Head of Lived Experience & Co-Production for Specialist Services in Stafford

Do you hold lived experience accessing (and building a meaningful life following the use of) services which would fall under MPFT's Specialist care group (e.g. Drug & Alcohol treatment, Forensic services, Eating Disorders, Health and Justice or Prison services, Sexual Health services or Learning Disabilities services) or caring for a family member or loved one who has accessed one or more of these services?

Are you an experienced peer/lived experience leader with a track record of bringing insights from lived experience into strategic contexts? Do you hold expertise in supporting others to understand and apply different engagement methodologies - from co-production to involvement and participation?

If so, this could be the perfect opportunity to join our passionate team who truly believe that patient, carer, and family experience is central to delivering outstanding care. You will need to travel independently over a large geographical area and will require suitable transport.

Main duties of the job:

• The Head of Lived Experience and Co-Production will work highly autonomously within their allocated care group, reporting closely into the Deputy Director for Lived Experience and care group senior leadership.
• Responsible for ensuring that lived experience and co-production is embedded in your care group, developing relationships and programmes of work to support MPFT's Co-Production, Lived Experience & Community Voice Strategy (CLEVES).
• Identify and lead cross-cutting initiatives that reflect and amplify the voices of people who use services, improving outcomes and strengthening person-centred approaches across care groups, thereby supporting your care group to realise its strategic aims.
• You will also spend a portion of time considering the central activities and work programmes which pertain to MPFT as a whole and is based in the Lived Experience and Co-Production Directorate, holding a specialised lens on the agenda as it pertains to the communities served by the care group with which you link.
• Responsible for promoting the vision and values of MPFT and for MPFT's priorities regarding Lived Experience, Co-production and Community Voice.
• You will lead by example and ensure that you demonstrate the trust's values in collaborative work with communities and colleagues across the organisation, playing a critical role in ensuring service developments are inclusive, responsive, and aligned with the NHS 10 Year Plan.

About us:

Come and work with us at our award-winning NHS Trust, leading the way for trying new and better ways of working to help improve life for our local communities. We have around 9,000 staff who provide physical and mental healthcare, support for people with learning disabilities, and adult social care across Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Shropshire, and Telford & Wrekin. We also run regional and national services, including help for new parents (perinatal care), eating disorders, forensic services, sexual health, and support for people in prison with mental health, drug, or alcohol problems.

We offer great career development for both clinical and non-clinical roles, with ongoing training and support to help you learn and grow. We are 'United in our Uniqueness' and committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels welcome and can be themselves, no matter their background or identity. We want our staff to feel supported and valued, and we aim to build a team that reflects the communities we serve. Together, we can make sure every voice is heard, and every difference is respected.

Please note, we may be required to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications.

Please be aware that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in completing application forms will be monitored to ensure fairness and transparency. If you have used AI you must state this in your application.

Person Specification:

Qualifications:

• Essential: Certification or accredited training in co-production, patient and public involvement (PPI), or community engagement (or equivalent level of demonstrable experience).
• Formal training or qualification in leadership, management, or project management (e.g., ILM Level 5/7, Prince2, MBA (or equivalent level of experience).
• Qualification or experiential learning related to peer support, recovery education, trauma-informed care, and/or mental health advocacy or equivalent experience.
• Desirable: Research methods or evaluation qualification/training, particularly in participatory action research or community-based research methodologies.

Experience:

• Essential: Lived experience of accessing (and building a meaningful life following the use of) services which would fall under MPFT's Specialist care group (e.g. Drug & Alcohol treatment, Forensic services, Eating Disorders, Health and Justice or Prison services, Sexual Health services or Learning Disabilities services) or caring for a family member or loved one who has accessed one or more of these services.
• Proven leadership experience in co-production, lived experience roles, patient and public involvement, or community engagement within health or social care settings.
• Experience designing, implementing, and embedding co-production approaches into service development and transformation.
• Desirable: Proven track record of leading an implementation process including completing complex, multi-faceted implementation plans and workstreams.

Skills:

• Essential: In-depth knowledge of health and care services, recovery principles, trauma-informed care, peer support models, and co-production best practices.
• Desirable: Familiarity with research methods, including participatory and community-based approaches.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.