Service user and carer involvement and engagement

We are undertaking a two year transformation programme to improve the following inpatient services:

• Adult
• Older Adult
• Rehab and High Support
• Psychiatric Intensive Care Units

This is a really exciting opportunity to influence and shape what our inpatient services will look like including the care, support and interventions offered and the roles of our staff.

Please contact us to find out more if you are interested in contributing to this work, and are…

• A current or recent (within last 24 months) service user/patient with experience and/or good understanding of inpatient services
• A carer/family member of a current or recent patient/service user of Pennine Care with experience of inpatient services

Contact Lynette or Ashleigh on 0161 716 3572 or email us at involvement.penninecare@nhs.net

The Patient Experience and Engagement Reference (PEER) Group has been established to co-develop our Trust’s approach to making the patient and carer voice loud and unmissable in our organisation.

It is comprised of service users and carers (or those that have previously used our services in the last 12 months) and Trust members of staff working in involvement and engagement. 

We are looking to increase the membership and diversity of the PEER Group and invite people with lived and living experience from our local communities to get in touch with a view to joining the group.

Complete this form to express your interest in the lived experience role.

For any further information or for support in completing the form, please contact the involvement team on 0161 716 3572 or email involvement.penninecare@nhs.net

Lived experience role outline

• Location: Across Pennine Care; currently meeting online which will remain an option in the eventuality that face-to-face meetings are convened 
• Time required: Approximately three hours every two months, with additional time for workshops / ad-hoc activities when mutually agreed.
• Length of involvement: 24 months
• Payment: £10 per hour in accordance with Pennine Care involvement payment policy

Information about the patient experience and engagement reference group and members

The patient experience and engagement reference group has been established to develop our approach to making the patient and carer voice loud and meaningful in our organisation.

It is comprised of patients and carers (or those that have previously used our services in the last 12 months) that are participating in involvement and engagement activities and Pennine Care colleagues working in involvement and engagement

You will use your experiences and insight to shape and develop our work to make our big ambition 'listen to improve' a reality. This will include:

• Developing a framework to support consistent engagement and involvement of those with lived experience at every level of the organisation
• Participating in the design of a toolkit to build staff understanding, confidence and capability to involve and engage
• Ensure that all work is patient and carer focused and will provide opportunity for people from across our diverse communities to participate.

The activity of the group will be reported on by our head of patient and carer experience and engagement in their quarterly updates to Pennine Care's quality group and quality committee.

As our engagement and involvement work grows and develops, so too will the group. Members will decide how best the group can change to have maximum impact in our organisation.

Experience, knowledge, skills and attributes we are looking for

Based on your experience of being a patient or carer, members will:

• Make suggestions, bring ideas and offer insight on how we can most effectively engage and involve those with lived experience to make sure that they shape our decisions.
• Ask new or different questions to those posed by staff, based on your own experiences of our services and how it feels to be either the person receiving care from Pennine Care or the carer of someone that does, and/or a participant in engagement and involvement activity.
• Advocate for patient or carer views to be included in decision making so that they can speak for themselves.
• Provide another pair of eyes and a different perspective from outside the culture and other influences within our organisation, and make sure our thinking is not limited to the boundaries of our own organisation.
• Provide a non-professionalised view and constructive challenge to add richness to discussions about our involvement and engagement work.

In doing so, you will:

• Offer views and constructive challenge in a group discussion, or work with the chair to raise points on your behalf.
• Respect that the purpose of the role will not be to address specific concerns or issues arising from your own experience.
• Participate in the development and review of written, audio and visual materials to support involvement and engagement activities.
• Have emotional resilience and self-awareness, be able to identify where participation is impacting on your own emotional wellbeing.
• Use time management and commit to requirements of role, including diary management to ensure you are prepared for meetings.
• Work within relevant Pennine Care policies and protocols.

Support in the role

Support before, during and after the meetings will be provided by Ben Woffenden, head of patient and carer experience and engagement. There will be an open invitation to speak with him at any stage, to ensure you feel supported and can discuss any concerns or issues that you may have. This will be done in accordance with the ‘principles of supporting attendance at meetings’.

There will be an induction on starting the role and an ongoing conversation to support any development needs, to enable you to fulfil the role and increase your access to other involvement, participation and volunteering opportunities.

For more information about this role, please contact:

Pennine Care involvement team

Email: involvement.penninecare@nhs.net

Phone: 0161 716 3572

Can you be the voice for patients and carers across Bury, Oldham, Stockport, Rochdale and Tameside and Glossop?

We are seeking motivated and interested individuals who want to help influence and improve safety in our organisation. The patient safety partner role has been developed by NHS England.

Patient safety partners will be remunerated for their work and receive a payment of £10 per hour for their involvement and input.

To apply for this role, email us involvement.penninecare@nhs.net

What you may be involved in

• Network patient safety panels - review reports focusing on learning when things have not gone as planned. The panels review and critically analyse the reports, ensuring patients and families have been involved. 

• Suicide prevention steering group - oversees improvements to support the prevention of suicide, across all services.

