“There
are people who make things happen, there are people who
watch things happen, and there are people who wonder what
happened. To be successful, you need to be the person who makes
things happen.”
Jim
Lovell
I’m incredibly proud and very honoured to announce the re-launch of the completely refreshed Waythrough magazine; Coming Together (which you don’t have to be a service user or staff of the organisation to subscribe to, you can subscribe here: Sign up to newsletter - External or learn more about it here: Coming Together - our community magazine - Waythrough and if you have a story to submit: coming.together@waythrough.org.uk). I’m also very privileged and I feel incredibly fortunate to say that I’m now the Volunteer Lead Content Creator with the Waythrough Communications and Marketing team! In around 2023, I was given the opportunity to work with a local NHS Trust (Newcastle Hospitals) to create their Mental Health Strategy and in that partnership, I created a piece of content around why organisations should be following in their footsteps (you can read it: WHY NHS TRUSTS NEED TO BE FOLLOWING IN NEWCASTLE’S FOOTSTEPS!! | IN COLLABORATION WITH THE NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST | I'm NOT Disordered). The blog post proved to be fairly popular and so I wanted to take that sort of angle for this too and discuss the qualities that the Waythrough Communications and Marketing Department exhibit and use to ensure that co-production is at the heart of everything they do – a massive achievement for a ‘behind-the-scenes’ team to accomplish in mental health services…
Where
did Waythrough even come from?!
I’ve always been
incredibly honest with the staff – and other service users – of Waythrough
because there wasn’t the best beginning for it in my life… For a number of
years, I had been a Member of the Working Together Committee for Richmond
Fellowship who had supplied my Recovery Workers since 2014 and at a Committee
meeting in early 2024 I remember someone saying; “and sadly, this is obviously
our last meeting…”
I was like “obviously?!”
It turned out, Richmond
Fellowship were merging with addictions charity; Humankind and that they would
be officially launching as a whole new charity on October 1st, 2024.
Now the reason this put me on so on the back-foot was because I’d been under
Richmond Fellowship for almost ten years (December 1st would be the
ten-year anniversary) and not once I had felt that they’d kept anything from me
or from other service users. I always felt involved – even from Day One in so
far as forming the contract with them and my section 117 funding (which is explained
better than I ever could, by Mind: Explaining your rights to section 117 aftercare |
Mind) and designing my Care Plan with me leading the way
at every opportunity. So, for there to suddenly be this massive act seemingly
kept under wraps from us (us being service users) it seemed to make sense to
question Humankind and their morals and ethics around service user involvement
and I found myself questioning whether they were going to be a ‘bad influence’
on Richmond Fellowship and on whatever the merged organisation was that they
became together!
For a long time before
that point though, once I had an assumption or come to my own conclusion in my
head of what someone was about or who someone really was, that was it… In
fairness, for so many years I had services and professionals be so mean and
rude to me that I honestly felt as though it would be life-threatening to give
them the potential to solidify my opinion of them because I recognised that was
also a chance to make it worse too! And when you’re suicidal, you really do
have to choose your battles. But, by 2024, I was really open to allowing myself
to be proven wrong by services and professionals… So, I remember saying in that last Committee
meeting; would there be any opportunity for service users to be involved in the
merger and then the new organisation and was pleasantly surprised when a member
of Humankind staff almost immediately emailed me after getting word of my
question and my eagerness and interest in helping set things up and being part
of making some of the first, fundamental decisions.
And it was up from there!
I mean, I was even on the voting board for the organisation’s name – though, as
an Influencer, being sworn to an NDA and told I couldn’t tell a soul was
probably the hardest part of that hugely prestigious and honourable task! But
the greatest tasks and projects have definitely come from working with the
Communications and Marketing department but, I fully recognise that this
connection and the opportunities that have arisen with the department have
largely come from their staff attending the Life Experience Council meetings (since
the Council was originally set up by Humankind, it meant that I was actually the
first Richmond Fellowship Service User to join!) and there’s an entire page on
the Waythrough website about the Council: Our Life Experience Council - Waythrough.
From work with my local
mental health NHS Trust, when the Waythrough Comms and Marketing staff were at
a Council meeting I pitched the idea of having Service Users more involved in
the creation of their Magazine: Coming Together. And, with the desire to refresh
it already a thought process, it came out that it was actually perfect timing
for them to introduce opportunities for service user involvement with the comms
and marketing team and their work.
15
Important Qualities Waythrough Comms & Marketing Team Have:
1. A
Belief in the Value of Lived Experience
Perhaps the most important quality is a genuine
belief that lived experience has value.
A communications and marketing team that truly
values lived experience understands that service users possess a unique form of
expertise. While professionals may have clinical knowledge or communications
skills, service users understand what it feels like to navigate mental health
challenges, addiction, recovery, treatment, stigma, and support systems.
This belief influences everything that follows.
Without it, involvement can easily become tokenistic. People may be invited to
contribute simply because organisations feel they should, rather than because
their input is genuinely wanted.
