Making personalisation real for people with mental health needs - 3rd April

Kathy was appointed as Chief Executive of Association of Mental Health Providers in April 2012. Throughout her career Kathy has championed the need for whole-person and whole-system approaches to the design, development and delivery of services; across health, social care and wider community, and is an advocate for true co-production. Kathy sits on several National Boards, representing the interests of the Mental Health voluntary and community sector providers.

Andy has been with the Centre for Mental Health since 2002. Previously working for the King's Fund, he began as Director of Communications, becoming Deputy Chief Executive in 2009. He is a member of the Mental Health Policy Group and was chair of the Mental Health Alliance between 2006 and 2008. Andy has carried out research on the implementation of national mental health policies and on local mental health needs assessments. He writes a regular blog on mental health policy for the Huffington Post.

Self Help is a user-led mental health charity based in the North of England. They believe in people having a choice in mental health care and value the experiences of those who have had a mental health difficulty at some point in their life. Self Help is part of The Big Life group, the largest social enterprise group in the country. Everything Big Life does is driven by the need to help people change their lives, however small or large those changes might be. Delegates will hear about this work practically from two peer support champions.

Hannah Lewis is the Senior Policy and Practice Officer for Rethink Mental Illness, a charity which works towards securing a better deal for those severely affected by mental illness. Here, she leads on facilitating the involvement of experts-by-experience to ensure that innovative projects are co-produced from start to finish. Hannah is also the Policy Lead for Young People’s mental health, and has spent time on Rethink Mental Illness’s flagship project Step-Up: Transitions which she is going to talk to you about today.

Rethink Mental Illness is a charity that improves the lives of people severely affected by mental illness through local groups and services, expert information and training and successful campaigning.

Raymond joined Bridge in 2009 as Chief Executive. Assessment, recovery and community integration became the founding principles of Bridge. Raymond is now working with his team on the development of new models of delivering services; social and commercial enterprises, a Recovery College and a range of innovative support and housing options for people who have experienced or continue to live with a mental health problem. His presentation will focus on Bridge’s Recovery College work.