Tammie Hemmett joined Second Step in 2020 as Team Manager at Safe Haven Crisis & Recovery Centre in Weston-super-Mare. Here she discusses the importance of lived experience in mental health recovery work.
The Safe Haven Crisis & Recovery Centre provides a safe space for people in acute emotional distress. Its main objective is to reduce calls to A&E by providing a more suitable environment for people experiencing acute upset than an A&E waiting room.
When Tammie interviewed for the role of Team Manager, a member of our STAR Recruitment group was on the panel. Involvement and coproduction have always been extremely important to Second Step. STAR Recruitment group members are former clients who’ve been trained as Recruitment Panellists.
“I was amazed,” said Tammie. “This particular person had bipolar disorder and I’d never known anyone to be so open about their experience in a professional setting. From the moment I arrived, I really felt like I belonged. I was asked to share who I was and immediately felt that the interview panel – which included members of the senior leadership team – accepted me.”
The value of lived experience
“Although I had my management degree and experience from other places I’d worked, I also had lived experience that I believed would be useful for Second Step,” said Tammie. “Lived experience brings hope and understanding and means clients can talk to someone non-judgemental. If I was arriving at a service like Safe Haven, I’d find it helpful to share my story with someone who has lived through their own challenges. If someone has lived experience, clients are meeting someone on their level. A lot of clients have had bad experiences with authority figures, and they don’t want to meet someone like that.
“Plus, people with lived experience know what other services are out there. I made connections in Weston-super-Mare through my own recovery, which meant I was able to bring them to Safe Haven.
“I ended up in rehab in 2002 for my use of drugs. I never knew who I was and I never felt that I had a voice, but I found myself in rehab and it saved my life.
“From there, I started volunteering with Somewhere To Go in Weston-super-Mare. It gave me purpose, belonging and something to get up for.
“Although I don’t work directly with clients in my current role, it’s my responsibility to make sure that the Safe Haven space is welcoming and safe. I’m also involved in recruiting the right staff to make sure that they’re naturally caring and the best fit for the service we provide.”
One of our values here at Second Step is believing in hope and courage, which is something Tammie is proud to champion. She said:
“There really is a culture of learning and growing together and all our values support one another, which makes the organisation safe for both staff and clients. Someone can join Second Step as a peer volunteer, helping someone with their own lived experience, and end up in a paid role. That’s hope and courage in action.”
Interested in a career in mental health or volunteering to support someone with their mental health recovery? Take a look at our current vacancies.
Read next
- Tips for looking after yourself this Christmas
- Trauma-informed insights: Second Step at the international trauma-informed care in practice conference 2024
- VCSE Mental Health Alliance gets new Independent Chair
- Knitting saved my life
- Restorative Approaches: Could building relationships reduce Bristol’s housing crisis?
Cover photo by Jackson Jorvan courtesy of Pexels.