Introducing our new Head of Health & Wellbeing - Clair Swales

Clair Swales recently took on a new role at Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations as Head of Health & Wellbeing after previously working as Senior Officer Community Connectors & Info Engine Wales. She originally started work at PAVO in 2016 as a Third Sector Broker & Info Engine Officer and has since overseen the development of the hugely successful Community Connectors’ team within the organisation as well as further developing the online services directory infoengine. We met up with Clair recently to find out more about her new role.

Tell us more about your new role as Head of Health & Wellbeing at PAVO

My role is to facilitate positive relationships between Powys’ Third Sector and the Public Sector in the field of health and wellbeing, enabling third sector involvement in the development of policy and partnerships, championing a joined-up approach to commissioning of services and developing and maintaining effective service user and citizen engagement.

The role incorporates supporting the Health and Wellbeing team, overseeing the work of the Community Connectors and Powys Befriending Service and contributing to the management of PAVO. I also share responsibility with the CEO for the development and delivery of infoengine.

How is the new job going so far?

I began my new post in December 2019 and the first couple of months have been very busy indeed. In January I was delighted to welcome Sharon Healey as the new Senior Officer for the Community Connectors and Powys Befriending Services. It's been fantastic to get to work more closely with a larger team of PAVO colleagues and to continue working with the sector, health and social care colleagues albeit in a new remit.

Clair (2nd from R) & PAVO colleagues saying #HelloYellow on World Mental Health Day 2019

Can you - briefly - sum up the work of the three different PAVO teams you head up - Health & Wellbeing, Community Connectors & Powys Befrienders

Health & Wellbeing - the team supports Third Sector organisations working in the health and social care fields to work closely with the Health Board, County Council and others to develop better services for Powys’ people. It provides an important mental health information service, supports the delivery of health and well-being information via various mediums, and recruits and supports citizen reps for a variety of boards, as well as facilitating networks such as the Powys Advocacy Network.

Community Connectors - The service helps people in Powys (aged 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.

Powys Befrienders Service - Powys Befriending Service helps improve the independence of people over 50 by helping maintain social networks and remain in their own homes for as long as they are able.

Clair with some of the Community Connectors

Why do you think the Community Connectors have, in such a short time, become such key players in supporting some of our most vulnerable Powys residents?

For anyone who may be vulnerable or facing a challenging time, access to the right information at the right time is essential. Often it can be a challenge to keep on top of the latest information about the support that is available. The Community Connectors have become a key link between statutory services, the client and the sector. This has been driven by the Social Services and Wellbeing Act and A Healthier Wales; and the work with the Regional Partnership Board in delivering the Health and Care Strategy for Powys.

What are the main challenges of your new role?

Juggling time and commitments! With a large team and an even larger number of meetings to attend where I represent the sector, it is always a matter of judging the best way I can support the team and the sector in the best way possible. I like the challenge though and always try to ensure that I make time for my own health and wellbeing and ensuring a good work/home life balance.

Why do you think it is crucial that there is a healthy and robust Health & Wellbeing Third Sector in Powys?

There is a huge focus on health and wellbeing at the moment and in particular early help and intervention. Statutory services have changed immensely over the years and the model for delivery, and financial capability of delivering front line services has also changed. The third sector has a crucial part to play in our communities in supporting health and wellbeing but the sector itself needs to be healthy and robust, able to adapt to change and given the freedom to deliver what truly matters to people. Funding is always a challenge but I like to challenge funding bodies such as the local authority and Welsh Government to focus on early help and prevention and how this can be funded in the third sector. Volunteers play a huge role in supporting health and wellbeing in Powys so we must do what we can to look after Powys’ volunteers.

Clair with Andrew Davies, PAVO Health & Wellbeing Participation Officer

If you could change one thing in the Third Sector Health and Wellbeing world here, what would it be?

Ooh wave my magic wand……Other than overcoming funding difficulties within the sector, I would like to see more third sector involvement in the engagement and support of children and young people. Powys’ third sector has lost a lot of capacity in the remit of delivering support for children and young people and I think it is vital we play an active part in this area of health and wellbeing, to help support children and families and play a key role in reducing and preventing issues in the future.

Charities and voluntary groups (including PAVO) increasingly work more closely with statutory providers of health services - how do you think this will affect the sector from the tiniest local groups to the national big charity players?

I think the biggest challenge here is meeting demand. The SSWB Act has a focus on support close to home but we need to ensure that support for these organisations and groups filters right down to the smallest provider. The close work with statutory partners is certainly a positive step forward but I think there needs to be greater understanding of the role of the sector, in particular the smaller groups, that the sector cannot survive on thin air and it shouldn’t be the place to cut funding.

