National Recovery & Outcomes
Conference
Summary of the Day
Tuesday 14 July 2015
National Motorcycle Museum, Solihull
1.
Introduction and overview of the day
Ian Callaghan Recovery and Outcomes Manager, Rethink Mental Illness, and Olivia
Butterworth Head of Public Participation, NHS England, after a fabulous entrance,
welcomed everyone to the conference.
Ian and Olivia started by engaging all 350 delegates in understanding of where
everyone had travelled from with hands in the air, highlighting the fantastic spread of
service users, clinicians and providers and commissioners from across the country.
Of the 350 registered delegates over 120 of those were people who presently use
secure mental health services. This gave an unprecedented opportunity to hear
service user voice at its loudest!
Ian and Olivia outlined the format of the day which included live voting by service
users on a range of issues throughout the day, presentations and interactive
workshops including a music workshop and a graphic design workshop. Once again
service users, through the interactive workshop and feedback via voting, will have a
key part to play in how we develop and measure secure services over the next few
years.
2. Opening Speech
Brian Dow – Director of External Affairs, Rethink Mental
Illness
Brian gave an opening speech commenting on how remarkable it was to have such
a gathering of service users. He congratulated Ian Callaghan on driving the recovery
and outcomes work forward and organising such a fantastic event.
Brian told the audience: “We are working with the Recovery and Outcomes Groups
to ensure their participants’ experiences are at the heart of this nationally important
work. We firmly believe that everyone should have clear recovery-focused outcomes
identified for them.”
3. Paul Farmer – Chief Executive Mind and Chair of Mental
Health Task Force and Jacqui Dyer Vice-Chair of Mental
Health Taskforce
Paul and Jacqui both introduced themselves:
Paul Farmer – “My life in mental health goes back over 20 years. My job now is
really to try to change how we think about mental health”.
Jacqui Dyer (carer and service user/elected councillor in Lambeth) – “my
background is why I am here as Vice-Chair of MH Taskforce – we are at the cutting
edge whereby service user and carer and involvement is right at the centre. Only
with the lived voices can services be transformed to pull together strategy for 2020”.
Paul outlined the work to date which included analysing the 20,000 responses to
Mind and Rethink Mental Illness online survey, including 80 from people in secure
services.
The key messages that they have heard are:
1. Prevention and empowerment is a priority – people want mental health
problems to be prevented and for intervention to be as early as possible.
2. Access and choice is a priority – people want to quickly access effective care
and treatment, when they need it.
3. Integrated support is a priority – people want the NHS to treat them as a whole
person, wherever they are when they present for help and whatever their needs.
4. Attitudes and experience is a priority – people want to be treated with hope,
dignity and respect.
Preventing admission to secure services:
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82% people said support in the community, close to home would have
helped them.
15% people said more understanding health professionals in the
community, including GPs and care coordinators.
Helping people leave secure services at the right time.
62% people said planned step down support in the community would help
them, including accommodation, psychological therapies and skills.
Next steps:
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Further taskforce meetings.
Emerging evidence published before summer recess of Parliament.
Further engagement over summer with system partners.
Working with ‘Arms Length Bodies’ (ALBs) to shape activity for delivery of
the strategy.
Jacqui made a final plea to the audience “We want your views on how we can
ensure focus on both mental and physical health. We need to add gravitas to get it
right”.
“With the 5 year vision to 2020 we can be ambitious – we need to be more human –
and look at it all together. Each of us have so much to contribute – better access/
better integration and better empowerment”
‘Paul Famer and Jacqui Dyer seem to be ‘safe hands’’ – service user
Paul and Jacqui’s presentation can be found here.
Following Paul and Jacqui’s presentation there was the opportunity for the audience
to ask them questions. The full question and answer session can be found in
Appendix 1.
There was then an interactive voting session on some of the key themes the
Taskforce is working on. Here are some of the highlights from the voting slides
following Paul and Jacqui’s presentation:
What type of support do you think would have prevented you from being admitted?
