People Participation (PP) performs a vital role in supporting service users across ELFT on their recovery journey. Mark, from Dunstable, shares his PP journey.

How did you feel about NHS care and support before you became involved with People Participation (PP)?

I thought the support was not very good, although I didn’t have a massive understanding of it. I thought I was the only one going through my particular diagnosis. It’s a lonely place to be when you are going through that.

How has involvement in PP changed your perspective?

It has opened my mind to what exactly goes in in a community mental health team and other areas of mental health, such as inpatient stays. Also, having an understanding of the challenges the staff face on an daily basis really helps to ease the frustration.

What have you been involved with through PP?

I take part in interviews for people joining the Trust and it gives me the opportunity to consider ‘would I like to be seen by that person’ and to discuss the candidate with other ELFT colleagues on the panel.

I am involved in Quality Improvement (QI) and the ongoing mental health transformation work in Bedfordshire and Luton. I have helped plan two public transformation events, helped host a mental health summit and had the opportunity to share my journey with the ELFT Board. There are also loads of other opportunities for training.

How has PP helped you personally?

I now have a sense of worth and purpose. I feel valued for my input. The fact it is helping other people on their journey is an added bonus.
It always gives me a buzz helping other people and to have an opportunity to ‘give back’ means a lot for me

Would you recommend PP to other service users?

Absolutely. Whether you know it or not, you have a lot of information that can help improve the system and help other people as well. Using that experience, for me, became part of my recovery.

What three words describe PP to you?

Hope. Once you have hope that leads on to happiness. Happiness leads on to freedom, and by that I mean breaking free of the grasp that mental health can have on you. Where I have struggled before and the system has let me down, we are now covering those gaps together and filling them in so no one else falls through those cracks.