Pioneering Care Partnership is working with other partner organisations to support Community Mental Health Transformation for Adults and Older Adults in County Durham.
This partnership aims to change and develop service delivery by giving people more choice and control over their care, helping them live well in their communities.
Meet Sophie, PCP's Local Live Experience Lead for Chester-Le-Street.
"I’m Sophie, I am a Local Lived Experience Lead (part time) for Chester-Le-Street area as part of the Lived Experience Team. I joined PCP in January 2024 (which has flown over). I would like to share my journey to becoming a Local Lived Experience lead with PCP.
I have lived experience of accessing mental health services.
I became an Involvement and Engagement member in 2019 with Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS Foundation Trust using my lived experience to help improve mental health services. It was great to meet with peers with lived experience, having a shared understanding/experiences, supporting each other with compassion, without judgement. The first project I worked on was the Teesside Community Mental Health Transformation from the visioning event to development and delivery. We (lived Experience representatives) won a Health Watch Star Award for ‘Leading the way for change’ (2022).
This work has supported with my recovery, increased my confidence, given me great experience, opportunity to work with lots of amazing people and it has given me hope for the future.
Following a career break, this work has also provided a pathway into paid employment with PCP as Local Lived Experience Lead (Chester-le-Street). I am really grateful for the opportunity to work at PCP and the investment in Lived Experience roles as part of the County Durham Community Mental Health Transformation.
For successful transformation and service improvement, engaging people with lived experience of mental health difficulties is vital, so their voices can help redesign services. Building relationships and trust is a key to our roles and providing a safe space for people to share their experiences with us to help improve services going forward/identifying gaps.
The Community Mental Health Transformation can be challenging at times, it is a huge culture shift, focused on working together as one system to meet the needs of the individual, within complex systems. We are so passionate about this work and the difference we can make to people’s lives and by taking lots of little steps will hopefully make a big difference. Only by working together we can make effective change.
Each member of the team is keen to connect with individuals with lived experience, those who support individuals with lived experience, and organisations with shared interests within their areas.
If you would like to speak to us, please contact livedexperience@pcp.uk.net you can also download our leaflet here for more information."
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