Valerie Farmer, Richmond Borough Mind

Valerie has been CEO of Richmond Borough Mind for 14 years and sits on the South West London Mental Health Partnership Delivery Group (PDG). Her organisation provides a breadth of mental health services for people (adults and young people) with low to moderate and more complex needs, including Crisis Cafes in Richmond and Kingston. They have been subcontracted to the NHS to provide Step 2 Talking Therapies (IAPT) services for 12 years. Locally she chairs the Richmond Mental Health and Wellbeing Alliance, participates in many partnerships with local VCSE organisations and sits on a number of forums with representatives from other VCSE organisations, including the RCVS CEO network, Voluntary Sector Forum and Health and Care Partnership. She has experience of bringing the VCSE and users’ voice to decision making tables through the Mental Health transformation work over the past 3 years, and preceding this in 2016 represented the voluntary sector in the development of Outcomes Based Commissioning.