News Public advisor workshop puts the voice of service users and carers at the heart of mental health research
The Mental Health Research for Innovation Centre (M-RIC) has set up a new monthly workshop to ensure that service users, carers and representatives from the third sector play a vital role in shaping research plans.
M-RIC launched earlier this year after Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Liverpool received £10.5 million government funding to carry out ground-breaking mental health research.
The new workshop, which takes place in Liverpool City Centre, has been set up for M-RIC public advisors. Public advisors are people from a diverse range of backgrounds who have been recruited because they have lived experience of mental health services and treatments.
As well as the monthly workshop, there will also be many other opportunities which public advisors can get involved in if they wish. These include meetings and workshops about specific mental health topics they may be interested in and community events to promote M-RIC.
M-RIC public advisors at the workshop on 14 November 2023
Gail Faragher, Public Engagement Research Coordinator for M-RIC said:
“We understand the importance of involving people with lived experience of current mental health services and treatments in our research journey. Our monthly public advisor co-production meetings offer a welcoming and friendly environment where people can meet and learn more about our plans and help shape and inform them so we can truly make a difference in improving mental healthcare.”
Don Bryant is an M-RIC public advisor. He added:
“As public advisors, we are the voice of service users and carers in M-RIC research. We are not research experts, but we have the drive and enthusiasm to get involved and try to make a difference. We bring invaluable experience of different mental health conditions and local mental health services so we can offer fresh, new perspectives and pose insightful and challenging questions in the research process.”
In the coming months, M-RIC will announce new opportunities for service users to apply to become a core part of our research teams. Service user representatives will work closely with our researchers on specific programmes of work to offer their input and feedback.
Public advisors and service user representatives will be compensated for their time in line with National Institute for Health and Care Research guidance. They will also receive appropriate training and support to fulfil their roles.
If you would like to receive regular information about our patient and public involvement and engagement activity, including future opportunities to apply to become an M-RIC public adviser or service user representative, please email [email protected].
Find out more
Find out more about M-RIC patient and public involvement and engagement.