Celebrating Side by Side Cymru - mental health peer support in Wales

Artwork by Debbie Roberts engagevisually.co.uk

In March 2019 we lived in a very different world and I attended, in person, the launch of Mid & North Powys Mind’s latest project – Side by Side Cymru. MNPM was one of four local Mind groups in Wales, led by Mind Cymru, to provide this peer support project funded by the Welsh Government.

Here at PAVO we have followed the local project closely and with much interest, as we truly believe peer support to be crucial in the promotion of improved emotional wellbeing for people in Powys. I was, therefore, delighted to be able to attend the virtual celebration of the Mind Cymru project recently to find out more about how this approach had been received across Wales.

What is peer support?

“Peer support is about people using their own experiences to help others. It can happen in a group, on a 1:1 basis and also online as well but for this project we will focus on peer support that takes place face to face in a group situation. It’s about people taking a lead and taking control very much on an equal basis. So it’s a different model from more traditional health and wellbeing models. Through peer support we can feel valued, more connected to others, and more able to take control of our lives.” Mind Cymru, March 2019

“The connection to someone who is interested in similar things to you, or someone who has been through similar experiences, is a connection of equals and really invaluable. It is insightful and totally authentic.” Mid & North Powys Mind, March 2019

Sara Moseley – Chief Executive Officer, Mind Cymru

Peer support is needed more than ever because of what has been happening to us during this pandemic. There’s a huge amount of evidence now about the mental health impact of Covid. Many, many people have been behind closed doors, really feeling low, anxious and lonely. Peer support is about the power of unlocking that through the power of our own experience, kindness and compassion. In its simplest form it’s about using our own expertise and knowledge to support each other emotionally, practically and realise that there are positive, hopeful ways through mental health difficulties.

Covid has also put some of our networks and communities under considerable strain. Younger people in particular are feeling very isolated – being cut off from usual networks has a real detrimental effect on your mental health. As well as the human stories from over the past 3 years of the project we are now in a place to come out of the pandemic stronger than we were before. We have some very practical things that we have to say to decision makers about how we build back stronger and in a way very rooted in communities, and empowering to us as individuals.

Liam Pywell – Senior Peer Support Officer, Mind

Peer support based in the community and led by people with lived experience of mental health issues can be life-changing, and that’s why we believe it should be available to people across Wales.

The project worked with 318 peer support leaders across Wales who in turn supported 3800 people in their communities. We provided over £50,000 in grants to over 221 organisations and groups. We delivered over 100 activities, including training, networking and shared learning.

The hubs facilitated physical and virtual spaces to bring people together to connect, share learning and access some much-needed resources. We wanted the peer leaders to feel more confident, knowledgeable and able to provide peer support to their community and to build on the resources such as our peer support toolkit.

Mind Cymru’s independent evaluator – MEL Research - concluded in their final report that the Side by Side Cymru hub model is an effective way to supportive community based organisations and peer leaders, and that there is a real need for these types of programmes.

The local hub offer centred around three things:

1. Training & shared learning.
2. Funding.
3. Networking opportunities.

Through the evaluation the value of Side by Side Cymru became clear: peer leaders increased their understanding of peer support and the value it provides, and their confidence to deliver improved peer support. The research tells us that peer support improves our sense of wellbeing, increases our sense of hope, and helps us to become more empowered to make decisions and take action.

We also found that peer support can reduce health care costs as people who use less mental health services are often involved in peer support. But peer support is not free – we do need financial resource to support those community groups. Finally, a range of peer support options should be available to support people from all different backgrounds and makes peer support available to all.

Lorna Jones – Peer Support Hub Worker, Mid & North Powys Mind

In a short video Lorna (bottom centre) was joined by one of her volunteers – Lynda (top right), and Bethanie (top left) a peer support leader. Bethanie attended a course with Mind after experiencing post-natal depression and went on to lead a peer support group for parents of children with additional needs. The Side by Side training helped her to be professional, and to learn about specific areas such as safeguarding. She found the toolkit really helpful to refer to for guidance at any time.

Bethanie also said that the training was particularly useful as she made connections with people who could also help her. “It was like peer support for a peer support leader.” We were working with young children but others were in peer support groups for older people who were lonely and vulnerable. We could mix together and create further networks too.

It has also been a lifeline for Bethanie’s own mental health. “It’s something to look forward to, even now with Covid we can still communicate online and it helps us feel less isolated.” The funding paid for the cost of venues.

