Community Connectors working with Dyfed Powys Police

R - L: PCSO Daryl McWatt, Community Connector Suzanne Iuppa,
 Mental Health Information Officer Jackie Newey, PCSO Geraldine Jones

Llanidloes is a small market town in Montgomeryshire, North Powys. What appear to be thriving voluntary sector groups provide activities for all ages and interests. Friendly faces greet you on the streets and in pubs and cafes. There is a revitalised Saturday market. It is a hub for people living in outlying villages and on even remoter hill farms. Not a place you would regularly associate with law enforcement! But, the local police are busy. Finding out more about their day-to-day work helps throw a light on some of the social problems and issues facing small rural communities in Mid Wales.

In May during Mental Health Awareness Week I met up with Suzanne Iuppa, PAVO’s Community Connector for Llanidloes and District, and two local police community support officers (PCSOs) – Geraldine Jones and Daryl Mcwatt. We wanted to promote sources of information and support around mental health, and decided to base ourselves in the popular Coffee Bean café in the town. At the same time, we also caught up ourselves on some of the recurring themes affecting people locally who are struggling to cope - for whatever reason.

Police working with Community Connectors

If Geraldine or Daryl meet someone who needs support they contact Suzanne and she meets them at Llanidloes Police Station – “she’s in before we know it!” They will have already gained the consent of the individual involved to pass over details. The Community Connectors (a Powys-wide team) help people (18+) and their families or carers, “to access community-level services and activities that will help them maintain independent lives and which help prevent their circumstances deteriorating to a point where they might need higher level health or social care services.”

Suzanne receives referrals from various agencies as well as families and people can also self-refer for support from a Community Connector. At the time we met she had ten clients on her caseload, having closed eight earlier in the week. “The numbers are usually sitting at around twenty. There is always a mix of different cases.”

The PCSOs and Suzanne have made joint visits in the past – “people OK it first.” Then it is up to the individual involved whether they take up offers of support or links with the wider community. “Some people are very isolated and lonely. It is quite sad.” 

Signposting to voluntary sector services

Suzanne liaises closely with staff at the mental health charity Ponthafren Association (there is a weekly outreach session in the town) to support some of her clients. People seeking talking therapies might face a long wait for statutory counselling sessions and even a few weeks to link up with a counsellor at Ponthafren. However, Suzanne explained, if they have a specific condition such as multiple sclerosis that is affecting their emotional wellbeing, she can then call in a specialist service. This works well as often the client does not have to wait. 

Loneliness and isolation in older life

In the Dyfed Powys Police Strategic Equality Plan 2016 – 2020 it states that additional support and collaborative working is vital in order to ensure that the necessary support is provided to “elderly service users”. Older residents are much more likely to be victims of telephone scamming and other crimes and may not be regular users of social media where frequent alerts are posted about such crime.

One of the planned actions in the Equality Plan is to “raise awareness of the ‘ageing population’ and the impact on individuals, families, carers, communities and the increased demand on public services.” So it was no surprise to find Daryl and Geraldine promoting Powys County Council’s Llanidloes pilot Home Support Scheme.

This scheme aims to “provide support and practical assistance an individual may need in their day-to-day life to stay living at home, safely and independently.” As well as offering practical support such as shopping and assistance with prescriptions, the service can help with emotional support, including accessing local community groups and supportive networks. It’s a free scheme, but people need to sign up as a member in order to be able to access support. There are also pilots running in Llandrindod Wells and East Radnor, and a long-running successful Rhayader operation.

The Llanidloes PCSOs and Suzanne recalled instances of how the Home Support scheme had recently supported people, some with physical impairments who use mobility aids, and others struggling with emotional wellbeing and agoraphobia. 

Other issues that came up - in brief

Neighbour disputes – as in all parts of the UK neighbourhood disputes are fairly common in Powys, and the police work with individuals concerned to try and resolve issues. Suzanne’s involvement includes finding distraction activities for people caught up in the disputes and ways to boost their emotional wellbeing.

Hoarding disorder – updates were exchanged so that all were aware that whilst Powys County Council provide a deep cleaning service some people are now being offered Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to address the underlying issue.

Domestic abuse – Suzanne has referred clients to Montgomeryshire Family Crisis Centre and the churches locally. The police are also sometimes involved in these cases.

