Patient Representative and/or Carer Representative x 2 Accreditation for Community Mental Health Services (ACOMHS)
Patient Representative and/or Carer Representative x 2
Accreditation for Community Mental Health Services (ACOMHS)
£140 per day / £70 per half day
2-Year Fixed Term Contract
Location: London
Working pattern: Casual
Contract type: 2 Year Fixed Term Contract
Location: London
Interview date: 2nd September 2026
The Royal College of Psychiatrists is seeking patient and carer representatives to join the
Accreditation for Community Mental Health Services Network (ACOMHS) as Workers. The
successful applicants will have recent lived experience of community mental health services
or caring for someone who has accessed community mental health services.
The patient and carer representatives will be integral to the Network working with the
project team, to support the various activities of the project and advocating for the patient
group.
About the network
The focus of the network is to work with services to improve the quality of community
mental health services. We engage staff, patients and carers in a comprehensive process of
both self- and peer-review for the purpose of quality improvement and accreditation. We
recognise good practice and high-quality care whilst supporting services to identify and
address areas for improvement.
You can read more about the network on our webpage for ACOMHS.
Description of the main stages of the Networks:
Quality standards for specific mental health services – The standards spell out what needs
to happen in order to provide a good service and are used to measure service quality. For
example, a standard on patient information might state ‘patients are offered a summary of
their care plan’. This standard would then be measured and if a mental health team is not
meeting the standard, they will be asked to put changes in place to meet it in the future.
Who decides what goes in the standards?
The standards are developed by looking at existing guidance and by consulting with experts
in the field, including staff, patients and carers. This will sometimes involve a large meeting
where people discuss what should and should not be included.
Self-review - This involves us sending out questionnaires or other forms for staff, patients
and carers to fill in and send back to us. We sometimes refer to these as ‘data collection
tools’. These all link to the quality standards and help to inform us about whether a standard
is being met.
Peer review – This involves mental health staff, patients and/or carers visiting another
mental health service for a day to look around, interview people and take part in group
discussions. People going on peer reviews, whether clinicians, patients or carers, all receive
full training and support from the project team. These are day long visits which follow a clear
structure and are facilitated by an experienced lead.
Writing reports – Project staff write reports which summarise the achievements of the
service as well as areas they need to improve upon. The reports are sent back to the service
so that they can learn from the findings.
Learning events – Some projects hold events so that people in particular areas of mental
health can share ideas and help each other improve ways of working. Patients and carers
are often involved in these events, with the potential for dedicated workshops being run by
patients and carers about their experiences and how this can support service improvement.
Advisory Group - Each network has its own Advisory Group comprising of professionals who
represent key interests and areas of expertise relevant to the network, and patients and
carers who have experience of using the services the network focuses on. The purpose of the
group is to advise and further the work of the network.
Accreditation Committee – The network also has an Accreditation Committee, which
accredits services based on the evidence gathered during the self- and peer review. The
committee may request further information or a re-visit to the service if there are concerns
about quality.
The Patient/Carer Representative role within the Network
The views, ideas, skills and experience of people who have used these services are vital in
every part of our work. As part of this role, you will be closely involved with the Network and
particularly with the project team, to engage the wider membership and partner
organisations in advocating for the ACOMHS patient group.
Successful candidates will contribute to the network by attending and contributing to the
peer reviews as patient or carer representatives. Opportunities may also arise for
involvement with the Advisory Group, Accreditation Committee, standards development,
annual conference and other events
The Patient Representative and Carer Representative must have access to their own
electrical equipment to attend meetings and Wi-Fi connection.
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 ACOMHS and be part of our ongoing
strategy and communications development.
Please complete the Standard Application Form online or send the Easy Read Application
Form to: [email protected]
If you require assistance or any other reasonable adjustments to complete your application
form, please contact [email protected]
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.