For service users, knowing that their experiences
are valued can be incredibly powerful. Many people have spent years feeling
unheard, misunderstood, or dismissed. Being recognised as someone with valuable
knowledge can increase confidence and self-worth while reinforcing the idea
that their experiences have meaning and purpose.
Throughout my years with mental health services and
through my Influencer career, I have always wanted to spread the message that
‘service users’ are so much more than just a number on a caseload! And we have
so many more skills and talents and experiences than those which perhaps define
our involvement with a service or which are most relevant to the service e.g.
trauma and unsafe coping strategies. There’s a huge thought process amongst
service users who will all often agree to the message ‘do they think we’re just
sitting around waiting for an appointment? And do they think that we have
nothing else important in our life so we can just simply cancel anything that
might be in the way of a last-minute appointment? Because we have nothing else
worthwhile or positive in our lives?’
I said in a recent speech that it can be really
important that staff maintain a sense of hope for a service user because there
might come a time – or multiple times – where that person loses all sight of a
future that looks happy, healthy, and safe. And I think that one way a
professional can do this is by recognising a service users’ skills, talents,
and positive experiences. Recognising that they could have a career in
creativity, administration, nursing, design! Anything! Because we’re all so different.
So special. So skilled. And recognising that can really aid a service user in
also seeing themselves to be more than their mental illness or addiction or
trauma or unsafe coping mechanisms.
Finding value in lived experience opens the door
for everyone to develop a sense of purpose.
2.
Openness to Different Perspectives
No two recovery journeys are identical.
A successful communications team understands that
service users may hold views that differ from those of staff members or even
from each other. They recognise that diversity of thought strengthens
communications rather than weakens them.
Openness means welcoming ideas, questions, and
constructive challenges. It means being willing to hear feedback that may be
uncomfortable and considering whether changes could improve the final outcome.
For service users, openness demonstrates that
involvement is not merely symbolic. It shows that organisations are prepared to
learn from those they support rather than assuming they already have all the
answers.
When people feel their perspectives are genuinely
welcomed, they are often more willing to contribute honestly and creatively.
So something else I struggled with at the beginning
of the merger was the fact that the Council was a Humankind project and so
being the first person from Richmond Fellowship meant I was the first and only
person on the Council (perhaps other than staff, but I wouldn’t want to make
assumptions there either) to have no experience of addiction. Initially, it
actually made me feel quite uncomfortable during meetings when for numerous
positive, purposeful, and healthy reasons there was discussion of addiction and
I couldn’t join in or even feel like I could at least resonate somewhat with
anything being said. But, over the last almost three years, I’ve come to find
it a really amazing experience and opportunity to hear of experiences and lives
that are so far from my own and my own journey, that this might be the only way
I can hear of them.
And I realise this example is about me being open
to perspectives but actually, I’m trying to show how hard I worked to have this
mindset and use this as a motivation in my work with Waythrough because it is
through that, which helps me to really recognise the strength and bravery of
the Communications and Marketing department for almost naturally having it too!
3.
Trust
Trust is fundamental to any successful involvement
programme.
Organisations that involve service users
effectively are willing to place trust in them. This might mean allowing them
to write content, contribute ideas, interview people, participate in
decision-making, or represent the organisation publicly.
Trust communicates a powerful message: "We
believe in your abilities."
For many service users, especially those whose
confidence may have been affected by mental health difficulties or addiction,
being trusted can be transformative.
Trust also works both ways. Service users need to
trust that organisations will treat them fairly, listen to their views, and
support them appropriately.
When mutual trust exists, involvement becomes a
partnership rather than a consultation exercise.
A number of years ago, my Influencer career went
through a period of regular appearances in the media: ranging from the front cover
of my local newspaper: The Chronicle (I'm
NOT Disordered Is In The Evening Chronicle | I'm NOT Disordered)
to BBC News at 10 (MY
BBC1 'NEWS AT TEN' APPEARANCE! | 22.05.2017 | Ad | I'm NOT Disordered)
to ITV News ("Watching
It, I Felt So Vulnerable" - SPEAKING ABOUT SELF-HARM ON ITV TYNE TEES NEWS
| Ad | I'm NOT Disordered) to Channel 4 Dispatches (TOP
FIVE TIPS TO TALKING TO THE MEDIA | MY FEATURE ON C4'S DISPATCHES | AD | I'm
NOT Disordered) and so many more! Now, in one
article, the headline was ‘My Battle is Now Helping Others Out of The Darkness’,
and I remember so many people in my life – who really, truly knew me – were
like “did you say that?” And literally every single person made a comment along
the lines of “I knew that wasn’t something you would say!” or “I knew you
wouldn’t have phrased it like that!”
It was quite sad really, that this big achievement
of a media appearance was tinted with some sadness or even regret and left me
thinking ‘why didn’t I check what they would use as a header?’ But, to draw
some positivity out of it though, in addition to it making me more aware and
cautious with other media appearances, it’s also meant I recognise the level of
trust someone puts in Communications and Marketing teams when they offer to or
agree to sharing their story or their journey – whether as a service user or a
member of staff. They’re really trusting in you to do their tale justice and to
represent them honestly, carefully thoughtfully, and empathetically.