Cultural differences and language barriers – we all agreed how hard it can be to try and find speakers of foreign languages such as Bulgarian and Croatian to provide interpretation when working with some clients.

Dementia – Llanidloes is working towards becoming a dementia friendly community – volunteers meet regularly to move this forward as has happened in other parts of Powys. The police and Community Connectors also receive dementia friendly training through the Dementia Friends’ scheme.

Missing people – individuals may end up in Powys after going missing from a community many miles away where the culture and way of life is very different. Adapting to life in a rural area can be difficult.

And with that it was time for Daryl and Geraldine to return to patrolling the streets of Llanidloes. 

Suzanne, Daryl and Geraldine plan to meet up more regularly in community spaces in Llanidloes so that local people can easily get in touch and voice any concerns they have, or find out more about support services that are in place for them, their family and friends. We at the PAVO mental health team hope to join them on occasion too. If you would like to find out more you can contact Suzanne by emailing: community.connectors@pavo.org.uk or ring 01597 828649.

Powys Dementia Network event Spring 2018 – Part 1

Two years ago, I attended a Dementia Supportive Communities event in North Powys at which the idea of the Powys Dementia Network was first mooted. Three meetings subsequently took place through 2016 – 2017, in Knighton and Brecon. In late April this year I actually went to my first meeting of this network at Newtown Rugby Club. It was a brilliant opportunity to find out the latest updates about dementia services and activities across Powys.

The day was packed with speakers and networking opportunities so this summary is split into two blog posts. This first post will focus on the morning session, primarily important updates from a number of statutory agencies. The second will highlight the ongoing work of the voluntary sector, plus the day’s highly entertaining finale “Living with Dementia” from Frances and Jill, who between them have extensive experience of living with, and caring for people, who live with dementia.

Claire Powell, Community Connector at PAVO, and Trish Buchan, PTHB

Trish Buchan – Setting the scene for PAVO

Trish, who previously worked for PAVO as the Health & Social Care facilitator, now represents Third Sector Organisations at Powys Teaching Health Board. She has personal experience of supporting a close family member who lived with dementia, and encouraged all agencies to work together “to support people living with dementia to live well and happy lives.”

Alison Johnstone, Patient Experience & Community Involvement Manager

Alison Johnstone & Dave Coombs – Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust

WAST produced its three year dementia plan last year, regularly schedules Dementia Friends’ sessions for staff, and is recognised as a Dementia Friendly Community. The vision: “By 2020 we will be an organisation that responds to both the clinical and emotional needs of people living with dementia, their carers and families.”

Working to achieve this goal, Alison has a key role at WAST as she talks to people about what they think of the ambulance service. Here are some of the issues people living with dementia have raised:

• I struggle to know when to call 999 and to deal with the process for call handling.
• It’s complex. Different questions are fired at me. Call handlers need to slow down. To have patience. 
• I need to be treated with respect – as an adult, not as a child.
• Get to me quickly. Be calm and compassionate.
• Realise the key role of carers when I am trying to access services.

Alison reported that WAST works closely with the Alzheimer’s Society putting in place suitable staff training. The other good news is that Ten Dementia Champions have so far been recruited across the service to raise awareness, and more are being sought.

Matt James and Dave Coombs of Welsh Ambulance Services Trust

Dave Coombs (also a volunteer with the dementia friendly Brecon Mountain Rescue Team) introduced us to trauma teddies, which are used to comfort ambulance patients, and the “Message in a Bottle” scheme whereby a person’s brief personal and medical history is stored in a bottle (provided by the UK Lions Clubs) in the fridge.

Neil Evans – Mid & West Wales Fire Service

Neil, Llandrindod Wells Station Manager, described how the fire service works to support people living with dementia who are at a higher risk of experiencing a fire. Staff at all fire stations have been trained as Dementia Friends. Using the Make Every Contact Count (MECC) approach, he and colleagues arrange free home safety checks, prioritizing those living alone, and people who are elderly, infirm, disabled or living with dementia. Neil described a scary scenario where someone who had used an Aga or Rayburn all her life put a plastic kettle onto the hob. 

Fire staff, now skilled in a range of areas, including: winter warmth, crime prevention, scamming, flooding, water safety, arson reduction, smoking cessation, slips, trips and falls, can when appropriate give advice on all topics. Group training is available for organisations as it is recognised that the voluntary sector is likely to have strong links with “the most high risk, hardest to reach” in the community. And – here’s an income generation scheme for groups – there is payment available for those delivering home safety checks.

