Service User Involvement
How can a service user get involved in Birmingham Mind?
Improving Mind
The Improving Mind group aims to do exactly what its name says. If Birmingham Mind has a new policy it is considering or new documents it wants service users to use, they come to Improving Mind to consult service users and make changes to them based on service users, ideas and experiences.
But it is not just Mind that brings things to discuss, service users put issues on the agenda as well.
How many people are in this group?
Average attendance is 20 people.
How do I find out more?
You can contact the facilitator directly yourself (or ask a member of staff to get in touch first). The facilitator can come out to see you to talk about the group. If you decide you would like to be involved with Improving Mind, you are sent information every month about the next meeting (this can be sent to your home, or to a Mind service for you to collect it).
Where does it meet and when?
The group meets at 17, Graham Street, Hockley, B1 3JR (Bus No.101) on the first Thursday of every month.
How long are the meetings?
The meetings start at 1.30 pm and are normally 2 hours long, the group takes a break at about 2.30 pm. If you need to get up and get a drink or have a walk around that is fine.
Do I get paid for coming to this group?
Yes, you are paid minimum wage (which is currently £5.80 an hour) for your work at the group and for your travel expenses for getting to and from the meeting.
Which staff members, are at the meeting?
The Director of Operations represents Birmingham Mind at the meeting, to explain why a policy or document is being suggested, the Director is also available at 1 pm before each meeting so you can discuss issues not on the meeting agenda with him. The other staff member at the meeting is the facilitator, who takes the notes of the meeting.
What happens if I can not get to a meeting one month, or if I start a job or go to college?
All the members of Improving Mind are giving up their own time to come to the meetings, so there is no problem if you cannot come one month, just come next time if you can, you will still be very welcome. Mind hopes getting involved can increase your confidence and help you take steps towards what you want in your life. If you start work, college or if something else becomes more important to you that is good, Mind thanks you for your contribution to the group and you will certainly not be letting anyone down.
“You in Mind” Newsletter Group
A smaller group of members of the Improving Mind group, work on a newsletter for the group, if you join the Improving Mind group there will be opportunity to join the newsletter group. Work at the newsletter group is paid at the same hourly rate as Improving Mind meetings and you are paid for your travel costs when you go to these meetings. Contact Ralph on: 07999 947 850.
Policy Review Group
The Policy review group has been formed by members of the Improving Mind group that have a greater interest in working on the detail of Birmingham Mind Policies & procedures. Please contact the numbers below to find out about meetings of this group.
Being a service user representative, on Birmingham Mind’s Committees:
Birmingham Mind has in recent years changed the structure of how it is run (this is sometimes called the Governance structure).
As part of this change Birmingham Mind has worked to ensure that there are service user representatives on each of the new committees.
Service user representatives are currently involved in a review of how the first 12 months of service user representatives membership of committees has gone. This is to find out how the service user representatives felt about their involvement and see what has and has not worked and if any more support and/or training is needed.
The Committees are:
· Executive Committee
· Finance and General Purposes Committee
· Clinical Governance Committee
· Day/Support Services Sub Committee
· Residential Care Sub Committee
If you would like to find out more about becoming a service user representative on one of these committees, please contact the Service User Facilitator.
There are many other ways you can get involved, you can:
- • Take part in interviews for new staff (training is available to support you to do this), this is paid involvement work
- • Take part in quality standard meetings. This is paid involvement work
- • Attend tenants meetings or residents or members meetings, to get involved in the service you get support from
- • Attend working groups that meet to complete a task. This is paid involvement work
Please ask Mind staff at the service you get support from about opportunities to get involved in the above ways.
Training Courses
Birmingham Mind runs many training courses, they include: “Working with voices”, “Understanding self harm”, “Mental health awareness” and many more. All service users are able to attend these training courses, it’s just a case of booking a place, by ringing the facilitator on the numbers below (you can ask a member of staff to ring and book your place if you prefer). You will be paid for your travel expenses to get to the training course.
Please ask about anything you feel you will need to feel safe and comfortable at the training course.
Birmingham Mind positively encourages service users to become people who can deliver all or part of a training course, your life experience could give you a knowledge and expertise that members of staff may not have, please speak to the facilitator or the volunteers or a member of staff if you would be interested in getting involved in presenting training courses (Birmingham Mind will offer you support to do this).
If, you have any questions about involvement in Birmingham Mind, you can ring the Facilitator Mike Jeffries On: 07876 034 204 or 0121 608 8001.Or you can speak to a member of Mind staff that you know. Or if you know a service user who is involved, why not ask them what they think of it?
Call Mike Jeffries on 0121 608 8001 to find out more or download more details and our current payment policy (PDF file on service user payments policy)
