WELCOME ONE AND ALL
• TO
• CORNWALL
• MENTAL HEALTH
• SERVICE USERS
• FORUM
Service User Involvement History
•
Strategic Health Authority area: The Peninsula
• The Peninsula Strategic Health Authority brings together 3 existing
health authorities; Cornwall, North and East Devon and South and
West Devon.
• Cornwall Context
• Much of the user involvement work is done through the Cornwall
Mental Health Forums that are co-ordinated by a mental health coordinator.
•
Local Implementation Team
• There is currently one county-wide local implementation team that
has one service user and a service user 'representative' on it.
• There is a plan to set-up a service user reference group to inform
and provide a more structured mechanism for involvement.
• User Development Workers
Continuing Page:
The Mental health co-ordinator has a much wider brief than user
involvement but until the creation of a separate User Involvement
Worker post the co-ordinator fulfilled this role as well.
The Mental health co-ordinator post is funded by the Health
Authority and Social Services and employed by the Cornwall
Rural Community Council, an independent charity.
There is now also currently a dedicated User Involvement Worker
in post.
Other information
The worker supports and co-ordinates six district user
forums across Cornwall. These are open meetings for people
with mental health issues to look at mental health services.
These forums:
" provide statutory services with views about services and with
representatives for working groups, etc.
" monitoring and review of services.
" provide independent visiting of in-patient units to talk to
users about user forums, etc and to talk about their
experiences on the acute wards. Those doing the visiting get
together with staff from the units to review guidelines and
information leaflets.
Each in-patient unit now has a set of guidelines. On a practical
level there is an impact as user visitors feed back about, for
example, lack of locks on shower doors and things get done.
The user co-ordinator supports the user visitors.
Forums achievements
1 SANCTUARY
- Oakleigh House (now operated by Regain)
In response to users reporting that they were often admitted to psychiatric inpatient units because there was no alternative the user co-ordinator met over
130 users around the county to ask what such an alternative would be, for whom
and for how long. It came to be defined as "time-limited time out in a safe nonmedical environment to prevent further deterioration and to begin recovery".
There will be three components: " a safe house with workers employed by the
Rural Community Council
" a budget held by each of the Community Mental Health Teams to buy individual
sanctuary packages in a chosen place detailed in the care plan and used when the
user decides it is needed
" host families to be recruited and trained
Sanctuary is for people with care plans who are known to the Trust and the time
limit initially is two weeks. Halfway through the placement each user will fill in a
self assessment and then again about a month later to see if it has been useful.
The full Sanctuary budget in 2001/02 will be £170,000 (£40,000 held by the Trust
as a contingency fund).
2. NIGHTLINK
The out of hours service in Cornwall, developed with user input, will
have three components:
" Nightlink. This is a telephone helpline, funded by the Health
Authority, (now operated by Regain) offering support and listening.
Volunteers work from their own homes and each volunteer has
access to a supporter when on duty. It operates Friday, Saturday and
Sunday nights at present with one volunteer and one supporter per
night. Expanding the service will depend on recruiting and training
more volunteers.
" Specialist telephone advice services for users and carers (nurse
staffed) from 8.30 p.m. to 8.30 a.m.
" Face to face contact. People on enhanced care plan will be able to
get a home visit if there is something they cannot manage until
morning
3 USER LED SOCIAL CLUBS
There are three social clubs in Cornwall
funded by Social Services and open for
limited times. Each is run by volunteers
who use or have used services and have
between 8 and 25 fellow users attending,
most with well established mental health
issues. Users design the rules and
guidelines and users hold the budgets.
4. USER EMPOWERMENT GRANTS
Small individual grants are
available to service users, for
example for swimming pool
tickets, art materials, tractor
driving lessons
5 ASSERTIVE OUTREACH TEAMS
Each of the three planned Assertive
Outreach teams has made a
commitment to employing workers
with experience of using mental
health services.
.
6. MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE DIRECTORY
A free publication on mental
health services in Cornwall.
That was Then!
5% = 3,800 potential members
Everything was running smoothly, though of
course sometimes things change.
We had a massive change with the formation
of the Primary Care Trust and joint working of
Social Services and Cornwall Partnership Trust
So what went wrong?
