Community Listener
Mental Health Research Engagement Network programme (REN MH)
Overseen by: Devon Mental Health Alliance
Duration: November 2024-August 2025
Do you enjoy talking with people and have the ability to make people feel heard?
Are you keen to learn new skills and are passionate about making sure people have the chance to influence local mental health research studies? If so, this could be the role for you!
This role is for people who have gained valuable life lessons through your personal or professional lived experience of mental ill health. In particular we are seeking to work with people who have experience in any of the following areas: Males, younger age groups, minority ethnic communities, people with multiple health inequalities and those from deprived rural and coastal communities.
Our data tells us that these communities are less involved in research studies and shaping future research opportunities and our Research Engagement Network wants to change this.
About the Mental Health Research Engagement Network (REN)
- One of three networks funded by NHS England, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and National Institute for Health and Care Research until August 2025.
- A key aim of the programme is to increase diversity in mental health research.
- The programme seeks to strengthen relationships between local communities, researchers and the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Sector across Devon, Cornwall and Somerset.
About the Community Listener Role
We anticipate that these roles will be based within local organisations and charities across the southwest who work alongside REN’s target communities. The roles may also be delivered within one of our Research café mental health network spaces, where people can meet with their peers and researchers to talk about the things that are important to them.
Responsibilities/ duties:
- Gathering information/stories and experiences of people within our target
communities through a variety of listening approaches - Feeding this back through to the local REN Programme team including
researchers - Attending shared learning sessions and community discussions with other Community listeners who are part of our network.
Training and renumeration
- In-person training for the role will be provided on compassionate listening, maintaining boundaries and safeguarding, tailored to the experience of the person. There will also be training on our local research context and how these roles fit within it.
- Expenses and travel will be paid for.
- It is anticipated that the roles will deliver a minimum of 2 hours of community engagement a month across the programme delivery timeframe.
How to apply:
We are not accepting CV’s and we will not ask you to complete an application form to apply for this role.
To apply, we are asking you to tell us about yourself, what drew you to this opportunity and what would be important to you as a Community Listener. We are encouraging you to be flexible and creative in your response, you can do this either in writing, video or any other creative way to communicate how you would take this role on and make it your own.
If you have any further questions or would like to submit your interest, then please email [email protected] and [email protected]
If you would like to send a Whats App message/film or voice note to communicate your application, then please message:
Mobile: 07549042308
We anticipate that the training will be held in short sessions throughout late November and/or early December.