29/05/20
On Friday 29 May 2020 our Experts by Experience (EBE) community took over our blog and social media channels to share #EBE_Voices during the Covid-19 pandemic. Click on the link below to read the EBE Network’s brand new newsletter, including…
29/05/20
Co-production in times of crisis: how do we walk alongside the voice of lived experience? By Lou Thorpe, Female Engagement Co-Production Worker When asked to pen some thoughts on the impact of the current pandemic and resulting lockdown and how this…
29/05/20
What does co-production look like in a time of crisis? By Fiona, Experts by Experience Network Member The current lockdown and health crisis presents new challenges for those of us with complex needs more so than in normal times. Accessibility is a…
13/05/20
Online group reflective practice during Covid-19 By Dr Ray Middleton and Kevin Dobson, Fulfilling Lives Newcastle Gateshead Hi, I’m Dr Ray Middleton, I’m the Workforce Development Lead at FLNG where we are working hard for a better response for people experiencing complex…
12/05/20
Online group reflective practice sessions during Covid-19 – Blog by Workforce Development Lead Dr Ray Middleton and Peer Research Co-Production Work Kevin Dobson Tips to taking a trauma-informed approach to coronavirus part 1 – Blog by Workforce Development…
12/05/20
Empowering the Women’s Voice in the Experts by Experience Network By Lou Thorpe, Female Engagement Co-Production Worker, Fulfilling Lives Newcastle Gateshead Since the start of this year I can say with pride that the voice of the women within our Experts…
30/04/20
Starting a new role during a global pandemic By Kevin Dobson, Peer Research Co-Production Worker Walking into a new office, with new colleagues, to start a new job is something I think we can all agree is a nerve wracking experience….
16/04/20
Our core partner Changing Lives is calling on Government to do more to protect women who are experiencing sexual violence or sexual abuse during the Covid-19 outbreak. An Open Letter to the Home Secretary, Priti Patel, and Lord…
13/04/20
“This has been by far the best part of my job, getting to work with our inspirational experts.” I joined FLNG back in September 2015 as a level 2 service navigator which was a post that was open to people…
02/04/20
Hi I’m Dr Ray Middleton, I’m the Workforce Development Lead at FLNG where we are working hard for a better response for people experiencing complex needs such as mental health, offending, substance misuse and/or homelessness or accommodation needs –…
26/03/20
Hi I’m Dr Ray Middleton, I’m the Workforce Development Lead at FLNG where we are working hard for a better response for people experiencing complex needs such as mental health, offending, substance misuse and/or homelessness or accommodation needs –…
16/03/20
NOTICE: we’re sorry to announce that we won’t be running any Experts by Experience Network meetings until further notice.
10/03/20
Practices that stretch boundaries to benefit the people who use our services Ang Broadbridge, FLNG Research and Evaluation Lead A key area of learning on our programme has been exploring what makes a good multiple and complex needs worker. As well…
08/03/20
Our EBE Network harnesses the power of our members’ lived experience and using our expertise can work with you and your service to help improve your service offer. Find out more and get in touch to explore how we could work together…
14/02/20
Today was my last day at Fulfilling Lives Newcastle Gateshead (FLNG) after four amazing years and what a lovely send-off I have been given by all the amazing people I’ve worked with over the years. Cards, gifts and the…
11/02/20
FLNG and DWP: a case study of collaboration by Lindsay Henderson, FLNG Programme Manager Many people experiencing multiple and complex needs rely on financial support from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) so we have always recognised the vital role…
20/12/19
Bookings on now open for February’s 2020 quarterly research meeting. The meeting, co-organised with PHE, ARC NENC and the Fulfilling Lives Newcastle Gatehead Experts by Experience Network, welcomes those who have an interest in improving outcomes for people with multiple…
18/12/19
Alex Smith is FLNG’s former Operational Lead who played a major role in setting up our Critical Time Intervention pilot. Before she moved onto pastures new with Homeless Link in August 2019 we asked her to share her experiences…
18/12/19
Alex Smith is FLNG’s former Operational Lead who played a major role in setting up our Critical Time Intervention pilot. Before she moved on to pastures new with Homeless Link in August 2019 we asked her to share her…
29/11/19
Being an ethical peer researcher Ang Broadbridge, FLNG Research and Evaluation Lead In my last blog (available here) I shared some of my learning from training eight cohorts of peer researchers as part of FLNG’s peer research programme. Our Peer…
25/11/19
“You’re not talking to the suits, you’re talking to one of your own” by Ang Broadbridge, FLNG Research and Evaluation Lead Peer research is research that is conducted by people with lived…
21/11/19
In 2019 we published interim evaluation reports about two of our major strands of work: our Workforce Development programme and our Critical Time Intervention (CTI) pilot. These are available to read using the links below: CTI Interim Evaluation…
12/11/19
Friday 8th November: our fifth annual event was finally here at FLNG and what a day it was! By Lindsay Henderson, Programme Manager I don’t think I realised just how powerful the day would be when we began to plan the…
04/11/19
Keith joined Fulfilling Lives Newcastle Gateshead (FLNG) in August 2018. His academic background includes degrees in Physics, Applied Mathematics and Engineering. He has a passionate interest in inequality and poverty and joined FLNG to use his skillset to contribute to…
08/10/19
We don’t need to wait until we are struggling; ‘Every Mind Matters’ encourages adults to be more aware of their mental health and help them discover simple steps to look after their mental health and wellbeing. The campaign provides useful…
23/09/19
Psychologically Informed Environments – our early learning points A Psychologically Informed Environment (PIE) is a space which considers ‘the psychological make up – the thinking, emotions, personalities and past experience – of its participants in the way that it operates’…
16/09/19
A Psychologically Informed Environment (PIE) is a space which considers ‘the psychological make up – the thinking, emotions, personalities and past experience – of its participants in the way that it operates’ (Johnson et al., 2012). Fulfilling Lives Newcastle Gateshead…
31/08/19
Part of a national campaign that reached over 1.8million people on social media, we marked the day with a Human Library event in the Grainger Market in Newcastle city centre. Our Experts by Experience were at the heart of…
31/08/19
We took part in the fourth annual Co-Production Week in July to promote the benefits of co-production by sharing good practice and highlighting the contribution people who use services make to improving services. Championed nationally by the Social Care Institute…
25/04/19
Peer researchers from our Experts by Experience network talked directly to people experiencing homelessness and those in insecure accommodation, gaining vital insights into some common problems. Healthwatch has now released the report, which includes some important recommendations to…
02/11/18
The day was all about using real life situations where we would like to see evidence of co-production. Lou says: ‘An Action Learning Set approach was used to brainstorm ideas, to focus on practical steps and reflect on the results….
