Virtual organisational support sessions

Valuing lived experience is at the heart of Culture of Care and we believe in embracing the full spectrum of coproduction. This is everything from all patients and carers having a voice in their care plan and peer workers on every ward through to having lived experience leadership positions at exec board level. These are all central to changing culture in inpatient care. This virtual session was an opportunity for cross-organisation project teams to reflect on this ambition.

In this session, we covered:

1. Understanding the value of coproduction and lived experience leadership
2. Exploring key concepts including power, diversity and remuneration
3. Developing a vision for what coproduction might mean across an organisation from ward to board, including corporate services
4. Exploring how to set up lived experience roles in a meaningful and sustainable way including job descriptions, recruitment, training and support structures.

Recording and resources

• View the slide deck
• Watch the recording (14 November 2025)

Recording to be uploaded after 30 January 2025.

This is a recap for the virtual trauma-informed organisational support session held on 25 November 2025.

In this session we covered:

1. Understanding the impact of trauma and its relationship with mental health service use
2. What does it mean to be a trauma-informed organisation
3. Understanding the role of lived experience in developing trauma-informed organisations
4. The importance of the environment and understanding its capacity to harm or to heal
5. A trauma-informed approach to supporting our workforce
6. What does it mean to be a trauma-informed leader

Recording and resources

• View the slide deck

To view the recording, please email cultureofcare@rcpsych.ac.uk

This is a recap for the virtual autism-informed organisational support sessions held on 9 September 2025 and 20 January 2026.

In these sessions we covered:

1. The current understanding of autism as a difference in sensory and social processing
2. The Autistic experience and the impact of the hospital environment on Autistic people
3. The importance of autism informed care through exploring reasons underlying over-representation of autistic people in mental health services and prolonged lengths of stay
4. Reflected on how adaptations to the physical and social environment can make care more accessible for autistic people
5. The practical actions and approaches that enable sensory friendly environments, and how ward staff can be supported to deliver neuroaffirming care

Recording and resources

To view the recording and/or slide deck, please email cultureofcare@rcpsych.ac.uk