Using lived experience to help others
Our Lived Experience Practitioners (LXPs) provide lived experience of mental ill-health, either from first-hand experience or from caring for a family member or friend.
Meet Amy Wattingham, who leads our LXPs in using their lived experience to help enhance the services we deliver.
Both volunteer and paid for roles exist - here Amy tells us what has inspired her.
“I feel privileged to be in a position where I can influence a real change in people’s attitudes by breaking down stigmas and myths about mental health.
“Training people to use lived experience interventions to support others and inspire hope is rewarding and inspiring – I learn as much from them as they do from my training. The benefits for both service users and our workforce are clear to see.
“Our LXPs are people who have experienced their own mental health problems and can draw upon their lived experience and personal recovery journey to develop empathetic relationships and support recovery for Oxleas mental health service users.”
The paid role requires a minimum of 15 hours per week whilst the volunteer role is whatever can be committed to. Training is for 12 weeks, 8 sessions via online or face-to-face sessions and 4 in self-directed learning, including shadowing in a clinical area.
To find out more, including how to register your interest for LXP training, please email oxl-tr.lxp@nhs.net or call 020 3260 5179.
Engage No.3 Spring 2022