By Matthew McKenzie, Carer Ambassador, Cygnet Health Care
On Friday 13th June 2025, I had the privilege of attending and speaking at Cygnet Health Care’s National Carers Event, hosted at Cygnet Churchill in Lambeth, London. The event brought together carers, staff, professionals, and advocates to reflect on the vital role of unpaid carers who step up daily out of love, resilience, and responsibility, often with little recognition.
Carers Week is always a powerful reminder that caring touches us all – and Cygnet’s event this year was especially moving and informative. It offered a platform for carers to share their lived experience, influence policy, and strengthen our collective voice.
Agenda Highlights
The day opened with a warm welcome from Laura Sheridan & Shane Mills, setting the tone for a day grounded in empathy and collaboration. We heard from a range of speakers including:
Susan Hartnell-Beavis, sharing practical tools for supporting carers.
Kate Mercer and Carly Ellicott, who both championed carer involvement in care planning and research.
John Bangs OBE, who brought a national perspective on carer rights and policy.
Dr Angela Misra, who tackled the health implications of caregiving.
Julian de Takats and Matthew McKenzie (myself), focusing on empowering carers’ voices.
We also had insights from Dr Henk Swanepoel & Sophie Borg, who presented on collaborative approaches with carers in mental health services.
Here is a brief update of the Triangle of Care Community group for the month of May 2025. The Triangle of Care Community group is a collaborative forum that champions the voices of unpaid carers in mental health services. The group works in partnership with service users, carers, and professionals to embed the principles of the Triangle of Care, promoting shared decision-making, improved communication, and recognition of carers as equal partners in care.
Our most recent meeting brought together carers, NHS professionals, researchers, and advocates from across the UK, including representatives from Kent, Bristol, Lewisham, East Sussex, and Hertfordshire. The atmosphere was one of mutual respect, knowledge-sharing, and a shared drive to improve the experience of care for carers and their loved ones.
The meeting covered updates on Triangle of Care developments, including recent accreditations and ongoing pilots to adapt the model for various healthcare and social settings. Presentations were given on research studies related to mental health care, including pharmacist prescribers’ roles and experiences of underserved older male carers. The group also discussed campaigns for increased research funding in serious mental illnesses and initiatives to support carers, such as Carers Roadshows.
Triangle of Care Expansion Updates
Mary Patel one of the Triangle of Care leads, provided an update on Triangle of Care developments and accreditations. Several healthcare providers have recently gained Star awards. There are ongoing pilots to adapt Triangle of Care for social care settings and to incorporate criteria for better support of racially marginalized carers. Mary announced that the Triangle of Care community group will be formally brought on board with Carers Trust, with Matthew as the inaugural chair for a 2-year term. They are looking to bring on co-chairs to support Matthew in his role.
Triangle of Care Implementation Updates
The group discusses recent achievements in implementing the Triangle of Care model across various healthcare organizations. Gabrielle Richards who leads on carers at South London & Maudsley reported that her trust successfully completed their Star 2 accreditation assessment for community services.
Matthew McKenzie shared a video poem he created about the Triangle of Care as it was shown during the peer review at South London & Maudsley.
Kelvin thanked Gabrielle for her contributions as she prepares to leave her role. Louise from Kent and Medway NHS Trust reported they maintained their second star accreditation and have implemented new processes to ensure carer considerations are included in policy development.
Richard introduced Bashir Al Saeed, a PhD student from the University of Manchester, to present their research study on the experiences of people with mental illness and their carers when receiving care from pharmacist prescribers in the community.
Bashir explains that the study aims to understand and improve care provided by pharmacist prescribers for people with mental illnesses in community-based settings. Participants will be asked to take part in a one-hour interview and will receive £30 as compensation.