Lynda helped Lorna massively with the training. She recalled how members of her own family had been dealt with on a very clinical basis in the past, so she felt privileged to be involved with the project which supported people at a community level. “It was great to see the range of people that attended the training – from young Mums, through the age ranges, and a lot of men including a male voice choir.” Lynda realised that they took what they had learnt to all spheres of their life, not just the areas they were representing.

Lorna said that when she read the evaluation report the one thing that really hit her was the huge area that the project had covered in Powys – right from Machynlleth in the north west to the Herefordshire border in the south-east of the county. They worked with 75 groups in total.

“People have said they would be lost without these groups to go to. Our inspiring peer support leaders gave up their time to hold these groups for no other reward other than helping others. They are the unsung heroes in our communities across Britain.”

Bethanie: “Side by Side grew me and my group. It was like the seed we needed.”

Panel discussion

Julian John, CEO of Cwm Taf Mind, chaired the panel discussion with Fateha Ahmed of EYST (Ethnic Minorities & Youth Support team Wales), Zoe King of Diverse Cymru and William Evans – the Young People’s Participation Lead at Mind Cymru. There is only space for very brief sound bites here but they give a flavour of the conversation.

Q1: What does an excellent peer support project look like (and how do you know)?

“It would include a diverse group of people with lived experience who are able to support each other and have empathy. You will see the improved progress in young people if the project is successful.” Fateha Ahmed

“Empathy has to be at the heart of a good peer support project, also coproduction. It’s all about lived experience and shared experience. To know how we did we can consider the distance travelled – how people are before joining the group and how they are since. Have they achieved life goals in certain areas?” Zoe King

“It might look different to different people from different communities / ages. The type of resources and training required will be dependent on someone’s age. It needs to be flexible and accessible, safe and rewarding for a younger person.” William Evans

Q2: What can traditional mental health services learn from community led peer support?

“Lived experience needs to be at the heart of the services they deliver.” Zoe King

“Peer support has a strong bond of friendship. A counselling service may last for 6 – 8 weeks only but friendship may last life long.” Fateha Ahmed

“Traditional mental health experiences are often too rigid and don’t treat people as individuals – young people want the emphasis to be on meaningful connections and a lot less on checklists and criteria.” William Evans

Q3: What roles do organisations like ours have in developing peer support services for the future?

“Many children and young people are fairly creative and innovative in their use of social media to create their own peer support networks. Organisations need to allow them support and resources to enable them to do that safely.” William Evans

“Organisations could connect grassroots’ groups to wider networks with similar aims and goals. Larger organisations could communicate opportunities as well and also provide training.” Zoe King

“EYST has been inviting our volunteers to share their lived experience – how they actually dealt with their anxiety and depression. The young people always say they learn better hearing other people’s stories.” Fateha Ahmed

Q4: How do we connect to the networks of community groups across Wales?

“Doing with and not for. Going into those communities and engaging with people in coproduction and finding out what solutions they have.” William Evans

“We have a community infrastructure (with village halls / groups etc) we also have a County Voluntary Council infrastructure that is supporting those groups across Wales. Is there something we need to do with our CVC partners in reaching community groups?” Julian John

“Yes, absolutely. We work with diverse groups to gain those lived experiences that we then feed back into consultations. CVCs are already well placed to do a lot of this networking.” Zoe King

“We need to find key individuals who are trusted in the community and work with them to provide the best possible service for our young people.” Fateha Ahmed

Angie Darlington, West Wales Action for Mental Health, added – “it is broader than CVCs, mental health development agencies are available across Wales to share out our peer support experiences and reach out into the communities.”

Sarah Moseley said at the end of the session: “It has been a really moving and inspirational afternoon. We want to use this as a spark to think how we sustain, build, grow and strengthen (the peer support approach). One of the most powerful things I have learnt is that there are moments in your life, or things that happen in your life, that make you uniquely ready to connect, share and give support.”

Side by Side resources

Side by Side toolkit and further information

For further information about the Side by Side Cymru Peer Support project email peersupport@mind.org.uk

You can also watch a video about the Side by Side Cymru Peer Support project.

Social prescribing - a pilot project in South Powys

Rhiannon Davies is known to many people as she was, for many years, the very active chair of Brecon Dementia Friendly Community. Recently Rhiannon has moved on to a new role in the voluntary sector in South Powys, as a link worker for a very particular project at Brecon & District Mind. I was interested to find out more, as social prescribing is becoming increasingly recognised as an important service to complement more traditional health services at the local GP surgery.

What is social prescribing?

