Who we are
From engaging with the local community to working with our Experts by Experience, we are always working towards improving mental health services for everyone in Derby and Derbyshire.
We are the commissioned mental health engagement service for Derby and Derbyshire. Our purpose is to support local people to improve mental health services by sharing their experiences.
An important way for us to do this is to support people with their own lived experience of mental health challenges to volunteer as ‘Experts by Experience’.
Experts by Experience bring with them many experiences and skills which they put to good use. Our team works to support them and find opportunities for their voice and wisdom to be heard and acted upon.
But you don’t have to become a formal Expert by Experience to share your feedback about mental health services. You can simply tell us your experience and we will use it to build up a picture of what’s working well and what isn’t. Our Experts and the MHT team will use it to influence changes for the better.
Our role in more detail
Informing our membership
Because ‘knowledge is power’ we try to keep our membership up to date. This is done through our e-bulletins, social media platforms and newsletters. We provide timely information on service developments and opportunities for people to have their say.
Gathering feedback about services
We encourage our volunteer Experts and our wider membership to tell us how well services are meeting their needs. Feedback is used in different ways to shape and influence service design and delivery.
Supporting Experts improve services
We provide individual support and peer support meetings for our Expert volunteers. They share their experiences and provide invaluable advice to those who are designing and delivering services.
Championing involvement
We promote the involvement of the voice of lived experience across the mental health system. We also highlight barriers to involvement and produce tools to educate and inspire, like our Good Practice Guide.
Meet the Team
Meet the team who are supporting Experts by Experience to create improvements to mental health services in Derbyshire.
How you can connect with us:
If you would like to tell us about your experience of mental health services complete our online feedback form.
If you’d prefer to speak to a member of the team, contact us directly. We would love to hear from you.
If you would like to find out more about becoming an Expert by Experience please visit our volunteering section.