MAD Alliance

'M.A.D Alliance' started out with NSUN members from eight North West London boroughs who formed a leadership group to establish a culture of co-production at all levels of commissioning and influence provision of mental health care and support across North West London.

'Mad', whilst implying a 'tongue in cheek' adoption of a word often used as an insult, has a secondary meaning here: it stands for 'making a difference'.

Drawing on their individual and collective experience, 'Mad Alliance' members advise the North West London Mental Health and Wellbeing Transformation Board of Commissioners.

The group challenges, informs and drives the redesign of services, improving delivery of the Crisis Concordat standards for care and support.

The concordat is a national agreement between services and agencies that sets out how they will work together to make sure people get the help they need when they are having a mental health crisis.

'Mad Alliance' members were recruited by NSUN and got to know each other whilst attending our 2015 Creative Leadership Programme, which consisted of an an introduction day followed by 12 interactive sessions.

This page is a collection of resources relating to this programme as well as other materials which 'Mad alliance' members use in their work. The Alliance is now managed by a collaboration of local providers accross North West London.

Creative Leadership Programme Handbook

Handbook - Creative Leadership Programme

Creative Leadership Programme Materials

Day 1 - Introduction to Leadership - slides
Day 1 - Influencing User Leadership by Janice Lowe - slides
Day 1 - Leadership by Janice Lowe - slides
Day 1 - Authority and Power - notes
Day 1 - Influence through stories - notes
Day 1 - Servant as Leader - notes

Day 2 - Introduction to Leadership by Naomi Good
Day 2 - Introduction to 4Pi Indicators
Day 2 - The Origins of 4Pi by Alison Faulkner

Day 3 - Session facilitator Brian Joof's article 'there needs to be change'

Day 4 - Session facilitator's Ian Pringle's website
Day 4 - The Forum Project's website, introducing Augusto Boal's Forum Theatre, the Theatre of the Oppressed
Day 4 - Video on how Forum Theatre can blast stigma to change minds and end mental health discriminatation
Day 4 - Video showing an example of Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed on the theme of suicide

Day 5 - Culture Race and Ethnicity in Commissioning for Mental Health by Dr Colin King - slides
Day 5 - Video on ethnic issues
Day 5 - Dancing to Our Own Tunes Report
Day 5 - Influencing Mental Health Services - a Guide to Values Based Commissioning (VBC)
Day 5 - guidance on VBC from the joint commissioning panel
Day 5 - MH services for black and minority ethnic communities
Day 5 - Doll Test Video

Day 6 - Session facilitator Dr Jonathan Campion's Public Mental Health Indicators

Latest

SCREAM IF YOU WANNA GO FASTER. The Signposting Roundabout from Hell

Against the backdrop of `mental health awareness week’ I am feeling suicidal. My life has no purpose or meaning, and I can no longer run the gauntlet of discrimation and abuse I face on a daily basis.
UNCAT Presentation

NSUN contributes to the Examination of the UK Government's Adherence to the UN Convention Against Torture (UNCAT)
User-led groups continue to close

User-led organisations across the country are continuing to close, with the sector even facing a “real threat of extinction”, leading networks have warned this week.
Mad? I'm furious!

'After 23 years we are apparently no longer valued by decision-makers or funders (...) at the time when we are most needed, nobody will actually fight for us', says Sarah, as the user-led organisation she is part of faces shut down in Liverpool. Published here as part of NSUN's campaign The Value of User Led Groups, this blog is a personal view on the threat of extinction to the Liverpool Mental Health Consortium.

Reigniting the space steering group

Steering group members for Reigniting the Space
Reigniting the Space: for BME user/survivor voice

A national forum to facilitate networking, information sharing and collaboration between racialised groups, and to sustain a collective political voice.
Involvement Workers

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Peer 2 Peer
Real Insight

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North East together (NEt)

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Survivor Researcher Network (SRN)

The network aims to provide mental health service users and survivors who are involved and interested in research a forum for networking, sharing information and supporting each other.
Survivors History Group

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London

mental health news from London
London network

London network

Jobs and involvement opportunities

Jobs and other involvement opportunities that call upon your lived experience as a mental health survivor / service user / carer.
4Pi national involvement standards

Developed by people with lived experience as part of the National Involvement Partnership (NIP) project, the 4Pi National Standards ensure effective co-production, thus really improving experiences of services and support.
Global Ministerial Mental Health Summit - Open Letters

The UK government is hosting a Global Ministerial Mental Health Summit in London on the 9th and 10th of October, 2018. The Summit aims to “build momentum on global mental health issues such as early intervention, public health, research, tackling stigma, and promoting access to evidence-based services.”. Read the Open Letters to the Organisers, Partners and Delegates of the Global Ministerial Mental Health Summit, London
BME mental health service users launch manifesto

The Kindred Minds BME mental health service user led manifesto is a unique resource, has been written by BME mental health service users and has a comprehensive vision for the policy and practice changes needed to improve the mental well-being of BME mental health service users.
History

About the National Survivor User Network (NSUN) and the wider service user survivor movement. What we have achieved.
Join as a member

We are a ‘user led’ network of over 4500 individual and group members. Join us to find out what's happening across England to improve the experiences of people who need services and support when in distress. We aim to connect, inform and influence.
Survivor Researcher Network launch manifesto

Written by the Survivor Researcher Working Group, the SRN manifesto sets out the background and context to survivor and service user research and SRN's aims and values as a network
Alternatives to detention/sectioning under the Mental Health Act 1983. Can you help with suggestions?

As part of her work for the Independent Review of the Mental Health Act, Dorothy Gould is trying to collect as many examples as possible of alternatives to detention/sectioning.
Our vision

Our vision is for the lives of people who experience mental distress, discrimination and disadvantage to be better
The Principles of Peer Support Charter

A collaboration between statutory and voluntary sector organisations has facilitated the production of a peer led and produced Principles of Peer Support Charter.