The Mental Health Commission visited a number of mental health initiatives accross the North West; a selection of these are highlighted below.
More details of mental helath initiatives can be found on the Breakthrough website
Merseycare NHS Trustwide Family Room Provision Group
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The Family Room project started in 2001 following collaboration and partnership working between Barnardo's Keeping the Family in Mind and Mersey Care NHS Trust. The aim is to support mental health service users who are parents and to actively listen to young carers' experiences. In particular children spoke how they found visiting their parents on psychiatric wards frightening.
Trust managers understood these fears and together with Barnardos enabled children from Barnardos Action with Young Carers to design the first 'Family Room' in the country. Together they agreed the standards they expect and decide if the Trust has met their requirements – the jelly bean logo is the seal of approval!
A network of rooms exists across the Trust and all new resources will have a family room as a given.
This partnership is unique as it listened directly to young carers and parents about their needs before service changes were made.
Visited by Julie Cullen, Programme Director.
View Barnardos web site
The Bridge (Social Care Mental Health Principal Officers Group, Lancashire County Council)
Employment support service; developing social enterprises and service user skills through creative activities."
Visited by Colin McKinless on 27 November 2007
View Lancashire Care NHS web site
Mainstream (Imagine)
We support clients to pursue their aspirations and to access vocational opportunities. We work in a person centred way promoting social inclusion."
Visited by Terry Lewis on 14 February 2008.
Visit Imagine Mental Health web site
Get Into Reading (The Reader Organisation)
"Get Into Reading groups aim to improve wellbeing, build community and extend reading pleasure through weekly sessions where fiction and poetry are read aloud and personal responses are shared."
Met with John Boyington on 17 July 2008.
Visit Get into Reading web site
Mental Health Plus in East Cheshire (Cheshire County Council)
An innovative scheme which, following the Social Exclusion Report, has transformed mental health day services into a flexible and responsive service, more tailored to individual need. The service includes:
- 12 occupational opportunity/activity groups (e.g. horticulture, card making, computers, volunteering, access to employment, women's group, slimming and swimming, younger persons group, countryside group, singing, circle dance, bowling). Several of these are being transformed into social enterprises.
- 3 WRAP groups (Wellness Recovery Action Plans).
- Access to a range of college courses, many of which are integrated (where our staff enable and support clients to attend open courses alongside the general public).
- 9 social groups, which meet on different community venues.
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"Developing Social Enterprise focusing upon mental wellbeing, education and employment opportunities via catering and horticultural initiatives."
Wirral Daytime Services (Wirral Department of Adult Social Services)
Our services are locality based, providing community support to adults with any disability, rather than the traditional segregation of people with mental health needs, a learning or physical disability. This extends people's social networks and support is provided more effectively to people with a similar level competence, rather than a similar disability.
All the support we provide around activity of daily living is put into a real life context by our focus ona continuum of employment, which can be paid or voluntary.
Every level of skill is accommodated and developed in the large catalogue of work opportunities within our services via social enterprises such as a Sandwich Service, a Craft Retail Outlet, a Cafe, a Gardening Enterprise and a Can Recycling Scheme.
We link this with our STEPS programme which provides training and support for people moving into mainstream employment we have identified.
We have devised Flexiployment, which breaks mainstream jobs into smaller, more manageable components enabling people to enter paid employment in incremental ways that allow them to control the effect on their benefits. We have devided a similar scheme Flexiteering, that enables people to become volunteers in mainstream activities in a flexible way that suits their current capacity.
Visited by John Boyington on 20 February 2008.
Halton Community Bridge Building Team (Halton Borough Council)
Pan disability service that provides support to people to become socially inclusive within local communities through mainstream services."
Visited by Julie Cullen on 5 March 2008.
Richmond Medical Centre (East Lancashire PCT)
Approximately 80% of Richmond practice population are of rural Pakistani origin, with a socially deprived white minority. A recent waiting room survey found 60% of women waiting to see the doctor were suffering from moderate/severe depression, and there are high levels of chronic and debilitating illness and disability and substance misuse in the community. Under the guidance of the attached half time GP senior lecturer, the team have developed an integrated model of health and social care including regular sessions from a Jobcentre plus adviser, CAB adviser, drug dependency worker, graduate mental health worker supporting computerised CBT, close liaison with community mental health workers and the CMHT, and regular medical and social work student placements. The attached services function closely with health professionals in the team, with the support of the practice manager and administrative and reception staff, to provide a truly biopsychosocial approach to patient care.
Visited by John Boyington and Julie Cullen on 18th June 2008.
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Liverpool ADHD Foundation
Liverpool ADHD foundation works in partnership with children and young people who have ADHD, helping them to recognise their abilities and build a positive foundation for life.
We work with families and partner agencies in the design and delivery of our services to develop inclusive policies and good practice around ADHD.
The Foundation delivers a range of services including:
- Skills building for parents, children and young people to understand and manage ADHD
- Information, Advice and Guidance sessions
- Training for schools and agencies
- Work with BRM communities in awareness raising
- 1:1 ADHD coaching
- Accredited learning for parents and agencies.
The friends of the ADHD Foundation are parents who want to take their learning forward. Through participation with the Foundation, they are able to respect and value themselves, their children and families.
By encouraging the involvement of others living with ADHD they aim to develop and promote opportunities for families to celebrate the diversity of ADHD. Making change happen empowers them to live happy, positive, healthy and safe lives.
Visited by John Boyington on 22 November 2007.
