12 Jan

Launch of North Tyneside Mental Health Carer’s Forum – 30 January 2019


Hello,

As you will probably know, Launchpad North Tyneside coordinates a lively and successful Service User and Survivor Forum that has been running for a few years. We recognise carers need to have a space to meet and be heard too, that’s why in partnership with North Tyneside Carers Centre, we are launching a new forum for people who care for someone with mental health difficulties.   This will be an informal space to bring together friends, family and carers of people with mental health difficulties to meet each other, find out about what support is available (for both yourselves and your loved ones) and to have your say.  You do not have to already be accessing support or advice from ourselves or North Tyneside Carer’s Centre to attend.

Our first meeting will take place on Wednesday 30th January, 6-8pm at North Tyneside Carers Centre, 3rd Floor YMCA North Tyneside, North Shields, NE29 0AB and this will be an opportunity to help shape the group.

The group will be facilitated by myself and Sophie Dawson from North Tyneside Carer’s Centre.

Download the poster here.

Many thanks,

Beth

Beth Williams

User Development Worker

Launchpad, North Tyneside

I work three days a week, email is the best way to contact me.

bethlaunchpadnt@gmail.com

We’re on Facebook and Twitter

www.launchpadnt.wordpress.com

Anderson House, Market Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6XA

12 Jan

New mental health support in schools and colleges and faster access to NHS care

In 2017, the Government published its Green Paper for Transforming children and young people’s mental health, which detailed proposals for expanding access to mental health care for children and young people, building on the national NHS transformation programme which is already underway.

Its proposals were focused on providing additional support through schools and colleges and reducing waiting times for treatment. Following a 13-week public consultation, during which the Government received more than 2,700 responses, the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Education published its Response to the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Green Paper Consultation.

Supported by partners, NHS England is leading the delivery of two of the programme’s main commitments:

  • Establishing new Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) – to develop models of early intervention on mild to moderate mental health issues, such as exam stress, behavioural difficulties or friendship issues, as well as providing help to staff within a school and college setting. The teams will act as a link with local children and young people’s mental health services and be supervised by NHS staff;
  • Trialling a four-week waiting time for access to specialist NHS children and young people’s mental health services, building on the expansion of NHS services already underway.

The first Mental Health Support Teams will be set up in 25 trailblazer areas of which 12 trailblazers will also trial a four-week waiting time. These are expected to begin work by the end 2019. NHS England regional teams will support the trailblazers through this process.

Further plans for the development of children and young people’s mental health care will be detailed in the forthcoming NHS Long-Term Plan.

12 Jan

Mental Health Support Leaflets for Mums

A new set of mental health leaflets offer support for mums, their families, and the teams that care for them. The eight leaflets cover a broad range of topics including postnatal depression, postpartum psychosis and perinatal OCD, and the use of lithium and antipsychotics in pregnancy and breastfeeding. They offer advice and signpost to promote better understanding and support people in making decisions about perinatal mental health issues. The leaflets have been written jointly by perinatal psychiatrists, women with lived experience of perinatal mental illness, and their partners. They have been delivered in partnership by RCPsych, NHS England and HEE. Further information is available on the NHS England website

21 Dec

Kooth

Kooth is an online mental health counselling and wellbeing service for children and young people in North Tyneside.

North Tyneside Council and North Tyneside Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) have commissioned XenZone’s Kooth service, giving local young people aged between 11 and 18 access to free online counselling.

As well as offering timely access to therapy, the 18-month pilot will provide anonymous, confidential and access to self-help materials, articles, moderated online forums and tools such as a mood tracker.

More information can be found at www.xenzone.com/kooth/

11 Dec

Mental Health Act Review

Thanks to Beth Williams from Launchpad North Tyneside for the post below.


Hello,

The government’s independent Mental Health Act Review has been published today (6 December 2018). I know quite a few of you will be interested in the report and recommendations.  You can find the report here and key themes from the survey are available here (note, both these links will open a PDF file of the document).  Download a copy of the very brief summary here if you just want to pick out the key points.  Hearing Voices Network England, a user led group have launched an alternative review based as they felt service user and survivor groups weren’t as involved as they should have been in the review, you can read their report here.  The National Survivor User Network (NSUN) have responded to the review and you can read that here.

I must stress that this review is at the moment just recommendations, there will be no immediate changes to the Act or the care people receive, that will require a change in legislation.

Some of the information is pretty heavy going and distressing, please look after yourself both when reading and deciding if you read it at all.

Many thanks,

Beth

Beth Williams

User Development Worker

bethlaunchpadnt@gmail.com

Launchpad North Tyneside, Anderson House, Market Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6XA.

I work three days a week, email is the best way to contact me.

We’re on Facebook and Twitter

www.launchpadnt.wordpress.com

 

 

10 Dec

Launch of ‘Staying Safe’ Web Site

4 Mental Health launch ‘Staying Safe’ website, offering vital resources for anyone distressed, thinking about suicide or worried about someone they care about.

The Staying Safe website is a potentially life-saving resource developed by 4 Mental Health, with invaluable input from international academics, mental health practitioners, people who have survived suicidal thoughts and those personally affected by suicide through bereavement.

StayingSafe.net offers compassion, kindness and easy ways to help keep people safer from thoughts of harm and suicide, seek support and discover hope of recovery through powerful videos from people with personal experience.

The website provides vital ‘Safety Plan’ guidance tools jointly funded by NHS England, with easy to print / online templates and guidance video tutorials purposefully designed to help people through the process of writing their own Safety Plan. A Safety Plan helps to build hope, identify actions and strategies to resist suicidal thoughts and develop positive ways to cope with stress and emotional distress.