The Social Value Forum is really starting to see small groups and charities benefit from a small amount of funding that can make a big difference in the community. Sustainability of third sector services is always an issue. Powys is heavily reliant on the outstanding work of volunteers but there is only so much volunteers can do and only so much time to give for volunteering as we all work longer. 

Sharon Healey (L)  new Senior Officer for the Community Connectors &
Powys Befriending Services with Clair

How do you see co-production* working successfully in Powys to provide quality health services for all and what is PAVO’s role in this?

We have had some really positive discussions with third sector agencies such as Credu about co-production in Powys. I feel it's really important to include the service user or community’s views to shape services and this needs to be in a constructive and positive manner. To truly enable co-production we have to break down bureaucratic barriers and this can be a big challenge when working with statutory partners as they have their statutory duties to fulfill. Remove the barriers and let the sector work together with communities to shape future services.

PAVO can play an active role in bringing people together, ensuring the citizen and sector’s voices are heard at statutory level, and influence decision making on behalf of the community and third sector. PAVO’s mission is to be a CATALYST of voluntary Action, a legitimate VOICE for the voluntary sector and a HUB of essential information. We are looking at new ways of using the Community Connectors’ community workers’ meetings to co-produce services at community based level as we know in Powys one size does not fit all. It has to come from the community.

Lots of big issues are crowding out the H & W agenda, the Big 4 of Powys’s Health & Care strategy (Cancer, Mental Health, Heart and Respiratory disease), the Loneliness and isolation strategy of the Together for Mental Health new delivery plan. What skills can your PAVO teams bring to the table?

The team has excellent communication skills and the ability to decipher vast amounts of important health and wellbeing information. Using their creative communication skills they make information regarding health policies and wellbeing initiatives easily accessible to the public, and indeed statutory and third sector colleagues. The teams do this through a variety of platforms such as the ebulletins, social media, health lift films, infoengine.wales and by working with people directly; thus meaning there is something for everyone. The team uses a variety of skills to ensure the voice of the citizen and the sector is heard at all levels of the decision making processes. We also benefit from working closely with our colleagues in the development team to support the sector to meet the challenges of an ever demanding, ever changing wellbeing environment.

Clair (2nd from L) at a patient discharge home meeting with colleagues from Third Sector,
Powys Teaching Health Board and Powys County Council

If people identify gaps in mainstream and Third Sector health and wellbeing services - where should they take that information so that the gaps can be addressed?

The Community Connectors’ case management system allows the team to record gaps and unmet need when working with clients. This has proved very useful with our work with the Social Value Forum to identify needs in communities. However this is just one way of recording information, there is a huge amount of information out there and if you speak to residents or people working in Powys communities they know where there are gaps. The challenge is recording it. The team has used the Community workers’ meetings to also record data around gaps and unmet need and if you don’t already attend one of these meetings I would encourage you to do so.

There are a couple of social prescribing pilot projects in Powys. There seems to be a greater appetite for exploring new and innovative ways to tackling some health & wellbeing issues. What are your thoughts?

Firstly I am not sure I like the terminology ‘social prescribing’. We shouldn’t have to be ‘prescribed’ community based third sector services. However people do need to know what’s available to them to support good health and wellbeing. We should encourage and support people to access community based activities where medical intervention is not required. This type of service is designed to support physical activity and promote good mental health.

Have you taken inspiration from others in the fields of health and wellbeing and / or the Third Sector, and if so, who?

I have actually taken my inspiration from my late father. He was very community minded and spent years as a Town and County Councillor always striving to make people’s lives better. Seeing him work so passionately in the community helped shape me and gave me the firm foundations to strive to deliver the very best for people in the work I do today and every day.

Tell us about some of the most rewarding work you have done at PAVO

Supporting the growth if the connector service has been very rewarding and being shortlisted for an NHS Wales award in autumn 2018 was definitely a highlight. But listening to the difference we can make to people’s lives and to the communities of Powys is always heart warming. I am very clear that without the third sector in Powys the county would be less vibrant.

When you’re not working how do you enjoy spending your time?

My spare time is undoubtedly dedicated to my family. I live with my husband (pictured above on my wedding day) and I have three children and two step children. I am normally running around with various items of sporting kit from rugby to football to horse riding gear. I am very proud of the children and enjoy being on the sidelines cheering them on. I also love cooking with my husband. That's my daily de-stress hour when I get home. I enjoy going to concerts (Bruce Springsteen has to be one of my all time favourites along with The Rolling Stones but I would love to see Sir Tom Jones in concert too). I love walking the dog and getting out into the mountains. Getting fresh air into my lungs helps me to feel grounded and reinvigorated.