These days, telling your story online can very
quickly and easily be massively misinterpreted and those who are brave enough
to share their journey are often having their motives questioned and doubted.
It’s incredibly – and sadly – far too easy to say something nasty about someone
online and to have it travel to hundreds of thousands of people who all jump in
on the bandwagon – whether to disagree or agree! Or to agree with the
disagreements and even vice versa! It can be intense and it can get personal
and I honestly believe that any person using the internet – no matter why/what
for – is instantly vulnerable. I massively recognised this in blogging about my
mental health and from when I received my first – and only – two horrible
comments on my blog posts (back when I allowed comments on my blog posts!). One
of those comments was on a piece of content for World Suicide Prevention Day
2014 and I discussed my three attempts, and someone wished me luck with the
fourth! As incredibly wrong, rude, mean, and spiteful that comment is
generally, I still also recognised the part I’d played by somewhat opening
myself up to personal comments like that because I was being so honest and open
about elements of my life that some might deem private.
I think that so many internet users are aware and
conscious of this unintentional vulnerability that it’s important for
communications and marketing professionals – including Journalists and
Reporters – are equally more aware of the level of trust you’re being given
when someone allows you to publicise their journey.
4.
Respect
Respect goes far beyond politeness.
It means recognising that service users are
individuals with skills, talents, knowledge, and experiences worth listening
to. It means ensuring their voices carry weight and that their contributions
are treated seriously.
Respect can be demonstrated in many ways, including
giving credit for work completed, listening attentively during meetings,
seeking opinions, and ensuring everyone feels included in discussions.
For service users, feeling respected can
significantly influence whether they remain involved. Respect helps create an
environment where people feel safe enough to share their ideas and experiences.
It reinforces the belief that involvement is
something done with people rather than to them
This – respect – is a quality which, I think, goes
hand-in-hand with the previous one of ‘trust’ too – not least because trusting
someone can be a sign of respect but also because this goes vice versa too in
that respecting someone is a sign of trust! They are massively connected.
Another difficult experience I’ve had here has been
when I’ve felt certain and confident that I’ve experienced more respect from a
Communications and Marketing team than have from the entire collection of
professionals needed for a Mental Health Act Assessment (typically you need two
Psychiatrists and an Approved Mental Health Practitioner – or AMHP – to section
someone)! And I think you could very fairly argue that having the trust and
respect of those professionals, where the simple nature of their roles can play
a significant part in a person’s journey and chance of recovery, can be more
important and more fundamental than having that of a comms and marketing team!
So, experiencing respect and trust at every level
from the Waythrough Communications and Marketing department has sometimes left
me with ‘if they can do it, why the hell can’t a professional with the power to
detain you or treat you against your will?!’ But I think that my sheer and
honest gratitude and appreciation for trust and respect, have me eager to
experience it from any professional! Though, I will say, at Waythrough; it has
certainly not been just that department where I have experienced trust and
respect – my Recovery Workers, the Trustees, their Chief Executive(!) and all
those in between all embody these qualities too.
5.
Inclusivity
An inclusive communications team recognises that
there is no single service-user experience.
People come from different backgrounds, cultures,
communities, age groups, and recovery journeys. Some may have experienced
mental health difficulties, others addiction, and many may have experienced
both.
True inclusivity means actively seeking diverse
voices and removing barriers that might prevent participation.
For service users, inclusivity matters because it
helps ensure that communications reflect the realities of the communities being
served. It prevents a small number of voices from speaking on behalf of
everyone.
When diverse perspectives are included,
communications become more authentic, representative, and impactful.
This one is very similar to number 2 around being
open to other perspectives because that’s all about inclusion and equality. An
additional thought here though, was that there are two parts on the
organisation’s website (in the About Us page in the drop-down menu under Who We
Are label on the main page menu) which speak to their well-rounded thoughts and
organisational morals.
The first part on this page, is where it is stated:
‘We know that people and their problems don’t fit
into neatly labelled boxes. And that finding help can be hard when life gets
messy.’
Obviously, this is a good example of their mindset
and way of working in terms of inclusivity and not passing judgment on anyone –
regardless of their situation, their addiction, their mental health, and their
coping skills – or lack of.
And that feeds nicely and is very well exemplified
in the second part, which is on the same page but under the title ‘Our
Promise:’
‘Wherever you are now, we won’t judge or write you
off.’
This lack of judgement and stress on having hope
and believing in the potential of everyone they work with, which is actually
supported by another ‘promise’: ‘we’ll help you work out who you want to be and
where you want to go, is really fundamental in illustrating and practicing
inclusivity. And a behind-the-scenes example is that because of my work and
role with the Communications and Marketing team, I’m able to confidently tell
you that they are very conscious of inclusivity, but particularly in terms of
accessibility and ensuring their content (no matter what the form/platform it’s
on) is able to viewed and engaged with by as many people as possible. Because
they recognise the power in that and are very supportive of everything that can
be gained from inclusivity.
6.
Commitment to Co-Production
Co-production involves working together as partners
from the beginning of a project through to its completion.
Rather than asking service users for feedback once
decisions have already been made, co-production involves them in planning,
creating, and evaluating work.