The study is seeking individuals aged 18 or older with mental illnesses or their unpaid carers who have received care from pharmacist prescribers in the UK. A discussion follows about the inclusion criteria, particularly regarding the requirement for fluency in English, with concerns raised about potential issues against non-English speakers
Mental Health Research Campaign Initiative
The group discussed a campaign for better research into long-term serious mental illness in working-age people. Irene explained that they have been working on this campaign for a year, collaborating with experts from Oxford and the Welcome Trust.
The campaign aims to gather signatures and includes a short video. Irene emphasizes the importance of this initiative, as many in their group have loved ones who have been ill since their teens and are now in their thirties and forties.
You can find out more about the campaign from the link below.
The discussion focuses on a petition to increase government funding for research into psychosis, including its diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. Irene passionately advocates for more effective medications with fewer side effects, emphasizing the need for better understanding of the underlying causes of psychosis. A carer shared personal experiences of her son’s struggles with mental illness and medication side effects. The group discusses the importance of signing and sharing the petition to gain government support for accelerated research in this area.
Pharmacist Prescribing for Mental Health
The discussion focuses on pharmacists prescribing for mental health conditions. Richard explains that some pharmacists, especially those with specialized training, are caring for people with mental illnesses in various settings. However, the extent of their involvement in prescribing and monitoring is still unclear. A carer expressed concern about pharmacists prescribing for severe conditions like bipolar disorder without extensive training. The group discusses the need for proper qualifications and access to medical records. Richard emphasizes that the study aims to understand and improve the care provided by pharmacist prescribers in community services.
Carers Roadshows: Community Support Network
Trevor a carer involved at Notts NHS described his Carers Roadshows, which he has been organizing since 2013. These free events bring together various organizations dealing with health, mental health, and social care to provide information and support to carers and patients.
Trevor emphasizes the importance of communication in triangular care and sees the roadshows as an effective, sustainable tool for fostering connections between different organizations and the community. He expresses his ambition to expand the roadshows across the country, particularly in London boroughs, and offers to help others create their own roadshows using his four-step guide.
Older Male Carers Advisory Group
Steve Owen from the University of Hertfordshire presents his research project on exploring the experiences of underserved older male carers. The project aims to set up an advisory group of 7-10 older men, particularly from minority ethnic groups, same-sex relationships, and rural/coastal areas, to meet from June to December 2025.
The research group will discuss the benefits and challenges of caring, gender dynamics, and access to support. The project’s goals are to develop a grant proposal for further research and improve advisory group guidelines. Steve is still recruiting participants and welcomes help in sharing information about the project.
Final Reflections
The session highlighted both the progress and the gaps still faced by carers, particularly around communication, access to services, and recognition. The Triangle of Care model continues to be a vital tool in bridging these gaps, but it is the commitment of carers and professionals alike that drives real change.
“Thank you for another great meeting Matthew and everyone.” – Linda Thomas “These meetings have been such a resource for us all.” – Gabrielle Richards “Powerful video, powerful voices. Thank you everyone.” – Claire Wood
I’m proud to be involved and help lead as triangle of care community as Chair and look forward to building our impact together. If you’re interested in co-chairing or getting more involved, please reach out let’s continue to shape mental health care that values and includes carers at every level.
The Importance of Ethnic Minority Mental Health Carer Voices: Empowering Unpaid Carers from the Global Majority by Matthew McKenzie
In today’s world, the voices of ethnic minority carers in mental health services must be heard and valued. The National Ethnic Mental Health Carers Forum meeting, held on March 28, 2025, underscored the vital role that co-production and lived experience play in shaping better services for those who care for loved ones with mental health needs.
By Triangle of Care community chair Matthew McKenzie FRSA BEM
For the month of March, unpaid carers, NHS professionals, and key stakeholders came together for another Triangle of Care National Community Meeting, which is a powerful space of collaboration, reflection, and shared purpose. Chaired by Matthew, the meeting spotlighted significant developments in carer engagement, mental health service standards, and equity frameworks across the NHS.