BIG thanks to Clair for telling us more about her new role. If you'd like to contact Clair then you can ring 01597 822191 or email clair.swales@pavo.org.uk

*Co-production means delivering public services in an equal and reciprocal relationship between professionals, people using services, their families and their neighbours. Where activities are co‐produced in this way, both services and neighbourhoods become far more effective agents of change.

Definition developed by the New Economics Foundation (NEF) and Nesta, in partnership with the Co-production Practitioners’ Network

Connected Generation project

Connected Generation project staff meet the Community Connectors

Zandra Pitt is the Project Officer for this new lottery-funded project - Connected Generation -  in which five organisations work together with people over 50 in Powys.

I met with her recently to find out more about how Age Cymru Powys, Citizens Advice Powys, Credu, Disability Powys and the Royal Voluntary Service are supporting people to build on their strengths and enjoy a greater sense of wellbeing.

How did your involvement start?

I have worked in a variety of roles over the years, in England and Wales, including women’s aid and homelessness charities, a children’s legal centre and various community advice services. I studied law as an older student.

I was the Advice Manager at Cardiff University Student Advice Service for nearly seven years and saw a major increase in mental health problems whilst I was there.

Where did your interest in the project stem from?

The fact that it involves five partner organisations, each bringing their own scope of what they can offer, attracted me. That, and the person-centred approach of the project, really interests me. The project will raise a lot of the challenges that people over 50 have but also the opportunities that are available to them.

Tell us more about the project and your role

The Connected Generation project is funded by the Big Lottery Fund People & Places programme for three years. Of the five partners, Credu (formerly Powys Carers) is the lead organisation. As Project Manager I am based with Credu, along with two Outreach Workers. Then we have two Outreach Workers with Age Cymru Powys, another two with Disability Powys, one Adviser with Citizens Advice Powys, and the Community Development Worker and assistant with the Royal Voluntary Service.

The project is committed to working with people with the aim(s) that they will:

• Feel more connected to other people and less socially isolated. 
• Feel more able to shape the services that impact on their lives and feel more listened to, valued and respected in their relationships with services that matter to them. 
• Feel that information, advice and support is more coherent and enable them to make informed choices. 

My role involved pulling the project together initially. I look after the reporting and monitoring, and raise awareness working with all the partners,

Which organisations do what?

When people are referred to the project the Outreach Workers from the relevant organisation (Credu, Age Cymru Powys or Disability Powys) will aim to build trust and rapport and have a conversation about what matters to them most over time. The outcome is around what that person wants. The workers may have to pull in others rather than signposting or referring on. We operate an “any door” approach. There is no central hub. Rather than turn people away the individual partners will make internal referrals so that people are not put back on the merry-go-round, constantly trying to find the right route in for support.

If reducing isolation is an outcome, then we would look at who or what that person wants to be connected to appropriately.

The staff have received training in “Circles of Support” and “Effective Collaborative Communication”. It is about listening and having the conversation at what matters to someone at a given time.

The client may want to pursue other interests. For example, Credu runs carers’ groups, whilst Age Cymru Powys holds regular crafts and social groups.

We meet regularly with Clair Powell, the Senior Officer Community Connectors at Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations. The Connectors refer clients in to the partner organisations for support.

Citizens Advice Powys has a caseworker dedicated to the project and can be pulled in by the outreach workers. She provides advice on a range of issues including benefits, debt, and housing.

The volunteer support element is led by the partner, the Royal Voluntary Service, whose community development worker recruits and trains volunteers to become companions.

Connected Generation get together

Who is the project for?

People in Powys who are 50 + who need support. We aim to create long-term self help and support to build personal resilience for the future. If they require more specialist support, say round their mental health, we will pull in another organisation/service.

What kind of difficult life challenges do older people experience in Powys?

There are many examples. Some of the most common include:

• The cared for and the carer. 
• Coping with illnesses. 
• A need for information and advice in order to move forward. 
• Wanting to carry on meeting up with friends once a week when there are rural transport and/or mobility issues. 
• Maintaining own home. 
• Physical and/or mental health issues (including clinical depression/bipolar disorder/dementia). 
• Feeling lonely and isolated. 

How does it support people struggling with their mental health?