This approach acknowledges that lived experience
and professional expertise complement one another.
For service users, co-production demonstrates
genuine commitment to involvement. It sends a clear message that their ideas
are not simply being collected but are actively helping shape outcomes.
Many people find co-production empowering because
it allows them to contribute meaningfully rather than reactively.
There’s a saying or a mutually agreeable thought that
mental health service users have about services doing things to
you, instead of with you. And even from being under them since
2014, this has never been an opinion I’ve had of Waythrough or Richmond
Fellowship as it was back then. I’ve never felt they do that. I’ve also never
thought that they’re one of those organisations who talks about co-production
but either doesn’t do it often or doesn’t do it correctly. A lot of the time,
organisations will make a ton of moves and decisions on something and then when
it’s nearly done, they’ll finally ask the opinion of a service user. When
really, I think, they should be doing that from the very beginning. They also
then won’t often follow-through with the feedback they receive and argue that’s
because the work is almost complete(!) – well if you’d asked from Day One, you
wouldn’t have that problem! This is something else Waythrough have never done
and, if anything, their co-production starts before Day One because it’s often
a piece of work that a member of the Council or another service user has
thought of! It’s sometimes their idea that the staff and the organisation bring
to life!
An act Waythrough do which may seem small, but
which I believe shows a real commitment to co-production that is unlike any
other organisations I’ve ever worked with (and that’s saying a lot because I’ve
worked with a lot of services and organisations over the years – and not just
mental health ones!) is that they provide feedback on your involvement and
where there has been co-production. Receiving an update on the result of your
feedback can be incredibly rewarding – whether it means telling someone that
you’re acting on their thoughts or telling someone how well they did in voicing
their opinions, ideas, and feelings. It’s rewarding to know that you’ve made a
difference or done a good job.
7.
Strong Listening Skills
Listening is one of the most underrated qualities
in communications.
Successful involvement depends upon organisations
listening carefully to what people are saying and taking the time to understand
the meaning behind their words.
Listening involves curiosity, patience, and a
willingness to learn.
For service users, being listened to can be deeply
significant. Many have experienced situations where they felt ignored or
misunderstood. Genuine listening validates experiences and helps people feel
valued.
Importantly, listening should lead to action
whenever possible. Nothing undermines involvement more quickly than feedback
that disappears without explanation.
This one goes nicely along with my comment in
number 6 around Waythrough taking on service user’s thoughts and ideas and
really looking into, or at least trying to, make them reality because I think
an essential skill to doing that or to wanting to do that, is the ability and
skills to listen.
Something that’s regularly commented on and
discussed in the mental health world, is the thought that professionals often hear
what you say but they don’t listen to it. There’s a difference.
And if this is a concept you’ve not have or don’t understand, the wide belief
it that ‘hearing’ a person is like just sitting there and if you were asked
later, being able to remember and therefore able to repeat what the person had
said. Whereas ‘listening,’ is about being able to appreciate what the person is
saying, their thoughts and feelings, caring about it, and doing what you can to
act on it. Whether that means making a change in your own attitude or
behaviours or trying to make a systemic change in an organisation or policy or
service etc.
This very simple but meaningful and important
illustration and evidence that you’ve truly listened to the person. It’s a very
well-respected action and effort that not every professional or organisation is
either not good at it, or they genuinely don’t even practice doing it. This can
be incredibly hard for a service user – especially when you feel like you’ve just
poured your heart out and trusted a professional with some intense and personal
memories, thoughts, and feelings. It feels disrespectful to trust or confide in
someone and realise or learn that they weren’t even listening. And one of the
most difficult things is when professionals and organisations become
hypocritical because they typically absolutely don’t appreciate when you don’t
listen to them and take notice of what they’re saying. And respect isn’t a
one-way street. It’s a mutual thing.
8.
Compassion and Empathy
Mental health and addiction experiences are often
deeply personal.
Communications teams frequently ask service users
to discuss recovery journeys, difficult experiences, or significant life
events. This requires sensitivity and care.
Compassion means recognising that sharing personal
experiences can sometimes be emotionally demanding. Empathy means understanding
how someone might feel and responding appropriately.
For service users, compassionate support can make
participation feel safe and manageable. It helps build confidence and reassures
people that their wellbeing matters more than the project itself.
Organisations that demonstrate empathy often create
stronger, longer-lasting relationships with contributors.
Again, this fits really nicely with everything I
was just saying about listening skills!
My two favourite qualities in professionals are
when they’re validating and when they’re empathetic. They are the responses and
attitudes my mental health most often – and with a very trustworthy continuity
– benefits from; seemingly with no great concern for the actual circumstances
or the particular situation the response is being used in. They’re just general
qualities that I very much respect, appreciate, and thrive off of receiving and
experiencing. They’re something, however, where; if a professional does exhibit
them and I tell my Mum how much I appreciated it, she’ll often say “they should
do that anyway!” And it’s so true, it shouldn’t be a nice ‘surprise’ or
‘difference’ or ‘change’ to have a professional be helpful and to treat you
with respectful and compassionate communication.
