Mental Health People's Parliament

The People’s Parliament is a strategic body led by MPs with recent lived experience of mental health difficulties. Its function is to hold decision makers to account for improvements in services and supports so that people who experience mental health difficulties can have an improved quality of life and be in greater control of their own mental wellbeing. The Parliament is located in the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, just outside Birmingham.

Changing Our Lives and the People's Parliament are committed to the recovery model. Just as we all have physical health, so we have mental health. This model does not focus on symptoms and conditions but champions:

building people's resilience
supporting self-development and self-esteem
a strength-based approach
a personalised approach and aims for each individual to gain more control over their life
social recovery, where relationships and community connections are strengthened
a journey, not a destination
building a meaningful life, as defined by the person themselves

Quality of Life Mental Health Standards

State of Sandwell

These standards were produced by Changing Our Lives in coproduction with members of the People’s Parliament. They are a tool that can be used in a variety of ways to drive change. They can be embedded into commissioning processes to inspire and stimulate recovery focused approaches, challenge assumptions, shape thinking and encourage cultural change in working practices. They can also be used to check the quality of services and support for local people.

Every year the Mental Health People’s Parliament speak to 100 people across Sandwell to get to the heart of current experiences and views about what keeps people well and what people do when they or their loved ones experience mental health difficulties. Read our 2019 report here. In 2020 we are speaking to 100 people from minority ethnic communities about COVID-19 and mental health. Contact [email protected] to get involved or read more about the project here. (Easy Read).

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Our vision and values

Changing Our Lives is a rights-based organisation. We work alongside disabled people and people experiencing mental health difficulties, of all ages, as equal partners to find solutions to social injustice and health inequalities.
National postural care strategy

We all need to look after our posture. For some of us it's as simple as sitting up correctly at our computer. But for those of us who struggle to move our own bodies, for example if we have a complex disability, looking after our posture is even more important. If we don’t look after our posture, this can lead to debilitating health complications.
Mental Health People's Parliament

The People’s Parliament is a strategic body led by MPs with recent lived experience of mental health difficulties. Its function is to hold decision makers to account for improvements in services and supports so that people who experience mental health difficulties can have an improved quality of life and be in greater control of their own mental wellbeing. The Parliament is located in the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, just outside Birmingham.
Where we work
Our brand
Safe places

The Safe Places scheme is based on the belief that everyone has the right to feel confident and safe going out in their local community. Lots of people feel unsafe at times in the local area; this might be because they have experienced crime or because they simply feel unsafe. For disabled people, older people and others who feel vulnerable this often means they don’t go out at all. The Safe Places scheme enables people to feel more confident, access their local areas more and know what to do.
Beth's Story

How Beth broke the mould around post-16 options by designing her own future.
Best practice
Katy's Story

No one's too disabled, or too affected by mental health difficulties, to lead an ordinary life.
Annual Programme

Our specialised team combines extensive experience, highly skilled and tenacious, professionals that are known for an innovative and outcomes based approach to practice and delivery.