The People’s Forum is run by and for service users to consult with and represent the views of mental health service users across Leicestershire and Rutland.
Our aim is to ensure that you have a voice and that your views, opinions and ideas about mental health services are listened to. Through this we inform and influence the planning and delivery of mental health services.
We can keep you informed and involved through our quarterly newsletter, circulating consultation information and signposting engagement activities.
We meet every month to discuss current mental health issues and we visit wards, and meetings around the county to canvass views and share the work we are doing.
Members benefit from peer support and feel empowered.
To make sure your voice is heard contact the People’s Forum on:
In 2008 mental health service users from Genesis (Leicester City) and the People’s Forum (Leicestershire County and Rutland) embarked on a pilot research study – not only giving service users a voice but being that voice.
From the success of the study came the Service User and Carer Research Audit Network (SUCRAN), led by a Steering Group of service users and carers, with support from De Montfort University, the group now employs a Project Manager and a pool of more than 30 interviewers.
The ethos of the project is that all interviewers are service users and carers themselves. Survey participants feel supported and less intimidated being interviewed by peers and more people opt into the survey thus producing robust evidence based research and enhanced richness of results.
Our aim is to bring about, by our findings, a shift in culture toward service user centered care.
Those involved in the project derive huge benefit too. They are employed as research interviewers by De Montfort University having completed interviews, training, CRB and occupational health checks.
In additional to feeling empowered and gaining valuable work experience service users and carers are supported by peers, the project team, academics, welfare rights and have access to psychological support and interpreter services.
Every stage of the process from questionnaire design to data analysis and report writing is service user and carer led – real involvement.
Volunteering is proven to help maintain a positive mental health and also aid recovery after experiencing a mental health difficulty.
People who take part in volunteering see improvements in their own wellbeing as they have a more active social circle, a sense of feeling valued and also experience an increase in confidence.
It is also a good stepping stone for people who are thinking of getting back into paid employment.
Volunteers get involved in a wide range of roles in the Trust including:
Clare Walker is an expert in the field of domestic abuse & has been training professionals UK wide since 2006.
Clare set up the first Freedom Programme victims support group in Leicester in 2004.
Domestic abuse crosses all classes, ages, ethnicities, religions, cultures, races or lifestyles. The Freedom Programme demystifies domestic abuse in all its entirety.
This is most common in heterosexual intimate relationships, male perpetrator and female victim, but by no means solely.
The Freedom Programme model is based on human behaviours, therefore we can all identify with a lot of the tactics.
The difference in an abusive relationship is that the abuser has an agenda, which is to gain power & control of another.
The first step toward recovery is being able to identify that we’re in an abusive relationship – the Freedom Programme educates us so we can see those relationships for what there are.
Leicestershire Recovery College is a pilot project being developed by Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT) to provide a variety of recovery focussed and educational courses and resources for people with lived mental health experience, for their friends, family and LPT staff.
Courses are delivered by a range of organisations and are designed to contribute to wellbeing and recovery, supporting people to recognise their own resourcefulness and talents in order to become experts in their own self-care, make informed choices and achieve the things they want to in life.
• Courses are available on a range of topics • Understanding/ experience of mental health conditions • Building Your Life • Developing Skills and Knowledge • Physical Health and Wellbeing • Getting Involved
Leicestershire Recovery College is a pilot project being developed by Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT) to provide a variety of recovery focussed and educational courses and resources for people with lived mental health experience, for their friends, family and LPT staff.
Courses are delivered by a range of organisations and are designed to contribute to wellbeing and recovery, supporting people to recognise their own resourcefulness and talents in order to become experts in their own self-care, make informed choices and achieve the things they want to in life.
·Courses are available on a range of topics
·Understanding/ experience of mental health conditions
Trade Sexual Health is a local health charity working with the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans (LGB&T) community of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
We offer a range of support and advice services around sexual health and HIV information, one-to-one emotional and practical support; support in ‘coming out’, sexuality and relationships; and a counselling service run by fully qualified, supervised members of professional counselling bodies (BACP and UKCP).