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24/7 crisis care
A supportive community team
What is the reason that you did not receive the right help to prevent being admitted?
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I tried to get help but no one listened
I felt too ill to ask for help
What would most help you become ready to leave your unit at the right time for you?
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Involvement in your own care and safety planning
Support to spend more time in the community
What has the biggest positive impact on the quality of the care in your current service?
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I am supported to work towards moving back into the community
Staff in the service treat me with dignity and respect
What is your main concern about what will happen when you feel ready to be
discharged?
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My time of discharge won’t be agreed by my RC
It will take a long time to find a suitable place to live
You can see the full voting results in Appendix 2.
4. Amazing music
There was a whole array of music throughout the day. On arrival and throughout the
day Mark Storey set the tone of the event: “I am a singer songwriter that has a
passion for mental health and raising awareness of the issues surrounding it. The
songs I write are born out of my own experience. Mental health affects 1 in 4 of us.”
Mister ‘F’ performed a number of “uplifting songs” that he had written and composed
himself. He had also performed all of the instrumental work on all of the tracks he
played on the day so everything the audience heard was performed by him!
Hannah Moore performed songs both from her own work and well known songs. “I
love singing and have recently learnt to play guitar, which is a great coping
mechanism for me”. Hanna amazed everyone with her beautiful voice.
Best bit of the day - Hannah Moore singing - very moving; brilliant; excellent; made me cry!
Then there was our after lunch warm up – ‘Shake it off!’
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02lqzdn
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The after-lunch warm up – fantastic!
I’m not a dancer – two left feet, I’m afraid!
5. Service user presentations on Outcome Areas – Recovery;
Risk Reduction; Mental Health Improvement; Physical Health
Improvement; Quality and Experience
The conference heard about some of the most exciting initiatives and projects in
secure services. These presentations covered the outcome areas that service users
told us were the most important to them: Recovery; Risk Reduction; Mental Health
Improvement; Physical Health Improvement; and Quality & Experience.
These short presentations set the scene for the interactive workshops and can be
viewed by clicking on the title:
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Our Work with Recovery – Ravenswood House Recovery Steering
Group, Winners of the Outstanding Service User Award, 2015
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Collaborative Risk training – My perspective of being at Garrow House
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Recovery and Mental Health Improvement - Suzanne, Kneesworth House
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The Quality Windmill – Cygnet Hospitals, Yorkshire
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Improving Our Physical Health Video – The Spinney
The video will be coming soon to www.recoveryandoutcomes.org
6. Interactive workshop – Cooking up Recovery – Rosie Ayub
and Mick Burns
This interactive workshop followed on from the above presentations and was aimed
at getting a clear service user view on what the key interventions (ingredients) are
that will support people to meet the above outcomes.
Rosie and Mick asked people to be creative and develop a recipe which described
the ingredients (interventions) needed.
You can find the presentation that fully describes the workshop here.
6.1 Some examples of recipes developed by two of the groups
6.2 Creative workshops – Graphic recording and music
During the interactive workshop people were also invited to join two creative
workshops to explore the ‘key ingredient’ of the outcomes.
6.2.1 Graphic recording workshop – led by Anna Geyer, New Possibilities
Participants were supported to develop their ideas visually around the different
outcome areas. The fantastic visual displays created by this group are presented
throughout this report.
6.2.2 Music Workshop – Mark Storey
Mark led a creative musical workshop looking at the outcome areas. The group then
performed their song to the whole of the conference after lunch – everyone was
amazed at the results!
Best bit of the day - ‘Psycho sausages and bipolar beans’ – service user
‘Psycho sausages and bipolar beans’
What keeps you safe?
What keeps your mind at ease?
Medication for the nation keeps you safe inside
What keeps you safe?
What keeps your mind at ease?