Social prescribing recognises that people’s lives and health are affected by social, economic and environmental factors and these needs have to be taken into account for our wellbeing. Looking at people holistically and addressing these things takes extra time. So rather than just having a prescription for a medicine, social prescribing can help you to access a wide range of support and activities in the local community to ensure your needs are being met.

Tell us more about your role with Brecon & District Mind

I am a link worker providing a new service, provided by Brecon and District Mind, in Brecon Medical Practice on Thursdays, and Crickhowell Medical Centre on Tuesdays. It’s called Social Prescribing and it aims to help you get the support you need, when you need it, to improve your mental health and wellbeing.

Why might someone need this service?

Maybe big life decisions are making you worry, so you might want to approach the decisions differently. If you are feeling lonely you might like to make new friends. If you have money problems, you might like to be more in control of your finances. If you are feeling stressed, anxious and depressed you would probably like to sleep better and feel more relaxed.

Everyone needs some help from time to time to overcome life’s challenges. The answer lies in finding the right support at the right time.

Who can be referred to the Social Prescribing service and how?

If you are over 18 and registered with either Brecon or Crickhowell Medical Practices you can ask for a Social Prescribing patient pack at the surgery reception and make a self-referral by completing a consent form. 

Sarah James, Link Worker and Helen O'Donovan, Administrator

How does Social Prescribing work?

Once you have completed a consent form, as a link worker, I will contact you to arrange an appointment at the surgery. When we meet, you can then spend time with me, letting me know your circumstances, how you are feeling, what matters to you and what you think might help to improve your wellbeing. 

Using my knowledge of community support and services, I will then help you to connect to the appropriate local community and voluntary groups, activities and advice services. This could range from wellbeing activities in your local community, housing / benefits / financial support and advice, art or music activities, support groups covering things like bereavement, relationship issues, stress or mindfulness, walking or running groups, and peer support from others who have similar experiences. 

After about three months you will have a final follow-up phone call or meeting so we can see the impact the service has had.

Why was this project set up?

This social prescribing service is part of a joint research project between Mind Cymru and local Minds, funded by Welsh Government. Understanding how social prescribing can help people overcome stress and anxiety is really important in deciding how best to develop medical services in the future. So as part of the process you will be asked some questions about how you are feeling, and your experiences before and after you have used the service.

We know that social prescribing has really helped people in other areas. By taking part in this initiative those who participate are contributing to important evidence that will help plan future health services. All collected data is anonymous.

Is this service available in other parts of Powys?

My colleague, Sarah James, is allocated link worker for Hay and Talgarth surgeries, but Brecon and District Mind is still waiting for the green light before setting up the service there. Ystradgynlais Mind is also part of the research project and has two link workers working in a similar way to Brecon and District Mind.

Which organisations do you work closely with in Powys to provide support to people?

These are early days as the service has only been running for a few weeks, but already I have made referrals to a number of local voluntary organisations, housing, Brecon Leisure Centre, Brecon Job Centre, volunteering groups, a walking group, an art group, the Centre for Long-term Condition Management and Brecon Mind Community Wellbeing service to name a few! The list of potential organisations we have collated to date is well over seventy!

What kind of feedback are you getting from people about the project?

So far the feedback has been very positive, and people are genuinely grateful to have access to such a resource. As I said, the service is still in its infancy, so we hope the numbers accessing the service will build as the word gets out.

What are the main challenges of the role?

Not knowing who is going to come through the door, it’s really important to stay open minded and really listen, so you are not just hearing what people say, but what they mean. Because it’s a new service, making sure all the healthcare professionals are aware of what it can offer and its benefits, so they see it as a regular part of their referral pathway in delivering healthcare is a genuine challenge – as is trying to fit everything in in just two working days a week!

Tell us about some of the most rewarding work you have done in the role so far

I have met some fantastic people to date. People who struggle to see their own strengths and just need some encouragement and support to find what they already have within themselves. Being part of that process and seeing them genuinely engage and take responsibility, setting themselves goals and then, with some extra knowledge and understanding, move forward is hugely rewarding and inspiring.

When you are not working for Brecon & District Mind, how do you enjoy spending your time?

Reading, going to concerts and listening to music, walking our dog, gardening, doing volunteer work within my own community, being with friends and family. Juggling and balancing are my two constant challenges, but I’m up for it as long as I’m learning!

If you want to find out more about the Social Prescribing service you can contact Rhiannon by emailing: rhiannon@breconmind.org.uk or ring: 01874 611529 / 07487 523992. Rhiannon is happy to answer individual questions or queries about the service or spread the word by talking to community groups.

