Get involved
There are lots of ways that you can get involved with our Trust. You can help us to improve our services by giving feedback, by providing support to others or becoming a member or a governor. There are lots of other exciting involvement opportunities such as, taking part in planning and research projects, joining steering groups and helping us to recruit the right people for the right jobs.
Whatever level of expertise and knowledge you have, or how much time you can spare, your contribution will be invaluable. All you need is an interest in mental health and learning disabilities services and plenty of enthusiasm! As well as helping us to develop our services, you could learn some new skills and improve your own confidence. Take a look at some of the ways you can get involved by clicking on the menu in this section.
Join our Trust as a member
As an NHS Foundation Trust we have freedom from central government which allows us to shape the future of our services locally to meet the needs of service users and the local community. You can have real input into shaping the future of your local NHS services by becoming a member.
Become a volunteer at our Trust
Our volunteers make a huge difference to our service users and work alongside our staff to support the work of our Trust.
Our volunteers come from many walks of life and contribute such a valuable service to our Trust. They genuinely care about the lives of others and provide their time free of charge to support our service users in their recovery, helping to bring new interests into the lives of those who may be in hospital or who could need a little help with their day-to-day lives following a period of being unwell.
Join our Service User Network (SUN) or your local SUNRAYS group
Our Service User Network (SUN) gives a voice to service users and their carers who access our Trust services.
SUN meetings are held monthly and there is a welcoming and friendly atmosphere.
Find out more about joining SUN
SUNRAYS
SUNRAYS is an intiative designed to bring together people with lived experience to help improve local mental health and learning disability services, focusing on specific local areas.
Find out more about joining a SUNRAYS group in your local area
Become a governor at our Trust
Our Council of Governors is the voice of the people in helping to shape our services and it plays a vital role in our governance structure. The role of a governor is to provide a link between our local community and our Board of Directors.
They are a ‘critical friend’ giving their support to our Trust whilst keeping an eye over our performance against targets and standards.
Get creative with the Arts and Minds Network
The Arts and Minds Network brings people together to share creativity, knowledge and resources so that arts can flourish in health and social care settings.
The network is open to everyone with an interest in the role of arts in health. A wide range of people are involved, including those with personal experience of receiving health services, carers, health and social care professionals, artists and many others. New members are welcome and it’s free and easy to join.
Find out more about getting creative with the Arts and Minds Network
Share your views on our learning disability services with Your Health Matters
The Your Health Matters project is a partnership between people with learning disabilities and our Trust.
Project members get involved in activities that encourage and support them to adopt a healthy lifestyle. The project lets other people know about being healthy and what members have learned by helping to develop resources that they share using the project website and social media.
Our learning disability services also have an Involvement Team who host the easy on the i service.
Find out more about easy on the i by visiting the service’s page
Our Involvement Team makes sure service users have the chance to get involved in:
- making sure our information is easy to understand
- checking that our services are very good
- making changes to the service
- choosing the people who work for them
- training the people who work for them.
Find out more about getting involved in our learning disabilities service user projects
Join our People's Panel
Our People’s Panel is a team of service users and carers who have experience of using Trust mental health services. You will work alongside staff during interviews to champion the values needed for improving health and lives.
Help from Experts by Experience for Researchers (HEER)
The Help from Experts by Experience for Research (HEER) was formed to ensure that research done in our Trust reflects the needs and concerns of service users, their carers and friends and family and provide researchers with an opportunity to involve public, service user/patient and carer involvement in their research.
Find out more about Help from Experts by Experience for Researchers (HEER)