Involvement at the Institute update

I’m hoping 2024 will be a good one; professionally, personally, for building our little community here in the Institute of Mental Health and for finding a good level of interest, action, opportunity and information in our newsletters as we head off into the start of the calendar year.

Involvement at the Institute updates:

Invitation to be connected through the IMH Public Advisory Group.
An email has been circulated to many groups and active public contributors across the IMH inviting them to be in touch with our public advisory group.

We are really hoping 2024 will kick start even more connections across our community of public contributors, involvement partners, volunteers, experts by experience or your preferred identification of your involvement. If you are currently active in a group or a project and your IMH host (researcher, PPI facilitator, lead) has not passed on our message or email inviting you to be in touch, please let me know and I can send it to you directly so we can join up any gaps in how we communicate.

National health and social care information and events:

Have you ever been to the GP and wondered what all the people in the practice do? Have you heard mention of changes in GP practice but not really sure what it all means? Well the Patients Association has organised a free to attend Zoom session on 25th January 2024 called “Understanding changes in primary care: your wider general practice team”. The session will focus on social prescribing and a panel of professionals including paramedic Andy Willers, physiotherapist Matt Harrison and mental health practitioner Susan Cummins and they will talk about the work they do and answer questions.

If this sounds like something you’re interested in then you can sign up to attend and find out more through the Patients Association website.

Opportunities to support research, services and research updates:

Cancer Research Advisory Panel seeking members - Have you or a loved one been diagnosed with cancer in the past 18 months? Your experience is valuable to us!

I have been working with Dr Michael Baliousis on a separate project here at the IMH and he has been telling me about is forthcoming research work. They are designing a research study aimed at understanding and predicting the emotional distress faced by cancer patients during and after treatment. This will help them to go on to improve strategies to prevent this distress. Your insights and experience as a patient or caregiver are vital in designing a study that truly benefits patients.

If this is an experience you are familiar with and would be interested in hearing more about how they will involve patients, public and carers in their research planning, please contact Dr Michael Baliousis at: mbaliousis@lincoln.ac.uk

Become a YoungMinds blogger

Are you aged 14-25 and live in the UK? Interested in sharing your story, tips and advice on our blog? Then sign up to the newly re-opened Blogger Pool at Young Minds!

Whilst we’re not affiliated with Young Minds, they are an organisation who do a great deal of work with younger people, families, carers and professionals so if you’re under 25 and live in the UK and have experiences, knowledge or stories you’d like to share then do take a look at their re-opened blogger pool. If you sign up, you’ll receive emails from Young Minds with ideas for blogs they’d like to see. If your blog is suitable for our website, we’ll work with you to get it published. And your words will be out there in the world to help others going through a tough time.

Dr Eirini Kontou continues to seek further members for her new PPI group discussing her research. The group focus will be her research on being part of conversations and advice on research aiming to understand and improve psychological care after TIA/minor stroke.

If you would like to know more or are interested in joining the group or would like to know more, then please contact Sandra Wydera (Research Support Officer) sandra.wydera@nottshc.nhs.uk

[Click the image for a larger and clearer web view]

The Innovation, Research, Life Sciences & Strategy (IRLSS) group at NHS England are expanding their Strategic Co-production group (SCG) and recruiting Patient and Public Voice Partners to join the group. That’s a bit of a mouthful of abbreviations and words that might be new to you all so some further information can be found on this online booklet. It explains the group, the activity, any reimbursements and how much time they expect it will take to be involved. There is also a list of things they are hoping you will have experience of to help with the work of the group.

There is also an application form to complete if you’re interested and this is an online form found using this link.

The strategic co-production group provides strategic advice to the leadership team and consists of both patients and staff, ensuring the voices of people with lived experience actively shape our research and innovation programmes.

The NHS England team offers support to anyone joining with an induction and development opportunities.

If you have any queries about the role, or would like an alternative format, please email the team directly using england.aacppi@nhs.net and the closing date for applications is 11.59pm 11 February 2024.

And finally...

Citizen science is where research or science projects directly work with citizens to help generate or develop scientific knowledge or understanding. We have in the past shared examples of citizen science projects here at the IMH and it’s definitely an area of research which is becoming bigger and bigger. An example we use often is where every year the RSPB encourage the whole of the UK to get involved in counting wildlife in their gardens and local parks. Well, the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch will be taking place this year from 26th to 28th January 2024 and if you’re curious about how it all works and if you’d like to get involved (and be part of a non-mental health citizen science project) then you can find out more about on their website.

All the best and a very happy start to January for you. And by the look of it, keep hold of your wellies and towels as we’re not out of the rainy season yet!

Kate