• Patient safety improvement project groups - key projects to improve patient safety and prevent future events occurring to ensure our service users receive the best possible, high quality and safe care. 

Main purpose of the role

• An active participant in network patient safety panels, patient safety improvement projects and other groups and forums reinforcing the patient voice at all levels.
• Provide your insight and input into discussions about patient safety incidents, learning and actions, to improve our services.
• Act as an advocate for patients, their families/carers, asking new or different questions, providing challenge to ensure learning and change.

• Ensure any groups and forums of which you are a member, considers and prioritises the service user, patient, carer and family perspective.

Experience, knowledge and skills we are looking for

• Experience and/or understanding of learning disabilities and/or mental health difficulties would be advantageous though not essential.
• Ability to provide a patient, carer, or lay perspective and to put forward views on behalf of the wider community/groups of patients (not own opinion only).
• To respect that the purpose of the role will not be to address concerns or issues arising from your own experience.
• Ability to read complex documents and to identify and comment on pertinent points succinctly.
• Sound judgement and an ability to be objective.
• Ability to concentrate on matters being discussed and to stay focussed on specific agenda items.
• Confident speaker, willing to offer views and constructive challenge in a group discussion, or to work with Chair to raise points on your behalf.
• Emotional resilience and self-awareness, able to discuss distressing and sensitive incidents and matters and identify where this is impacting on own emotional wellbeing.
• Personal integrity and commitment to openness, inclusiveness and high standards.
• Time management and ability to commit to requirements of role, including diary management to ensure adequately prepared for meetings.
• Ability to work within relevant Trust policies and protocols.

Support provided

Our patient safety partners will receive training and development in accordance with your needs and the role you are undertaking. Some of the reports and discussions at the groups and forums may relate to serious and distressing matters, including patient deaths and incidents where patients have suffered serious harm. This will therefore be a challenging role, and so we are committed to ensuring ongoing support is available, and that support is built around your individual needs.

To apply for this role, email us involvement.penninecare@nhs.net

About the steering group

The complex emotional and relational needs steering group supports the development and running of services for people with complex emotional and relational needs and/or a diagnosis of personality disorder across the trust.

Main purpose of the role

As a member of the steering group it is hoped that you will actively contribute and engage with other steering group members to help improve our services and the experiences of people with complex emotional and relational difficulties who use our services as set out in the terms of reference.

Express your interest in joining this steering group.

For more information about this role, please contact:

Lynette on 0161 716 3572 or Dan on 0161 716 3462 or 07514 723720

Email: involvement.penninecare@nhs.net

More information about the complex emotional and relational needs steering group

The main functions of the steering group are:

• ​​​​​​​To influence all service areas in relation to how individuals presenting with complex emotional and relational needs get their needs met.
• To ensure that our services are shaped by lived experience.
• To ensure there is space within the steering group for patient or expert by experience involvement.
• During each steering group a ‘spotlight’ will be shone on a particular service area to understand what is working well and what support is needed from the group to develop further.
• During each group there will also be a ‘theme’ discussed. A facilitator will be identified, but a reflective space will then ensue where ideas can be shared and the knowledge within the group can help steer change within services.
• Providing strategic direction and leadership in the design and delivery of services for people who experience difficulties associated with a diagnosis of personality disorder and/or complex emotional and relational difficulties. This will be across all service areas including children and young people, learning disabilities, and older adults.
• Provide a reflective space to promote learning about the pathway and different service areas.

There may also be additional ad-hoc meetings or sub-groups that arise from work required of the steering group.

Main purpose of the role

As a member of the steering group, it is hoped that you will actively contribute and engage with other group members to help improve our services and the experiences of people with complex emotional and relational difficulties.

Your contribution

• Ask new or different questions to those initially posed, based on your own experiences of our services and how it feels to be either the person receiving care or the carer of someone that does.
• Advocate for patients and carers views to be included in decision making
• Provide a different perspective from outside the culture and other influences within our organisation and help us ensure our thinking is not limited to the boundaries of our own organisation.
• Provide a non-professionalised view and constructive challenge to discussions and the actions we are taking to improve and develop services.
• To help highlight where the lived experience voice has been missed from discussions or decision making.

Experience, knowledge and skills we are looking for

• Ability to focus on wider views and experiences as well as your own.
• Being able to demonstrate listening and negotiating, with a personal style that is questioning, but not confrontational.
• Working in a problem-solving way with others in the group.
• Being able to work with others in a team.
• Being open and respectful to different views, experiences, values and beliefs.
• An understanding of equality and diversity.
• A willingness to understand how services are organised and how this impacts on individuals using services and their families or carers.
• Personal experience of receiving support from mental health services in relation to the experience of complex emotional and relational difficulties.
• Respectful of Pennine Care's values, which are kindness, fairness, ingenuity and determination.

Desirable attributes

• Motivation and commitment to improving the experience of people using mental health services for complex emotional and relational difficulties, and their families or carers.
• Personal experience of receiving support from specific services aimed at helping people with complex emotional and relational difficulties, or a family member or carer of someone who does – e.g. psychological therapies, community mental health teams, therapeutic day services.

