Over the past year we've been lobbying mental health providers on four ‘wishes’ for improving services in the area. We’ve been delighted at the response: not only have carers, service users and professionals from across Manchester signed up in support of it, but Manchester Mental Heath and Social Care Trust have agreed to write a formal response. One of the wishes - putting carers and services users at the heart of service design – is high on the political agenda right now with talk of ‘co-design’ of services and the Health White Paper promising to put patients at the heart of our healthcare provision. To explore what this means in practice and how carers and service users can influence this agenda, we're holding an event, ‘Mental health: putting carers and service users at the centre’. With speakers from Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust and more this is a chance to get informed, discuss issues and take part in our campaigning work. The free event will take place
We are a volunteer run support group for anyone in Manchester who is affected by severe mental illness, whether as a carer or service user. We are affiliated to the national charity Rethink Mental Illness.