Paid Opportunity: Join NHS Wales’ Mental Health Research Lived Experience Panel

We are looking for people aged 14+ to join 2 groups (1 for young people and 1 for adults) to help us shape mental health research in Wales. 

About the research project 

People in the UK often wait a long time to get mental health support. In Wales, a new system is being introduced called “open access” mental health services. 

This means: 

People in Wales will be able to choose the type of support they want and will be able to get help on the same day they ask. We are carrying out a national research project to understand if this new approach works well for people and services. 

We need your help 

We need your help to design this research study. We are looking for people with lived/ living experience of mental health difficulties or who are caring for someone who has. Your direct experience will help us design the study. Your views will help to make sure the research is useful and reflects real life. 

We are setting up two ‘Lived Experience Panels’. These groups will help guide and support the research. 

We are looking for: 

• Young people (14-20 years old) and adults (18+) 
• People who have experience of mental health difficulties/are caring for an adult who has 
• People who have used NHS mental health services, or tried to access support 

You do not need to know anything about research – you will learn about that as part of the project. Your experience will help us make sure the research is fair, clear, and useful. 

What you will do 

We will meet as a group either online or in person. As a panel member, you will: 

• Help to ensure that language and terms used in the research are clear, easy-to-understand and relatable for the public 
• Share your ideas on how best to promote the research to the public 
• Read and give us feedback on project information  
• Help us to make sense of our findings from a public perspective 

You do not need any specific expertise to join the group. We will provide training if you would like. You do need to be able to join a remote meeting, either on a phone, tablet or computer. If internet access is a concern for you, please contact us to discuss (sarah@promo.cymru). 

Meetings and payment 

Project meetings will usually take place online and last approximately 1-2 hours. We expect to hold around 4–6 meetings each year, although additional meetings may sometimes be scheduled. If this happens, we will let you know in advance. We may also hold in-person meetings, we can discuss this with you if you are interested in joining us. 

These sessions are designed to be friendly and supportive, ensuring a positive experience for everyone involved. We will work together using a co-design approach, meaning your voice is valued equally alongside the researchers, and your ideas will directly shape the project.  

You will be offered £27.50 per hour for your time to prepare for and attend each meeting. This will be paid in vouchers if you are under 16. You can ask for less if this will affect your benefits.  

Interested? 

If you would like to register your interest in joining us, please complete this Expression of Interest form by Sunday 27 September 23:59.