Service user or service provider?

Over the last year or two I have forged a busy (if hardly lucrative) career in having been a former mental patient.  It's called being a "service user voice" or "patient representative".  I have attended workshops, spoken at conferences, commented on service specifications and care pathways, and reviewed services.  The health care professionals and managers involved are always keen to engage with us, but I'm not sure how meaningful it all is in practice.  I still read the same jargon and buzz phrases, week in week out:

Collaborative care.

Integrated pathways.

Patient-centred.

Whole-system.

Multi-disciplinary.

Ad infinitum.

As a result, I'm reaching the natural end of my contribution to perinatal mental health services - as a patient or service user. But I still want to make a difference. I genuinely want to transform the way perinatal mental health services are delivered.  I want to understand how this is done now, and how we can make it better.  And I want to help individual women and families along the way. 

In my personal life, we are coming to terms with our inability to have another child.  And I am thinking seriously about what to do with myself (besides the novel writing and MHFA training!) once The Boy starts school in September 2017.

Perhaps I am madder than I think, because I am now seriously considering a new career, at the advanced age of 35.

I am looking into the possibility of retraining as a mental health nurse, and starting a career in the NHS.  I have two degrees already (if you want my full CV: MA(Hons) Economics & Politics 2002, and MSc Economics 2005), so apparently I could even join an accelerated postgraduate entry programme (the PGDip in nursing with registration, mental health branch).

But in order to be accepted, I need to show almost 600 hours of "accredited prior learning and experience".  See, for example: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught-courses/nursing-with-registration-graduate-entry-pg-dip.aspx

I have built up some relevant experience through all the patient rep work mentioned above, as well as the peer supporting I have done and Mental Health First Aid training.  But I need much, much more.

Can you or your organisation help?

I'm looking for flexible (due to childcare constraints) work experience placements in or around London, in mental health care settings (primary, secondary or tertiary; statutory services or third sector; traditional or alternative). 

In return you would get the services of a very enthusiastic and committed work experience student who has plenty of "lived experience".  I also have a full DBS, MHFA training and some specialist Perinatal MH training too.  I'm looking to do as much work experience as I can in the next two months, before our family goes away on secondment.  However my university application is not due to be submitted until June 2017.

If you would like to discuss please do leave a comment here, or message me on Twitter (@KatGrant30). Thanks!