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An Expert-by-Experience who was once addicted to drink and drugs has described how the support she received from clinical and other staff at the North London Mental Health Partnership transformed her life.

Ayshe was one of two service users who were special guests at the Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Annual General Meetings attended by staff and members of the public. She is now closely involved in co-production work where staff and service users work together to shape the care that is given to ensure it is appropriate and effective.

Ayshe is training to be a peer support worker and in on our Engagement Register, for people who have lived experience of our services and are willing to take part in workshops and other working groups to develop the Trust’s plans going forward, offering expert opinion.

She said: “ A key turning point for me came almost a year ago – in fact it will be one year on Saturday. On 7 October at 16.47 in the afternoon, my key worker called me and she basically said: “Do you want this recovery or not. I’m going to call you back in 15 minutes and you can give me your decision. When she called me back I said yes I did, and I committed to it. I went through my flat and threw away any drugs and substances and went cold turkey and it was horrible, but I got through it.

I have been clean of drink and drugs since then, and the change I have felt in my life has made me determined to help other people because I think if I could do it then they can too.”

Another Expert-by-Experience, Adebimpe, told the meeting how she had lost people very close to her during the COVID pandemic and that had an impact on her mental health, but she had found great support from members of a bereavement group and she had since

In November, I started doing some expert by experience work with the Trust after my enablement worker asked me if I was interested. I’ve been doing co-production work on how services in the community can help people who have been in hospital, and prevent them from being readmitted. I feel my experience has been valued and I have been listened to and that has helped me have a sense of purpose.

Increasing the number of people on our Engagement Register and involved in coproduction of our services is a priority for the Trust and this was also highlighted by the Chair, Peter Molyneux, our Chief Executive, Jinjer Kandola MBE, and Chief Nursing Officer, Amanda Pithouse, throughout the meeting.

In her presentation, our Chief Executive also spoke about some of the many achievements during the year, including the improvements to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, the Community Transformation Programme and the many changes to our crisis services, including a new pilot scheme where we are working with the police to help those who are at risk of being detained under the Mental Health Act. She also gave an update on the North London Mental Health Partnership; Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust and Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust are applying to NHS England to become a single organisation to benefit the communities across the five boroughs of North Central London.

Amanda Pithouse detailed many improvements in our services and our Chief Financial Officer, Samanthi Gibbens, who explained highlights of the Trust’s accounts.

More than 150 people joined the online meeting, including service users, carers, staff Governors, members of the Board, partners and members of the public.

You can see a recording of the meeting here.