Inspector Brian Jones – Dyfed Powys Police

After speaking on the importance of reporting hate crime, and introducing us to the force’s Strategic Equality Plan 2016 – 20, Brian asked us to give him some examples of likely incidents that police could be called to around dementia. “Misunderstanding a situation and reacting badly…” “There could be driving issues…” Telephone scams, domestic abuse and public order were also highlighted.

Brian explained that a person might walk over twenty miles in a day (there was discussion around terminology, “wandering” is not an appropriate term as people living with dementia walk with purpose). They could engage with others without anyone necessarily having any concern for them. Yet back home the family would be anxious and concerned for the missing relative. Searching for a missing person is a massive challenge over the large rural area that is Powys.

Police Community Support Officers throughout the county work hard to become known faces in their local areas, including at relevant groups where people living with dementia are supported to lead fulfilled lives. They understand that if people start talking about a different period of their life it is better to work with them. Call handlers are also trained to be aware of dementia as crime reports may not be all they initially seem… Someone may report that their car has been stolen – but it may actually be at the garage for repair, for example.

In South Powys the police are working closely with Brecon Dementia Friendly Community around a Dementia “buddy” scheme also known as Guardian Angels, inspired by a successful project in Wigan. Badges, wristbands or keyrings can be activated by mobile phone apps to display the contact details of close family members if people are found alone and in distress.

Questions to the panel

There is not enough space to cover all the issues the panel covered in any depth. I learnt that Community Connectors are asked to help if pets are left in an empty property, the police can flag repeat callers on their system, and that postal staff receive fire safety check training.

Chris Evans & Derek Johnston – Assistive Technology, Powys County Council

Assistive technology has a key role to play in the modernisation of health and social care services. There is already a vast array of equipment and technology available to support people to continue living at home following a dementia diagnosis (and a needs assessment) but Chris focused on telecare for this session. He described the benefits of technology:

• It drives down costs.
• It can prevent hospital admission.
• It achieves a faster and safer return to home from hospital.
• It delays admission to care homes.
• The biggest benefit, which is consistently reported: it gives confidence/assurance to the individual and/or family member.

The Powys Careline “offers a 24 hour, 365 day service giving total peace of mind at the touch of a button”, whether on a neck pendant, watch or wristband. Chris described numerous detectors. Some could cleverly sense smoke or gas, and others a person slowly falling from their chair. Pharmacists refill smart medication dispensers as appropriate. GPS trackers provide links to Google maps to reassure family members of a person’s whereabouts. Different needs? Different kit. The range was overwhelming and very reassuring.

And, for anyone wanting to find out more, there is a fully kitted-out flat in Christchurch Court in Llandrindod Wells where staff are trained and assistive technology open days regularly scheduled.

Heather Wenban & Kate Rayner

Heather Wenban – Dementia Lead, Powys Teaching Health Board

Heather works closely with Welsh Government to ensure that there are improvements in dementia care. A new Powys Dementia Plan will attempt to reduce the stigma around dementia so that more people from an ageing population will not be afraid to access support from their GP around memory issues.

Heather’s other updates:

• The memory service is undergoing a review to have parity across Powys.
• There are two Dementia Support Workers in Powys, plus a dedicated Dementia Nurse.
• Following the closure of the Fan Gorau Dementia Unit in Newtown a Dementia Home Treatment Team has been established.
• Education programmes are in place – Carer Information & Support Programme (CRISP) and Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST).
• Peer support is available in group settings, with knitting, gardening and Men’s Sheds all proving popular, and there is a dedicated carers’ group in Brecon.
• Hospital staff are receiving RITA training (I can’t keep up with the acronyms!). This is Reminiscence Interactive Therapies and Activities.

Heather concluded by saying that there is much exciting work still to be done in the future around provision of dementia services.

Carol Hay, Engagement Officer, Health & Social Care, PAVO
with a trauma teddy & a sample "Message in a Bottle"

Many thanks to Carol Hay for organising the day! Read Part 2, when you can find out how the afternoon of our Powys Dementia Network day panned out.

Dyfed Powys Police - Powys Partnerships

Rhiannon (far right)  with colleagues at the recent 2018 mental health conference

This week our guest author is Chief Inspector Rhiannon Ivens of Dyfed Powys Police.

