The news that a property has at last been found is very welcome, even if is still means that it may be a while yet before the Camden Crisis House is up and running. The campaign for a Crisis House in Camden has been running for a long time and received an extra boost this year with the Report of the Suicide Prevention Scrutiny Panel and ‘mental health’ as the Mayoral theme. What now needs to be ensured is that Camden service users get the Crisis House that they want – one which is a true alternative to hospital and where the only route in is not through the statutory services. This is clearly shown in the CMHC Camden Crisis House Report which is available on our website at www.cmhc.org.uk and where the views of service users are clearly stated. They are not looking for a ‘ward in the community’ which may be used as an argument for closing further inpatient beds. They are not looking for a facility which is run on a ‘medical model’. They are looking for a facility where people can self-refer. It has been a long time in coming so let it be the Crisis House which Camden service users want and will value and use. NOT TESTED : NOT FAILED In last month’s Editorial ‘Missing Stars’ The Camden Bugle reported that the Camden & Islington Mental Health and Social Care Trust had not been mentioned as a centre of good practice by the Commission for Health Improvement (CHI) in their Sector Report on Mental Health Trusts. The Care Trust has rightly pointed out that since CHI did not inspect them then CHI could not applaud them. The Care Trust takes the view that had they been inspected then their good practices would have been recognised. It also feels that The Bugle was unfair about its Service User Involvement Strategy and that we should ‘wait and see’. We will be watching and we will report both the successes and failures of the Trust which supplies most of CMHC’s Members with their mental health care.
CBUG Members spent the first part of the year undertaking the user consultation for Camden’s Best Value Review of Mental Health Day Provision. They visited the various Day Hospitals and Centres and collected the views of the service users there and then presented them in a report. This has become part of the evidence for the Service Review Team to consider in making its proposals to the Council. Members of CBUG have also been involved in the Working Groups which have been collecting and presenting other evidence. In early September there was a Stakeholder Meeting and a number of CBUG members attended and facilitated during the day. However, this stage of the Best Value Review is now almost at an end and a report and recommendation will go to the Council’s Executive in October. The whole process will then move on to its implementation phase and this has been chosen as the subject for this year’s Camden Annual Service Users’ Conference on Wednesday, 24th November at Hampstead Town Hall. So CBUG has completed one valuable survey and had input into the wider process, but its life continues and it is moving on to other work. The projects for the next year were the subject of the first part of the CBUG meeting held at ‘The Hoo’ on Wednesday, 15 September. Last year the group was involved in monitoring the Mind in Camden Advocacy Service on Alice and Nicol Wards and the Helen Boyle Unit at The Royal Free Hospital. This led to a report which was mainly positive about the service but had some concerns about the way that in-patients got to know about it. Mind in Camden and CMHC have agreed that there should be a further period of monitoring but that this time the breadth will be greater and all willing patients will be interviewed – those who have and those who have not used the advocacy service. It is felt that this will provide a better picture of how the advocacy service affects the lives of the patients there. CBUG is also keen to look at the advocacy services provided in St Luke’s Hospital by Assert and at The Huntley Centre by Mind in Islington. This would provide not only data about those services but would also allow for comparisons. However, to take on this task it will be necessary either for those services to request CBUG input or for the Commissioners to require it. During the last year, CBUG has also been surveying people using the North Camden Crisis Response and Resolution Service. This process came to an end at the beginning of September and the figures are now being analysed and the report written. This was an unsatisfactory piece of work from CBUG’s viewpoint because although there was the opportunity for people who had used the Crisis Service to take part in interviews, very few of them did this and the largest part of the response was obtained from the postal questionnaire. CBUG has learnt a lesson from this. In the coming twelve months, CBUG will be undertaking some monitoring of the Assertive Outreach Service. This is quit a small service and it has been agreed that CBUG should work with IBUG colleagues to monitor both the Camden and Islington Assertive Outreach Services in order that there will be more data available and there can be some comparisons. As with the Crisis Team monitoring, CBUG will be working with CORE from University College London as its academic partner. This will begin in October 2004. In 2005, it is hoped that CBUG will begin to look at the Mental Health Care of Older People services with a view to scoping the service and seeing what input it may have. The second part of the CBUG meeting was