Make your voice heard: How you can help shape the future of community mental health services
23/01/2025
Do you have experience living with mental illness, or of caring for someone who does? Do you think community mental health services need improving?
Right now, you have a chance to help shape the future of community mental health by sharing your experiences directly with Members of Parliament.
The Health and Social Care Select Committee has launched an inquiry into community mental health services with a focus on severe mental illness. We want to make sure your voice is heard.
Why your response matters
Parliamentary select committees play an important role in holding the government to account. Think of them as a group of MPs from across the political parties who take a deeper look at important issues, recommend changes, and track the progress of these changes.
The government is expected to officially respond to all reports produced by Select Committees, often including where they will take recommended action. So when these inquiries hear directly from people affected by these issues it can lead to real change.
For example, a previous inquiry into children and young people’s mental health services highlighted the lack of clear data on these services. This led to the creation of a single, clear data set, covering inpatient admissions, waiting lists lengths, and more, which has highlighted where improvements are needed and helped guide policy decisions.
Rethink Mental Illness is pleased that the Select Committee is taking an interest in issues facing people severely affected by mental illness. This rare parliamentary spotlight comes at a significant moment.
The government is currently developing its vision for our health service for the next decade, so decisions made now will shape mental health services for years to come.
What should I talk about?
The Committee wants to hear as much as possible from people with lived experience of mental illness and their carers and families.
They are particularly interested in:
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Your experiences of care: What does good quality mental health care look like to you and your family or carers? What makes the biggest difference in the support you receive?
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Getting the right support: How easy or difficult has it been to access community mental health services? What would make it easier to get the help you need, when you need it?
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Joining up your care: How well do mental health services work with other support you might need (like social care, housing services or employment support)? What would make these services work better together?
How do I submit my response?
Don't let the formal-sounding "parliamentary inquiry" put you off - the process is simpler than you might think:
- Visit the inquiry webpage at Call for Evidence - Committees - UK Parliament
- Read the inquiry questions on the ‘Call for Evidence’ page - these will help guide your response. However - you don't have to answer every question. Focus on sharing your experiences about the aspects you know best.
- Read all the instructions for responding on the ‘Submit evidence’ page.
- Fill out your personal details on the online portal.
- Answer the questions you would like to respond to on a separate word document. Upload your document to the online portal.
- If you wish to remain anonymous, tick the box ‘I wish to make an anonymous or confidential submission’. Responses are otherwise published on the Committee’s page on the UK Parliament, with whoever submitted the response named.
- Make sure you submit your response by Tuesday 4th February
Tips for writing your response
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Be personal: Your experiences are valuable. Share specific examples of your interactions with community mental health services - what worked, what didn't, and what needs to change.
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Keep it focused: You might have many experiences to share but try to stay focused on community mental health services specifically (rather than inpatient/hospital services, for example).
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Be mindful of length: Keep your response under 3000 words. Don’t worry if it is short. Even a few paragraphs about your experiences will have valuable insights.
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Consider your privacy: Due to the nature of the inquiry, your response may contain sensitive information about your experiences. If you want to respond anonymously, tick the box that says ‘I wish to make an anonymous or confidential submission’.
Need any further help?
If you are finding it difficult to submit your evidence online, you can get help by contacting the Health and Social Care Committee by email at hsccom@parliament.uk or by phone on 020 7219 6182.