Changing Our Lives is an organisation based in the West Midlands that works in co-production with people with mental health problems and learning disabilities of all ages, to achieve equality and inclusion in health and find solutions to social injustice. The Mental Health People’s Parliament is run by Changing Our Lives in Sandwell and is made up of experts with experience of mental health crisis and Changing Our Lives leaders. The People’s Parliament have been supported to develop an action plan to meet the requirements set out by the Crisis Care Concordat. One of the main focus areas of the action plan was on providing more community-based support for people in mental health crisis.
Sandwell Mental Health People’s Parliament (Changing Our Lives)
Changing Our Lives is an organisation based in the West Midlands that works in co-production with people with mental health problems and learning disabilities of all ages, to achieve equality and inclusion in health and find solutions to social injustice.
The Mental Health People’s Parliament is run by Changing Our Lives in Sandwell and is made up of experts with experience of mental health crisis and Changing Our Lives leaders. The People’s Parliament have been supported to develop an action plan to meet the requirements set out by the Crisis Care Concordat. One of the main focus areas of the action plan was on providing more community-based support for people in mental health crisis. The Parliament has two main aims: to hold decision makers, such as directors and commissioners, to account for improvements in services and to work in partnership with these decision makers and the wider community to co-design and co-develop solutions which put people in greater control of their own lives, resulting in improved quality of life and social inclusion.
The People’s Parliament have worked to develop a set of Quality of Life Mental Health Standards that aim to ensure that all people get good quality support that promotes good mental health and wellbeing. The standards were developed to describe the experience that people should expect from mental health services. As Sandwell is a very ethnically diverse area, the local authority is working closely with the People’s Parliament to develop new services that cater to the needs of local BAME communities. The Parliament is also working with community groups, councillors and services to develop community places of safety, where people can have the chance to talk, unwind and be signposted to more specialised help, where it is needed.
