Sophie Davies 
(she/her)
People Participation Lead for Suffolk Children, Families and Young People’s Services
Hi, my name is Sophie and I have been working as a People Participation Lead since September 2020. Before this I was working as a co-ordinator and tutor for the Recovery College and completing my masters in Psychology. I came into this role as I had previously used services for my own mental health with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and wanted to use these experiences to try and support others. This role has given me the opportunity to work alongside young people and create a safe, supportive and inclusive space to share their thoughts, experiences and ideas which has led to some great and positive changes to the service. When I’m not at work I love going to gigs and playing the drums.
Andrea Bland 
(she/her)
People Participation Co-ordinator for Norfolk and Waveney Children, Families and Young People’s Services
Hi, I’m Andrea. I became a People Participation Co-ordinator in August 2022 and chose the role as I have supported my son from a young age through his mental health journey and have experience of living with my own mental health challenges. My favourite part of the job is empowering people to recognise their ideas are valuable and sharing them can help others. I wish I’d have been involved more when my son was younger so I’m also passionate about parents and carers voices being heard. In my spare time I like going for long walks.
Donna Wilson
People Participation Champion
Hi, my name is Donna and I have been in my role as a People Participation Champion since July 2023. I previously studied social work and have been employed in the substance misuse arena.
My passion, however, is supporting and empowering young people with the various challenges they are faced with in today's world.
I am a single mother and have experienced my own mental health difficulties over the past 20 years, including being bereaved by suicide on three occasions.
Our mental health permeates every aspect of our lives, and I am committed to ensuring that the service on offer meets the needs of the young people accessing it and their parents and carers. I cherish this role and the opportunity to work with young people, ensuring their ideas and feedback have a voice.
Outside of work I enjoy listening to music, dancing, and socialising.
Grace Hill
People Participation Champion
Hi, my name is Grace and I am a People Participation Champion working in the Children, Families and Young Peoples’ service. I work with a very kind and special team to make sure that the voices of service users are heard across the whole system around care.
I got into participation and this role because I have lived experience around mental health and disability. I consider myself incredibly lucky in that even though I still struggle I have a very tight support network around me, both at home and at work, who know me incredibly well and will often know what I need without me having to ask.
However, I am aware that not everyone has that… some people might not be able to communicate as well or as safely as me, might not have as clear an understanding of their needs, or might just feel nervous about asking for help.
My favourite part of the role is going into professional meetings and getting to be a voice for those people, and on the bad days I remind myself that I wouldn’t be able to do that without the experiences I have had so far. Outside of work I love spending time with my family and friends, I am super creative and love listening to Kiss FM.
But not forgetting, I love my job too… it has given me so much more confidence and taught me a lot about the system that also looks after me, so it seems a bit less scary when I need help myself.
