Roles for service users and carers
We are committed to working and engaging with service users, patients, family, friends, carers and communities in a wide range of ways.
Ensuring that all people’s views are heard at all levels and across all parts of the Trust is essential for creating and delivering improved access, experience and health outcomes for patients.
Service users and people who look after someone can get involved in the following ways:
- Providing your views as a representative at a service improvement meeting, working group or event.
- By expressing your interest in one of our Lived Experience Partner roles e.g.
- Training Lived Experience Partner
- Recruitment & Selection Lived Experience Partner
- PLACE Inspection (Patient Led Assessment of the Care Environment) Lived Experience Partner
- Contributing to the development of our strategies and plans.
You will be paid for your time. The rate of pay is £15.00 per hour. Payment for mileage will be reimbursed at the same rate as our staff who use their own vehicle for business mileage (currently 59p per mile).
When a vacancy is advertised, we are looking for people with lived experience of mental health to express their interest.
Current opportunities are listed on this page, below, and/or advertised by flyers and on noticeboards in the services where roles are available.
Marketing and Communications Lived Experience Partners
Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust’s Marketing and Communications Team are here to help the Trust communicate clearly, consistently and with purpose. We help develop patient information and are responsible for campaigns, events, digital communications, and graphic design.
In line with our commitment to improving service user and carer experience and engagement, we would like to recruit Lived Experience Partners for our new panel. You will help to co-design communication and marketing materials to help us avoid assumptions, reframe messaging, and ensure information is accessible and reflective of actual service user and carer needs.
Experience, knowledge, skills and attributes we are looking for:
- A current or former mental health service user or carer (relative, partner, friend or neighbour).
- Ability to commit to pre-arranged meeting times.
- Make suggestions, bring ideas and offer insight on how we can most effectively communicate with our audiences.
- Ability to focus on and be respectful of, wider views and experiences as well as your own.
- Ability to demonstrate listening and communication skills in a style that is questioning but not confrontational.
- Able to communicate effectively and the confidence and skills needed to take part in meetings that are held in person or online.
- Able to review reports and provide constructive feedback.
- Constructively curious and solution focused, with a passion for improving mental health services.
You do not need a background in healthcare or marketing. We are looking for expressions of interest from service users and carers who can:
- Meet four times a year on the morning of the third Thursday (9.30am to 12.30pm) beginning from September 2026 in person at The Curve, Prestwich, M25 3BL.
- Spend up to three hours ahead of each quarterly meeting reviewing documents to prepare for the meeting and note things you wish to raise on behalf of service users and carers.
You will be paid £15 per hour for your time.
The deadline for expressions of interest is Monday 24 August 2026.
We look forward to hearing from you!
To find out more and register your interest, please contact: communications@gmmh.nhs.uk
Documents to download
Marketing and Communications Lived Experience Partners Advert (PDF only, 440KB)
HOPE(S) Model Lived Experience Partner
The HOPE(S) model is a human rights-based approach to reducing seclusion and ending long term segregation currently being implemented across Greater Manchester Mental Health Trust.
In line with our commitments to improving service user and carer experience and engagement, we would like to recruit two HOPE(S) Lived Experience Partners:
- One with personal experience of seclusion or long-term segregation
- One with this experience as a family member / carer
As a lived experience partner, you will be a valued member of the HOPE(S) team working collaboratively alongside staff to shape services and improve experiences whilst developing skills and confidence.
What you’ll do
- Attend the Reducing Restrictive Practice (RRP) meeting (two hours per month)
- Take part in monthly preparation and reflective check-ins (one hour per month)
- Review reports and provide feedback on HOPE(S) data, policy and practice (two hours per month)
- Support quarterly review sessions (three hours per quarter)
- Contribute to annual priority setting – (four hours per year)
- Facilitate monthly training with HOPE(s) staff – (one and a half hours)
What we’re looking for
You must:
- Have lived experience of seclusion/ segregation (directly or as a family member)
- Have an interest in human rights, restrictive practice, and mental health care
- Be able to communicate confidently in professional meetings and provide constructive feedback
- Advocate for service users and carers at strategic level
- Be curious, reflective, and solution focused
- Have a willingness to work collaboratively and influence change
You will be paid for your time in line with the Trust policy which is £15 per hour from 1 January 2026.
There would be a requirement to complete two-day induction / training on starting.
To find out more and send an expression of interest statement, please email: ServiceUsersAndCarers@gmmh.nhs.uk
The deadline for expressions of interest is Tuesday 22 September 2026.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Documents to download
HOPE(S) Model Lived Experience Partner advert.docx [docx] 2MB
HOPE(S) Model Lived Experience Partner Role Description.docx [docx] 322KB
Human Rights Lived Experience Partner
The Human Rights programme supports the Trust’s commitment to delivering care that upholds dignity, respect, and the least restrictive approach, and is aligned with our Reducing Restrictive Practices agenda.
In line with our commitments to improving service user and carer experience and engagement, we are seeking expressions of interest for two Lived Experience Partners to join our Human Rights Programme:
- One with direct lived experience of accessing inpatient mental health services
- One with experience as a family member/ carer supporting someone who has used services
As a lived experience partner, you will work alongside the Senior Human Rights Officer, clinical teams, and other partners to support the Trust to reduce restrictive practices and improve patient experience.
What you’ll do
- Attend the Reducing Restrictive Practice (RRP) meeting (two hours per month)
- Provide training delivery support (one hour per month)
- Review key documents to provide feedback (two hours per month)
- Complete project and development work (two hours per month)
- Make use of preparation and reading time (one hour per month)
- Access regular supervision and support (one hour per month)
What we’re looking for
You must:
- Be a current or former mental health service user (with inpatient experience) or a family member or carer
- Have an interest in human rights principles and improving mental health care
- Be able to communicate confidently in professional meetings and provide constructive feedback
- Advocate for service uses and carer voices across training, policy and improvement activity
You will be paid for your time in line with the Trust policy which is £15 per hour from 1 January 2026.
There would be a requirement to complete two-day Human Rights training on starting.
To find out more and send an expression of interest statement, please email: ServiceUsersAndCarers@gmmh.nhs.uk
The deadline for expressions of interest is Tuesday 22 September 2026.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Documents to download
Human Rights Lived Experience Partner advert.docx [docx] 2MB
Human Rights Lived Experience Partner Role Description.docx [docx] 369KB
PLACE Partner
PLACE (Patient Led Assessments of the Care Environment) Partner
We are always looking for individuals to help us as part of our trust wide PLACE inspection team. Throughout the year the PLACE inspection team will visit all of our inpatient wards at Prestwich, Manchester, Bolton, Salford, Trafford, and Wigan, making sure that Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH) is providing the best environments for its service users. The team looks at a variety of standards such as: cleanliness, quality of the food, privacy and dignity, the buildings general condition and maintenance and how the environment supports the care of those with dementia.
We are looking for applications from service users and carers with recent experience of mental health wards.
We will be providing PLACE partner inspection training prior to you starting and ongoing 1:1 support.
Our PLACE Partners are paid for their time; the rate of pay is £15.00 per hour. We will reimburse all public travel expenses or mileage costs if using your own car.
For more information
Phone: 0161 938 4482
Alternatively, email: ruth.lyons@gmmh.nhs.uk
We look forward to hearing from you!
Poster: PLACE Assessor Poster 2026.pdf
As a service user, relative or carer using our services, sometimes you may need to turn to someone for help, advice, and support.
Find resources for carers and service users Contact the Trust