No drugs and alcohol
My mind and body are entwined as one
If we stick to this road my recovery has begun
Wise minds, brave hearts
We walk together down this path
Psycho sausages and bipolar beans
Relaxation helps the mind and soul
Staff determination helps achieve my goal
6.3 Service user vote on priorities for each outcome area
Following the creative presentations services users voted on their key priorites for
‘key ingredients’ under each outcome area. Below are the two top priorities but the
full results of the vote can be found in Appendix 2.
Following
on from the development
of recipes
thewere:groups were asked to choose their
The top interventions
as voted by service
users
‘top 3 ingredients’ and forward these onto the zone facilitators. These were then
 Key
for Recovery
collected
overingredients
lunch and collated
into the top 6 priorities under the 4 outcome areas.
o Family and Friends
o Making sure the recipe is individual to you and can test and refine
 Key ingredients for improving mental health
o Access to community/family/friends
o Staff support
 Key ingredients for Improving physical health
o Good living environment
o Choice of physical activities Therapeutic and supportive
relationships
 Key ingredients for Risk Reduction
o Communication between everyone
o Positive risk taking including by the Responsible Clinician
For full voting results on this voting session see Appendix 2
7. Our plans for the Evaluation of Recovery and Outcomes Mick Mckeown and Fiona Jones, University of Central
Lancashire
Mick and Fiona gave an overview of the evaluation project which they have been
commissioned to undertake by NHS England. They explained that the research team
is diverse and includes staff and service users that have been in secure services.
The research will take the form of reviewing minutes, documents and other materials
from the recovery and outcome groups. They will select regional networks as case
studies and do interviews and focus groups with service users, staff and
commissioners.
You can access Mick and Fiona’s presentation here.
7.1 Evaluation interactive workshop
Tables were first asked to do two tasks:
For the first activity:
1. On flip chart paper, think of your unit as a big circle in the middle. On the
inside of the circle think of all the ways you are involved in your unit.
2. On the outside of the circle think of the ways you are involved with
things/groups/forums going on outside of your unit.
Example of work from the first task:
For the second activity people were asked to work on their tables again and think
about the one of the questions below. Each zone was asked to answer one of these
questions:
 Blue - What gets discussed in the recovery meetings/groups you attend
and what methods are used to support everyone having a say?
 Pink - What do you contribute to the meetings?
 Green - What do you get out of being involved in the meetings?
 Yellow - Impact – what happens as a result of what gets discussed?
7.2 Fiona’s journey to research
Whilst he answers were being collated for the vote, Fiona told her own powerful story
of how she had been in a high secure hospital and her journey to become a
researcher with University of Central Lancashire – a real inspiration!
The tables were asked to collate their top 3 answers from the evaluation workshop
that were then combined to produce the top 6 answers across all of the tables for the
whole room to vote on.
Summary of top results:
What gets discussed?
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Access and communication for everyone so we know what is going on
Shared understanding of what we mean by recovery
What methods are used?
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Forums and discussion groups
Peer to peer support
Contributions to the meeting
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Different perspectives/opinions
New ideas/inspiration
What do you get out of being involved?
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Confidence and motivation
Information on how you can improve/new ideas
What is the impact of your involvement?
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Feel like voice is heard
Positive change as a result
8. Summary and close of the workshop
Ian and Olivia rounded up the day by saying how hard everyone had worked during
all the workshops and that this would all be fed back to the Mental Health Taskforce
and the Pricing & Currency Group, who will use this information to develop better
ways of commissioning and paying for secure services.
Olivia thanked all the people who had helped make the conference the success it
was, including all the presenters and musicians.
Ian reminded everyone that the regional Recovery and Outcomes Groups are a
great place for people to have their voices heard throughout the year.
See you next year!
9. Evaluation – the Good, the Bad and the Ugly (no ugly, mostly good!!)
The delegates at the end of the day were given two ways to tell us what they thought
of the event, through the use of an evaluation wheel and by filling in an evaluation
form.