Another big thought – for me, at least – around
mental health generally is that everyone has mental health, in the same way
that everyone has physical health. It’s just a question of whether a person’s
is poorly or not. And with everyone having this aspect of health, it really
infers that we all have the potential to become poorly. Mental illness doesn’t
discriminate, in the same way that a broken leg won’t! You can be rich, famous,
have a ton of followers, and be the happiest person on the planet and still
struggle with your mental health or be diagnosed with a mental illness or
experience a trauma that leads to a decline in your mental health.
So, this begs the attitude ‘how would you like to
be treated the way you’re treating someone?’ or even, ‘how would you like a
loved one be treated that way?’ And I think that showing compassion and empathy
are the epitome of being a sign that a person truly cares how you feel about
your interaction with them. They truly recognise the impact their attitude and
behaviours can have on the other person, and they treat you with the respect
and equality they would want to be treat with too. Which then again, speaks to
the hypocritical attitude of professionals I mentioned earlier.
9.
Flexibility
No two people will participate in exactly the same
way.
Some individuals may feel comfortable speaking
publicly, while others may prefer contributing behind the scenes. Some may need
flexible deadlines or alternative ways of participating.
Flexible organisations recognise these differences
and adapt accordingly.
For service users, flexibility can make involvement
more accessible. It acknowledges that people may have ongoing recovery
commitments, health considerations, family responsibilities, or varying
confidence levels.
Rather than expecting everyone to fit a single
model of participation, flexibility allows people to contribute in ways that
work for them.
This one, to me, speaks to something I mentioned
way back in the first point about valuing lived experience when I talked about
professionals and mental health services not realising service users have other
commitments and important priorities in their life; they aren’t just their
‘mental illness’ and we aren’t all just sat waiting for an appointment or
treatment or test result. Being flexible when co-production is involved can not
only be fundamental to enabling service users to be involved and collaborate
with a team/professional/organisation, but then this, in turn, does wonders for
attracting service users to actually want to engage in co-produced projects or
work etc.
For me, I had major knee surgery almost exactly
three months ago on April 19th and as a result, I need Physiotherapy
for a lengthy period of time. And when I had my first review with the
Orthopaedic surgeon after the operation, she said that my knee wasn’t at the
stage of recovery should have been by then and when I explained that
Physiotherapy kept saying there was no appointments available, she told me
she’d be contacting them and telling them I needed to be a priority and that I
needed more frequent and longer sessions with a Physiotherapist. Almost
immediately, I received a call from Physio at a nearby hospital and was being
offered an appointment! And I felt so terrible when I had to turn it down
because I had a big commitment already in my diary and it was something I,
practically, really couldn’t back out of at the point in time/with the length
of time there was between then and the commitment.
We eventually found a date I could do and but then
at the appointment, she said she wanted to schedule appointments in advance and
book three or four in whilst I was sat there. But we ended up with the same
problem and every time I said “no, I have something on that day/time” I was
given a stern, disapproving stare and a huge sigh of frustration and annoyance!
I even said, “I’m sorry, I know this might look bad and you probably think I
should prioritise this, but these are big commitments that I can’t get out of.”
She didn’t respond.
So, this is like a lot of the other points – when,
on numerous occasions, you’ve experienced a ton of negative and unhelpful
behaviours from various people, when you come across a person or team who does
the opposite, it means so much more and you’re so much more thankful for it
because you know how it feels when no one behaves that way.
10.
Patience
Meaningful involvement takes time.
Building confidence, developing skills, and
establishing relationships cannot be rushed. Some service users may need
encouragement before they feel comfortable sharing ideas or taking on
responsibilities.
Patient communications teams understand that growth
happens at different rates for different people.
For service users, patience reduces pressure and
creates opportunities to learn and develop without fear of making mistakes.
It also demonstrates that organisations value
people for the long term rather than focusing solely on immediate outcomes.
This is very similar to ‘flexibility’ really
because it’s about recognising the lives service users have outside of being a
number on the caseload. But having patience also doesn’t have to be in a
practical sense and in terms of simply allowing longer deadlines or not rushing
with organising meetings. It could actually be more of a psychological
supportive patience especially if it’s about a service user writing an article
on their journey or even a repot on an event – they may need patience if it
becomes difficult, upsetting, triggering, stressful, anxiety-provoking,
pressurising etc.
As a content creator, all too often, I’ve began
writing a blog post with the mindset that it’s going to be really helpful and
therapeutic for me and that I’ll greatly benefit from doing it in so many ways.
But then, when it’s come to actually writing it out or designing it (where it’s
more about graphics, like for Instagram rather than my blog), I’ve sometimes
found myself thinking it’s actually really challenging and that it’s taking a
lot out of me to write about it. Often this is because I’m quite well-known for
hiding my real thoughts and feelings and not talking about them – I mean, I’d
say that I did it for at least three years between the first attempt in 2009
and the lengthy admission that started in 2012. So, if I’m going to create
content where I’m being honest and open and actually tackling my truest and
deepest thoughts and feelings, it can feel a bit alien and strange for me and
that can then be difficult to cope with because it’s not something I’m used to
coping with.
