We are a community for people with lived experience of mental health to campaign for change.
Click here to be taken to the webpage for the LGBTQ+ Wellbeing Fund
The Independent Mental Health Network (IMHN) is a membership-led organisation that represents a diverse community of past, current and future users of mental health services, as well as those with lived experience of mental health.
By working together, we believe that we can be a force for positive change in the way that mental health is treated, perceived, and recognised.
Our branches lead on work to improve local mental health services, campaign for reforms and changes to the negative ways that mental health problems can be viewed, and act as a local voice for those with a diverse range of lived experiences.
In partnership with Off the Record’s LGBTQ+ Voice and Influence project we are developing a dedicated LGBTQ+ Steering Group for the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) areas to help create a safe and effective space for members of the LGBTQ+ community to come together. Members of the group will be able to voice their lived experience of trying to access mental health support and the quality of any support received.
This will be a working group in which members can discuss issues, challenges and opportunities particular to the mental wellbeing of LGBTQ+ people. But we don’t just want to talk about these things; we want to help change and develop them. As a team, we’ll be creating and working on projects with the aim to drive positive change for our community within the services.
Membership of the group is open to LGBTQ+ individuals across BNSSG and we are keen to ensure that membership grows to fully reflect the diversity within the LGBTQ+ community.
Members of the IMHN team will facilitate Zoom meetings. There will be space for open discussion and identification of key priorities in which the group would like to campaign for change or increased awareness of LGBTQ+ needs.
Group engagement, highlighted issues and resulting project work will be regularly fed back thematically and anonymously into the wider IMHN membership in order to increase awareness of LGBTQ+ needs and experiences. We believe that this will be particularly helpful for the awareness of organisational representatives that attend external meetings, and will ensure that voices of the LGBTQ+ community can be heard and responded to by commissioners and service providers in order to bring about meaningful change.
Please note that meetings will be taking place virtually for the time being. Should meetings be scheduled in-person, out-of-pocket travel expenses associated with attending will be reimbursed. This includes costs like bus tickets or car parking. Should your require taxi this will need to be agreed in advance.
If you’d like to get involved, click here to express your interest
Diversity Statement
This group welcomes all people. As an LGBTQ+ collective, we want to engage people across the spectrums of gender identity and sexuality, race and ethnicity. A person’s faith or beliefs, their relationship status, their employment and housing situations, and their mental and physical health needs are accepted without prejudice or judgement.
We exist to celebrate our rich diversity within our community and to work together. As people of diverse backgrounds, we can help create change that will bring a significant benefit to the community, and to the wider world.
The pandemic has uncovered the inequalities that have been beneath the surface of our society for decades. We believe that the best way forward is to join together and create a safe space for ourselves. We are not a minority and we do not have to be marginalised.
Our differences make us strong. They give us the chance to learn, explore and grow. It’s in our differences that we will find our commonalities and, through sharing our knowledge and experience freely and without fear, we can bring about real change. We can beat oppression and discrimination together.
August 25, 2020 at 10:38 am
Are you someone with a passion for improving mental health services and empowering those with lived experience of mental health?
Do you support the principles of lived experience leadership and have a willingness to ensure this remains embedded in health and social care services?
If so – the Independent Mental Health Network wants to hear from you!
We are currently recruiting:
- Project Coordinator (Representation and Engagement) – fixed term, to 28 February 2021
- Project Coordinator (Communications and Engagement) – fixed term, to 28 February 2021
- Trustees – voluntary position for a three-year term
More information about each opportunity is below and if you have any queries please get in touch with us using the contact details provided.
Project Coordinator (Representation and Engagement)
Information about the post
Salary: £19,500 (pro-rata) – equivalent to £10 per hour.
Hours: Part-time – 30 hours per week (fixed term to 28 February 2021)
Location: Greater Manchester
The post-holder will be expected to provide all aspects of project coordination to the organisation’s representation and engagement functions in Greater Manchester. This will involve working closely with different stakeholders, including: IMHN Board of Trustees, IMHN members, funders, providers of mental health services, etc. This will also include providing support for representatives with lived experience of mental health problems attending meetings and engaging in shaping mental health support on behalf of the organisation.
The post will be based in Greater Manchester, with the opportunity for flexible and occasional home working. This will include travel to meetings across Greater Manchester. The role may also include occasional evening and weekend working hours.
Note: if the government restrictions to prevent the spread of Covid-19 are in place at the time of employment, the role will initially be home based
Full information about the post can be found by clicking the job description and person specification link.
Job description and person specification
IMHN Application Form – Project Coordinator
IMHN_Equal_Opportunities_Monitoring_Form
How to apply
To apply for this post, please send in your completed application form, CV and monitoring form to recruitment[@]imhn.org (make sure to remove the square brackets from the email address – this is an anti-spam measure), by no later than 12 noon, Monday 18 May 2020.
Interviews will take place on Thursday 28 May or Friday 29 May 2020.
Project Coordinator (Communications and Engagement)
Information about the post
Salary: £19,500 (pro-rata) – equivalent to £10 per hour.
Hours: Part-time – 30 hours per week (fixed term to 28 February, 2021)
Location: Greater Manchester
The post-holder will be expected to provide all aspects of project coordination to the organisation’s communications and engagement functions in Greater Manchester. This will involve working closely with different stakeholders, including: IMHN Board of Trustees, IMHN members, funders, providers of mental health services, etc. This will also include providing communications support for the organisation.
