For people in forensic mental health services, being listened to is powerful. Many have experienced being spoken about rather than spoken with, or having assumptions made before they have the chance to explain who they are, what they need, or what they can offer. Stigma often follows people into rooms long before their voice has been heard.
On Friday 3 July 2026, a group of lived experience advocates from Forensic Mental Health Services came together at the User Voice office for an in-person event delivered through our partnership with North London Forensic Collaborative. The day celebrated something much bigger than completed training or project milestones. It celebrated people who had turned some of the hardest experiences of their lives into a mission to improve the lives of others.
The people in the room were Patient Council members, Peer Engagement Workers, and Community Connectors. Different roles, but one shared purpose: using lived experience to improve services for others. Patient Council members represent service users from forensic inpatient services across NLFC hospitals, raising issues from the wards and working with the Commissioning Hub and hospitals to turn patient voice into real change. Peer Engagement Workers are employed within the Commissioning Hub and work across hospitals and community services to understand how people experience their care and treatment day to day, bringing a lived experience perspective alongside Quality and Clinical Managers. Community Connectors are people using community forensic services who work with the Commissioning Hub to design, improve, and review community services, including those run by charities, social enterprises, and voluntary organisations.
“It felt empowering to connect with the wider lived experience community, bonding and working as one team.”
People who may once have doubted the value of their own voices were celebrating one another’s achievements, listening carefully, encouraging each other to speak, and staying in conversations long after the sessions had ended. The room felt supportive, caring, and full of purpose. There was a strong sense of togetherness, with lived experience voices coming together not just to reflect on what had been achieved, but to help shape what comes next.
“I feel like this is now my community.”
There was pride, but also honesty. People spoke about confidence growing, roles becoming clearer and the lived experience community beginning to feel more connected. The event created space to recognise not only what had been achieved, but the personal journeys behind that work.
A certificate presentation for Patient Council members and Community Connectors who completed accredited training became one of the clearest moments of recognition.
It celebrated people’s commitment, skills and leadership, and showed that lived experience is not just something people bring from the past; it is something they are building on for the future.
“It was amazing to be connected in one room and share experiences.”
Together, these groups show what co-production can look like when people are not only invited to speak, but supported to influence. Their insight is already helping to shape conversations, challenge assumptions and strengthen services across NLFC.
The day also recognised the people who have championed this work. Serena McCabe, NLFC Partnerships Manager, was thanked with flowers and a huge round of applause for the care, time, and commitment she has given to supporting the groups and helping them grow.
Turning voice into authentic change
The workshops asked how lived experience should influence commissioning decisions, where voices are currently heard, and where the system still needs to do better.
A clear message came through: strong foundations have been built, but feedback must lead somewhere. People want clearer routes into decision-making, stronger feedback loops, and more opportunities to work directly with those who can act on what they say.
“Communicating and sharing a problem is halving the problem. Keep thinking, keep talking and sharing, stay compassionate.”
What happens next
The ideas and feedback from the day will now help inform the NLFC governance review and strengthen how co-production works in practice within the Commissioning Hub.
“We have a foundation; we now need to make change happen.”
The event also reflected the strength of the partnership between NLFC and User Voice. The success of the Patient Council, Peer Engagement Workers and Community Connectors has been built through shared commitment: NLFC creating space for lived experience to influence services, and User Voice supporting people to build confidence, amplify their voices and turn insight into action.
The event was a reminder that lived experience is about far more than reflecting on the past. It is about recognising people’s strengths, valuing their expertise, and ensuring that those who know services best help shape what they become next.