The Lived Experience Assessment Panel (LEAP)

The LEAP (Lived Experience Assessment Panel) project involves individuals with Lived Experience in Mental Health who have utilized community-based services, particularly those from diverse backgrounds, including the BAME communities. Their mission is to bridge the gap between individuals who have personally faced mental health challenges and traditional service providers. They believe that service users' unique insights can drive systemic transformation, achieved in part by assembling a panel to assess existing practices and suggest improvements for a more inclusive and equitable mental health care system.

LEAP also seeks to challenge historical models that marginalized Black / Minority Ethnic Lived Experience in mental health. The vision is a fairer mental health care future, rooted in human rights, empowerment, and equitable distribution of power, shaped by the active engagement of individuals with lived experience in shaping policies, procedures, and outcomes.