The University of Worcester, supported by the James Lind Alliance, is inviting expressions of interest from people across Herefordshire and Worcestershire to join a new Steering Group exploring how we can address inequalities in care and support for people living with, or at risk of, serious mental illness (SMI) in rural communities.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ท๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐?
The Priority Setting Partnership (PSP) will bring together people with lived experience, unpaid carers and professionals to identify the issues that matter most locally and help shape priorities for future research.
The project will explore questions such as:
- What helps people access support in rural areas?
- How can services better support people living in rural communities?
- How do factors such as age, disability, gender, poverty, caring responsibilities and social isolation affect access to support?
The aim is to identify the ๐ง๐ผ๐ฝ ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ that matter most to people affected by serious mental illness in rural communities. These priorities will then help inform future research through the Rural Mental Health Research Programme (THRIVE).
๐ช๐ต๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐น๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ?
There are ๐ญ๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ available on the Steering Group, with membership broadly split between service providers and people with lived experience and unpaid carers.
You can apply if you:
- Live or work in Herefordshire and/or Worcestershire
- Have lived experience of serious mental illness
- Are an unpaid carer of someone with serious mental illness
- Directly deliver health or social care to people with SMI โ including those working in the voluntary and community sector
- Are able to take part over the next 18 months
Relevant networks and connections that could help the project reach a diverse range of people are also desirable.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ ๐ฆ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฝ ๐บ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ๐น๐๐ฒ?
The first meeting will take place on ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ข๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฒ, ๐ญ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐บโ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐บ, face-to-face, with lunch provided.
After this, meetings are expected to take place ๐ผ๐ป๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ ๐ถ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฎ ๐บ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ต, with involvement of around ๐ญโ๐ฎ ๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐บ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ต.
Members will help shape the project, including developing survey questions, identifying ways to reach marginalised groups and sharing information through their networks. The team will work flexibly wherever possible to accommodate people’s individual circumstances.
๐ฆ๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐, ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐
The project team is committed to making involvement as accessible as possible and is happy to discuss any support needs.
Patient, public and unpaid carer Steering Group members will be offered ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ถ๐บ๐ฏ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ in line with relevant NIHR guidance and University of Worcester policy.
๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐
If you, or someone in your organisation, would like to get involved, expressions of interest need to be submitted by:
๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐๐ด๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฒ
To express your interest, please complete the online Expression of Interest form here
If you would prefer a paper form or require accessibility support, please contact:
๐ง thrive@worc.ac.uk
Informal queries can also be directed to ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ณ๐ฒ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ด๐ต๐ฒ๐, PSP Lead, at elizabeth.hughes2@worc.ac.uk.
๐๐๐ก’๐ง ๐๐ข๐๐ก ๐ง๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ง๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐จ๐ฃ?
If you submit an expression of interest but are not selected for one of the 12 Steering Group places, there will still be other opportunities to contribute to the project.
These may include completing surveys, taking part in engagement activities, contributing to the final priority-setting workshop and helping to share the final research priorities. Everyone who submits an expression of interest will be contacted directly with the outcome.
๐ฃ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐ with colleagues, volunteers, service users, carers and networks who may have relevant experience and would like to help shape future research and services for people living with serious mental illness in rural communities.