What is the Tavistock and Portman Trustwide Forum?
As part of the Trust’s commitment to patient and public involvement, a Trust-wide Forum takes place every quarter.
The forum is an opportunity for ex-service users and carers to discuss their experience of engaging with clinical services at the Trust, and advise on what can be done better in future. For example, previous forums have reviewed Trust strategies, discussed the impact of Covid on services, and provided feedback on Trust accommodation and quality improvement.
The forum is co-chaired (on rotation) by an ex-service user or carer who has previously accessed clinical services at the Trust, and the PPI team manager. A divisional director, a non-executive director and a governor also attend each meeting. This means ex-service users and carers have the chance to give their feedback directly to senior stakeholders at the Trust.
Commenting on her experience as a member of the Trust-wide Forum, Adea* , a parent of a service user, said:
‘I decided to get involved in voicing my opinion via the forum as my son and I had such a positive experience with CAMHS and I wanted to get involved in being part of an organisation that really changes people lives. Without CAMHS my son would not have been able to stay in mainstream school and now be in a position to go to University with 3 distinctions.
Being on the forum continues to be an amazing experience. We meet quarterly throughout the year, the group is made up of Service Users and service user/carer representatives. The aim of the group is to involve patients in the process by valuing and listening to their suggestions and feedback about care, access and involvement at Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust.
What I love about this space is that there is no hierarchy. I feel like a valued member of the team whose views are listened to and I feel like we are moving in the right direction to take away the stigma of mental health in the outside world. Mental Health is a topic that is misunderstood and I feel that the work CAMHS does is not appreciated enough so to help change that I feel honoured to be a part of the growth and development.’
*Name has been changed