The post will be based in Greater Manchester, with the opportunity for flexible and occasional home working. This will include travel to meetings across Greater Manchester. The role may also include occasional evening and weekend working hours.
Note: if the government restrictions to prevent the spread of Covid-19 are in place at the time of employment, the role will initially be home based
Full information about the post can be found by clicking the job description and person specification link.
Job description and person specification
IMHN Application Form – Project Coordinator
IMHN_Equal_Opportunities_Monitoring_Form
How to apply
To apply for this post, please send in your completed application form, CV and monitoring form to recruitment[@]imhn.org (make sure to remove the square brackets from the email address – this is an anti-spam measure), by no later than 12 noon, Monday 18 May 2020.
Interviews will take place on Thursday 28 May or Friday 29 May 2020.
Volunteer opportunity – Trustee
Trustee Opportunity Information
It is expected you will be able to commit about a day a month to assist in influencing the development of a young, dynamic and growing organisation.
We recommend you take a look at the documents linked below. They will help you write your application, and assist with understanding the way that the charity operates
IMHN Constitution (last amended January 2017)
IMHN Constitution – Bye Laws (last amended January 2017)
How to apply
To apply to be a Trustee, please send in your CV and covering letter to trustees[@]imhn.org (make sure to remove the square brackets from the email address – this is an anti-spam measure), by no later than 12 noon, Monday 18 May 2020.
Interviews will take place week commencing Monday 1st June 2020. Please ensure you tell us about any dates that you cannot attend during that week when submitting your application.
For an informal conversation about the role or organisation, please email Tom Renhard at trustees[@]imhn.org (make sure to remove the square brackets from the email address – this is an anti-spam measure).
We would especially welcome applications from those with qualifications or extensive experience in any of the following areas:
- Finance
- Fundraising and bid writing
- Law and advocacy
- Marketing / Public relations
We would especially welcome applications from individuals who identify as:
- LGBTQIA+
- BAME
Further information about our organisation
IMHN exists to represent those with lived experience of mental health, uniting voices for positive change in how mental health services are delivered.
We’re governed by a board of up to twelve Trustees, who work alongside our branches and volunteers to develop a thriving and active organisation improving mental health services and empowering those with lived experience to have their voice heard.
The charity is young and working to develop its first strategic plan that will embed our core objectives into everything that we do. The charity has also launched in Greater Manchester. We will be playing a leading role in developing a network for people with lived experience of mental health that will influence the development of mental health support across the area.
It’s an exciting time for us having undertaken many successful projects including:
- Hosting Peerfest 2017 in Bristol with local partners after competing in a national tendering exercise.
- Taking part in several ward visits and service redesign exercises including Bristol’s mental health crisis houses.
- Delivering a workshop focusing on a new ‘crisis café’ that will be coming to Weston-Super-Mare later in 2019.
- Leading on the local Time to Change Bristol Hub, working with local partners to challenge mental health stigma and discrimination.
- Shaping the specification of the new Improving Access to Psychological Therapies service across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire area.
- We are also currently supporting the development of Bristol North Somerset and South Gloucestershire CCG’s mental health strategy.
This is a fantastic opportunity to take on a key role in a developing and growing charity committed to changing lives and we look forward to receiving your application.
April 16, 2020 at 5:12 pm
Do you have lived experience of mental health crisis or attempting to access mental health crisis services?
We are looking for up to six lived experience representatives to join a crisis pathway redesign event.
The details are below:
Date: Friday 15 November 2019
Times: 09:30am -16:30pm
Location: Holiday Inn, Bond Street, Bristol, BS1 3LE (next to the Bristol Bear Pit roundabout).
About the role
The aim of the day is to progress the development of a new blueprint for BNSSG crisis services. We want to come to together as system partners to co-produce the crisis services of the future.
Your role will be to help shape the conversations on the day and what is developed.
Lived experience attendees at the service redesign event will:
- Provide the perspectives of people who use mental health crisis services (or have attempted to).
- Use any personal experience as a patient of the current services in a constructive and objective way to ensure views are as representative as possible.
- Be available to attend the event for the whole day.
- Understand that they may be asked to respect the confidentiality of items discussed at the event.
- Contribute to feedback on presentations given at the meetings, some of which will be made by people who use are currently using or have used services.
- Feedback to IMHN on matters discussed at the event.
- Help others attending decide on appropriate outcome measurements that will capture the experiences of those trying to access the services in the future.
BNSSG CCG and IMHN will provide the following support to representatives:
- An allowance of £84.00 for attending the whole event.
- Reasonable out of pocket travel expenses from within the Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire area (taxis must be agreed in advance).
- Free parking in the NCP Car Park by the Holiday Inn (where travelling by car).
- Lunch will also be provided (please tell us about any dietary requirements).
- Support to take part in the day from BNSSG CCG and IMHN.
Supporting Statementand Deadline
We are asking applicants to write no more than 250 words stating how they meet the criteria listed in the experience, knowledge and skills section. Please do specify if you have personal experience of crisis services as part of your supporting statement. If you need more advice or help, please feel free to contact Tom.
Please email expressions of interest to tom[@]imhn.org (removing the brackets from the email address) by Monday 11 November 2019. We will notify successful applicants by Tuesday 12 November 2019.
You can read more about the opportunity here.
November 6, 2019 at 5:53 pm