Statute and policy guidance highlights the growing need for service user, carer, public and staff input to health and social care development.  Commissioning is a key tool to ensure this is achieved. 

This programme aims to support the involvement of service users and carers at all stages of the commissioning cycle, and support the development of a regional service user and carer mental health commissioning forum which will ensure the views of excluded and hard to reach groups have influence on the process. 

Commissioners, service providers and the forum will identify outcome measures that can be written into service level agreements that reflect service user and carer needs and address health inequalities.  The North East region will lead the service user, carer and public involvement work as part of the national commissioning theme.

The programme is made up of three strands of work:

• Developing a shared vision
• Working with people to improve health and social care services
• Involvement and recovery

For more information about this work please contact our Involvement Lead: Paul Johnson