This is my own personal belief..... There were so many
changes all at the same time and things were not
communicated. During this turmoil even the Service User
Co-ordinator changed. What took place.... No one seems to
know.... But the SERVICE USER LED INVOLVEMENT.....
disappeared and unfortunately I apologise to all Service
Users, we didn’t even hear about it or understand what
happened....... But the next thing we find out is a Service
Level Agreement has been given to Cornwall Rural
Community Council, who also had a new management
team. For the last few years there has been a lot of friction,
because we were reading from different rule books.
But I am glad to say, there has been a lot of
discussion on both sides.... And now I would say
everything has been sorted between CRCC and the
Service Users Representative Group (SURG). We
are at last back working as ONE team. That means
we can get back to what we should be doing.
Supporting and working for ALL Service Users.
There are a lot of changes happening. WE NEED TO
BE THERE IN THE PLANNING AND VOICING YOUR
NEEDS TO PROFESSIONALS.
Lessons Learnt from the early days
" Employing a user co-ordinator allows for
continuity, provides support for groups when
needed, co-ordinates training and recruitment of
volunteers, etc.
" Recruiting volunteers and user reps and
supporting people to cope with complex meetings
can be very difficult but success encourages
people.
" Getting payments for users above expenses is still
a problem. (Though this is about to be resolved by
the Coalition Government)
" As with many areas there is
increasing calls on service users to
get involved and there is a need to
continually engage with new service
users and enable more service users
to become involved to share the
load”.
Independent Service User Involvement
•Developing meaningful service user-involvement
is a long-term process.
•Time should be allowed for service users to be
supported in developing an independent userled agenda.
•Otherwise there is a danger that service user
involvement becomes primarily a tool for
meeting the consultation needs of service
providers.
Long term Adequate Funding
Funding for mental health service-user
involvement needs to be adequate
(taking account of development and
running costs in addition to staff costs)
and supported through long-term
sources that afford stability. Time
spent securing further short-term
funding detracts staff from service
development and delivery.
WEST 2 GROUPS
100,400
W2A Camborne and
Redruth
WEST 1 GROUPS 97,900
WEST 3 GROUPS
88,700
W2B Falmouth &
Penryn
W3A St.Agnes &
Perranporth
23,266
W1B Hayle & St Ives
W3B Newquay &
St.Columb
W1C Helston & Lizard
W3C Truro & Roseland
W1A Penzance, Marazion,
& St.Just
59,240
52,011
West = 287,000
Area 134,157h
East = 245,200
Area 220,200
EAST 3 GROUPS 87,200
EAST 1 GROUPS
E3A Launceston
76,000
E1A St.Blazey, Fowey &
Lostwithiel
E1B St.Austell
E1C China Clay
41,341
E3B Bodmin
E3C Camelford
EAST 2 GROUPS
E3D Wadebridge & Padstow
82,000
E3E Bude
E2A Liskeard & Looe
E2B Saltash & Torpoint
(Gateway)
59,223
119,514
Layout of
Cornwall
Network.
Using
Community
Networks
WEST 1 GROUPS
Population 97,900
Area 59,240 hectres
WEST 1 GROUPS
W1A Penzance, Marazion, & St.Just
W1B Hayle & St Ives
W1C Helston & Lizard
5% = 4,895 potential members
WEST 2 GROUPS
Population 100,400
Area 23,266 hectres
WEST 2 GROUPS
W2A Camborne and Redruth
W2B Falmouth & Penryn
5% = 5,020 potential members
WEST 3 GROUPS
Population = 88,700
Area = 52,011
WEST 3 GROUPS
W3A St.Agnes & Perranporth
W3B Newquay & St.Columb
W3C Truro & Roseland
5% = 2,962 potential members
WEST 1 GROUPS
WEST 2 GROUPS
WEST 3 GROUPS
West Population = 287,000
East Population = 245,200
Total Population = 532,200
EAST 1 GROUPS
Population = 76,000
Area = 41,341 hectres
EAST 1 GROUPS
E1A St.Blazey, Fowey & Lostwithiel
E1B St.Austell
E1C China Clay
5% = 3,800 potential members
EAST 2 GROUPS
Population = 82,000
Area = 59,223 hectres
EAST 2 GROUPS
E2A Liskeard & Looe
E2B Saltash & Torpoint (Gateway)
5% = 4,100 potential members
EAST 3 GROUPS
Population = 87,200
Area = 119,514
EAST 3 GROUPS
E3A Launceston
E3B Bodmin
E3C Camelford
E3D Wadebridge & Padstow
E3E Bude
5% = 4,360 potential members
EAST 1 GROUPS
EAST 2 GROUPS
EAST 3 GROUPS
West Population = 287,000
East Population = 245,200
Total Population = 532,200
5% potential members = 14,350
5% potential members = 12,260
Total inclusion with two way
communication
All Service Users
Forums, Conferences, Shared Information,
Presentations
Re-establish the South-West Network User
Group (SNUG)
Project Workers and Elected
User Reps
Joint Communications
Service User Reps and
ALL Providers
Elections of Service User Reps
Anyone can be a part of any Forum.