The National Ethnic Mental Health Carer Forum convened to discuss the ongoing challenges faced by minority carers in accessing mental health services. The meeting focused on strategies to improve cultural competence, equitable treatment, and accessibility within mental health care systems. A key topic was the Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF), with organizations sharing their experiences and plans for implementation. Additionally, the discussion covered language barriers, education initiatives, and the role of co-production in fostering inclusive care.
Mental Health act research
Dr Judy, a researcher from the University of Bristol, discussed her ongoing project on the nearest relative provision in the Mental Health Act and the need for co-produced resources to support those in this role. She also mentioned the support from charitable organizations like Mind and Rethink.
On February 25th, 2025, carers, professionals, and support organizations gathered at Tooley Street for a Carers event provided by Southwark Council. The event was developed by Sarah Bullman, Senior Policy and Strategy Lead for Adult Social Care over in Southwark. The event, hosted by Simon Rayner, provided an opportunity to connect, share updates, and explore ways to support carers in the community.
Key Highlights from the Event:
🔹 Carefree – Presented by Salil Meech Mazumdar, Carefree shared their work in providing much-needed short breaks and respite opportunities for unpaid carers, ensuring they have time to rest and recharge.
🔹 Southwark Carers – Sarah Bullman introduced Southwark Carers including Verinder CEO of Southwark Carers, an essential organization offering tailored advice, practical support, and advocacy for carers in the borough of Southwark.
🔹 Mobilise – A digital-first platform supporting carers, Mobilise was discussed in depth, highlighting how online peer support and coaching can help carers navigate their roles more effectively.
🔹 Imago – Known for their work in youth and adult carer services, Imago shared updates on their projects that focus on young carers, connecting them with resources and professional guidance.
🔹 Carers Hub/Centre – Southwark council focus on a new Carers Hub set for next year, where updates on focus groups and workshops on how the carers centre will be used for supporting unpaid carers.
The last section of the event was below
🔹 Voice of the Carer & Carer Empowerment – Chloe Harvey and Sarah Bullman provided updates on Southwark’s Carers Strategy, reinforcing the importance of carer voices in shaping policy.
Plus Matthew McKenzie, a well-known carer advocate, spoke passionately about listening to carers, empowering them, and ensuring co-production in decision-making. He also read moving excerpts from his book, The Poetry of Mental Health Caring, which resonated deeply with attendees.
The event concluded with a networking lunch, allowing attendees to connect, share experiences, and strengthen their collective efforts in supporting carers.
This forum was a powerful reminder that carers should never feel alone—there is a strong and growing community dedicated to uplifting and advocating for them. 💙
Welcome to another blog from South London unpaid carer Matthew Mckenzie. On this particular blog, I am covering how the Lewisham Mental Health Stakeholder event went. Health Commissioner stakeholder events usually run once a year, these events are usually borough wide and incorporate the community regarding health interests.
The theme of the Lewisham CCG Mental Health Stakeholder event was on “Me and my community”. The theme was to help bring the community together to discuss, plan and celebrate how Lewisham as a whole are working towards the mental health and well-being of its community.
The event took place over at Lewisham Town Hall – Civic Suite from 9:30 am till 4:30 pm. If I remember correctly, the event takes ages to plan and I believe such a stakeholder event was not run in 2018. So the event was great received, due to many mental health service updates and changes in the community.
The stakeholder event had many stalls from providers, workshops, sessions and talks and presentations. Those involved in the event were of course Lewisham CCG, Lewisham council, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust (who provide MH services in the area), Lewisham Healthwatch, Bromley, Lewisham & Greenwich Mind, Compass (services for children), Lewisham Carers, Department for work & Pensions, Sydenham Gardens, GCDA, Lewisham college, Lewisham & Greenwich hospital trust and more.
To open the event, we had the welcome from Councilor James Rathbone, who is currently Lewisham’s Mental health Champion. Next was the Lewisham Mental Health Alliance with updates provided by Donna Hayward-Sussex – who is SLaM’s Service director and also Dr Charles Gosling who is the CCG’s senior clinical director.