Chief Inspector Rhiannon Ivens has served in both Hampshire Constabulary and the Metropolitan Police service and performed the role of Chief Inspector Operations for several years prior to taking up her role as a substantive Chief Inspector with Dyfed-Powys Police.

I was appointed by Chief Constable Mark Collins on the 10th April 2017 as Chief Inspector and am responsible for Partnerships in Powys. I have a significant amount of experience in this field and am keen to support existing partnerships in addition to creating an environment whereby working together with other agencies and stakeholders is as seamless and effective as possible to achieve excellent outcomes for the residents and visitors to the county. 

On 1st March 2018 at Police Headquarters in Carmarthen, the Police & Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable hosted their second annual Dyfed Powys St David’s Day Conference. I was honoured to be involved in arranging this event which was enjoyed by many.

The focus of this years’ event was Mental Health.

Chief Constable Mark Collins took up his role as national lead for mental health in January 2017 and is committed to learning from the experiences of those living with mental ill-health, people external to policing, and from those within the service itself.

Despite the snowy weather conditions so many people and partners joined us on the day with an audience of 80 - 90 people present, including partners from mental health services in Powys Teaching Health Board. This goes to show that so many people cared deeply about being there and the subject of mental health. 

Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llewellyn opened the event (above).

Guest speakers from different fields gave presentations and answered questions from the floor. They included:

Inspector Michael Brown OBE, who works with the College of Policing and National Police Chiefs' Council and is the author of the Mental Health Cop blog (below).

John Williams (below) is a Professor of Law at Aberystwyth University, and has presented papers at numerous conferences including the International Academy of Law and Mental Health.

Tony Herbert, whose son died in police custody in Somerset in 2010.

Social justice, and the way that we treat people with mental health issues, have been important to Mr Herbert even before James’s tragic death. 

Tony Herbert

“Mental health demand is rising not just in policing but across our whole emergency system and in society as a whole. Much of policing and mental health is not about major crisis incidents or serious adverse events; it is about the daily challenge of quietly responding to vulnerable people, often collaboratively. Today’s conference has been a great opportunity to share stories and learning but also encourage attendees to think creatively about how, in our respective roles, we can get better at early intervention.”

“I am very happy with the success of the second Annual St David’s Day Conference. Having a focus on mental health provided local organisations, partner agencies and Dyfed Powys Police itself with an opportunity to discuss and debate on a very important topic.”

The conference was instrumental in supporting the police and our partners to provide the best possible service to those suffering with mental illness. More recent improvements, increased awareness, understanding and compassion for service users has led to many incidences of positive intervention and our commitment to further progress is cemented by our Force Mental Health Strategy and Delivery Plan moving forward.

I received a lot of positive feedback from the event and it was encouraging to know that attendees have pledged a commitment to improving and raising awareness of how to deal with mental health.

Some examples below:

“I will read up more of the roles different agencies play in supporting mental health sufferers to enable better signposting if and when we encounter the issue.”

“I will discuss with clients their experience of police involvement in times of crisis highlighting positive and negative points.”

“I will feedback to the organisation the positive comments I’ve heard here today and include pointers from speakers in my presentations with Time to Change Wales on stigma and discrimination towards mental health.”

“I will promote positive mental health and ensure my staff and I receive relevant training.”

Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn said:

"It was a pleasure to work alongside the Police and Crime Commissioners staff and police staff who all worked really hard to ensure this was a successful event."

Thank you for the opportunity to provide a bit of an update of my recent work regarding mental health and I look forward to continuing this work with fantastic partners in and around Powys and in Powys Teaching Health Board.

Many thanks to Rhiannon for telling us all about the mental health conference which took place last month - really appreciate it especially as we were snowed in here in North Powys!

If you have any questions about mental health in relation to policing that you would like to ask Rhiannon, please post them in the comments box below. We love to hear from you.

Finally, those featured in the photo at the top are as follows:

Brieg Dafydd & Mair Harries - Office of the Police & Crime Commissioner, Sharon Reynolds - Corporate Communications, Michael Henry - Staff Officer to Chief Constable Mark Collins, and Chief Inspector Rhiannon Ivens.