Finally, I think that patience is also a great
symbol or sign of respect and appreciation too because it shows that the staff
who are being patient, really do care about the service user’s input and that
they appreciate it because they’re willing to have that patience in order to
support the person to contribute. And sometimes ‘patience’ is a difficult
quality or just really not practical in the communications and marketing
industry specifically, and that’s something I often think about when I witness
someone in this field being patient because I recognise how much of an effort
it can be realistically – especially in terms of time-sensitive content.
Instances of the Waythrough Communications and
Marketing team being patient with me have typically not necessarily been so
much around meeting deadlines or the psychological aspect, but more the
practical side that I mentioned briefly in that they’ve always been
understanding if I can’t attend meetings. And this has been particularly
heartwarming and reassuring when I’ve only been able to give last-minute notice
that I can’t attend one.
11.
Good Communication
Clear communication is essential throughout every
stage of involvement.
People need to know what is expected of them, what
opportunities are available, how decisions are being made, and what progress is
being achieved.
Good communication also includes providing
feedback, answering questions, and keeping people informed.
For service users, clear communication reduces
uncertainty and builds confidence. It helps individuals feel included and
reassured that they remain an important part of the process.
Strong communication often serves as the foundation
upon which successful involvement is built.
This is very obviously and blatantly a very
valuable and necessary skill or quality for anyone in the communications and
marketing industry to have and also – I think – for professionals in mental
health services and organisations too. So, if you’re in a comms and marketing
team of a mental health organisation… Well, it’s like the double whammy really,
isn’t it?!
Waythrough Comms and Marketing are brilliant with
sending very clear and understandable emails where they very rarely use any
communications and marketing jargon – though I’ve noticed they sometimes will
do, if I have recently used it too. As though they’ve observed and remembered
that it’s a term I know so they’re more confident in using it because they
recognise I will understand it. Which, I think, is a brilliant illustration of
good communication skills.
12.
A Desire to Empower Others
The most effective organisations do more than seek
contributions; they help people grow.
Empowerment involves providing opportunities,
encouragement, and support that enable service users to develop skills and
confidence.
This may include learning about communications,
public speaking, content creation, interviewing, leadership, or teamwork.
For service users, empowerment can have benefits
far beyond the project itself. New skills and experiences may contribute to
personal development, education, volunteering opportunities, or future
employment.
Empowerment transforms involvement from
participation into progression.
I absolutely love this quality in the team because
empowerment is something I massively stand for and support in my blogging and
content creation too. I think it means a great deal to me because of my
experience of rape and abuse when I was a teenager. The abuse lasted for six
months and throughout that entire time, I honestly felt that I had no power or
control over my life or anything in it/about it. I felt that my rapist/abuser
was in complete control of how I lived my life. He was the one making it so
damn difficult and honestly? Unappealing. I started thinking about suicide when
I was 15 and the abuse had been occurring for almost one month, I think, and
the whole time, I had in my head ‘what he’s doing is going to kill me.’ Because
I was so convinced and certain that I wouldn’t have these thoughts and be
trying to make such plans if it weren’t for what he was doing to me.
When – after six months – he and I had a huge
argument that his boss overheard, he came marching out of his office demanding
to know why I had the ‘audacity’ to speak to my rapist/abuser ‘that way’ and
the words just tumbled from my mouth. In that moment, I honestly experienced a
sense of hope and thought that I’d regained some of that power and control. But
it was short-lived when his boss called me a ‘manipulative liar’ and banned me
from the building! Whilst waiting for my Mum to pick me up, I heard laughter
and looked down a nearby corridor to see them both shaking hands and laughing. In
all my thirty-five years, I’ve never felt more powerless than I did in that
moment at the age of just sixteen.
I know that was a bit heavy for a blog post like
this – like, you probably weren’t expecting that to come up from the title of
the post, but it felt important to helping you to understand and appreciate why
empowerment means so much to me. It’s not a superficial thing and I just like
being in control – well, I do! But that hugely traumatic and life-changing (or
I guess you could also call it personality-changing!) experience is why. I
mean, I had the most amazing upbringing and childhood. I always felt so loved
and cherished and my achievements were always acknowledged. And I remember when
we had to choose our optional subject to study at High School and I told my Mum
that one of my friends had said she wanted to study a particular subject, but
her Mum was making her pick a different one. And my Mum said “I would never do
or say that! It’s up to you what you’re passionate about and interested in and
I’ll support whatever you decide to study.” So, I think that because that’s the
way it always was (having control and support), I didn’t recognise or appreciate
having it because I hadn’t known a life without it. It’s like that saying about
you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.
The Waythrough Communications and Marketing team
have helped me to feel empowered through all of our co-production projects and
collaborations. And not just by offering me the opportunity to write articles
and create social media content but also supporting me to do speeches at
Waythrough events too! They recently did an internal launch of their 10-Year
Strategy (which is sort of branded ‘The Way Ahead’) and I was invited to the
London event for it (here’s the link to my content on Instagram about it: https://www.instagram.com/p/DZLfiOSjeAF/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
and then this is the link to the post the comms and marketing team asked me to
create for their organisational Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/p/DZm0qF9Dm74/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link)
and then I was asked to do a speech at the workforce webinar the following week
(which had over 300 people login to it!) and off the back of that, the lovely
Director for Communications and Corporate Affairs; Oliver, asked me to join him
and give another speech for the Head’s Up meeting with all the Service Managers
a few days later!