We will provide support but may also look at pre-existing networks to refer to other specialist support such as Ponthafren Association or the nearest Mind centre as appropriate.

How does the project make a practical difference?

"Many thanks for your kind help and the information you have provided, really useful. I’m going to call Llanidloes Home Support in my lunchtime and I am working from home tomorrow, so if she could visit then that would be great, I’ll stay in touch."

"Carer phoned outreach worker a few weeks later and expressed his thanks again for all the help, his stepson’s anxiety levels were much lower and this makes his caring role more manageable."

"Just speaking to the outreach worker and getting the information he needed, M felt that he had lifted a big weight from his shoulders."

"By this time they were both overwhelmed that someone had stepped in and offered them information and support – ‘No one’s ever done anything like this for us before'."

"Somehow we have been listened to and heard and helped."

"Thanks for the visit. It is time for me to reassess my work / life / caring balance, so your contact couldn't have come at a better time."

How is the project influencing policy and practice at a national level?

We want to influence local government, the health board, National Government and hear the voices of older people to make changes to policy and improve services. It is about enabling the individual and collective voices to be heard in the right place.

Some of the groups come together with other stakeholders to inform and give evidence to various inquiries and consultations.

We’re aiming to work in a coproductive way. I attend the Older People’s Partnership Board along with Gail Hamer, the Chief Officer at Age Cymru Powys. The project started in January 2018 and we are already reviewing how it goes and learning all the time.

At the same time the five partners are all continuing to feed into their national networks.

What is the most challenging part of your role?

As I am new to the area – getting to know it better, as I’ve not worked in Powys before. Developing essential networks and understanding the scope of the organisations and other services. Ensuring that we keep true to the people centred approach.

Tell us about some of the most rewarding work you have done on the project so far

Meeting an incredible group of committed people. Myself, I’m a step away from working with individuals, but I’m very aware of the work they do in the team. They are very supportive to people who have powerful stories to tell.

When you’re not working how do you enjoy spending your time?

I like art, socialising with family and friends, and walking. I recently completed a three-day course on stained glass, which was really good. 

Many thanks to Zandra for telling us all about this exciting new project. To find out more about the Connected Generation project contact Zandra Pitt by emailing zandra@credu.com or ring 07971 637 447.

World Mental Health Day 2018 - students, young people & mental health

Earlier this month we celebrated World Mental Health Day on Wednesday 10 October. The World Federation for Mental Health is the driver behind this important awareness day.

The theme this year was “young people and mental health in a changing world.” So what better place to raise awareness about caring for the emotional health and wellbeing of young people than the two college bases in Powys – Newtown in the North, and Brecon in the South. We worked closely with colleagues at NPTC Group of Colleges, which is one of the largest Further Education providers in Wales, to run an information event at each campus.

Brecon High School pupils on a visit to the Brecon college campus

The day was a great success. Rather than write a long blog post, I am posting photographs and feedback from some of those who attended to capture a flavour of what happened on the day.

Julia Gorman (Ponthafren Association), Claire Powell (Community Connector),
Jen Hawkins (PAVO), Sarah Dale (Individual Rep), and a student from the Newtown college campus

Jen Hawkins, Health & Social Care Information Officer, PAVO

It’s good to talk, especially when it comes to mental health. Emojis and cake provided the perfect way to start conversations around mental health at Newtown College as part of PAVO’s World Mental Health Day event.

Cake was definitely an added advantage with lots of people initially attracted by free cake to start their day but it soon proved a perfect way to begin to talk about feelings.

An Emoji wall of fame provided a great backdrop for students and staff to identify how they were feeling in a supportive, open way. Before long the wall was soon covered with a colourful range of post it notes that covered a whole spectrum of emotions. It was great to read all the positive comments, where people were feeling great, happy and excited but poignant to have people share that they felt broken, numb and worried or anxious. This was a good opportunity to point people in the right direction of supportive services such as the college counsellor and third sector organisations like Ponthafren Association.

Comments were also received in Arabic and Spanish, which just goes to show that no matter what language we may speak it’s good to talk about mental health.

Claire Powell, Community Connector - Newtown, Llanfair Caereinion, Montgomery

I was surprised at how well some of the students were able to express how they felt using just one word and it gets you thinking - do they have enough opportunity to express their true feelings in a safe and supportive environment..?? I work with adults over the age of 18 but the event really opened my eyes to the daily challenges faced by younger students, and also how important it is for them to know where to go for support.

It was fantastic to hear that so many students are already volunteering and are looking for more opportunities to do this to give back to the community. 

