M-RIC Review of 2024 Putting service users and carers at the centre of our research
Our key highlights
Jahanara Miah, M-RIC’s Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement Lead, lists her key highlights of M-RIC patient and public involvement and engagement activity in 2024.
Involving service users and carers
This year 10 service users and carer representatives and over 30 public advisors have supported M-RIC’s work.
The service user and carer group work alongside the six work package research teams and 30 public advisors support activities related to governance, strategy, engagement, and involvement.
Service user and carer representatives started their roles in early 2024 following a widespread campaign in to recruit service users and carers who can fairly represent the diverse communities and groups across Liverpool. They have now become a vital element of our work package research teams. They attend regular meetings and take part in planning, discussions, engagement, workshops and decision making.
Our wider pool of over 30 public advisors are a larger group of service users, carers, third sector representatives and members of the public with an interest in research. They support M-RIC by contributing their ideas and views at meetings, workshops and events and through bespoke projects. They are involved in a variety of activities which relate to governance, strategy, engagement, and involvement.
Supporting Count Me In
Count Me In is a new system which is set to make it easier for patients and service users to get involved in research activities at Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust.
M-RIC service users and carers and public advisors have been key in shaping the campaign to promote Count Me In. Their insights and experiences helped inform the campaign’s messaging and goals, ensuring that it effectively addressed the needs and concerns of those using mental health services.
Count Me In and Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement teams also collaborated with theatre practitioners and public advisors to facilitate a drama piece to introduce Count Me In to patients and staff. The piece identified barriers to research as a key factor for the campaign.
Collective insights in mental health research
In July, we conducted an exercise with service users and carer representatives and public advisors to identify key mental health issues. Participants highlighted concerns such as long waiting lists, youth mental health, peer support, and accessibility for minority groups. Key priorities included the connection between physical and mental health, youth services, and cultural accessibility.
We are now holding meetings with M-RIC research work package leads to present these priorities and discuss how they can be integrated/supported by the M-RIC programme of work. Additionally, efforts will be made to work with our academic and clinical team and service user and carer representatives and public advisors in securing grants and funding to support research initiatives addressing these community-identified priorities.
Training for research participation
More than 20 service users, carers, and public advisors completed an eight-day training course to prepare them to work alongside researchers. This course covered research methods, critical evaluation, and the importance of coproduction in research design.
Engaging with community partners
We worked with Savera UK, a charity which works to end ‘honour-based’ abuse and all harmful practices to host an event for International Women’s Day. The event highlighted the importance of community partnerships, such as those with Merseyside Police and RASA. The #InspireInclusion theme brought together over 200 women to promote accessible and representative research and initiatives.
Consultation on mood service
In January 2024, 15 service users and carers participated in a consultation to help design a new mood disorders service for Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust. Their feedback focused on the need for compassionate care, better diagnosis, flexible access, and improved communication.
As an outcome of the first workshop 12 members of the wider group took part in the development of an animation which describes what it feels like when moods change. Working with Liverpool based tech start up MindMap, the animation will graphically realise the visual metaphors the group described to represent how it feels when your mood changes.
Research Associate Dr Helen Page has been collaborating with M-RIC’s group of Service Users and Carers to write and design the patient information leaflet and the patient questionnaire which will be used in the clinic.
Shaping neuroimmune therapeutics for psychosis research
Individuals with lived experiences of early psychosis and methotrexate treatment took part in a workshop aimed at shaping a new research study. This workshop focused on key research areas, desired outcomes, and the study’s design.
Enhancing patient and public Involvement
In our population mental health research, we started co-production to improve patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE). Our goals included enhancing the quality of PPIE and setting best practice standards. We developed principles and launched the hope and mattering toolkit for consistent monitoring.
Understanding social determinants of mental health
A workshop on the social determinants of mental health examined how factors like income, housing, and community connections affect mental health. M-RIC researchers collaborated to discuss these factors, review research on data collection by mental health services, and contribute to methods for gathering information in the new mood clinic.
A message from Don Bryant, M-RIC Lead Service User and Carer Representative
Thanks to the patient and public involvement and engagement team (PPIE) we have had a very successful and exciting year. We have appointed 10 service user and carer representatives, two each of whom are actively involved in all aspects of a particular work programme. Eight days of bespoke research training have been given to them by the University of Manchester, vastly improving their skills and self-confidence in dealing with researchers and other service users and carers. Bi-weekly meetings have been set up to discuss all issues, progress and to keep everyone up to date. Individual supervision meetings are also held every six months to ensure the wellbeing of all. A great sense of teamwork and worthiness has been achieved.
Additionally, we have appointed 30 public advisers who we meet monthly and discuss activities around M-RIC, including specific topics important to research and innovation with a number of guest speakers being involved.
We are actively working across partner organisations, to ensure that word is spread about the research and innovation studies being done within Merseyside and the impact they are likely to have. This information will be shared with patients, service users, carers and the communities we serve and give them pride in our activities. Hopefully this will be spread throughout communities, often hard to reach, within Merseyside, greatly enhancing our work across the region.
Inclusion in all these areas is vitally important to us. Involvement in research gives people hope and hope is a very precious commodity to service users, carers and the disadvantaged in general. Inclusion gives us all pride and hope in the future.
Meet some of our service user and carer representatives
Xiao Xiao Hou, Service user and carer representative
"As an international graduate and a service user, being involved in this team has been a deeply meaningful experience. It allows me to contribute both my academic perspective and personal insights, ensuring that the voices of people like me—who may often feel marginalised—are heard and valued. The work we do in patient and public involvement is incredibly important. It’s not just about providing feedback, but about creating real change in how services are designed and delivered. As someone with both research experience and lived experience, I know how vital it is to bridge the gap between academia and those who rely on these services."
Steve O'Keeffe, Service user and carer representative
"Being a service user provides me with the opportunity to initially help shape Mersey Care"s future mental health offering i.e. from the perception of a member of the public. My hope is that M-RIC's improved mental health initiative will then be rolled out across the whole of the NHS. It is at this point that I will feel that my work as an M-RIC volunteer has truly allowed me to give something back to the NHS."
Carmen Browne, Service user and carer representative
"I really enjoy being part of the M-RIC team. We have all become an important part of the project. I feel valued and appreciated, and my role gives me purpose. I'm excited to continue to contribute and look forward to explore future opportunities with M-RIC."
Hilary Tetlow, Service user and carer representative
"It's great to be involved in research where at every meeting your opinions are sought and acknowledged and used within the project."M-RIC Review of 2024
Learn more about our progress and highlights over the past 12 months by visiting other sections in our 2024 Annual Review.