From September, October and November next year ALL Groups will be able to vote for their
representatives.
Group 1 East and West September
Group 2 East and West October
Group 3 East and West November
At these elections, the elected service users will be listed as Highest vote = rep3 to lowest vote=
rep1
.... rep 1, rep2 and rep3
So in the following years
2012 rep 1’s will be up for re-election
2013 rep 2’s will be up for re-election
2014 rep3’s will be up for re-election
Then each representative will be up for re-election every three years.
This will give the Service User Representative Group a membership of 18
Between now and the elections, the present SURG will continue, others can ask for membership
Reps must be able to give two way communications between the Forums and SURG. Also be
willing for training in interviewing techniques and debating with professionals.
Forum Supporters
If you don’t make it as an elected
representative...... Don’t worry, there will
be plenty of other things for you to get
involved with.
Communications to your area will be
crucial to make sure YOUR FORUM works.
Everyone who wants to be part of this true
form of Service User Involvement, will be
able to take part.
If you need training in certain area’s to
improve some skills, this will be
encouraged and hopefully funded.
Remember there will be further elections
every three years.... So be prepared.
The value of the Project Worker
It is evident from the past and in
other area’s that where contact
has been made and relationships
developed by project workers The
Forums will once again become a
focus and catalyst for mental
health Service User Involvement.
Project Workers
• Will work with all service users, carers, providers,
charities, self help groups.
• Will help to set up and monitor, forums, self help
groups, encourage capacity building of Service User
Involvement within their area.
• Work closely with the other facilitators to both
encourage and enable service users.
• Work closely with the administrator to make sure
requests for service user involvement are acted upon
and reports returned.
Administrator works for the network
Administrator
available to Mental
Health Project staff
and Service User reps.
How do we know if things are right?
• A monthly meeting would take place with the
Project Workers and Service User Reps.
• At these meeting, all activities of each area would
be looked at, looking at best practice. Any area
which seems to have an issue, all facilitators
would give support to build up capacity. The
network itself will be self monitoring. Only when
the network believes they cannot resolve an
issue, the escalation procedure will come into
play. (to be written and agreed)
How do we move forward?
• We need you! Yes you! If you have an interest in
any aspect of Emotional and Mental Health. Then
we need your input with the building of a new
Service User Involvement Network. We have the
Project Workers in place. The next step is for the
people who are known to the project, to show an
interest of either building the East or West
Forums and to set up a series of Forums, with top
speakers and social events to bring more users on
board.
• So please join us in helping everyone.
Relationship between Forums/Staff/CCRC/SURG
CCRC is a clearing house and budget control.
Project Manager Chris Houghton and Deputy Manager Nicki Sweeney,
have overall control for Health & Safety, Training, Funding, co-ordination
between Service Users, Services & Partners.
They are Independent but answerable to the Forums
The staff and Forums are supported by an Admin Officer.
Service User Forums
3 in the West and 3 in the East
For each Forum 3 elected Reps
East
Project
Worker
This will total 3 reps from each
Of the 6 Forums = 18 reps.
Forums 1 in each area each month
This equals 24 meetings covering
every part of Cornwall.