From Bermuda to Powys - Problem Oriented Policing

A couple of weeks ago I attended a training event at Dyfed Powys Police HQ in Carmarthen with Penny Price (Service Manager for Adult Mental Health Services in South Powys) and Lisa Hale (Acting Ward Manager, Felindre Ward, Bronllys Hospital). We were there to hear Criminologist Sylvia Chenery (right) speak about Problem Oriented Policing (POP).

“Problem Oriented Policing (POP) has a history of looking at those long term problems; those ‘it’s been there for years...nothing we can do about it’ occurrences. The best strategy for solving a problem depends largely on understanding the situation, learning everything you can about why it’s happening and then using factual knowledge, and sometimes creative use of partners to come up with effective, longer term solutions.” Sylvia Chenery.

I was possibly the only person attending from the voluntary sector (others had been invited), but numerous statutory partners came along, including: Mid & West Fire & Rescue, Trading Standards, Mid Wales Housing, Probation, Health and Mid & West Wales Ambulance. There were also many police officers and managers present, including Chief Inspector Rhiannon Ivens who leads on Partnerships in Powys for the force.

Penny Price, Lisa Hale (Powys Teaching Health Board) and Police Inspector Kathryn Griffiths

The invitation stated “we would really welcome attendance from partner agencies as a joint approach to (POP) will be vital. Problem solving must become everyday business; it needs to be robust and it must be consistent to get to the root causes….The (POP) techniques will assist with our engagement with each other and should not be confined to crime and disorder problems. We can utilise this approach to help manage demand for our services more generally…”

On her recent work with the Bermuda Police (yes, Bermuda the sub-tropical island which is also a British Overseas Territory!) Sylvia commented on the critical importance of partnership working: “The POP philosophy begins with taking problems and working with those who work and live in the area to deal with them. This is about how the police and their professional partners… work alongside the community. Problems are resolved from the group up, with the support of the government and legislation, but actually if you really want to have a sustainable solution, it has to come from within the community and your partners on the ground.”

So, what can Powys learn from the Bermuda experience…? Deputy Chief Constable Darren Davies informed us “all front line Dyfed Powys police officers have received awareness training and this will be followed up with practical application during the early part of 2018.” As partners, we had been invited “for a more localised practitioner approach.” The force, Darren explained, is keen to reduce harm for vulnerable people and stressed communities. The solutions do not rest with one agency. His ‘critical friend’ role allows people with a fresh pair of eyes to look at problems which have been ongoing for a while. Such problems could include anti-social behaviour, neighbourly disputes, or fly-tipping, for example.

Sylvia explained that POP started originally in the States, where police forces adopted the philosophy of Professor Herman Goldstein, a specialist in Criminal Law. Police forces the world over are often called out to situations where they do not actually have the necessary expertise to deal with the problem. In some cases that could be because someone is experiencing mental distress, for example.

Tools and models which Sylvia went on to describe in some detail will provide the police with a more strategic and scientific approach. The key, however, is for officers to ask the question: “How will this work on the person I’m trying to have an impact on?” “Knowing the people you work with – other agencies – that can help you manage that problem that you are working with.”

In this brief space I am just going to pick up on a few more of the key points that Sylvia made in her detailed presentation.

Why are we doing this here? To get the best out of partnership working. Colocation is the way forward.

What do you need to make it work? To have real buy-in – having senior officer support gives a breathing space to look at the problem differently or else otherwise we will always be dealing with it. The more confidence you give to communities, the more they will tell you.

Think creatively. In Dyfed Powys we have Crime Prevention Advisors. In Hertfordshire there are Call Ambassadors. In Northumbria – POP Stars!

Sylvia went on to describe a number of crime theories, available for the police to use to good effect in analysing crimes and offenders. These included the Problem Analysis Triangle, the Routine Activity Theory, the Journey to Crime and the Broken Windows Theory. This last theory also comes courtesy of the US, where former New York Mayor Giuliani postulated that if you don’t repair a broken window in a building then the next time you go back you will find two broken windows. Similarly, if graffiti and fly-tipping are ignored, this spreads the signal to the community that it is not a good place to live, and to offenders – come and do what you want because nothing will be done. “Zero tolerance is the way to solve crime”.

Sylvia pointed out that partners can have quite different remits and priorities. She highlighted Jonathan Shepherd, a surgeon from Cardiff, who introduced plastic containers for night-time drinking because he was forever stitching up faces slashed by broken glass.