different. Previously it had discussed the Care Trust Board Meetings and the inability of service users to have any real input. This is not an easy matter since the NHS Board Meetings are ‘meetings in public’ rather than ‘public meetings’. This sounds like a technical distinction but in fact it means that members of the public attending these meetings are not allowed to speak or ask questions directly – any questions must be notified in advance. In an attempt to find a method both of making Care Trust Board meetings more interesting for service users and giving them some opportunity to contribute, Colin Plant, Director of Mental Health for Camden, came along to talk about the Board Agenda for this month and to look at mechanism for people to have greater input. It was a lively debate but the CBUG members did not really feel that the gap had been bridged. It was a bold attempt and it is to be repeated in October when it is hoped that one of the Care Trust Non-executive Directors might also come along. One of the problems that CBUG has faced over the last year is the lack of actual CBUG members. This has been a particular problem during the Beset Value Review consultation when there was so much work to do and so few people to do it. CBUG has often had to grapple with the problem of membership. It was established on a core group of twelve people and this has not been the case for some months, although CMHC Trustees have played a large role in making up the numbers and undertaking the work. After some consultation within the group, it has been decided to ask Nicky Coombes, our consultant and fundraiser, to return to undertake a dedicated piece of work in rebuilding CBUG. This is in prelude to the hoped-for success of our application for funding for a part-time CMHC/CBUG co-ordinator. Nicky will be working for a couple of months to try and re-establish the group and build up the numbers and we then hope that we will receive funding for someone to take on this work for a three-year period. CBUG has played a major
role in the time that it has existed and it is right that it should have the
tools to continue with this work.
Aidan Moloney is the Co-ordinator of Camden & Islington Providers’ Forum (CIPF). We include regular monthly contributions from Aidan telling people what is happening in the voluntary sector. Aidan can be contacted by post at Camden & Islington Providers’ Forum, Legard Works, Legard Road, London, N5 1DE; by ‘phone on 020 7226 2022, and by e-mail cipf.office@virgin.net Following a series of cross sector discussions and planning meetings, a conference has been convened on 11th October in partnership with senior colleagues in statutory service provider and commissioning roles. The overarching focus of the conference will be both the commissioning and effective delivery of mental health services locally. This will be achieved through an increased awareness of the contribution and leverage each sector brings to the process. The outcome of the conference will be an enhanced commitment to developing services in a number of agreed key areas within a whole systems approach. The National Service Framework for Mental Health laid the basis for improved, more effective, more holistic intervention and support within the mental health system although largely from the perspective of statutory provision. With much of this type of service in place, there is a need to move on to those areas of either primary level or more specific forms of care, such as in day services, accommodation and support, services covering diverse needs across diverse groups. The success of local mental health service delivery will depend on the ability of the statutory sector, the not for profit sector and ‘user groups’ to continue to engage in open and honest dialogue in order to forge an effective partnership. Mental health services cannot be transformed without a strengthened commitment to inclusive investment from statutory funders and therefore, innovative commissioning strategies that take account of a multi-sector approach are vital. This conference will provide a forum to debate both process issues and practical models and outcomes of service delivery, all within a context of partnership in delivery. The aim of the conference will be to bring together local statutory commissioners (Primary Care Trusts and Social Services Departments) and statutory providers of mental health services (Mental Health and Social Care Trust) and providers of mental health services in the not for profit sector (the latter through CIPF) to address the above issues and to demonstrate the value for money the not for profit sector contributes to service delivery locally. The London Development Centre will provide facilitation and guidance for this event. We would very much welcome the views and comments of users of local mental health services to bring to the conference. Representatives of Camden and Islington service users have been invited to attend. Any comments and suggestions can be passed to me on the above number or email address. FORTNIGHT FOCUS ON MENTAL HEALTH This year sees the 10th-Anniversay of the Camden & Islington Partnership’s Mental Health Day Fair, which has developed into the Fortnight Focus on Mental Health. This is an opportunity for various agencies to show their wares and to think of ways of improving the services and partnerships and to develop new relationships among themselves. It is an opportunity for service users to see what is on offer to them from the various services and as the system moves to Direct Payments this might become more significant. The fact that it has now been going for ten years is a singular tribute to all those involved in the mental-health community who work so hard. The Fair this year will be held from 11.00 am to 5.00 pm on Thursday, 7th October at the usual venue, The London Irish Centre. The Fair provides an opportunity to see what the various organisations offer (and to receive some ‘give aways’) and there is music, art and complementary therapies to keep people entertained, busy and relaxed. There is food available from NDC’s Chameleon Catering Project and people are asked to look our for the ’10 Ways ….’ Booklet designed by four people from CMHC. After the Fair there will be a Party and Disco from 6.00 pm until late with CMHC’s usual DJ Hugh and sets from the local band Reeddell. The fortnight also features: Monday: 11 October – C & I Providers’ Forum Autumn Seminar at The London Irish Centre Wednesday: 13 October – Islington Music Forum’s Festival of Music & Poetry from 6.30 pm at The Union Chapel Monday: 18 October – Mental Health Day Fair Art Exhibition at Diorama Art Studio
Robert Jones, the Social Care & Inclusion Development Manager, provides a review of the month’s events within Camden & Islington Mental Health & Social Care Trust. Robert can be contacted at Care Trust Headquarters, 2nd floor, East Wing, St Pancras Hospital, London NW1 OPE, by telephone on 020 7445 8554 or by e-mail robert.jones@candi.nhs.uk Service User Consultation Forum The Care Trust’s Service User Consultation Forum will be taking place on Friday the 29th September, 1pm to 4pm in the Conference Room at St Pancras Hospital. The Forum is an open event for all service users where service users are able to meet with Senior Managers and Directors of the Care Trust to raise and discuss issues of concerns. This month’s meeting will focus on the Disability Discrimination Act. Rooms have disabled access and BSL signers are in attendance Training for Service User Involvement within the Care Trust The Care Trust is in the process of developing a training programme for Service Users. The programme will consist of an induction to the Care Trust, followed by ‘taster’ sessions on influencing committees, recruitment and selection, user focused monitoring and individual benefits advice. From the ‘taster’ sessions people will be able to decide which area of work they are most interested in and then do more specific training in that area. The training programme will be ready for November and we are looking for Service Users to take part. If you are interested please contact Roz Lettman on 0207-530-3340. Mental Health Bill The Department of Health has now published (Sept 2004) its draft mental health bill. Although the Bill has already been out for consultation, people can still comment on its contents What happens next with the bill? - The bill will now be examined by a special committee in Parliament called the Scrutiny Committee, which will comment on it. It will then with any revisions become a Bill and if Parliament enacts it, it will become the Mental Health Act. What were the main issues raised in the draft bill? - Issues of contention at the stage of consultation focused on the forced treatment aspect of the bill and the issues that the bill raised around people who have been diagnosed as having personality disorders. To many people, it seemed that the essence of the bill was more about ‘protecting the public from the so called ‘dangerous psychiatric patients’ rather than protecting people who became ill. How can I find out more about the Bill? - The London Development Centre will be holding two half-day presentations on the Mental Health Bill, this will be held on the 8th October and is open for representatives of user, carer and voluntary organisations as well as mental health providers and commissioners for details contact 020-7307-2431 Health Social Workers are being urged to give out leaflets encouraging people with schizophrenia and manic depression to visit their GP for a health check. The research carried out by ‘RETHINK’ found that more than 500,000 people in England faced premature death because their physical health is ignored. ‘Hands up’ for deaf and deafened people who live in Islington Islington Social Services are holding a series of meetings which will be your chance to find out more about local council and health services, let us know how you think the council and health service can be improved. You also get a chance to listen to guest speakers. The next meeting is on welfare rights and will be held on the 30th September at 6-30pm in the Council Chamber, Islington Town Hall, Upper Street, London N1 “Leading by Example” – is the title given to an employment conference organised by the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health that will be taking place on Tuesday 12th October 2004 at Regents College in London. The conference aims to inspire and offer practical help to those who wish to widen the NHS and Social Care workforce to include people who have used mental health services. The focus is on paid employment for all, including service users from Black and Minority ethnic minority (BME) groups to enhance the quality of health and social care services. f you are interested in going you can contact the Sainsbury Centre direct on; 020-7827-8384 or register on-line at www.scmh.org.uk
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