View Liverpool ADHD Foundation web site
Salford Welfare Rights Service (Salford City Council)
We offer a dedicated welfare rights advice service for people with mental health problems in Salford. The service provides independent, free and confidential advice and representation, covering all areas of welfare benefits and tax credit law. We also support service users who are ready to try out work with an easy to read guide to benefits and moving into work which is published every October. We deliver training for mental health staff on relevant issues such as DLA form filling and the new Employment & Support Allowance."
Visited by Julie Cullen on 19 March 2008.
View Salford City Council web site
East Lancs Mental Health Carers Panel (Carers Contact; Burnley, Pendle & Rossendale CVS)
The Carers Panel brings together mental health carers with a desire to improve services. The project promotes and supports the panel.
Visited by Colin McKinless on 27 November 2007.
View Careers Link web site
H M Prison Chaplaincy (H M Prison Service)
Chaplaincy teams in every establishment work holistically with healthcare providers to give pastoral care and support to all prisoners irrespective of faith or belief. Chaplains work closely with those at the lower end of the spectrum of mental disorder, supporting families as well as prisoners through moments of trauma. In particular, Chaplains undertake a lot of work with those suffering post-bereavement difficulties, often where these have lain unresolved for a period of time, to re-emerge once in custody (which may emerge simply by having long periods of time to reflect and brood).
Visited by Julie Cullen on 14 February 2008
View H M Prison Service web site
Stockport Recovery Network (Stockport MBC and PCT Integrated Commissioning Team)
In Stockport commissioners are leading on changing the culture and practice of traditional mental health services seeking providers, including the Foundation Trust, to adopt the Recovery Approach and its values. A Recovery Network of champions within all organisations has been established, using Action Learning Sets to translate the Stockport Recovery Strategy into practice; a website was launched in September 2008 to support the process.
The Joint Commissioning Strategy 2007-12 has Recovery at its heart and the introduction of Recovery performance measures and tools is underway. A Stockport MIND Crisis Accommodation and Home Support Service located in primary care run on recovery principles has been commissioned with service user involvement, overseen by an Advisory Group of users and carers and a service user performance monitor works with the team to ensure recovery principles are maintained
Visted by John Boyington, Terry Lewis and Julie Cullen on 2 July 2008.
View Stockport Recovery Network web site
Involving Service Users and Carers
Service users and carers have the right to be involved in decisions which affect their lives – everything we do. They are valued and offered payment for their time. (£12 an hour plus travel). Service users and carers are involved on the Board, in the recruitment of all Trust staff ( over 2000 appointments to date), the induction of staff, in setting the objectives and evaluating the performance of the Chief Executive and the Executive Team, awarding contracts, service change and developments, incident reviews and much, much more!
At any time around 250 service users and carers are involved and new involvement opportunities are advertised every month. The SURE (Service User Research and Evaluation) Group asked service users and carers in 2008 about their experience of being involved. They overwhelmingly said they got the information, training and support they need to be involved and it made a positive difference for them – more confidence, feeling valued, meaningful things to do and learning new skills. 89%of service users and 71% of carers said involvement had a positive impact on their recovery and well being. They also see changes in Mersey Care as a result of their involvement – improved attitudes, improved environments and services, improved communication and development of new services.
Visited by John Boyington on 22 January 2008.
Primary Care Psychological Services HMP Liverpool (Merseycare NHS Trust)
'The service provides a range of psychological interventions for prisoners with mild to moderate mental health problems'
Visited by Julie Cullen on 12 March 2008.
Self Help Services
A user-led mental health charity which provides a comprehensive range of primary care mental health services."
Visited by Terry Lewis on 28 November 2007
View Self Help Services web site
Crisis Point (Turning Point)
Crisis Point is a crisis intervention centre offering emotional and practical support to individuals who are in crisis which is impacting on their mental wellbeing. We offer a rapid response to intensive support over a period of 10 days. We take referrals from both professionals and individuals themselves. We take a person centre approach and each individual is at the centre of the service they receive. Staff give service users control over their support, helping them to make decisions, be in control and move forward with life. Staff listen to and learn about what people want from their lives and look to develop an empathic and non judgemental relationship. Staff also work with the recovery model, which highlights the importance of personalising support as well as recognising and accepting the expertise of service users to determine their own support needs and how that support is delivered.
"The service is excellent. Every single staff member was so genuinely caring, had excellent listening skills and made me feel like a person and not another patient."
"The treatment I received at Crisis Point was far more relevant and comfortable than hospital admission. The approach used is caring, sensitive and supportive."
Met with John Boyington, Terry Lewis and Julie Cullen on 12 May 2008
View Turning Point web site
High Secure Services, Ashworth Hospital (Merseycare NHS Trust)
"Ashworth Hospital serves England and Wales. We provide care and treatment for men under the Mental Health Act 1983, in conditions of high security."
Visited by Terry Lewis on 18 March 2008.
View Merseycare web site
Start in Salford
Start in Salford provides arts training and opportunities for people of all ages experiencing mental ill health or social exclusion, encouraging the development of an individuals artistic ability in a creative and supportive envirinment. Our vision is to create a centre of excellence enabling individuals to develop their aspirations, confidence, self esteem and creative skills. Using the arts, renowned for their therapeutic benefits, Start helps to remove the stigma around mental ill health by fostering a common interest amongst individuals from all walks of life.
Start runs weekly studio-based workshops, outreach projects and residencies, an educational/cultural programme and an exhibition programme. Professional artists are regularly invited to run specialist workshops with members as part of its visiting artists programme and Start a
ctively seeks commissions and other opportunites for its artists to engage in, providing genuine valuable work experience.
Visited by John Boyington on 29 November 2007.
Visit Start in Salford web site
View a list of organisations and their contact details.
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