World Mental Health Day: Listening to Lived Experience
This World Mental Health Day, professionals across Derby and Derbyshire are encouraged to recognise the value of lived experience in shaping mental health services.
Mental Health Together, a local initiative dedicated to amplifying the voices of those with lived experience, is proud to launch a new resource ‘Promoting the Value of Experts by Experience’.
The resource showcases the work of some of their 32 ‘Experts by Experience’, individuals who bring unique insights from their personal journeys through health and care services.
These experts represent a wide range of backgrounds, including carers, neurodivergent individuals, people from minority communities, and those with long-term mental and physical health conditions.
They offer insights that go beyond clinical knowledge, helping to design and improve services that are truly responsive to the needs of the community.
Their contributions have already made an impact. Experts have co-designed mandatory risk assessment training for clinicians, advised on gatekeeping policies for crisis teams, and helped develop new 24/7 mental health hubs. They’ve trained ward staff on ‘purposeful admissions’, reviewed urgent care services, and participated in staff recruitment for the Living Well service.
Belinda, a transgender woman, uses her experience to advocate for inclusive services and raise awareness of the systemic barriers faced by trans people. Hamza, a Deaf British Muslim man, highlights the intersectional challenges of navigating a system that often overlooks the needs of the Deaf community. Kathryn, a neurodivergent woman, channels her own crisis into a passion for improving services, while Shelagh draws on her experience of being sectioned to promote more compassionate care.
These are just a few examples of the range of experts who can support professionals in shaping services that are more inclusive and effective. Their insights are not only relevant to mental health services but can also provide valuable perspectives across wider health and care systems.
Dean Howells, Chief Nursing Officer, NHS Derby and Derbyshire ICB said “If we want services that truly meet people where they are, we must start by listening to those who have walked the path.
“The insights shared by Experts by Experience encourage us to rethink how we design, deliver, and evaluate care, not just in mental health, but across the entire health and care system.
“As professionals, we have a responsibility to ensure these voices are not only heard but actively embedded in our work.
“I encourage colleagues across Derby and Derbyshire to make use of this resource, reach out to Mental Health Together, and involve these experts in your projects.
“Whether you’re reviewing a service, developing training, or planning a new initiative, their lived experience can help us build services that are not only clinically sound but truly person-centred.”
Mental Health Together invites professionals to explore the new resource and connect with these voices of lived experience. Learn more about the work of Mental Health Together and connect with them via email: ddicb.mentalhealthtogether@nhs.net.