West
Project
Worker
S.U.R.G.
(Service User Representative Group)
CRCC Staff are invited to Service User Rep. Group meetings.
Service User Forums
Based on Cornwall Council Community Networks
Made up into three groups in the West and three in the East
Each Forum next autumn to arrange election of Representatives.
These elected Representatives will form The Service User Representative Group
(SURG)
Each Forum is the power
house of ideas.
Issues are discussed here
and then taken to SURG
SURG DOES NOT
EXIST WITHOUT
THE FORUMS
SURG IS THE PLACE WHERE ALL THE IDEAS COME TOGETHER AND THEN ARE DISCUSSED. THEN TAKEN
FORWARD IF APPRIOPRIATE, this is where that happens. Talking Heads, West End Club, Camel Club
Oakleigh House, Nightlink, and a number of other self help groups was developed this way.
All of the Forums would have leading Health and Social Service manages at the meetings. It is the responsibility of
the Service Users to plan the date and who they would like to attend THEIR Forum. The Project Worker along with
the Reps.would then make all the arrangements. The FORUMS are open to all services users, carers, professionals,
including social workers and CPN’s and members of the public. If Service users felt they needed to discuss personal
issues with the group, then this would take place in the last 15 minutes, excluding all but the service users.
THIS USE TO WORK AND I KNOW A LOT OF SERVICE USERS AND CARERS LONG TO GET BACK TO THIS.
The Forums and SURG use to have a very good name and we represented all service users at all levels of meetings
within the NHS, Adult Social Care Charities and the 3rd Sector.
There use to be regular Forums and Socials, these have all but stopped and with it the users self worth.
WELL WE ARE BACK....
Who are we already supporting?
Breakaway Club (to reduce or come off
Benzodiazepines.... Held in Truro)
Camel Club (Social drop in Delabole Church)
Cornwall Survivors Group ( Mutual support
for male survivors of rape or sexual abuse..
St.Austell)
Creative Words (Creative writing Falmouth)
Hearing Voices Network
(Penzance, Newquay and Bodmin)
Manic Depression / Bipolar Groups
(Penzance, Newquay and Liskeard)
Perranporth Coffee Corner (Social Group)
Pink Umbrella LGBT Group (Gay, lesbian, bisexual & trans support.... Held in Truro)
Redruth Friendship Club (Social drop in
group)
Freedom OCD Group (Support group in Truro)
Into Body, Into Being (Yoga, exercise, relaxation,
meditation in Penzance)
Space For You ( Crafts, Painting, Wood Carving,
Potery, Voice Therapy, Relaxation,
Counselling, various other activities, held at
Sancreed House)
Rural Community Link Project (RCLP)
(Drop in welcome groups:- St. Blazey, Indian
Queens, St.Dennis, Penwithick, Lostwithiel
Also a men’s group for Restormel residents)
SOBS (Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide) (
Threemilestone, Truro) (Two new groups
likely to start in the new year, one in West
and one in East)
St.Agnes Self Help Group (Social support
group)
Quarterly Service User newsletter (or
should it be book? Last edition 44 pages)
Manage the self help budget,
Individual Enpowerment Grant
Independent Hospital Visiting Scheme
Community Independent Visiting Shceme
Feed into LINk
Plus many other activities around the County.
PLEASE ASK FOR MORE INFORMATION!
The Beginning
Thank you for listening
UPC Research Winter Conference
Dear All
Please find attached the UPC Research Winter Conference
programme/sessions booklet and a link to Future Inn, Plymouth.
If you know of any colleagues who would still like to attend please
get them to e-mail me Christina.crooks@plymouth.ac.uk asap as
there are still places available.
We look forward to seeing you all on Tuesday 30th Nov.
Kind regards
Tina Crooks on behalf of
Claire Gray Staff Development Co-ordinator
UPC Faculty
4th Floor Rolle Building
University of Plymouth
Drake Circus
Plymouth
PL4 8AA
tel 01752 587507
e-mail christina.crooks@plymouth.ac.uk
For all queries relating to Programme Administration please e-mail:
upcprogrammeadministration@plymouth.ac.uk