We’re building an organisation that will impact future generations, where everyone is welcome. A place where you can be yourself and feel valued.
Come build it with us.
We recognise the positive impact on the lives of our service users when we work collaboratively. The People Participation Team at Sussex Partnership is a small team in the Nursing Directorate. The team supports service users and carers to have a strong and influential voice in how the organisation is run and to find ways of working together to improve mental health services for everyone.
Building an inclusive environment is a team effort.
At Sussex Partnership, we care deeply about hiring, retaining, and developing a workforce that reflects the communities we serve. Our staff networks play a crucial role in exploring relationships trust-wide and advancing opportunities for all staff, helping underrepresented communities continue to feel they belong here.
A network to provide support and advice to staff with disabilities, and seeks to explore what is wellbeing within health.
Network contact: DSN@sussexpartnership.nhs.uk
A network for all staff who are interested in spirituality.
Network contact: simon.hobbs@sussexpartnership. nhs.uk
A network to address systemic inequalities for women at all levels and dismantle the barriers to career progression that many women face.
The aims of the network are to provide a supportive, listening environment to members and help facilitate action and response to issues raised. We want to provide a safe space for you to discuss concerns, ideas and ambitions – and support you to resolve and achieve!
The network wants to celebrate the richness women bring to the workplace and the wealth of experience they bring with them. We will discuss topics including career progression and barriers, experiences of workplace sexism, childcare and family issues, training opportunities and much more. We will look, together, at ways we can take issues forward to find resolution and impact change in our organisation.
Network contact: SPFTWomen@sussexpartnership. nhs.uk
Our network for LGBTQI+ staff and allies is run by staff for staff and is independent of corporate structures.
The network exists wholly to be your extra support team and here you'll find yourself amongst a broad cross section of staff from across all our services.
As a group we will occasionally be asked to support and advise corporate initiatives with our LGBTQI+ hats on, but largely we are about bringing our community together to support and guide one another.
This Network is aligned with the Stonewall 'Straight Allies' model. We welcome all with an interest in helping develop better support for LGBTQI+ people in the Trust, rather than exclusively being for LGBTQI+ people.
Network contact: timeoutnetwork@sussexpartnership.nhs.uk
A network to advocate, support and celebrate staff with different brains.
A neurodivergent person is someone whose brain works differently to society's definition of what is considered 'normal'. Examples of neurodivergent brain functions include:
The Neurodivergent Staff Network exists to advocate, support and celebrate staff with different brains. All staff are welcome to meetings, regardless of neuro-type!
In particular, we welcome those who know themselves to be neurodivergent, those who are questioning whether they might be and any supporters / allies of neurodivergent people. There is no pressure or expectation for attendees to share whether they identify as neurodivergent.
Network contact: NeurodivergentStaffNet@sussexpartnership.nhs.uk
A network to provide a safe space to discuss, develop, challenge and take action to promote race equality and diversity.
The Ethnic Minority Staff Network is run by volunteer BAME staff (of all backgrounds and staff groups) within the Trust. The network aims to provide a safe space to discuss, develop, challenge and take action to promote race equality and diversity.
As a network, our focus is to:
Network contact: EMStaffNetwork@sussexpartnership.nhs.uk
A network for staff who have lived experience of mental health.
The VaLE (Valuing Lived Experience) Mental Health Staff network is aimed at all staff of Sussex Partnership who have lived experience of mental health difficulties. You don't need to have been diagnosed with a specific mental health condition in order to be part of the network. Lived experience of mental health is any experience of mental health distress that you may have had as part of being human.
All staff members are welcome to attend meetings and events. In particular, we welcome staff who identify with having lived experience and those who might be allies and supporters. We recognise that it can be very difficult to share our own lived experience of mental health difficulties within our professional roles and workplaces, due to the stigma that is unfortunately still too prevalent around mental health. We hope that the network will be able to promote a more positive narrative around lived experience of mental health difficulties and really highlight the value that these experiences can bring to our practice and job roles.
Network contact: ValeStaffNetwork@sussexpartnership.nhs.uk
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Our champions are on hand to answer your questions. They are individuals from within our services who have the most up to date knowledge and experience to make sure you get the information and guidance you need. Simply fill out the form below and we will get back to you as soon as we can.