Harrow User Group (HUG)

About the Harrow User Group (HUG)

Mission Statement:

‘Yes, we can! We won’t give up!’

Our mission is clear: to ensure the voices of Harrow’s mental health service users are heard, valued, and acted upon. We are more than a group; we are a campaigning community defined by our unity, integrity, and unwavering determination.

Our Role: 

Commissioned by the NHS and Council, HUG stands as the authoritative voice of mental health service users in Harrow, advocating for the improvement of essential services with efficacy and compassion.

As a dynamic, influential, and resilient collective, we operate Quarterly Forums that welcome all of Harrow’s mental health service users, representing a force of over 400 members. Beyond this, we have over 15 trained User Representatives actively participating in the planning and review of NHS and Social Care services.

Our Activities: 

Our commitment includes regular meetings where we discuss issues, solicit feedback, delegate tasks, and define actionable steps toward meaningful change.

We play a pivotal role in organising and guiding public engagement events and recruitment panels and directing public engagement events and recruitment panels. At present, we have been actively participating in the ‘Section 75 Task Group’ alongside the NHS and Harrow Council, focusing on the transfer of responsibilities for community-based mental health social care support back to Harrow Adult Social Care.

Our Community: 

HUG’s service users hail from diverse backgrounds, each bringing their unique lived experiences with mental health to our efforts. We use our collective voice to highlight service gaps, raise issues, and monitor service delivery. Our understanding, knowledge, compassion, motivation, and skills are key in identifying and addressing these concerns.

Our Vision: 

In the quest for a model of care that is effective, efficient, and supportive, the consistent involvement of service users is non-negotiable. We offer a beacon of insight into what patients truly need and advocate for the service user voice to be an integral part of every stage of service design.

With service user representation at the core of decision-making, we are poised to support and guide the transformative changes required in our services. Our goal is to collaborate across all sectors, ensuring that we are present ‘at the table’ with decision-makers to co-create, transform, and empower mental health services. This approach guarantees that the needs of the patient population are met and that our community remains secure.

User Representatives Describe HUG as:

– “We are the voice for the voiceless!”

– “Nothing for us without us.”

– “Prevention is better than cure.”

– “There’s strength in unity and numbers.”

For more details or to engage with HUG, please reach out to Mind in Harrow at 020 8426 0929 or via email at info@mindinharrow.org.uk.