The Forum meets quarterly and includes the Investing in Your Mental Health programme and specialist services, for example Personality Disorder.

In order to improve these services it is vitally important that the experiences and views of carers are listened to and acted upon.

We believe we make a difference by working together.

The involvement of carers is very much needed:

• To give carers a real say in what services are working well and how they are delivered
• To ensure planners and managers hear about services which are not effective or supportive
• To ensure services respect people's dignity, independence and promote recovery
• To ensure carers get the help and advice they need when they need it
• To influence the development of new and better services

The Mental Health Carers Involvement Project Team is commissioned by Hertfordshire Joint Commissioning Partnership Board and has been in operation since autumn 2007.

The team has three part time Mental Health Carer Involvement Workers who are based at our Carers in Hertfordshire offices in Hertford, Hemel Hempstead and Hitchin, and a part time project manager.

Mental Health Carer Involvement Workers will:

• Provide you with the training and support you may need to help you represent yours and other carers' views to the Health and Social Care authorities who commission and manage mental health services in Hertfordshire
• Provide you with the opportunity to meet and talk to other carers who have had similar experiences to your own
• Hold a Carer Representatives' Forum, which meets regularly to share information and plan responses to all new developments in the mental health services. There are a number of regular meetings and events held where carers' views are welcomed and which are already helping to shape better services.

For those carers who are unable to commit to attending occasional meetings, we still need your views on what is working well in the services you have experienced and your comments on developments and changes.

We will be pleased to receive your views and thoughts in any way that suits you best.