Side by Side Cymru project – Mid Powys Mind

Launch of the Mid Powys Mind Side by Side project

A couple of weeks ago I attended the evening launch of Mid Powys Mind’s latest project – Side by Side Cymru. The project has received support from Mind Cymru and the Welsh Government. 

We learnt more about the initiative from various members of Mind staff who spoke on the night. They were joined by Kirsty Morgan, Assembly Minister for Brecon & Radnorshire in the Welsh Government. 

Mary Griffiths, Development Manager, Mid Powys Mind 

Mid Powys Mind is very excited and proud to be part of Side by Side Cymru. We are one of four hubs in Wales led by Mind Cymru. The MPM hub covers Mid and North Powys, and supports peer support. Peer support has always been an integral part of the services MPM offers. The connection to someone who is interested in similar things to you, or someone who has been through similar experiences, is a connection of equals and really invaluable. It is insightful and totally authentic. 

The support of peers can help people recover and to form friendships – so important for mental health and wellbeing in an increasingly isolating world. People who have used our services have told us time and again how they have benefited from the support of others who have really walked in their shoes. That is why MPM jumped at the chance to be involved in this project. Not just to support people who have their struggle with mental health in common, but all peers no matter what their shared interests or shared histories.

Powys is the most sparsely populated county in mainland UK and as a result of this we are often lacking in access to statutory services. This has been a huge driver in creating a large and active voluntary sector from sports clubs, to Young Farmers to Women’s Institutes, to village halls and U3A to name but a few. Powys has a lot of really good peer support going on already. MPM has seen the value of peer support and we believe if there is anything we can do to help it thrive even more we should be doing it.

Rachel Wyatt, Senior Project Officer, Mind Cymru

Peer support is about people using their own experiences to help other people and it’s great to hear there is so much diversity. It can happen in a group, on a 1:1 basis and also online as well but for this project we will be focusing on peer support that takes place face to face in a group situation. It’s about people taking a lead and taking control. So it’s a different model from more traditional health and wellbeing models because it is people in control and taking the lead very much on an equal basis. Through peer support we can feel valued, more connected to others, and more able to take control of our lives. 

Side by Side fits really well with Mind’s national strategy – Building on Change – the aim is for 100,000 people to access peer support opportunities across England and Wales by 2021. The project is very much based on previous work done in England that we are bringing into Wales. It was the biggest research project carried out on peer support in the UK as a whole. Over £3 million was invested, to understand some of the values that underpin peer support and to work out what people need. 

One of the important findings which is relevant to our work here in Wales is that peer support is often within groups and people who take responsibility and control in the groups and publicise the work they are doing – these doers really need a little bit of extra support themselves. So these are the people we will be targeting as part of this project.

Something else that also came out was the development of a toolkit for peer support which is freely available on the Mind website. It gives practical help, advice and some interactive activities in terms of things you can do practically in your groups to support each other.

Our aim with Side by Side Cymru is to improve the wellbeing of people experiencing mental health problems by improving the availability and quality of peer support available in the community. MPM is one of 4 local Minds working with Mind Cymru to deliver this project. Newport Mind, Merthyr & the Valleys Mind and Aberystwyth Mind are working across their areas of Wales.

We will be running a range of events and shared learning training workshops for people to cover different topics identified locally as being really important in relation to small community groups. Small grants are also available to start and develop groups.

The target audiences are people who are already delivering peer support within a group. We’d also like to hear from people not currently delivering peer support but are interested in doing so. There will be some specific targeted work involving people who are Welsh speakers, rural communities (farmers and the farming community), Black, Asian and minority Ethnic (BAME) communities and a male audience as well.

There is an independent evaluation as part of this project. We intuitively know there is something really helpful about peer support but trying to prove it is quite difficult. There has not been much research around peer support, so this is a really good opportunity to do some here in Wales.

One of the things that will be measured is people’s confidence – will it be improved by what is being delivered in Mid Wales, and if it has a knock-on effect for community groups in Powys. Does peer support improve people’s wellbeing, connections and hope for the future?

Lorna Jones, Side by Side Cymru Officer, Mid Powys Mind

I met with a lady the other day who said – we don’t do anything. We only meet and have coffee. So I said I would come along and take a look. So I went, and there were between 15 and 25 people having coffee in a village hall with two ladies thinking they were doing nothing amazing. To me they were doing everything amazing. They were giving up their time. Nobody was paying them any money. And the people having coffee were very isolated in a very rural village. What people do voluntarily is unrecognised. This project is a way of recognising this. 

