As workersAs workers As membersAs members As management committeeAs management committee As volunteersAs volunteers As representatives e.g. LITAs representatives e.g. LIT Delivering/facilitating servicesDelivering/facilitating services

As workersAs workers::

Most workers are or have been Most workers are or have been service usersservice users

Sometimes this has been a Sometimes this has been a requirement of the job’s ‘person requirement of the job’s ‘person spec’spec’

Strong and meaningful Strong and meaningful involvement through employmentinvolvement through employment

As membersAs members

Members have a stake in the Members have a stake in the organisation organisation

Members can put themselves Members can put themselves forward for Management forward for Management CommitteeCommittee

Members can vote at AGM and Members can vote at AGM and other meetingsother meetings

As management committeeAs management committee

Management Committee is the Management Committee is the governing body of HAVgoverning body of HAV

They decide priorities and direction They decide priorities and direction of HAVof HAV

They employ paid workers to carry They employ paid workers to carry out certain functionsout certain functions

As volunteersAs volunteers

Volunteers important to HAV: formal Volunteers important to HAV: formal and informaland informal

Volunteers drawn from membership Volunteers drawn from membership Involved in service delivery e.g. Involved in service delivery e.g.

recovery workshops, media project, recovery workshops, media project, counselling servicecounselling service

Informal as peer support – central to Informal as peer support – central to HAVHAV

As representativesAs representatives

During consultations e.g.:During consultations e.g.:

Design of adult mental health directoryDesign of adult mental health directory NSF NSF Local Local IImplementation mplementation TTeameam (LIT)(LIT) Mental health forumsMental health forums

Benefits of involvement:Benefits of involvement:

Setting own objectives and Setting own objectives and prioritiespriorities

Tackling stigma and discriminationTackling stigma and discrimination Social inclusionSocial inclusion RecoveryRecovery Knowledge and skills gainedKnowledge and skills gained Confidence and self-esteemConfidence and self-esteem

So what does this really mean?So what does this really mean?

Short filmShort filmfollowed byfollowed by

Any questions or Any questions or comments?comments?

Tony or TomTony or Tom

Contact detailsContact details

Having A VoiceHaving A Voice

The Venture CentreThe Venture Centre

491 Mill street491 Mill street

ManchesterManchester

M11 2ADM11 2AD

0161 223 44380161 223 4438

www.havingavoice.orgwww.havingavoice.org

tom.mclean@havingavoice.tom.mclean@havingavoice.orgorg