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Service User Led Participation and Research Collaborative (SPARC)

The Service User-Led Participation and Research Collaborative (SPARC) is a partnership across East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT) and North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) that brings together people with lived experience, carers and staff to shape and improve research. Launched in October 2025, SPARC supports research that is informed and led by lived experience, ensuring that real-world experiences are at the heart of how services are developed and improved.

SPARC includes two sub-groups, offering different ways for members to get involved depending on their interests and experience. You can read more about these below.

Training

The Research Advisory sub-group provides lived experience input into research taking place across ELFT and NELFT. The group will meet monthly, offering a structured space where academics, healthcare researchers, staff and partner organisations can present research ideas or projects at any stage of development. Members provide feedback based on their lived experience, helping to shape research questions, study design, ethical considerations, and how findings are shared. The aim is to ensure research is relevant, accessible and grounded in the needs and experiences of service users and carers. 

Further meeting dates will be confirmed.

The Research Active sub-group supports members to develop and carry out their own research projects. Working collaboratively, members identify priority topics, shape research questions, collect and analyse data, and share findings. This group builds on the previous PoPuLaR model and is supported with training and development opportunities to build research skills. Current areas of interest include long-term support, experiences of talking therapies, and how information is shared within services.

Click here for training and resources available to SPARC members. This page is password protected. Please contact elft.researchoffice@nhs.net if access is required.