My first public speech was the Closing Speech at a
Time to Change event in London in 2015 (this one: Story
Camp with Time To Change | 'Ad' | I'm NOT Disordered)
and I remember calling my Mum in tears, adamant that I couldn’t do it! Since
then, I’ve probably given over 20 speeches or presentations at so many amazing
events with a whole variety of organisations and a whole mix of numbers of
attendees (the most was a partnership event for Northumbria Police and my local
NHS Trust which had over 350) and I’ve gained so much more confidence in doing
them. I actually find them really empowering now (which is why they fit into
this bit of the blog post!) and to muster up confidence for them, I always
focus on why I’m doing it – whether that’s to bring hope to other survivors of
trauma or suicide or to educate professionals on how to improve the help and
support they provide or simply to publicise my blog and shed light on the
Influencer career – and see it as some sort of goal to achieve by doing the
speech.
So, as scary and intimidating as it might feel, if
you’re offered the opportunity to give a speech just push the boundaries and
step out of your comfort zone and I promise it will end up feeling so
empowering!
13.
Courage to Challenge Traditional Ways of Working
Historically, organisations often separated
professionals and service users into distinct groups, with professionals making
decisions and service users receiving support.
Meaningful involvement requires challenging this
traditional model.
It takes courage to share decision-making, invite
criticism, and recognise that expertise exists in many forms.
For service users, this willingness to challenge
old approaches demonstrates respect and equality. It acknowledges that lived
experience deserves a place alongside professional knowledge.
Organisations that embrace this mindset often
create more innovative, authentic, and effective communications.
I feel like challenging old ways is one of the
largest and most fundamental steps you can take to improving, growing, or
developing anything – but especially something in the mental health and
communications and marketing industries/field. And I fully recognise how
intimidating and anxiety-provoking that may be (on par with the public speaking
perhaps?!) but sometimes it’s important to recognise and accept that the old
ways of doing things aren’t going to be the best way of doing it forever and
ever! Like, things change and services improve and develop and sometimes I feel
like organisations need to really ‘up their game’ because there are newer,
better ones being launched all the time.
Actually, I’d say that it’s incredibly similar to
the Influencer industry in that there’s always new blogs starting and new
content creators stepping into the scene and going viral. And often, these
newbies to the industry will have a whole different set of knowledge, skills,
and experience and this can mean that they publish very unique and special
content that is appealing to the public who have never seen anything like it
before. And this is why, when I’ve facilitated blogging Workshops with my local
Recovery College, and in content about blogging advice, I’ve always recommended
finding or ensuring you have a niche to your blog or content creation.
When I first created, I’m NOT Disordered in January
2013, I was incredibly lucky and fortunate to have just naturally discovered a
niche for it! I came to realise that, at that time, there were really only
three mental health blogs that stood out. One was by a Psychiatric Nurse,
another was a Police Officer with a keen interest in mental health, and the
other was a former psychiatric hospital inpatient. I struggled to find any that
were written by a current, sectioned (I was detained under section 3 of the
Mental Health Act – which you can learn more about on the Mind website: Being
sectioned under the Mental Health Act | Mind – psychiatric
hospital inpatient (which I was at the time).
Recognising this as luck, meant that it also drew
focus to the other advice I’d give (which also comes from it being something I
didn’t do and would have done differently) on doing your research before you
start blogging to ensure you fully understand what blogging entails,
consequences you may experience depending on your actions and decisions, and
basically just assessing and considering the pros and cons to being a Blogger. And
I advise doing this because I feel that over thirteen years, I’ve come up
against a heck of a lot of challenges and ‘cons’ to this career and they’re
things where I’ve had to learn on the spot how to cope with them or what to do
with them. I’d sum this up as learning things the ‘hard way.’ And it just feels
natural to me to want to spare anyone else from having to learn those same
things in the same way. Especially knowing that I could help them to avoid
that.
I feel like the Comms and Marketing team of
Waythrough are incredibly invested in the mindset of doing things differently
and of not being afraid to try something that could benefit a ton of service
users, just because it’s a new notion for them or something they don’t
‘usually’ do. They have their priorities right. And I think another quality
they have which is relevant here is that they all seem to love to learn new
things – especially about communications and marketing – and this eagerness is
really an essential element to motivating the willingness to try something new.
14.
Recognition and Appreciation
People want to know that their contributions
matter.
Recognition can take many forms, from a simple
thank you to public acknowledgement, volunteer awards, references,
testimonials, or opportunities for progression.
Appreciation is not about flattery. It is about
acknowledging the time, effort the expertise, and commitment that people bring.
For service users, recognition can reinforce
confidence and motivation. It reminds individuals that their involvement has
value and that their contributions are making a difference.
Feeling appreciated often encourages people to
remain involved and continue sharing their skills and experiences.
