The main purpose of the Cygnet People’s Council is to work alongside and influence the Executive Management Board through ensuring that the people using our services, and their carers, are represented at every level of the organisation, from the ward to the board.
The People’s Council is made up of a wide range of Experts by Experience to ensure a 360 degree lived experience perspective. This includes: current and former service users, carers who are both internal and external to Cygnet, as well as Experts by Experience who have accessed non-Cygnet services.
The event was chaired By Rafik Hamaizia, Cygnet’s Expert by Experience Lead and co-chaired by Julie Kerry, Director of Nursing and Patient Experience. Sally Warren, Managing Director of Paradigm was the event facilitator. Also attending the event were Viv Cooper OBE, Chief Executive of the Challenging Behaviour Foundation and Jane Ray, Head of Hospital Inspections for the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
“Patient councils are cool but the rise of co-production has really made us think that we need to involve everyone from people have used our services and their carers to people who are using our services and external experts by experience. This is why we decided the best name would be “The People’s Council” as patient, carer, staff or otherwise, we recognise that everyone is a person”Rafik Hamaizia, Expert By Experience Lead
At the launch event the People’s Council co-produced ideas of how we are going to move forward and ensure its success. Seeing a variety of Experts by Experience, CQC staff, Cygnet staff, NHS staff and people from the 3rd Sector all agree on our vision has only motivated us more to ensure its success.
Co-production is important because:
- It improves clinical outcomes
- It improves patient experience
- It improves staff experience
- Its national policy!
- It will support us to make the required cultural changes to deliver Reductions in Restrictive Practice
- It provides unique feedback and solutions
- It holds the mirror up to us in an open and transparent way
- Evidence indicates organisations who do this well are the most cost effective
The launch was a huge success and we look forward to the Cygnet People’s Council co-producing a structure that supports involvement at every level.