An example of one of the evaluation wheels:
Some comments from the evaluation forms
•‘Knowing that I’m part of something much bigger than my problems gives me a
sense of purpose and belonging’ – service user
•‘Brilliant to be reminded that service users must be at the forefront of everything we
do’- commissioner
•‘Light-hearted; fun; informative; supportive; inclusive; non-threatening. The ‘shake it
out’ session was perfect post-lunch’ – staff
‘Congratulations on another brilliant national conference, you must be very pleased
with how it went – superb event, we thoroughly enjoyed the day and got so much
from it!!’
Of course there was feedback on things people didn’t like and ideas for improvement
for next year – a summary of comments and feedback can be found in
Appendix 3.
Appendix 1 – Questions for the Paul and Jacqui from the Mental Health
Taskforce
Q. Jacqui you are awesome. How did you get to do the jobs that you do now?
A. Like open dialogue about your journey and developing trusting relationships.
Open to sharing my journey. I used to be really shy and have medication for anxiety
when I was a teenager. A lot of that was from growing up with mother who had
mental illness and often in hospital. What made me more open was having to fight
for services for myself and siblings and mother. One of my siblings had a mental
illness and cocaine habit for 25 years so had to navigate all of the services fighting
for others. Also had to go through psychotherapy for myself finding my own voice as
well as on behalf of other people.
Comment – in my hospital Kneesworth House there is a good connection
between physical and mental health. Weekly meeting with GP available for all
patients. Also opportunities to connect physical and mental health through
exercise.
Paul commented – I would like you to write that down – that is great. We will use that
example in our report. There is good stuff going on around the country though not
everywhere.
Q. What does good mental health mean to you?
A. Paul – I first got into mental health when a good friend of mine became unwell. I
didn’t know what was happening to her. I started finding out how I wanted to look
after my own mental health. Things important to my mental health are doing things I
cherish/enjoy/spending time with friends and family. The things that keep me going is
walking/running/cycling – makes a difference to me as does the fellow
companionship of humans. We are inherently a social bunch of people – what we
are doing today is good for our mental health.
Comment – Thornford Park – started peer support to help new and existing
patients who cannot talk with staff. Good system and works well. I am a peer
supporter and I get as much out of it because I am helping someone and it
helps my mental health as well as theirs.
Paul commented – We love peer support. There is an obvious point here that those
with your lived experience can help the most. How do we make this something that is
more widely available and gives people a pathway into work? Also digital friends
support – online conversations.
Q. To Ian - How long did it take you to get to where you are now?
A. Ian – I’ve had bipolar for 23 years, in and out of hospital for many hears. Crisis in
2007 admitted to Kneesworth House. Important things were support and treatment
and building relationships with people who believed in me. It took 5 years. Secure
care can be very difficult. It was the people around me that made the difference,
medication helped too. We can talk about that later.
Q. What did are you going to do in the community?
A. Paul – We would like more money to be spent in the community, access services
close to home. Having access to crisis care and step down care. Think about people
on a journey. We want to try to ensure those who move out of secure care have the
best care and live as equal lives in the community.
Q. In what way do you want to increase money in NHS in mental health and
what do you want to do with it?
A. Jacqui – We’re looking at 2020, 5 years away. What are your dreams and goals
for then for mental health services?
Also physical and mental health focus is also vital as well as community care. To
ensure pathways are much more fluid so we are dealing with recovery and go back
into the community and their lives can flourish. Series of outcomes, what we are
aiming for overall is good mental health where you are thriving instead of surviving
with other human beings in the community. We have different needs though need
infrastructure to help us be the best we can be.
Comment from Alpha Bury - Interpreters comment - Excellent care package for
deaf people, excellent interpreters and proud of our ward dynamics.
Q. What are your views on those detained out of area?
A. Paul – Broadly speaking most of us feel that is not an ideal situation. Sometimes
people need specialist care though basic principle is that people want to be as near
to their community as possible.
