Connected Service User Involvement Group newsletter - Summer 2025

Welcome to Connected. Connect and Link-ED’s Eating Disorders Service User Involvement Group newsletter! In this issue, you’ll hear about the exciting relaunch of our service user involvement group, the ways your feedback has influenced changes in our service, co-working between Connect and Link-ED and more. Thank you for being part of this important journey—we’re excited to have you with us as we continue to build a more inclusive, supportive, and understanding community.

Service User Involvement Group relaunch: shaping eating disorder support together

Service users and staff share ideas, feedback, and new pathways to build more inclusive, responsive support.

Community Update

At this month’s meeting, staff and people with lived experience came together to share updates and ideas on improving eating disorder support.

Key themes

  • The importance of listening to service users and showing how their feedback leads to change.
  • Calls for more support between diagnosis and treatment, and clearer communication about how treatment decisions are made.
  • Recognition of gaps in support for people with autism and for those from diverse cultural backgrounds.
  • Strong support for peer-led involvement and co-production in developing services.

Looking ahead:

The group is keen to build stronger links with universities, local authorities, and healthcare partners to raise awareness and expand access. Meetings will now take place monthly to keep up momentum.

You Said – We Did

Your ideas help us to make positive changes in our service. Here are some recent examples of how your feedback has directly improved our patient experience.

You Said… …We did!
‘I found that in the big group, tasks such as the blob tree, were not very engaging. I didn’t feel like I could gain much feedback surrounding my feelings and felt I lost a bit of the connectivity with the group.’ Our group facilitators trialled alternative check-in methods such as body scans and emotional identification.
‘Some heads up to what the review will be about?’ We are drafting guidance on what to expect in a review which will be sent to patients prior to their reviews.
‘I do find that in the group sessions I don’t feel I can talk about issues that are having an effect on me…’ We thought about adaptations to our welcome packs for eCBT-E and Mantra therapy groups. We will highlight the role of 1:1s and how to use these to discuss issues that you may not feel comfortable discussing in the group setting. We will also encourage clinicians and service users to collaborate when setting the agenda at the start of a 1:1 session.
‘For example I have complicating factors relating to sexual assault, sexual behaviour (using casual sex as a coping mechanism) and use of illicit substances…’ This feedback identified an area for development for the team. After reflecting on this in a team meeting, we are in the process of reaching out to the Rainbow Alliance to think about resources and information for staff that can be used with service users. We also thought about new ideas for our group programme that prioritised intersectional experiences.

Have your say! Service Development Survey

CONNECT’s TEA pathway

What is the TEA pathway?

We are in the process of developing a treatment pathway within CONNECT for eating disorders in autistic people (Treatment of Eating disorders in Autistic people = ‘TEA’).

We know that eating disorders are more common among autistic people, and also autistic people’s experience of eating disorders and their treatment can differ greatly to a non-autistic person’s experience. In CONNECT, we have recognised a need for adaptations in our treatment approach and environment to better support autistic people working with the service.

The overall purpose of the TEA pathway is to improve and optimise CONNECT’s treatment approach for autistic people with eating disorders. We hope this leads to a more positive and effective treatment and recovery experience for autistic service users.

Service user involvement

Thank you so much to all service users who have been involved so far and taken the time to share their experiences and ideas for the pathway. We are very appreciative of your help; your input has been invaluable and will help us develop a pathway that is meaningful, effective and informed by
lived experience.

Next steps

We are amid putting everything together and incorporating feedback, and then will share the
pathway ideas with the wider team ahead of starting to use it. More updates to come in the near
future!

Link-ED specialise in supporting individuals with disordered eating by offering psychoeducation, guidance and support through
groups and 1-1 sessions.

Structured Groups

Six weeks; held on Microsoft Teams. Our groups support you to explore key recovery topics in a safe and supportive space.

  • Body Image Awareness
  • Occupational Therapy Group
  • Dietetic Group
Drop-In Sessions

One-to-one space to reflect, ask questions, and
get extra support between group sessions.

Open Access Pathway
  • email Virtual CONNECT for links
  • Weekly virtual Support Group The Hub: for people with experience of disordered eating, to speak with other people who have experienced/are experiencing the same (Tues 2-3.30, Teams and Twilight Hub first Wednesday of every month)
  • Our Instagram page: @ConnectLYPFT
  • Carers’ group: for people who support someone with experience of disordered eating, for example friends, family and carers (first Wednesday of every month, 7-8, Teams)

“The support that I have been provided by this service has been no less than phenomenal. Before I began sessions, I always believed that I was hopeless and could never recover or experience happiness again. I feel not only heard but understood by my support workers who are the most wonderful people I have ever met. They are compassionate, empathetic and full of fantastic advice and knowledge! I feel that not only I have learned a lot from them but they have learned from me, also. The one-to-one sessions and the group sessions are each wonderful in their own unique way. It has been incredibly helpful to meet other people who have experienced the same struggles as me on their journey. Thanks to the group sessions, I do not feel so alone or ashamed. Overall, my experience with this service has not just been ‘positive,’ it is so much more than that. It has realistically saved my life. I have been transformed from a hollow shell into a person whose world is full of hope and joy. I never thought that I would be able to see the world in so much colour ever again!”

Access, Engagement and Inclusion Update

Our Clinical Engagement, Access and Inclusion Coordinator updates us on her current priorities.

“In order to improve access from culturally diverse communities, l have been reaching out to South Asian communities in deprived areas of Bradford and Leeds. The main aim for engagement is to raise awareness about eating disorders , how people can access Connect and remove barriers to accessing the service. We are currently waiting to hear from Bradford Primary Care network as we are working with GP and healthcare professionals to remove barriers to accessing Connect and empowering them to work in a culturally sensitive manner.

We are reaching out to university with regards to training . We also have stalls For freshers week at universities. Having a lived experience volunteer for training and fresher’s stalls will be great. If any one is interested let us know.

I am also doing an equality delivery system assessment for CONNECT Community on behalf of the Health Equity team and this will require me talking to service users and lived experience peers about their experiences and whether the service provided was equitable to everyone. I will be looking at feedback given and actions taken in response.”

Join the Service User Involvement Group

Want to get involved?

We believe that people who access eating disorder services have a unique insight into the type of support that is needed and are therefore vital in developing better services. We want to use this expertise and experience to help us design, plan, deliver and improve CONNECT community and inpatient services. We are looking for individuals who are currently receiving input from our service,or who have in the past, to share their ideas and opinions and to get involved in various projects.

How to get involved?

If you are interested in getting involved then please contact – CONNECT Involvement.You will be required to fill in a consent form and will be added to the mailing list where allopportunities to be involved are circulated. If you want to know more about how the involvementgroup works, please feel free to email with any questions.

Commitment

We don’t require any specific commitment to be part of the group, you can pick and choose whatyou might be interested in getting involved in. We want to provide the forum and opportunities for people to be involved in a way that works for them.

Service User Involvement Group meetings

Currently, we are meeting monthly on Microsoft Teams. It is a safe and supportive space where we discuss and share ideas and work on making effective changes to both the CONNECT and Link-ED services. If you would like to attend or know more please email CONNECT Involvement.


Page last updated: 25th Sep 2025 11:49am