About MARD
The Making a Real Difference report was commissioned by the NIMHE national and regional Directors in June 2004, to develop recommendations for improving Service User and Carer involvement throughout the NIMHE programme. The resulting report was fully endorsed by the Directors and CSIP North East Yorkshire and Humber were tasked with delivering on the recommendations outlined within the report.
The end of the national Making a Real Difference project in no way marks an end to the work to strengthen involvement in the NIMHE programme, but heralds the beginning of a long but significant period of change in the way we all work within the NIMHE programme and the culture that exists within the organisation.
As a result of the Making a Real Difference project, the systems, guidelines, policies and procedures developed in partnership with our stakeholders, will enable the NIMHE programme to develop a systematic approach to involvement. This will ensure that service improvement is being led by example, affording us to utilise not only the expertise of the NIMHE staff teams, but also the huge potential expertise held by people using mental health services and those caring for them. This will help us to fulfil the principles set out in the White Paper, Our Health, Our Care, Our Say - a new direction for community services; which states that “change is to be driven, not centrally, but in each community by the people who use services and by the professionals who provide them.” (Tony Blair –January 2006).
The processes and methods followed during the projects and an overview of the resources that have been developed are detailed in the final project report.