“We need to deal with the low level stuff in the same way as a murder inquiry. Start with the victim and build up the facts around the victim to build a better picture of what’s causing the crime to happen.” We like to give labels to people – gangs, drug dealers, beggars… “But there could be a hundred different reasons why people are doing what they do. Break it down from the general to the specific.”

Sylvia spoke in detail about repeat offenders, and about the value of working with family members and friends in providing useful interventions. “Sometimes you need to be more like a doctor in diagnosing what is wrong, or like an engineer – very systematic.” She said that speaking to people who actually cause the problems, and their victims, would give a much greater understanding of why the behaviour is happening.

“The key to being more creative in approaching problems? Innovate. Do something different. Don’t do the same thing over and over again…”

Perhaps the key message I took away from the session was that we should all question ourselves, and others, to become more effective in what we do. As Sylvia says: “Be passionate about what you do and people will believe in you.”

What do you think about Problem Oriented Policing? Would you be willing to work more closely with the police in your area to try to resolve issues that crop up again and again? Let us know in the comments box below.

Pegasus – changing the way we talk to Dyfed-Powys Police

PCSO Aileen Stewart - 2nd from right, with colleagues from Dyfed Powys Police, PAVO and Mid & West Wales Fire Service

In May I met Police Community Support Officer Aileen Stewart at the Dementia Information Day in Newtown during Dementia Awareness Week. Aileen gave me an update about the Pegasus communication scheme used by police officers in the Dyfed Powys force area, and it seemed like a blog post would provide the ideal opportunity to share the information with a wider audience to further promote the scheme’s use.

First tell us a little about yourself and your role in Dyfed Powys Police

I am PCSO Aileen Stewart and I work within the Neighbourhood Policing team in Newtown. I have worked as a PCSO for five years.

As a PCSO we have various duties including high visibility patrols, public reassurance, safeguarding our community, gathering intelligence and dealing with anti-social behaviour. We also work closely with local agencies, for example housing, mental health services and voluntary services to deal with issues and solve problems, for example neighbourhood disputes.

What is the Pegasus scheme?

The Pegasus scheme is a service for people who live and/or work in the Dyfed Powys Police area aimed at those whose disability or illness makes it difficult for them to communicate when calling or speaking face to face to the Police.

It’s designed to make it easier to contact Dyfed Powys Police quickly and easily on both the 101 and 999 numbers.

How does Pegasus work?

Registering for the scheme is free. Once a person is registered and their selected password is approved the individual becomes a member of the scheme. The information will be stored securely.

Pegasus is really simple. The caller will only have to say ‘Pegasus’ and give their password to be identified by the call handlers.

The call handlers will then have access to details of the person calling – full name, home address, contact details for family member/support worker, and how best to communicate with the caller – this information will also be available to the incident handlers who can advise the officers on route to the call of the nature of the caller’s disabilities and how best to communicate with the caller.

Pegasus users will also be provided with a Pegasus key fob to carry. If they speak to Police Officers or PCSOs and find it difficult to communicate they can show this card, provide the officer with their password and they will be informed via radio of the person's details.

How would Pegasus work for people experiencing a mental health crisis?

The person calling would only have to concentrate on telling us what is happening once they have used their password and confirmed their details.

The call handler will have all the caller's personal information and be able to communicate with the caller in the way which they have said will help them or contact the family member/support worker that has been provided.

The attending officers will then be fully aware of the caller's need when dealing with them making it a more positive experience and aid in getting them the help they need as quickly as possible.

Where did the idea for the Pegasus scheme come from and when was it launched?

Pegasus was officially launched on 2nd April 2012 in Dyfed-Powys.

The idea originated in Nottinghamshire Police in 2008/9, from a member of the public who had suffered a stroke, and was also a victim of anti-social behaviour. When he called the police to report the anti-social behaviour he was told to phone back when he was sober. He then contacted the Chief Constable in Nottinghamshire and put forward an idea of having a PIN number which he could provide and they would have his details already.

After Nottinghamshire Police, City of London Police also adopted the scheme, and then ourselves, therefore we were the first force in Wales to adopt this kind of scheme.

How many people have signed up to Pegasus since then, and what kind of feedback do you get?

We currently have 440 members.

Some people that have signed up to the scheme have previously had a negative experience due to the officers dealing with them not having enough information about them before. They feel reassured about us having information about them that can make their experience with the Police a good one and also that we can deal with their needs should they need to contact us.

