National Service Users Executive - Supporting your Vision

These are the guiding principles which inform our work, taken from the Strategic Plan of the Interim National Service Users Executive 2007-09.

1. The fundamental principle underlying this strategic plan is that the service user/carer is central to mental health service provision. All agencies and organisations that provide mental health services must therefore work in partnership with service users and carers.
2. Service users and carers must at all times be treated with dignity, respect and, as equals.
3. It is essential for all stakeholders to know and to understand the service user perspective. Service users and carers should be represented and involved at all levels of service planning, delivery, monitoring and evaluation locally, regionally and nationally, including involvement in the allocation of resources.
4. Service user involvement must be meaningful and collaborative, with service users and carers having an equal opportunity to share and participate in decision making in relation to service provision. This will require active participation on decision making bodies.
5. Service users have a unique insight and expertise to contribute to the development of quality mental health services and also to the development of measures which promote positive mental well-being. This comes from their personal experience of psychological/ emotional distress and recovery and as recipients of services.