Something I’m very passionate about and always feel
incredibly grateful when it happens to me, is the importance of recognising
when someone has done something nice or something helpful for you.
An example from my mental health journey that will
illustrate why this means so much to me is from when I was in the psychiatric
hospital for two and a half years. I’d gone AWOL on my unescorted leave (I was
sectioned so any time off the ward had to been authorised by the Psychiatrist)
and whilst missing, I made a suicide attempt that landed me on life support
and, on returning to the psychiatric hospital, I was transferred to the
Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). Eventually, I was allowed back on the
ward and after a number of months, I was finally given unescorted leave again.
When I got back from it safe and sound, I remember being really proud and then
a member of staff said, “do you want a pat on the back for doing what you
should do anyway?!”
At the time, I really, genuinely didn’t have enough
confidence and self-esteem to point out that I should celebrate my wins – no
matter how small or how expected they are! And I didn’t point out that this is
something she – and all the other staff – should actually be encouraging and
promoting service users to do rather than dismissing any sign of recovery or
progress simply because it ‘should’ be happening anyway!
Now, that may sound like a small, unimportant
moment to a lot of people, but I’d like to think that if you know that it was
made in 2014 and it’s now 2026, that might help you to better understand or
appreciate just how much it meant to me because it’s stuck with me for so long.
And I think I’ve still got it in my head because of the impact it had on my
thoughts and feelings about recognition and appreciation and how those thoughts
and feelings have then motivated a ton of experiences for me since then. Ironically,
I now see it as a bit of a reversal on what that member of hospital staff had
said because I will often sing the praises of a professional and my gratitude
for something they’ve done or said, and it’s typically met with “but that’s how
they should be!” As in, it shouldn’t be so rare or ‘special’ for a professional
to be so kind or validating that you feel appreciative for it. Which kind of
makes me laugh in comparison to that first situation and comment.
A lovely way in which the Communications and
Marketing team have shown these qualities with me – other than the fact that
every single thing I do for them, they thank me for it – is that on a few
occasions, they’ve actually had the idea and asked me if they could do some
content on some sort of achievement in my life or on an opportunity I’ve been
given or have engaged in. These have usually pertained to something related to
I’m NOT Disordered, but they’ve also published content – in both the old
magazine and on social media – about my appearance on the Channel 4 Dispatches
documentaries (which you can read about: TOP
FIVE TIPS TO TALKING TO THE MEDIA | MY FEATURE ON C4'S DISPATCHES | AD | I'm
NOT Disordered) and the launch of Gracie’s Way (my
pet bereavement project: www.graciesway.co.uk
or @gracieswayuk on Instagram!).
Asking to publicise these monumental moments in my
recovery is incredibly motivating because it fills me with the drive to want to
continue to achieve more and more things that would also make them proud. And
whilst the important mindset is to be proud of yourself and to do things for
you, let’s be honest – sometimes, especially in mental health, you lose sight
or motivation. And, in times like that, it can be crucial to have some other
reason or motivation to keep going and to keep trying. Similarly to engaging in
Therapy – a lot of the other inpatients would say they were doing it for their
loved ones, and I would say I was doing it for my Mum and sometimes I even said
this to my Mum and she would always say “you need to do it for yourself too!” But
I learnt that after doing it for her for a while, I got so much better and my
mental health improved so much that I started wanting to do it myself too! It
was almost like, until you want to recover or get help, you should do it for
any other reason in the meantime. Whatever keeps you alive and provides you
with the opportunity to be alive long enough to feel better.
Something I’d like to add here too, is that for
this quality – and pretty much all of the others – I haven’t just experienced
the Comms and Marketing team illustrating them with myself and my own work etc
with them, I’ve also witnessed them doing these things with other service
users. This has been particularly true for the Volunteer Editor of the new and
improved magazine who is also a service user. It is just the two of us on the
Editorial Board and we have been the only two service users in the planning
group for the re-launch too and it’s been incredibly clear and obvious that we
have very different skills and experiences. Especially in the comms and
marketing industry. And I feel that I’ve witnessed the Comms and Marketing team
give him praise and recognise his strengths and ideas etc.
15.
A Long-Term Vision
Finally, successful involvement requires a
long-term perspective.
The strongest organisations do not view
service-user involvement as a temporary project or publicity exercise. Instead,
they see it as an ongoing partnership that strengthens services,
communications, and communities over time.
A long-term vision creates opportunities for people
to grow, develop, and take on new responsibilities. It allows relationships to
deepen and trust to strengthen.
For service users, this approach demonstrates
commitment. It shows that involvement is not something that happens only when
convenient but is embedded within the organisation's values and culture.
Long-term involvement often produces the most
meaningful outcomes because it allows people to contribute consistently, build
confidence, and become genuine partners in shaping the organisation's future.
This would be the perfect opportunity to simply
tell you all that the brand-new 10-Year Strategy that Waythrough have created
and launched internally (which I talked about earlier) will be announced
externally incredibly soon, so please keep an eye on all of the Waythrough
platforms and thanks for reading this super long piece!
https://facebook.com/waythroughuk
https://instagram.com/waythrough_uk
https://www.linkedin.com/company/waythrough