Trade has always aimed to break down barriers to accessing health services, make a lasting difference to LGB&T people’s life, reduce isolation, stigma and discrimination, and encourage or enable LGB&T people from diverse backgrounds to share in the life of the whole community.
We believe that by providing a wide range of services people are able to make more informed choices about their overall health.
For more information or advice please contact by calling 0116 254 1747
The Leicestershire Culture, Health and Wellbeing Partnership
The Leicestershire Culture, Health and Wellbeing Partnership formed in 2011 to highlight the ways in which culture contributes to wellbeing.
The partnership encourages providers and commissioners of helath, education and social care services to use cultural activity to deliver against their health and wellbeing agendas.
The partnership aims to champion culture, build partnerships, and support the health community in using culture as a means to improve health and wellbeing.
Using the ‘Five Ways to Wellbeing’ as our framework, we demonstrate that taking part in cultural activity improves health and wellbeing through: Connecting, Being Active, Learning, Giving and Taking Notice.
Each October we celebrate the positive effect participation in cultural activities has on the wellbeing of people in LeicesterShire through our Wellbeing Hi-5 events programme.
The Leicestershire Culture, Health and Wellbeing Partnership
The Leicestershire Culture, Health and Wellbeing Partnership formed in 2011 to highlight the ways in which culture contributes to wellbeing.
The partnership encourages providers and commissioners of helath, education and social care services to use cultural activity to deliver against their health and wellbeing agendas.
The partnership aims to champion culture, build partnerships, and support the health community in using culture as a means to improve health and wellbeing.
Using the ‘Five Ways to Wellbeing’ as our framework, we demonstrate that taking part in cultural activity improves health and wellbeing through: Connecting, Being Active, Learning, Giving and Taking Notice.
Each October we celebrate the positive effect participation in cultural activities has on the wellbeing of people in LeicesterShire through our Wellbeing Hi-5 events programme.
Suicide is a problem for society as a whole. It is an individual tragedy, and it also has significant affects on those left behind: family, friends, neighbours, work colleagues, communities.
The Suicide Awareness Partnership Training (SAPT) project aims to increase awareness, and to help remove the stigma which can be an obstacle to people in need of help.
Based at the RCC, SAPT provides half-day training across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland which is open to all; members of the public, as well as those whose work is more likely to bring them into contact with people at greater risk of suicide.
The training addresses attitudes, discusses risk factors, and provides guidance on how to help someone in distress and possibly at risk of suicide.
The training is facilitated either by mental health clinicians or workers from relevant voluntary sector agencies.
If you wish to attend or host a suicide awareness training session, or want to find out more about SAPT, please contact the project manager Mike Wilbur
Widening Horizons is a new approach to drug & alcohol recovery servicing. Aiming to involve service users as much as possible.
Onsite they have Peer mentors who can offer support and help if needed. Members can become Peer mentors after some training.
There is a café to buy affordable food and drink and sit down and chill amongst other members and staff.
We have many groups; Mindfulness , hypnotherapy, Auricular Acupuncture, Arts & Crafts, Poetry & Creative writing, Fathers group, Women’s group, Media Arts & Culture , Job club, Music groups, a Gym, football, and mutual aid groups ( AA-Smart group etc)
Open 6 days a week , it is a comfort to people seeking recovery knowing there is somewhere they can go to be amongst positive friends in a family like surrounding.
Leicester Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Centre
Leicester Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Centre is a voluntary organisation established to support lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
Leicester LGBT Centre recognises that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people face many forms of discrimination and prejudice which can affect the opportunities to be involved, included and valued in society as equals.
The Centre exists to provide a safe social and support space for local LGBT groups to meet in.
The Centre delivers a variety of high quality professional services, from training to organisations on LGBT issues to acting as advocates.
The Centre exists to promote a positive environment that empowers those who are LGBT and educate those who are not.
We provide information on a wide range of subjects that affect LGBT people’s lives, including signposting and referrals to other agencies.
The Centre also houses a telephone helpline on Thursday evenings.
