'Big conversation': report on consultations across Essex, Southend and Thurrock

A request from the Essex health and social care mental health commissioners for a series of broad consultations to seek the views of service users and carers emerged as a response to the potential need for service redesign engendered by a new mental health policy framework (New Horizons 2009) for mental health and the continuing development of the personalisation agenda in a challenging economic climate. The ‘Big Conversation’ consultation was carried out by the MIME (Making Involvement Matter in Essex) during 2010. A total of seven events were held, attended by 122 mental health service users and cares and interested members of the general public. Participants were asked to address the following questions in small groups: 1) What do you do to keep yourself well? 2) We want you to dream – if you were designing a mental health service, what would it look like, what staff would work in it, what skills/knowledge would they have, what services would be provided? With the exception of one group, all the groups were facilitated by service user members of MIME. The main themes of the discussions revolved around 12 issues: 1) The importance of peer support; 2) The need for all service staff to have good listening skills; 3) A preference for services delivered in local generic centres close to home; 4) Improved provision of information conditions, treatment options and services; 5) Better inter-agency communication; 6) Increased employment of an increased number of people with personal experience of mental ill health in provider organisations; 7) Increased access to talking therapies including for people with complex needs who may need longer-term therapy; 8) The further development of service user and carer involvement in commissioning; 9) Greater prominence for social models of service delivery; 10) Service user involvement in risk management; 11) Development of cultural awareness in provider organisations; 12) Problems experienced by service users and carers when services are re-tendered and the provider changes.