Being the difference BEING-THE-DIFFERENCE

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Experiences of being involved with Derbyshire Voice

Introduction

Derbyshire Voice is a service receiver led and managed charity operating throughout Derby City and Derbyshire. They promote and support the views and opinions of receivers of mental health servicers.

Central to Derbyshire Voice’s philosophy is the belief that services must always be developed and designed in partnership with those who will be in receipt of them. Derbyshire Voice seeks to give people a real and meaningful input into how services are run.

There are many ways people can become involved with Derbyshire Voice. Members of the organisation are kept up to date with the reality of day to day service provision through bi-monthly newsletter. Their representatives are then paid to attend strategic meetings relating to mental health services in Derbyshire and represent the views of both current and past service receivers.

Recently a reading group has been developed which studies mental health trust policies and documents, providing comments and suggestions for improvements. Also a ward visitor project has been set up in order to gather ‘real time’ feedback from current service receivers at both the Hartington and Radbourne psychiatric units in Chesterfield and Derby City respectively.

I came to work for Derbyshire Voice as part of my flexi placement while on the NHS Graduate Management Scheme. As part of my placement I was asked to head a project centering around how involvement with Derbyshire Voice has affected both service receivers and also NHS staff members.

Working on this publication has really helped me to understand how important involvement is and how much service receivers can contribute to service improvement. Interview’s for the book were all carried out individually, yet there are common themes that run throughout; such as the positive impact involvement with Derbyshire Voice has had upon confidence levels, communication, life skills and support networks.