PLEASE NOTE: This role is open to people who currently live within the following areas of Cornwall:
- Falmouth/Penryn and surrounding areas
- North Cornwall Coast (Polzeath, Wadebridge, Tintagel, Boscastle, Port Isaac) and surrounding areas’
The Coastal and Rural Mental Health Realist Study (CARMHRS) is a NIHR funded study hosted by the University of Plymouth and partner Universities.
The purpose of the study is to establish the problems people in rural and coastal areas face when trying to access
mental health support. It will also look at how services are provided.
We aim to do this by:
• Talking to community members, patients and service providers to understand what is being done to support mental health locally.
• Understanding if existing mental health services are acceptable and accessible to the coastal and rural communities they serve.
• Understanding why one service or strategy might work well in one place / for one person but might not work very well in another place / for a different person.
• Using what we learn to co-create a tailorable guide to improving coastal and rural mental health.
The Lived Experience Advisory Group (LEAG):
We are looking for people with personal experience of living with (or caring for someone living with) metal health problems and living in coastal or rural areas of Cornwall to join our LEAG. The LEAG will meet regularly to:
1) Make sure we are asking the right questions to the right people.
2) Give feedback on our research materials and findings.
3) Share what we learn along the way.
4) Help us to understand what we are learning means locally.
You can get involved in multiple* ways:
• Joining regular group meetings
• Joining regular 1-to-1 meetings
• Providing feedback by email, phone or voice note etc.
*This will depend on your preferences and the number of spaces available.
All contributions and contributors are valued.
| Who are you looking for? (experience/perspectives/skills) | Do you currently live within a coastal and/or rural community in Cornwall? Do you have lived experience of accessing and/or attempting to access mental health services? (A formal mental health diagnosis is not a requirement) and/or Do you have experience of caring for someone with mental health needs? Would you like to make a difference to Mental Health services within your local community? We are looking for people with personal experience of living with (or caring for someone living with) metal health problems and living in coastal or rural areas of Cornwall. Participant must be willing to share and use their lived experience in order to guide the research. Ideally available to attend monthly meetings and/or able to provide feedback until June 2027. No prior research experience is required as all relevant training will be provided |
| How will people be involved? (activities/tasks) | This is primarily an ‘advisory’ role. LEAG participants will work with other members of their group, and the wider research team, to help improve Mental Health services in our Local communities. LEAG members will be required to: 1) Attend monthly meetings of the LEAG 2) Share your personal experiences of accessing mental health services 3) Use your lived experience to make sure we are asking the right questions to the right people 4) Use your lived experience to make recommendations for positive change and improve services 5) Work with peers and colleagues to develop and design the research and data collection aspects of the project 6) Ensure the person, carer and family experience is embedded in all improvement work 7) Assist with sense-checking the data 8) Assist in sharing the research locally 9) Using what we learn to co-create a tailorable guide to improving coastal and rural mental health. OPTIONAL: Take part in ‘Community of practice’ to support the wider research team with analysing the data collected, ensuring the research is understandable to a wide audience and exploring ways to share the research findings |
| How will the involvement contribute / impact? | LEAG involvement will contribute to guiding the research team to make sure we are asking the right questions to the right people and make recommendations for positive change and improve services. Contribute to the co-creation of a tailorable guide to improving coastal and rural mental health. |
| Time commitment | Approximately 12 x 2-hour workshops (or preferred equivalent) between March 2026 and June 2027 |
| When will the involvement start? | March/April 2026 |
| Who else will be involved? (team / other public members) | The local research team (2-3 researchers) and other lived experience advisory group members (5 max) |
| What can applicants expect after applying? | Informal chat; recruitment documents, support meeting, meet the team, activity session to start at the end of March |
