Lived Experience Matters

Sutton Mental Health Foundation tries to put the views of the people who use our services at the heart of all we do.
Image

Many of our staff and volunteers have lived and/or shared experience of mental distress, which helps make our service supportive and inclusive.

SMHF also supports people with lived experience of mental health services to have a say in designing and commissioning local mental health services. We support two local groups, Sutton 1 in 4 and the Sutton Mental Health (Service Users) Commissioning Advisory Group (known as CAG).

Anyone interested in taking part in these groups, or suggesting an issue we should look at, can phone 020 8770 0172 or email 1in4talk@smhf.org.uk.

Sutton 1 in 4

Sutton 1 in 4 meets once a month, currently online on the third Tuesday.
We are a small group of people with lived experience who attend various meetings with the Mental Health Trust and Clinical Commissioning Group to put forward the opinions of local service users.  We have worked closely with the Trust on Making Safeguarding Personal and their approach to Restrictive Practices.
Image

CAG (Sutton Mental Health (Service Users) Commissioning Advisory Group)

CAG meets once a month on the second Tuesday of the month.   Currently our meetings are online.
CAG brings together people with lived experience of mental health services, commissioners from the Clinical Commissioning Group and the London Borough of Sutton and representatives from Sutton Carer's Centre and Healthwatch Sutton.   We share the views of people who use services, and to help shape the commissioning of services, strategies and action plans.  CAG offers an important point of contact between those who commission services and those who use them.
Image
Image