What has really blown me away is that one of the first questions people ask is “what is the training I can have to help my group / club?” The stigma of mental health is much less than it used to be and people are willing to admit that if we meet that’s good for our mental health. This is as much about preventing poor mental health as us coming in later to support that mental health. We all have mental health.

It can be a rugby club… a dementia group… a carers' group… or a Parkinson’s group… all the Young Farmers' Clubs in Radnorshire have signed up. You can also set up new groups in your community -  there are grants to support the group to continue. We cannot go in to the workplace. However, if a social group is set up outside the workplace where people can meet that is fine.

My vision is to set up a community of support within support, so in each group there is always someone who can help someone. Some organisations are offering use of their venue free of charge. That’s huge. A big cost of running your group is the cost of a venue.

People are so willing to help. But we need to network that information. Over the next 15 months we will make those connections in the community so that we can all support and help each other.

If you have decided that your group would like to apply or have some support you can register your interest online and apply for a grant if you want one. There is a list of eligible items. Cash is not available or funding to pay members of staff. Items will be given out at quarterly network events. Attendance at these is not compulsory, but if you invest your thoughts and ideas at an event we can build on this.

I work in the Wellbeing Centre in Llandrindod. I can also come out to your group and talk to you. The training will incorporate the tool kit but also confidentiality, safeguarding, boundaries, self-care and basic mental health awareness. We will signpost people to further training as required.

Kirsty Morgan, Assembly Minister, Welsh Government

There is often a place for prescription drugs and medicine to support people but there are other options that should and could be made available to individuals to help them recover and maintain their mental health and wellbeing. This project is part of the attempt by Welsh Government to support alternative approaches to mental wellbeing by looking at different ways in which we can support people recover and maintain good mental wellbeing.

Kirsty Morgan AM speaks at the Side by Side project launch in Llandrindod Wells

I know that after a really stressful day at work I can rely on the fellow mums and dads and the kids at the Young Farmers’ Club to raise me up and help me forget about all that stress and strain. I know that there is nothing better for my mental health than forgetting about what has happened during the day and spend the evening painting sets, sewing costumes and making cups of tea and coffee for amazing young people that live in our community. That makes me feel like a human being. That makes me feel normal and well to be in that group.

I know how valuable these organisations, and being part of something, can help you significantly. If we can help more groups become even more adept and more sustainable and better at providing that network of support that can only be a good thing. There is a fantastic network of volunteers who are doing amazing things day in day out.

I am absolutely convinced that providing an evidence base to what’s happening here will be really important in informing public policy in this area moving forward.

For further information about the Side by Side Cymru project contact Lorna Jones at Mid Powys Mind by ringing 01597 824411 or emailing hub@midpowysmind.org.uk or check out the Side by Side Cymru Facebook page.

Norman Lamb at Brecon & District Mind

Roger Williams MP, Norman Lamb MP and Val Walker, Service Director of Brecon & District Mind

Last Thursday Brecon and District Mind hosted an Open Forum on Mental Health with Norman Lamb MP – Minister of State for Care and Support. The session was facilitated by Roger Williams MP for Brecon & Radnorshire. During the hour-long session many important issues were covered, including changing the health system to put mental health on a parity with physical health, the failings of the system for children and young people, concern around funding for vital third sector services in the community such as Brecon Mind, and the needs of carers. Norman’s talk was followed by a Q&A session with Brecon Mind members.

There is not space to cover the entirety of the Open Forum here in one blog post, so we have highlighted some of the points that Norman made during his visit. 

Disparity between services for mental and physical health

I wanted to say something briefly about my complete passion for mental health. 1 in 4 of us at some stage in our life will experience some form of mental ill health. It may be mild depression or anxiety or it may be something more enduring. Most families are touched by it in some way. Our family very much is. What I talk about is not just because I happen to have a job as the Minister for State responsible for mental health. It is something I really care about. The thing that is quite shocking is the disparity between how people with mental ill health are treated by the system despite the great work of people working within the services. But the system, in my view, discriminates against people with mental ill health. I can talk primarily about my experience in England but I suspect it is not much different to here.

In England if you have suspected cancer and are referred by your GP you have a right to see a specialist within two weeks and a right to start treatment within a month of diagnosis. If you suffer from mental ill health, if you perhaps are a youngster who experiences a first episode of psychosis, you have no such right. There is no such entitlement to access treatment on a timely basis. And I just don’t see how that is right. We know there is a wealth of evidence that if you intervene quickly with a youngster who suffers a first episode of psychosis, you can often rescue that person, you can stop the deterioration of condition and give that person the chance of a good life. 