Appendix 2 – Responses to voting questions
1. Questions from the Taskforce
2. Results of voting from the ‘Cooking up Recovery’ workshop
3. ‘Evaluation’ workshop voting results
Appendix 3 – Feedback from the National Recovery and Outcomes
Conference 14th July 2015
Overall satisfaction – 8.6 out of 10
Suggestions for improvement
•Have more involvement and inclusion of BME experience and recovery
•Have a question box on table for people too shy to speak out
•More workshops for staff and service users
•Little long for some service users
•Could we have separate voting for current service users and ex-service users as I believe
results would be different
•Staff should have Clikapads to feel involved, might be interesting to compare responses
•Would like to see more reference to community-based rehab settings and how it is
embedded in practice – how it contributes to national initiatives
•To have more cakes and singing
Best things about the day
•Hannah Moore singing - very moving; brilliant; excellent; made me cry!
•‘Psycho sausages and bipolar beans’
•Mark Storey’s performance
•Interactive workshops and opportunity to meet new people
•The music throughout the day
•Hearing about the work of the Mental Health Taskforce
•Meeting and talking to Brian Dow, Paul Farmer and Mick Mckeown
•The after-lunch warm up – fantastic!
•Meeting new people and learning about the Mental Health Taskforce
Worst things about the day
•Breaks were too short
•Too much live loud music
•Food wasn’t that good – not enough healthy/fat-free choices
•Too quick to translate voting option into BSL – missed voting
•The air conditioning – the room was cold
•I’m not a dancer – two left feet, I’m afraid!
•The stage items blocked some of the slides
•Not enough selection of drinks
•Some talks ran over and may have been too long for some people
Quotes about the day
•‘A very enjoyable day, with lots of great ideas of how we can improve services’ – staff
•‘We must make more effort locally to involve service uses at meetings and find ways to
make it work’ – staff
•‘Brilliant to be reminded that service users must be a the forefront of everything we do’
commissioner
•‘I enjoyed the fact it was interactive throughout’ – staff
•‘I had a great day with lovely people’ – service user
•‘Absolutely wicked day; my hands hurt from clapping!’ – service user
•‘Listening to service users in recovery motivates me to focus on the support that I provide
at my hospital’ – staff
•‘Wonderful for so many service users to be together sharing ideas and experiences, and for
their feedback to really influence things’ – staff
•‘Really positive, inspiring and engaging day. Loved it!’ – Staff
•‘Can’t wait till next year’ – service user
•‘Thoroughly enjoyed the day. As a nurse it has really made me think about my practice and
how I can aid the recovery of people I work with’ – staff
•‘As a student found this a wonderful learning opportunity and would recommend it to
anyone’ – student nurse
•‘Inspiring, uplifting, moving, enlightening’ – staff
•‘Paul Famer and Jacqui Dyer seem to be ‘safe hands’’ – service user
•‘Enjoyed the whole day, so glad I was able to attend. Interactive, inspirational and very
moving’ – commissioner
•‘This is one of the most inspiring conferences I have ever attended. I have got loads of
ideas to take back to the workplace and I am extremely motivated’ – staff
•‘Knowing that I’m part of something much bigger than my problems gives me a sense of
purpose and belonging’ – service user
•‘I found the conference insightful and helpful to me on my road to recovery’ – service user
•‘Light-hearted; fun; informative; supportive; inclusive; non-threatening. The ‘shake it out’
session was perfect post-lunch’ – staff
After the conference...
‘I just wanted to send a personal note congratulating you and the other presenters and
organisers for the Recovery and Outcomes National Conference.
‘As always, I was moved, touched, inspired and extremely proud of everyone’s efforts and
sharing their personal stories.
‘This helped me not just on a personal level but on a work level too and how much can be
achieved with the right support.’
Also,
‘Congratulations on another brilliant national conference, you must be very pleased with
how it went – superb event, we thoroughly enjoyed the day and got so much from it!!’