Since the event was themed for Black history month, plus the London borough of Lewisham being a diverse community, we have an update on health inequalities in the borough from Dr Catherine Mbema who is the Director of Public Health in Lewisham.
Next up was CEO of Your Voice in Health and Social Care who have partnered with Carers Lewisham. Tim Spilsbury spoke about the difficulties unpaid carers face in the borough of Lewisham and how the charity is seeking to tackle those issues. To my surprise he spoke about the Triangle of Care, which is a policy aimed at buildng a working collaboration between the service user, professional and carer.
One thing critical about stakeholder events is giving the community a chance to ask questions or bring out statements, so I was glad to see a panel session consisting of those who spoke previously including the Joint commissioner of Adult Mental Health and Head of services for BLG-Mind. We certainly had some hard hitting challenging questions from the audience, although I felt some great work has been done by the services so it was a shame no one mentioned anything about that.
Next up after the 20 minute break and some networking were the Workshops. The aim of the workshops was to either educate the community on mental wellbeing, provide updates on services, a way to promote services and allow for stakeholders to connect with the community.
Prevention – This workshop looked at Social Prescribing (connecting people in their community)
5-ways to Wellbeing – This workshop taught by Lewisham Healthwatch looked into those who work with children and young people.
What is the Relationship between Mental Health and Internalised Racism? – This workshop taught by Hillna Fontaine, explored the complex issues of race and mental health.
Carers Workshop – This workshop co-produced by some of my members of the Lewisham Mental Health Carers forum and Carers Lewisham and myself.
Mental Health Equalities – What we know, our ideas and your suggestions – This workshop facilitated by SLaM equality team looked into what the Trust is doing to improve the experiences of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) service users, carers and staff.
Social Inclusion Recover Services; Paths to Recovery at Sydenham Garden – On this workshop, we could find out more about Sydenham Garden’s work – helping people in their recovery from mental and physical ill-health in Lewisham.
Mental Health in Schools: Challenges and solutions – This workshop aims to explore mental and emotional health challenges faced in school environment.
Healthy Walk – An excellent workshop, were attendees found out about the greenspace, gentle exercise and good company are great for physical and mental wellbeing and were actually walking outside.
The Lewisham Wellbeing Map: showing the great places for health in our borough – This workshop looked into a social prescribing map for link workers, navigators, and signposters.
Help in a mental health crisis – A workshop taught by the manager of the Ladywell Unit looking at where you can access help in a crisis and what you can expect from services Alternatives to going to A&E
DWP – Forest Hill and Bromley Jobcentre – The Partnership Team and the Disability Employment Advisers provided people with an insight to what is available to support those with Disability and Mental Health under Universal Credit and Employment Support Allowance
Wellbeing Education at SLaM Recovery College – Lastly we Trainers from SLaM Recovery College will discuss how the college operates, the benefits of attending for SLaM service users, carers/supporters and staff members.
A quick mention on the carers workshop I co-produced with members of the Lewisham MH carers forum, we looked at ways to involve unpaid mental health carers in the community as carers like myself can be isolated, lacking support and driven to desperation when supporting someone with mental ill health.
I cannot thank Lewisham CCG enough and also Carers Lewisham and YVIHSC for helping and attending.
All in all, I thought the event went very well with special thanks to Karin Barthel who is the senior CCG comissioner for involving myself and carers lewisham to run the workshop in co-production.
I hope other CCGs will continue to run stakeholder events, or I am wondering how do they engage with their communities when it comes to mental health and wellbeing.
Welcome to another blog from South London unpaid carer Matthew Mckenzie. On this particular blog, I am covering how the Lewisham Mental Health Stakeholder event went. Health Commissioner stakeholder events usually run once a year, these events are usually borough wide and incorporate the community regarding health interests.
A Caring Mind 