News

The theme for this year's World Mental Health Day [10 October 2026] is “Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change”.  At NLFT we put the people who use our services at the heart of everything we do, and their insights help shape better mental health  services. By listening to, learning from and acting on their insight and experiences, we can improve the quality of care we provide.  

Some of our work with service users at the heart include: 

Care planning service user reference group

Our  care planning service user reference group brings together service users, carers and staff to improve care planning through coproduction, which is when people with lived experience work alongside staff as equal partners to design, improve and evaluate services.

Read more: “Our voices are being heard” – how service users are helping shape better care planning across North London

Daleham Gardens crisis house

Coproduction played a central role in the development of our recently opened 12-bed crisis house in Belsize Park, Daleham Gardens. Experts by experience worked alongside staff throughout the project, helping shape the environment, artwork and feel of the building to create a welcoming and recovery-focused space.

Read more about Daleham Gardens:  Staff and partners celebrate opening of Daleham Gardens Crisis House

24/7 Mental Health Crisis Assessment Service at Chase Farm

Our Mental Health Crisis Assessment Service (MHCAS) at Chase Farm Hospital offers a dedicated alternative to A&E for people experiencing a mental health crisis, providing specialist assessment and support in a calm, safe and therapeutic environment designed specifically for mental health care.

People with lived experience have played a central role in shaping the service, which opened in the summer, influencing everything from the layout of the building to the artwork and overall environment.

Read more about our Chase Farm MHCAS: New 24/7 Mental Health Crisis Assessment Service opens today at Chase Farm Hospital

Lived experience in forensic mental health care

For people using forensic mental health services, being listened to is powerful. Many have experienced being spoken about rather than spoken with, or having assumptions made before they have the chance to explain who they are, what they need, or what they can offer. Stigma often follows people into rooms long before their voice has been heard. Earlier this summer, people with lived experience from across North London Forensic Collaborative services came together to celebrate the progress they have made in helping shape and improve care for others.

Read more: Using lived experience to make a difference in forensic mental health care

Get involved

We welcome our service users’ involvement to help us in reviewing, shaping and improving our services, ensuring their input is at the heart of what we provide. Join our Involvement Register

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