What is your personal experience of working with the Pegasus scheme out on the beat? 

There is a person that I speak to regularly that I signed up to the scheme. Due to knowing their needs I have been able to see when their mental health has begun to decline and get in touch with their mental health worker to begin the ball rolling for the person to have a psychiatric assessment.

And finally, why was the scheme named after a creature from Greek mythology?

The victim of the anti-social behaviour that prompted the creation of the scheme stated that in the worst times of the anti-social behaviour he used to imagine being whisked away by the Greek mythological flying horse “Pegasus” – hence the name.

Many thanks to Aileen for telling us all about the Pegasus communication scheme used by Dyfed Powys . What do you think of the scheme? We would love to hear from you - comment below or send us an email.

LGBTQ+ - setting up a new Powys group

This week's guest author introduces himself:

My name is Shaun and I am a volunteer at Mid Powys Mind.

I should start by saying that LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, Questing) is not a mental health condition although it has a huge impact on mental health. Before we decided to have a LGBTQ+ peer support group I read an article that said 70% of people who identify as trans will contemplate suicide, members of the LGBTQ+ community are twice as likely to developed a mental health condition and LGBTQ+ youths are twice as likely to attempt suicide. The reasons for this are isolation, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia and ignorance.

As an openly gay man, who has a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder, this didn't shock me as much as as it should have. What shocked me was how little support there is in Powys; although Powys is the largest county in Wales it doesn't even have a sexual health clinic.

Mid Powys Mind's Wellbeing Coordinator asked me if I wanted to organise and run a LGBTQ+ peer support group and I jumped at the chance. I started by researching and soon found that there were far more sexuality and gender identities than I was aware of. I think it must be so confusing these days for LGBTQ+ youths, coming to terms with their sexuality/gender. We spoke about whether we need to add the Q. Some places will say that Q stands for queer, but I'm now aware that some find this offensive - for a long time queer was used as an insult and although a lot of LGBTQ+ have reclaimed the word queer, if asked I say the Q is for questioning. I have also been taken back how many times I have had to explain what LGBTQ+ stood for, I assumed everyone knew, maybe that is because I am the G in LGBTQ+.

Other things came up that I hadn't thought of since being a teenager. Mainly “coming out” and how we come out as a teenager and think that is it, but the truth is we “come out” through out our lives, friendships, work, socially... there is always that moment when someone says: "Do you have a girlfriend?"

Going around Llandrindod and asking strangers if they would put up a poster to advertise the LGBTQ+ group I was more or less “coming out” in every place I visited. In the back of my mind the same insecurities that plagued me as a teenager came back.... Is this the time I will have to face a negative reaction? And a certain amount of shame. If I feel this way as a confident middle-aged gay man, imagine how a teenager or someone who has low self-confidence may feel?

The group meets on the last Tuesday of each month (5pm - 7pm) in the basement at Mid Powys Mind's Wellbeing Centre in Llandrindod Wells. It is a small, diverse and friendly group. We have guest speakers: so far we have had someone from the Terence Higgins Trust and the Dyfed Powys Police LGBTQ+ Liaison Officer. Future plans for the group include arranging a social evening, a session to raise awareness, trips to the Pride festival and discussions to secure funding.

Anne Woods, one of the PAVO mental health team’s Participation Officers, has been attending the group.

Anne says, “I think it’s very important to be able to get together with people who share similar experiences, especially when we have something in common that can set us apart from others. Although I’ve not experienced much overt prejudice since moving to Powys, I have noticed some and I think it’s vital to have a safe place where we can explore issues around gender and sexuality with people who understand.

As part of the Comic Relief funded project I’m running, we have an opportunity to link up with the Iris Prize community outreach team to produce a short film about issues affecting people from the LGBTQ+ community in Powys and members of the group will be taking part. I would encourage anyone to contact me if they would be interested in taking part.”

For more information about the LGBTQ+ monthly group call Mid Powys Mind on 01597 824411, or email: vo@midpowysmind.org.uk

You might be interested in these links...

Anne Woods wrote about taking part in the 2016 Pride event in London in Taking Pride in Diversity.

At the start of LGBT History Month in February 2017, Sarah Carr, Associate Professor of Mental Health Research at Middlesex University, wrote "Queer in the head"? Do LGB people in the UK have poorer mental health?