The Open Forum on mental health

So how unacceptable is it that those people don’t have any right to access evidence-based treatment which we know gives the person the chance of recovery. Particularly in mental health the quicker you intervene the greater chance you have of achieving a good result for that individual and potentially rescue someone from a lifetime of a pretty miserable experience for very many people - out of work on benefits, not enjoying things that the rest of us take forgranted. It costs a fortune to deal with the damage and the effects of negligence on that person. So the moral and economic case for proper investment in mental health is overwhelming. If you make the investment you ultimately end up saving money further down the track as a result. That is the central message that I have been trying to get into government, NHS England and also to apply the moral pressure on organisations locally to take mental health more seriously.

I am on a mission to try and change this (the disparity between physical and mental ill health). So in England we are introducing the first ever waiting time standards for mental health so that if you experience a first episode of psychosis the standard will be that you start your treatment in two weeks from referral by your doctor. We start by saying that 50% of youngsters should be seen within two weeks, and then progressively in subsequent years we want to increase the percentage, but you have to increase the capacity in mental health services to be able to do this.

Increasing Access to Psychological Therapies

Kirsty Williams, Assemby Minister Brecon & Radnorshire 

and Harold Proctor of Powys teaching Health Board

We have also got in England the IAPT programme – Increasing Access to Psychological Therapies. It is fantastic for mental health. For the first time we have rich data, information, evidence about how many people are waiting, how long they waiting and whether they are recovering as a result of their treatment. We can monitor the programme to understand which providers are performing well and which are failing people, where access is very poor. The result of this is that in 2010 300,000 got access to psychological therapies. This year it will hit about 900,000, an increase of three times, so it’s a big advance and a programme that is delivering massive results for people. There are thousands of people that have recovered from depression and anxiety. The evidence is very strong; not only of recovery but that if you invest money you achieve a saving in the long-run. You get people off benefits, you get them back into work, you give people a good life with the chance for self-respect and some dignity.

Crisis care

Crisis care is where the disparity between physical and mental health is probably at its greatest. If you suffer from a physical health problem the system may be under pressure but an ambulance will arrive and you will be taken to an Accident & Emergency department and you will have access to a specialist who understands your condition. If you have a mental health crisis it is completely haphazard what happens to you. And you could end up in a police cell. This is intolerable in a civilised society.

So last February we published the Crisis Care Concordat. We got twenty national organisations to sign up to it. It is the first set of standards for crisis care in mental health that we have ever had. It tells you there that there should be a 24/7 helpline available so you can get access to support any time of day and night. There should be proper liaison psychiatry in hospitals, and in A&E if your problem is a mental health problem you will get access to a specialist. It critically says we should end completely the practice of putting under 18s in police cells and halve the number of adults who end up in in police cells this year compared to two years ago. In my view it should become a “never” event. Parts of England have demonstrated it is possible. They don’t get more money, they have just organised themselves better.

The role of carers and the Open Dialogue approach

I am acutely aware (mental ill health) affects the whole family. It can have a massive impact on other people’s lives. Providing support for the whole family is critically important. There is a very interesting development called Open Dialogue. It is the approach they use in Finland. The whole idea is that it is a recognition that mental health is crucially related to relationships with other people, and to try and deal with someone’s mental ill health in isolation is a mistake. Their whole approach is that when crisis occurs you get the whole family engaged straight away.

It’s absolutely the case that a family trying to cope with mental ill health very often has no idea how to handle it, whether what they do has an adverse or positive effect, whether to be tough with the person or gentle and understanding. Getting the balance right is so often incredibly difficult, so to involve the whole family seems a very attractive approach. There are now four trusts in England that have taken this approach and pooled some money between them to train psychiatrists and other health workers to develop the model in this country and critically to evaluate as they go through.

Transition from children’s to adult services

We have a massive issue with this cliff edge at 18. You get to 18 and are then told children’s services come to an end. You’re suddenly told you’re in adult services. 18 years old is a very difficult age for many people. They are going through real transitions in their own lives, maybe going to university, maybe leaving school, it may be all sorts of teenage angst that you are trying to cope with in your own mind, and to suddenly force a complete change of service seems completely daft. I’m trying to force a move away from a one size fits all date for transition. It’s often “abandonment” to be honest. A service needs to stick with someone if that’s the appropriate thing to do. There are several areas, my own county of Norfolk, where they have a youth service that takes you through to 25. Because it is a youth service it is more attuned to what might be more appropriate for you at that point in your life.