Available support

• Introduction to Pennine Care.
• Reasonable adjustments to support your involvement.
• Pre and post meeting support.
• Relevant training.
• Payment for your expertise.
• Reimbursement of any pre-agreed out of pocket expenses.

Please be aware that staff who attend the steering group may be someone you have engaged with when accessing services. This will not affect your opportunity to join the group.

Do you provide care and support to someone who uses our services?

People who provide unpaid care and support to those using our mental health, learning disability and autism services are often known as carers. Carers can be family members, friends and neighbours.

We hold Triangle of Care groups every other month with staff, carers and service users to focus on how we can all contribute to:

• Identifying carers and the essential role they play
• Providing carer awareness training to staff
• Getting confidentiality and information sharing right
• Having dedicated roles to support carers
• How we provide information about our services and what we do
• Gathering and sharing information about support services for carers 

Please contact us 0161 716 3572 or involvement.penninecare@nhs.net for more information

Read more about the Triangle of Care

Pennine Care are an accredited member of the National Triangle of Care initiative. To achieve membership we must meet 6 key standards, one of which is staff are ‘carer aware’ and trained in carer engagement strategies.

Find out more about the Triangle of Care.

We are looking for carers of Pennine Care services to support the development and delivery of the Triangle of Care: Carer Awareness training.

The main purpose of this role is to work in partnership with the Trust in developing and delivering training to staff which raises awareness of the needs and experiences of carers and is based on legislation, the Triangle of Care standards and other evidence based best practice.

To express your interest please complete this involvement form.

Role outline

• Location: Face to face and virtual
• Time required: Ad-hoc – further information below
• Length of appointment: 24 months (possibly longer)
• Payment: £10 per hour for training delivery and meetings. Any training required to undertake the role is unpaid

Main purpose of the role

To work in partnership with Pennine Care in developing and delivering training to staff which raises awareness of the needs and experiences of carers and is based on legislation, the Triangle of Care standards and other evidence-based best practice.

Further information

Our co-designed and delivered carer awareness training has been established for approximately 10 years. The training takes place every month, with some ad-hoc sessions, and runs for three – six hours per session. It is delivered with a member of staff and a carer co-trainer. Co-trainers usually deliver three or four training sessions per year.

Please note that we will provide training to support the development of the skills and knowledge required to undertake the role.

Your contribution following induction

• Attend and contribute to bi-monthly co-trainer meetings to keep informed of training content and evaluations of the sessions.
• Familiarise yourself with the training content to a level where you can co-deliver in an informative, engaging and motivating manner.
• Share your personal experience of caring or the experiences of other carers (to an extent you are comfortable with).
• Take and respond to questions about your or other’s experiences from attendees (to an extent you are comfortable with).
• Provide a view from outside the culture of our organisation to support attendees to understand the needs and experiences of carers.
• Provide constructive challenge to add richness to discussions at the training.
• Commitment to undertake training and evaluation of your contribution.
• In order to maintain skills and competency in training content and delivery, co-trainers are required to deliver least two or three training sessions per year
• Commitment to deliver the training as set out in the training plan.
• Highlight any training needs to the chair of the carer awareness co-trainer group.
• Willingness to learn and use technology for virtual delivery.

Experience, knowledge and skills we are looking for

• Lived or living caring experience of someone with a learning disability and/or mental health difficulties.
• Understanding of the Triangle of Care and its standards.
• Ability to commit to pre-arranged training and meeting times.
• Ability to focus on wider views and experiences as well as your own.
• To respect that the purpose of the role will not be to address specific concerns or issues arising from your own experience. 
• Ability to demonstrate listening and communication skills with a style that is questioning, but not confrontational.
• Strong verbal communication skills.
• Ability and desire to engage with the audience.
• Ability to work with others in a team.
• Being open and respectful to different views, experiences, values and beliefs.
• An understanding of equality and diversity.
• Enthusiasm and adaptability

Available support

• Introduction to Pennine Care
• Relevant training and support
• Reasonable adjustments to support your involvement
• Payment for your contribution to training development, delivery and attendance at the carer awareness co-trainer meeting.
• Reimbursement of any pre-agreed out of pocket expenses

For support with your expression of interest or for more information about this role, please contact our involvement team.

Phone: 0161 716 3572

Email: involvement.penninecare@nhs.net

Dan Beresford and Rob Baker are our Tameside and Glossop service user and carer involvement team:

Our role is to support service users, carers, and service providers to put Pennine Care’s ambition into action: “Listening to improve.”

We believe that involving people with lived experience leads to better, more responsive services. This isn’t about ticking boxes—it’s about making meaningful, tangible changes that have a real impact on the lives of service users and carers and helping Pennine Care to continuously improve.

Involvement work helps to shape our policies, recruit and train our staff, and develop our services, as well as supporting you to develop new skills and build confidence.

If you’d like to work with us or just find out more, we’d be delighted to hear from you.

Contact us: 

Phone: 0161 716 3462

Email: involvement.tameside@nhs.net

Thank you for your time
Dan and Rob