The experiences of paid formal lived experience workers within a secure mental health service

Published date11 September 2017
Pages313-322
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/JMHTEP-09-2016-0046
Date11 September 2017
AuthorChristopher A. Griffiths,Ella Hancock-Johnson
Subject MatterHealth & social care,Mental health,Mental health education
The experiences of paid formal lived
experience workers within a secure
mental health service
Christopher A. Griffiths and Ella Hancock-Johnson
Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report the experience and impact of paid staff who are employed
to use their lived experience of mental health issues and service use within a secure mental health provider.
Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews and thematic
analysis was employed.
Findings Results from this study suggest that employing lived experience workers (LEWs) in secure mental
health settings is valuable to clinical staff, service users, the employing organisation and LEWs themselves.
Findings emphasised the importance of support for LEWs to enable them to fulfil their role and maintain
wellbeing, and the need to consider LEWs career progression within and beyond the role.
Research limitations/implications This study had a small sample size.
Practical implications There is evidence to support LEWs in secure mental health settings and
requirement for further understanding of their work in this environment. Specific recommendations include
the need for training for clinical staff about the role of LEWs, specific LEWs role training, and regular
supervision and mental health support for LEWs.
Originality/value This is the first paper reporting the experience and impact of LEWs in a UK secure mental
health service.
Keywords Recovery, Mental ill-health, Wellbeing, Lived experience workers, Peer support workers,
Secure mental health services
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Service user involvement is where an organisation involves people with experience of service use
in the planning, management, delivery, evaluation or changing of the services that it provides
(World Health Organization, 2002). Service user involvement has been applied within various
settings, including the Criminal Justice System (Clinks, 2011) and mental health services
(Millar et al., 2016). Formal roles have been created for people with lived experience of mental
health issues and mental health service use to be involved in the delivery of services. These roles
have been defined as a lived experience worker (LEW): a person who is employed in a role that
requires them to identify as being, or having been a mental health service user (Mental Health
Coalition of South Australia, 2016). Support from those with lived experience is advocated in
National Institute of Care and Excellence (2014) guidelines for prevention and management of
psychosis and schizophrenia. UK government policies also advocate service user involvement in
healthcare (Department of Health, 2010).
One specific LEW role that has been operationalised within the literature is that of peer support
workers (PSWs), where peeris defined as having a personal history of mental illness and mental
health service use. Thus, a PSW is defined as someone who uses their experience of mental health
illness to support, encourage and provide hope to those with similar illnesses (Davidson et al., 2006).
Implementing Recovery through Organisational Change (ImROC) postulated the value of various
Received 22 September 2016
Revised 23 March 2017
Accepted 30 May 2017
Christopher A. Griffiths is the
Research Manager and
Ella Hancock-Johnson is a
Research Assistant, both at the
Academic Department,
St Andrews Healthcare,
Northampton, UK.
DOI 10.1108/JMHTEP-09-2016-0046 VOL. 12 NO. 5 2017, pp. 313-322, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 1755-6228
j
THE JOURNAL OF MENTALHEALTH TRAINING, EDUCATION AND PRACTICE
j
PAGE313

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