19 August 2022

Between January and September 2021, Listen to Act (formerly Healthwatch Central West London) was commissioned by Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust to listen to the lived experience of mental health stakeholders.

This was the ‘Voice Exchange’. The project took an in depth view of mental health services in Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea, leading to the publication of the Voice Exchange Report in May 2022.

The report outlined key themes and recommendations for next steps. One of these was for CNWL to continue listening and learning, and this is what we’ve been doing.

In July 2022, Listen to Act hosted three CNWL staff reflection sessions. These were designed to support staff to reflect on the ideas and points raised in the Voice Exchange report, not only from a professional viewpoint but also from a personal perspective.

The aim of the reflective sessions was to create supportive and effective group space for thinking about the problems, challenges, and dilemmas outlined by people with lived experience of inpatient and wider mental health services through the Voice Exchange.

What’s next?

This is an exciting time for us as we look at how we can plan actions that genuinely improve the lives of people affected by mental health conditions in Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea.

Now that the reflective sessions have been completed, the Voice Exchange will be hosting Summits in the coming months to continue the conversations.

The first Summit will be a closed event bringing together the Voice Exchange members and CNWL staff. The second Summit will be a public event to engage with local communities and organisations across the bi-borough and bring to life the recommendations included in the report.

If you would like to find out more about the project, please contact Laura May at Listen to Act at laura@listentoact.org.