I also think third sector organisations working collaboratively with statutory sector organisations are more subtle and pliable in getting the right response for a youngster. So I think a collaboration between statutory and voluntary sector services works more effectively.

Janet Pardue-Wood, Acting Director of Mind Cymru, meets 

Kirsty Williams AM and Roger Williams MP.

Voluntary sector

My view is that the voluntary sector plays a crucial role. When I was at Gofal earlier they were talking about how they had entered collaborations with some of the health boards around Wales. We have this awful problem of people being put into out-of-area placements, often a long way from home. There is no ambition to give them a better life, they are just hidden away from view at enormous cost to the tax payer, it is an extraordinary outrage really. Their role can be to identify these people and find a mechanism to get them back into community and rebuild their life.

Gofal gave a wonderful example of a woman who was a serious alcoholic whose life was in a complete mess, she had been in secure accommodation. She is now living back in her own home and working in a charity shop three days a week. She contributes to local community efforts, she has a life. It’s fantastic. Three or four years ago no one assumed she was capable of that, she would just have been locked up as a risk or threat to everybody. It does not have to be like that.

Roger Williams rounded off the session by complimenting Brecon & District Mind on the work that they do in their community and thanked them for hosting the Open Forum.

Thank you to Freda Lacey and Brecon & District Mind for providing photographs from the day.

The BIG talk about mental health

I think I might have mentioned before that my partner Graham Brand works for the Big Lottery Fund (aka BIG) based in Newtown. Well, today one of the projects funded by the BLF - Time to Change Wales  - had a major day of campaigning around the stigma associated with mental distress.

"24 hours in which to start conversations about mental health, raise awareness and share the message that mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of, neither is talking about it. Sometimes it's the little things we do that make a big difference - like having a chat over a cuppa, sending a text or inviting someone out. And on Time to Talk Day we’re encouraging people to do just that. In fact, we're hoping to spark a million conversations, and we want your help to do that."

The day is called Time to Talk, and if I'm quick I might actually finish posting this blog before midnight on 6 February! There certainly has been a lot of talk about mental health today, both in the more traditional media and social media (check out these giant cups!). Tweets have been pouring in, telling us what people in organisations - large and small - have been talking about.

Whilst we have engaged in a bit of a debate on this blog around the approach taken by the Time to Change project the campaign goes on, of course! We would still like to challenge the underpinning theme of the campaign, that 1 in 4 people experience mental distress. We still strongly believe that any one of us could experience emotional trauma at any time - who knows what lies around the corner for any of us? We don't like the word "illness" either, preferring to use that of "distress"... but these arguments are out there for all to see. So today I will just highlight what happened in Newtown, and hundreds of other workplaces across the UK, and... in the end... readers have to make up their own minds. 

In the Newtown Big Lottery Fund office staff set up a Pledge Wall for Time to Change Day, and Lisa Powell sent through some photographs and a couple of paragraphs describing how they approached the day:

Today was Time to Talk day which is backed by Gofal, MIND Cymru and Hafal, and in the BIG office in Newtown we supported this campaign to get 1,000,000 conversations going about mental health throughout the UK and hopefully help put an end to the stigma surrounding mental health.

We had a pledge wall in the kitchen so people could make pledges about things they could do to be more aware of mental health, or conversations they could have with friends or anyone they know who suffers from a mental health illness. Basically anything that can be done to support the issues surrounding mental health. There were tea and biscuits too so people could sit and have a chat about their experiences or their exposure to this subject. There were leaflets about how to start conversations about mental health and facts and myths about it too. There were also posters put up around the office to remind people but also with facts and statistics on them about the amount of people who are affected by this.

Time to Talk had a big social media campaign, and backing from the Health Minister and celebrities who have been diagnosed with mental disorders. As well as having big and small organisations plus anyone who wants to talk about this subject, then we can all end the stigma surrounding this illness that affects 1 in 4 people.

"I pledge to continue to listen." One of the pledges on the Big Lottery Fund Pledge Wall.

Did you listen to anyone talk about their mental health today?

Volunteering at Mid Powys Mind

Today Philip Moisson tells us about his experience volunteering at the mental health charity Mid Powys Mind, based in Llandrindod Wells in the heart of rural Powys.

