Maria Watkins

"I play a valuable role in ensuring that members, service users and carers voices are heard by key decision makers in the Trust"

I am a service user and parent/carer of a service user at HPFT. I am passionate about giving back to an organisation which has done so much for my family, often in times of crisis. In my professional life I am a lawyer, currently taking a break to focus on my role as a carer.

As a lawyer I am often consulted when things go wrong and I appreciate the importance of listening to service users and the use of timely and open communication. These are areas in which the Trust excels and as a governor I play a valuable role in listening to members, service users and carers and ensuring that their voices are heard by key decision makers in the Trust.

With so much public scrutiny of mental health services, I recognise the challenges the Trust faces in providing great care to an increasing number of individuals with limited resources, and I believe that, as a member of the local community and someone with a personal interest in mental health services, it is vital for me to step up and support the Trust. I do this by using transferable skills from my profession, such as understanding and disseminating complex issues or my passion as a parent who can provide a bridge between other carers and clinicians.