By Matthew McKenzie, Facilitator, National Ethnic Mental Health Carer Forum

Introduction: A Forum that Connects and Challenges

As the facilitator of the National Ethnic Mental Health Carer Forum, I never take for granted how special these sessions are. Each month, carers, professionals, and researchers from all over the UK log in to share knowledge, raise awareness, and push for change in how mental health services understand and support ethnic minority communities.

Our October 2025 session was a powerful one. Falling on the last day of Black History Month, it brought together crucial themes on race equality, co-production, research, and carer visibility.

We heard from two key areas shaping mental health equity right now:

• The OSMOSIS Project, led by Dr. Jacqueline Sin and Sharon Galliford, focusing on developing social care-based support for carers of people with psychosis.
• The Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF), presented by Aboobaker Bhana, Equality and Involvement Manager for South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

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