"Of the many organisations that I have worked for over the years the place where I have made the deepest connections with other people has undoubtedly been whilst volunteering at Mid Powys Mind in Llandrindod Wells.

For the past ten months I have been a regular helper in the Art Cafe – which for those of you who have not visited yet combines unique local arts and crafts with a relaxed and homely experience centred around hot drinks and homemade cakes. There are ten or so volunteers currently involved in the Art Cafe and we cover Monday to Friday between us.

The building which Mind uses hosts a drop-in centre for members, the Art Cafe which is open to the public, rooms for groups to meet above the cafe and also spaces for counselling and therapy to take place. There are also a few small offices up another flight of stairs.

As a member and a volunteer I am able to have a hot meal at lunchtime, usually with other people at the drop-in centre. Alongside the Art Cafe there was the chance to try a couple of other voluntary roles around the building, and I can genuinely say that I have looked forward to coming in to help almost every day I have been involved.

Over time I have found out about other opportunities nearby by speaking to other members, other volunteers and of course, paid staff. A few of us have spent quite a bit of time being involved in a Time to Change Wales project (further details on the free Creative Writing sessions can be found here!).

Of all the perks of being involved with a charity, training has to rank quite highly. Some of us have been on the Mental Health First Aid course and a physical First Aid course too. Usually I have a good idea what is going on in terms of the range of courses, services and events which Mid Powys Mind is able to facilitate - in no small part because I update the Facebook page.

Of course, no organisation in the broad mental health sector is immune from the pressures stemming from cuts or from the blunt realities that some of us may refer to in polite or abstract terms through well-meaning debates and arguments. The town, Llandrindod Wells, for all its nearby scenic charm, struggles to offer much in the way of employment opportunity - and that’s whether you have a known mental health concern or not.

However, in terms of focussing on positive outcomes whenever possible, finding a place within reach where people regularly share lived experience with one another has been the most important feature in my own personal journey so far. This will now hopefully involve going forward from a point in the past where I struggled on strong medication with no meaningful support in place, to a position where I am able to live medication free and can fully consider life choices once again."

If you would like to read more of Philip's writings, you can take a look at his own blog, Knowledge of Dark Matters.

Or, if you would like to share your mental health volunteering experience with a wider readership via this blog, and you are based in Powys, then please get in touch.

You can find out more about Mid Powys Mind here.  And congratulations to all those involved in the Art Cafe which was awarded the Group award at the Powys Volunteer of the Year Award recently.

Mental Health First Aid - good news and bad

It's Monday, the start of the week, I'm going to begin on a positive note! I did a Mental Health First Aid course in 2009 with Mid Powy Mind - and particularly as I was relatively new to the mental health sector it was brilliant. Just what I needed at the time. 

It seems loads of other people have also now received their training - according to a Welsh Government report today - 10,000 people across the country as a whole:

The course teaches people about mental health problems and gives them the skills they need to help people in crisis. It covers common mental health issues including alcohol, drugs and depression, crisis first aid for suicidal behaviour, first aid for anxiety and panic attacks, and other issues such as self-harm.

You can read more, including Health Minister Lesley Griffiths' comments on the course, here.

So far, so good. 

Monday ticks away by, and during my lunch break whilst browsing the BBC news website, I notice another important report, this time from the mental health charity Gofal. 

It starts - "Gofal is calling for improvement in healthcare workers and GPs' attitudes to mental health problems in Wales." The survey of 1083 people also found unacceptable waiting times for treatments, and a high level of drug prescribing for people experiencing mental distress.

The first question which comes to my mind is - I wonder if all these health care workers and GPs have been on the Mental Health First Aid course? And if not, why not? Because the Gofal survey implies that there are still a huge number of people out there, many working professionally in the health sector, who urgently need this training.

But ..... even the bad isn't all bad, hopefully. Together for Mental Health, the Welsh Government's new strategy for mental health across Wales, was published last month, and Mental Health First Aid is to be a priority:  "... the highly successful Mental Health First Aid programme will continue helping people to recognise the signs and symptoms of someone with mental health problems." Doubtless those 1083 people Gofal surveyed would really hope so.

Meanwhile, you can find out more about Mental Health First Aid courses here.

If you have been on the course we would really like to know what you thought of it, so please let us know.

Mental Health Patients in Wales Coerced

Healthcare Inspectorate Wales has criticised the support given to mental health patients in Wales, claiming some feel coerced into treatment. It also found outdated consent forms, security breaches and patients not being made aware of their rights. BBC News.

For full report, and interview with Ruth Coombs of Mind Cymru, see BBC website