Dyfed Powys Police - Mental Health : Working Together - Part 2

We found out in Part 1 of this post last week how Dyfed Powys Police has been rolling out mental health awareness training sessions for the force's staff and partner organisations over the past few months. I was lucky enough to be able to attend the May session as the PAVO representative. These sessions have focused specifically on Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983, and the collaborative nature of the approach to this 72 hour detention which can be instigated by the police. 

The first half of our training covered a look at our needs and expectations, an introduction from the police mental health lead Inspector Brian Jones, setting of context by Lousia Kerr who is Powys Mental Health Partnership and Project Manager, and a consideration of "what is mental health?" by Powys psychiatrist Stephen Novick. Kath Arnold, manager of the Integrated Community Mental Health Team in Brecon, was next up before we ran out of space. In Part 2 we complete the picture. 

Approved Mental Health Professional – Helen Kiteley, Social Worker PCC

Helen described the very specific role of the Approved Mental Health Professional – a social worker who is specially trained to consider when someone may need compulsory admission under the Mental Health Act. “The AMHP is tasked with balancing care v control in the context of managing risk and the Human Rights Act 1998”.

This does not necessarily mean that someone ends up in hospital. They could be managed by the Home Treatment Team (more below) and able to stay at home. The “least restrictive intervention” is the one which has to be used.

Helen also covered a Section 135, the role of the “nearest relative”, and a AMHP’s duty to complete Mental Health Act assessments when required.

Crisis Resolution Home Treatment Teams – Andrew Williams (South), Graham Batha (North)

Andrew Williams

Andrew explained that he was a man with two hats! With his Welsh Government hat on it is his statutory responsibility to gate-keep admissions to hospital, to respond to crisis referrals in 4 hours and review out-of-hours referrals in 24 hours. With his practical hat on Andrew and his team are providing individuals with intensive support in their own homes. Staff work closely with family members and friends to maximise levels of support, and provide psychological and practical help. “Crisis prevention is really key.”

Graham’s view from the North of the county was not dissimilar. He said “we bring many aspects of hospital care to the patient’s home. Currently we have 300 patient contacts per month.”

Both teams work out of hours, though not 24/7. You can read more about the work of the North Powys HTT here.

Brian highlighted the fact that the police are operating in a different place to that of just 2 years ago. “As soon as we are facing a S136 we go out to someone who may harm themselves. But the HTT now arrive and say the police can leave”.

Graham Batha

Felindre Ward, Bronllys Hospital – Richard Rudge, Deputy Ward Manager

Felindre Ward is the designated Place of Safety for Mid and South Powys (except Ystradgynlais) where people can be taken by the police on a S136 for a mental health assessment. Richard talked us through the 12 bedded In-Patient Unit, the specific roles of staff based there, the admissions procedure and then in more detail the role of the nurse in the S136 process.

The team at Felindre works very closely with CMHT teams at Brecon and Llandrindod Wells, as well as the South Powys CRHTT.

Some interesting questions emerged during this session, such as what happens when someone is visiting Powys and is detained on a S136. It was clarified that they are then brought to a Place of Safety within Powys to be assessed, rather than being transported back to where they originally came from.

Emergency Duty Team – Debbie Everett, Social Worker & Michael Dalladay Senior Practitioner EDT

“It is the responsibility of the EDT to respond to social care emergencies where the urgency of the situation requires action at a time when mainstream services are not available.” The team has many varied duties, including undertaking mental health assessments.

Experience of someone in contact with mental health services – Jan Rogers

Regular readers of this blog will no doubt be familiar with Jan Rogers (volunteer and trustee at Ponthafren Association, and now MBE!) who then told her personal story. Jan included her experience of being detained under a Section 136 over 30 times, and her subsequent role in 2014 as a member of the Expert Reference Group which reviewed the Mental Health Act 1983 Code of Practice ( in England).

Jan concluded by saying: "things are not always what they seem. Think before making a decision or acting."

Brian rounded off the day with a number of typical scenarios, some of which we addressed in groups. There was some really useful discussion with partners from all sectors contributing and it was clear that the awareness raising had been of genuine benefit to all concerned. My feeling is that everyone working or volunteering in the field of mental health in Powys would find this session invaluable - long may it remain available to enhance our knowledge and encourage enthusiastic partnership working!