Job description
Working pattern: Remote
Contract type: FTC (April 2027)
Location: Homebased
Interview date: 09 April 2025 via Online via Ms Teams
The Royal College of Psychiatrists is seeking two (2) patient or carer representatives to join the Demand, Capacity & Flow Quality Improvement (QI) Collaborative project team. The successful applicants will have recent lived experience of accessing mental health services or caring for someone who has.
The patient or carer representative will be an integral member of the project team, using their experience to support the delivery and governance of the Collaborative.
The role of the patient or carer representative will include:
- Provide input on designing and achieving the project aims, support the project team and contribute to decision making and problem solving
- Attend the Launch Event and Learning Sets and design and deliver sessions within them to meet project aims
- Plan and participate in quarterly learning sessions
- Review and comment on material sent out in preparation for meetings
- Comment on the material presented at meetings
- Be a ‘critical friend’ to the Collaborative, offering challenge and different perspectives drawn from the lived experiences (self or others)
- Support Project Teams enrolled in the Collaborative to co-produce their work
It is expected that the patient or carer representative will attend and participate in:
- Learning sets every three months
- Weekly project team meetings
- Any additional ad-hoc team meetings
The Patient Representative and Carer Representative must have access to their own electrical equipment to attend meetings and Wi-Fi connection.
NCCMH
The National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health (NCCMH) is a collaboration between the Royal College of Psychiatrists and University College London. They develop evidence-based guidance, pathways, competence frameworks and quality improvement (QI) collaboratives.
Demand, Capacity & Flow QI Collaborative
Following a successful first cohort of the DCF Collaborative, the NCCMH are pleased to be recruiting to a second wave, launching in April 2025. The design of the collaborative and support offered will be based on our learning from the first wave, which finished in July 2024.
 QI’ Collaboratives bring together ‘Project Teams’ from these services to work on specific areas they’d like to see work better. The areas the ‘Demand, Capacity and Flow’ (DCF) Collaborative focus on is how services can offer help more quickly and effectively.
The broad aims of the Demand Capacity and Flow QI collaborative will be to:
- support community teams within mental health services to understand demand, develop and test change ideas to improve flow, reduce waiting lists and manage demand in creative ways.
- provide opportunities for peer-to-peer sharing and learning through regular in-person events.
- Ensure that co-production, equity and trauma-informed approaches are central to the collaborative
The collaborative will run for 2 years until April 2027.  The DCF collaborative will be managed by a project team that includes QI Coaches and another person with lived experience. The patient or carer representatives are key project team members with an important voice and say in the delivery of the project. They will have recent lived experience of accessing mental health services or caring/being a supporter of someone who has.
RCPsych has developed a high media profile and is a leading organisation in terms of equality and diversity. It was a recent winner of Charity of the Year at the European Diversity Awards. This is an excellent opportunity for patients and carers to contribute their perspectives on important mental health issues for speciality and be part of our ongoing strategy and communications development.
If you require assistance or any other reasonable adjustments to complete your application form, please contact HRrecruitment@rcpsych.ac.uk
The College is a proud member of the Disability confident employer scheme. A Disability confident employer will offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria (essential) for the job as defined by the employer.
Please see candidate information pack for more information.
