Posted on: 14 November 2025
Mental health professionals, peer workers, researchers, and people with lived experience came together for the Peer Informed Open Dialogue (POD) Conference. It was a chance to reflect on what’s working, share stories, and ask the question: where do we go from here?
What is Peer Informed Open Dialogue?
It’s a way of working that puts relationships at the centre. Care happens through network meetings that include the person, their family, and others who support them. Find out more.
Starting with compassion
Claire Murdoch, Chief Executive of CNWL, opened the day with a personal reflection. She spoke about the importance of staying grounded in compassion, especially as services evolve and pressures grow. After 43 years in mental health, she’s still driven by this.
“We need to ask what brings people here, what gives them hope, and what matters to them.”
She praised CNWL’s progress in Open Dialogue, especially in older people’s services, and called for more research and reflection. “It’s a human endeavour,” she reminded us. And that theme carried through the day.
Learning from research
Professor David Mosse and Dr Kiara Wickremasinghe from the Centre for Anthropology and Mental Health Research in Action (CAMHRA), shared insights from their study of Open Dialogue in the NHS. They spent time alongside practitioners and peer workers, observing sessions and interviewing teams.
For many, Open Dialogue felt “more human” than other treatments. Being seen as a person, not a diagnosis or a number. People spoke about feeling listened to, heard, and recognised.
For practitioners, Open Dialogue has been a chance to realign their work with the values that brought them into mental health care. Many spoke about feeling more connected to their own life stories, which changed how they relate to clients and shifted attitudes away from symptom-focused care.
The bigger picture
Professor Steve Pilling updated us on the ODESSI research trial, which spans five NHS trusts. Results from the Open Dialogue approach - looking at relapse rates, hospitalisation, quality of life, and caregiver burden - are expected in December.
Professor Russell Razzaque, Clinical and Strategic Director at the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health, talked about the power of networks. Open Dialogue gives people space to speak, and that can be life-changing.
“Every crisis is a chance to rebuild. Mental health issues often come from things left unsaid.”
“When people are heard, they need us less and rely more on themselves.”
The roadmap for CNWL
These words were echoed by Dr Gareth Jarvis, Divisional Medical Director, who spoke about scaling up training and ambitions for CNWL to become a national centre of excellence.
CNWL has already trained over 200 staff, appointed a lead trainer, and launched the UK’s largest implementation pilot. Early data from Westminster shows promising results:
- 68% fewer emergency department visits
- 47% fewer hospital admissions
- 43% fewer home treatment referrals
Real stories
We heard moving stories from families who’ve experienced Open Dialogue. Rachel Bannister, Co-Founder and Chair of Mental Health Time for Action Foundation, spoke about her family’s journey in mental health services and the impacts of being sent far from home for treatment. Open Dialogue gave her family space to talk and heal, and they are still supported by the approach today.
A father spoke about his son’s time in hospital. What made a difference was someone taking the time to ask how he was feeling. He felt that the sense of being seen can stop people from ending up back in hospital.
“It’s cold in London. But someone who listens to you, that’s warmth.”
The day closed with panel discussions and a live recording of the OpenPODcast, hosted by Fiona Eastmond, Senior Peer Recovery Trainer. Listen to previous episodes here.
Looking ahead
Mental health services across the UK are under pressure. Open Dialogue offers something different: a way of working that prioritises relationships and shared decision-making.
So, what’s next? If adopted nationally, it could help move care towards early, collaborative support. It aligns with the NHS goal for integrated care and could set a standard for how services engage with families and communities.
The early data and lived experiences say it works. The question is how we can scale it, train teams, and embed it into the fabric of mental health care.
