Several services across our Trust have been awarded Gold Lived Experience Charter awards, for demonstrating best practice and commitment to supporting people with lived experience into employment.
The prestigious award, which is the highest possible recognition within the scheme, comes as part of the services’ participation in the Lived Experience Charter, an initiative run by Career Matters and commissioned by NHS England. The Charter programme recognises organisations committed to employing people with personal experience in healthcare and criminal justice systems for lived experience roles.
As part of the Charter, our services worked closely with the Career Matters team to focus on ensuring our policies, organisational culture and positive practices are inclusive and supportive to recruiting and retaining colleagues with lived experience. Our services then took part in a comprehensive review process.
Feedback from the review recognised the quality of our Trust's personal development pathways for those with lived experience, and highlighted the fantastic employment opportunities we offer at all levels of seniority.
Colette Lane, Lived Experience Development Lead said: “Earning the Lived Experience Charter awards signifies years of dedicated effort at our Trust to cultivate our lived experience workforce. Let's take pride in this accomplishment and look forward with excitement to the future of our colleagues with lived experience.”
The services that achieved Gold awards are:
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Recovery College, which offers educational courses to support wellbeing
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Service User Network, which offers peer support groups for adults with complex emotions
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Psychologically Informed Consultation and Training Service, which trains healthcare professionals to work effectively with people with personality disorders
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Managing Emotions Programme, which provides courses to support people to manage their emotions more effectively
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Trauma Informed Care, which works to embed Trauma-Informed practice in the health and social care system
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Lived Experience Practitioners working across our Transformation programme