27/09/18
People with multiple complex needs – combining mental health, alcohol and substance misuse with housing and other needs – often get thought and talked about in stereotyped and stigmatising ways, such as referring to people by a diagnosis/label or…
20/08/18
At Oasis Aquila Housing we’re passionate about supporting those in our services to live life to its fullest. Time and again we have seen the incredible resilience and strength that people can exhibit to overcome their circumstances. But we…
31/07/18
In Newcastle and Gateshead we have lots of people with lived experience of Multiple and Complex Needs with vital things to say that can shape the future for how systems and…
05/07/18
Peer research is research that is steered and delivered by people with lived experience of the issues we are studying. It’s a bottom-up approach as people who are affected by the issues the research is exploring play…
03/07/18
Alex Smith, Operational Lead at Fulfilling Lives Newcastle Gateshead (FLNG) will be presenting a workshop on Critical Time Intervention (CTI) for delegates at the Homeless Link ‘Under One Roof’ conference along with Shane Mycock, a System Change Practitioner at…
02/07/18
Across the country, along with 11 other Big Lottery-funded Fulfilling Lives Programmes we are working to create system change and improve services for people with multiple and complex needs, through co-production. This week we are all…
02/07/18
Co-production is about working together, taking risks together, being responsible together, and solving problems together. Fulfilling Lives Newcastle Gateshead is one of 12 Big Lottery- funded projects across the UK, supporting…
29/06/18
I moved house last year, months in the planning with hundreds of different tasks and dates to juggle, not to mention the wrench of leaving a neighbourhood I loved and neighbours who had become friends. The move…
23/05/18
I ended my last blog as we were about to start our fieldwork. I didn’t end up interviewing any of the TiaC service users for the research, but this was actually really useful as my reading of the…
28/03/18
‘Cross-Cultural Dialogues on Homelessness: From Pre-Treatment Strategies to Psychologically Informed Environments’ has been published this month, presenting innovative approaches toward the traumas that can underlie homelessness. The text is the first to explore what the US and UK can…
18/03/18
The team won the prestigious ‘Working Together’ award from Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Trust for the innovative ‘Respond’ training package. This training package for mental health and emergency service professionals was piloted and co-designed with support from the…
27/02/18
I’m Sheila and I’m a peer researcher evaluating Together in a Crisis. After a series of unfortunate events I had a mental health crisis, which led to me getting involved with organisations that help people with mental…
15/02/18
Designed in the North East by mental health crisis care professionals and experts by experience, Respond simulates a mental health crisis scenario with video and audio clips, and group discussions in a safe environment. Respond brings together everyone in the…
26/01/18
Case studies are important because they add meaning to figures and statistics. They can detail the intricacies of people’s lives, sometimes even explaining actions and events with reasoned discussion. This is an important part of research for people…
12/01/18
Getting to grips with data On the first day of every month we analyse changes in caseloads, demographics, and referral information for Fulfilling Lives clients. This is distributed to people working within MCN in Newcastle or Gateshead as…
10/01/18
Fulfilling Lives Newcastle Gateshead contributed to the submission of evidence to the APPG from the NECG in 2017, along with other Fulfilling Lives projects across the country. In April 2017, the APPG, in partnership with the Office…
21/11/17
This year Tyneside Women’s Health is working hard to raise awareness of the White Ribbon Campaign to end violence against women. The event will provide an opportunity to hear directly from women about their experiences of domestic abuse…
03/10/17
Changing Lives was awarded the prestigious title at the North East Charity Awards, which were held at the Boiler Shop in Newcastle-upon-Tyne on 28th September 2017. Changing Lives were one of three charities based in the North East shortlisted…
10/08/17
On our recent trip to Newcastle, we were fortunate to be able to visit Fulfilling Lives, and meet some of the inspirational team. We first learned about the programme, its aims, outcomes and who it supports. The definition…
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