We have a number of volunteers who work with the Inreach/Outreach Team and West Midlands Police in the community, helping train police staff and officers, you can read about some of this work here. Some of our volunteers are also doing outreach work with the Trident Reach Homeless Patient Pathways service at hospitals across Birmingham  and with Midland Heart at a number of city hostels. By sharing their experiences and being an example of hope to people whose lives have gone into a downward spiral of chaos, they can often gain trust and inspire change where professionals have previously failed.

Our experts regularly attend the service user led National Experts Citizens Group, and have representation at Changing Futures Core Partnership, ensuring the project as a whole always has input from those with experience. They have been consulted about homelessness by Birmingham City Council and have been involved in a group that improves mental health services in NHS Mental Health.

Our experts have been involved in a national project called the Poverty Truth Commission, that gives a voice to those who have lived experience of poverty and presents findings to people who have the power to make the changes needed around poverty. They have also been consulted by the homeless charity Crisis, and have had a role with the Revolving Doors organisation who seek to change how the system deals with offenders with complex needs.

We provide our experts with top quality training that enables them to excel as volunteers and develop their skills to progress toward further education, volunteering and employment. Our experts have recently been given recruitment practice training to help them with interviewing skills – both as an interviewer and applicant. They have also received training in professional boundaries, which is essential when dealing both with vulnerable people and finding a place in the modern work environment.