Tragically, suicide takes far too many lives, yet suicide is preventable. Anyone struggling to cope or experiencing deep distress may begin to think about harming themselves and consider suicide as a means to escape their emotional pain. It can be incredibly difficult to think clearly during these times. Everyone is encouraged to PREPARE for possible difficult times ahead BEFORE they happen, by completing a Safety Plan. During times of deep distress, Safety Plans become a vital and valuable reminder of:


• What people can do for themselves to get through difficult times
• Practical ways they can make their situation safer
• Who to contact for support
• Where to go or who to contact in an emergency


It is 4 Mental Health’s hope that anyone currently in extreme distress can share our hope that recovery is possible with the right support and that one day keeping a Safety Plan will be common place and regarded an extension of wellbeing and self-care.

For more information about StayingSafe.net, please contact info@4mentalhealth.com

Alison Beech, Director of 4 Mental Health
“All of us involved in developing this website have very personal reasons for being so invested in helping others stay safe. I cannot thank enough, NHS England and all the contributors and the members of our expert reference group, who have so willingly given their time and expertise in helping us develop this resource. It may be the first step some people take in addressing their distress and therefore will hopefully lead them on to recognising and then widening their support base. We all need to know that there is hope and that people do care and want to help.”


Jonny Benjamin MBE, Mental health activist and a survivor of suicidal thoughts
“I believe that this could be a hugely valuable resource to millions of people across the world who struggle with suicidal thoughts and feelings. Having been suicidal at various points since being diagnosed with a form of schizophrenia a decade ago, I know that is a tool which would have proved to be extremely useful during those times. It is always difficult to find clarity of mind when I’m suicidal, but having a Safety Plan offers an immediate lifeline to not only myself but those around me as well. It’s been equally challenging for loved ones when I have been suicidal, but I feel confident that now having a Safety Plan will help us to communicate more effectively when I’m in crisis.”


Prof Siobhan O’Neill, Professor of Mental Health Sciences at Ulster University
“This is a valuable resource, uniquely prepared with the input of international academics using the latest research whilst prioritising the views of experts by experience. StayingSafe.net is a powerful tool that could literally save lives.”

Dr Sarah Markham, survivor of suicidal thoughts
“As a survivor of a serious suicide attempt I am aware that all too often, what is missing from mental health support is a genuine element of caring. This online tool changes that. It is brim-full with genuine care, empathy and compassion. It offers real, practical advice to anyone who might be struggling with difficult emotions or concerned about someone who is troubled and in need of help. What makes this tool even better is that lived experience has contributed and shines through in every element. I am so happy and grateful that finally there is something for people experiencing despair that actually feels as good as the advice and support it offers.”

4 Mental Health
Ashdown House, Riverside Business Park, Conwy, LL32 8SE
Tel: 0203 637 9191

01 Dec

Supporting people in crisis report

Dear all

As you are aware over the last year, HWNT have been working on a project exploring people’s experiences of mental health crisis support. Supporting people in crisis is a detailed research report into people’s experiences of mental health crisis support in North Tyneside. We have heard from 215 service users, carers and staff about their experiences of mental health crisis. Our report highlights 12 suggested actions that, based on the feedback we have heard, would make significant improvements to people’s experiences of mental health crisis support.

Our approach to this research has been to collaborate closely with service users, providers and commissioners. Without their support and input it would not have been possible. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the project steering group, organisations who supported us in sharing our survey and holding focus groups, local commissioners and providers and most importantly those people who shared their views and experiences with us over this time.

We have presented the recommended actions to North Tyneside’s Health and Wellbeing Board. The Board agreed that these actions should be implemented and will be overseen by North Tyneside’s Mental Health Integration Boards. Regular updates will be provided to the Health and Wellbeing Board and there will be a review of progress after 12 months.

To view our full report, or summary report please follow this link: https://healthwatchnorthtyneside.co.uk/your-issues/mental-health/ . This webpage also provides an overview of the other work we have been developing around mental health, including a guide to mental health support and a new video of mental health service users sharing their stories of using services in North Tyneside.

Mental health continues to be raised as a key issue for the people of North Tyneside and will be a key feature of the NHS 10 year plan. We look forward to working together on this issue in the future and to hearing how services for people in crisis improve. If you would like to discuss this report further or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact myself on 0191 263 5321 or via email to j.brown@healthwatchnorthtyneside.co.uk

Kind Regards

Jo

Joanne Brown
Research and Engagement Officer

Working Days: Mon, Tues, Thurs

Share your experience and rate your local services on our new online feedback centre

Phone  0191 263 5321

www.healthwatchnorthtyneside.co.uk

The Parks Sports Centre
Howdon Road
North Shields
NE29 6TL

Registered Charity Number 1160753

20 Nov

Mind Campaigns on Welfare and Benefits

You may have heard that last week Amber Rudd was appointed as the new Work and Pensions Secretary.

The person in that role has the power to make a huge difference to the lives of people with mental health problems. Whether it’s the roll-out of Universal Credit or problems with PIP, we know that right now the benefits system isn’t working as it should for many of us, and that too often we’re left without the support we need.

But the Government has the choice to change that. And we’ll be continuing our work to ensure sure that the welfare system works for those of us with mental health problems.

We know that we need a fairer benefits system that better understands and supports those of us with mental health problems to live full and independent lives. We won’t stop until we get there.

You can find out more information about our campaigns on welfare and benefits here.

Take care,

Charlotte

Mind Policy & Campaigns

P.S. If you need advice or support with a benefits issue, then you can find some places to turn to here.