Lisa Harding & Debbie Rees, Children & Adolescent Mental Health Services

Lisa Harding, Team Leader North Powys, and Debbie Rees, Support Worker - Children & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)

We felt the day was fantastic in relation to networking with other agencies, putting faces to names! So that we can communicate on a regular basis.

It was great to make contact with the young people of north Powys from the age of 16+. What we felt went well was the connection with the lecturers asking questions about the young people they support day-to-day in relation to their mental health, offering advice and support.

One of our service users came to see us while there, to say ‘thank you’ for all the help and support from CAMHS.

The day was positive and productive in nature.

Hazel Osborne, College Counselling Service, Newtown campus

Hazel Osborne, College Counselling Service, NPTC Newtown

It was great to see a presence of many local mental health services at this event.

Our students very much enjoyed the cake and engaged with the mood board. It felt an important chance to continue developing a normalisation of accessing these sorts of services and an opportunity for us to further deepen the students’ awareness of the counselling and support services available on site.

Danielle Lewis & Neil Rees, Detached Youth Work team, Powys County Council

Rosemary Denham, Student Services Manager, NPTC Group of Colleges

The day was really positive for our students. PAVO had invited the professional organisations, and our own Health and Social Care students decided to be involved as well. Having these young people taking part meant that it was easier for other students to engage in the event and speak with the outside organisations without feeling embarrassed. It was a very good mix.

Spin-offs included:

• The Newtown Health & Social Care students gave an on-the-spot donation to Ponthafren – this was money that had been proffered for the lovely cakes which they had provided themselves and were giving away at no cost.
• Our Enterprise Officer is running a project near to Christmas and the funds raised there will be given to a mental health charity.
• Our college subject tutors had the opportunity to network with professionals working in the mental health field, and arrangements have been made for talks to be given by the organisations to specific student groups in the coming weeks. 
• Our college counsellors were also able to discuss their work and referral pathways to outside agencies. 
• Our student welfare staff re-established a working relationship with the Powys Teaching Health Board C-card organisers and ensured a renewed supply of condoms.
   

Sophie Jones, PCSO, Brecon Neighbourhood Policing team

Emojiis on a blank wall prompted students to comment on their feelings – 62% said they were happy, 8% were hungry – and 32% expressed negative emotions (including being stressed, anxious, tired, paranoid, depressed, worried) – this highlighted the need for the college to do all we can to help with mental health awareness.

PAVO offered the opportunity to work with our Health and Social Care students on volunteering, and also mentioned the possibility of a work placement in Llandrindod Wells.

I was invited to feed back on the day to Louisa Kerr from Powys Teaching Health Board, Vanessa Young from the NHS Confederation, PAVO and staff from mental health services in Mid Wales .It was a great opportunity to reinforce the need for improved mental health services for young people.

Thanks again to PAVO, I also attended the NHS Wales/Powys Teaching Health Board workshop in Builth Wells to contribute to the Powys Sexual Health Improvement Plan about services available / needed for our young people.

Louisa Kerr (PTHB), Vanessa Young (Welsh Confederation), Owen Griffkin (PAVO), Rosemary Denham (NPTC Group), Melanie Davies (PTHB), Lucy Taylor (PAVO), Jolene Duggan (PTHB)

Gateway/Foundation students at Brecon College

• Good information given.
• Excellent day.
• Seeking awareness for students with mental health issues.
• Excellent advice on the stalls.
• Good advice given.
• Fun.
• Interesting.
• Helpful advice.
• Fun activities.
• Informative.
  
  

Kemal Keeble from Rekindle chatting to some of the students in Newtown

Kemal Keeble, Recovery Practitioner, Small Steps Project, Rekindle

It was really great to be a part of the World Mental Health Day at NPTC. It opened the door to many conversations about "what positive mental health means to many of the students" and insight into the work we carry out at Rekindle's The Small Steps Project. It was lovely to see so many young people getting involved and gaining a greater understanding about what services are available to them within the community they study and live in.

Suzanne Fairclough (R) and colleague from Sexual Health Services, Powys Teaching Health Board

Suzy Fairclough, Development Officer for Sexual Health & Support to Perinatal Mental Health, Powys Teaching Health Board

It was a pleasure to attend World Mental Health Day on the 10th October with information boards on Sexual Health Services and to have the opportunity to speak and hand out information to the young people on this subject and explain how Sexual Health links in with mental health, health and wellbeing. 

Abby Sims & Lorna Jones, Mid Powys Mind

Lorna Jones, Youth Worker, Mid Powys Mind

It was a good day with great networking and a privilege to meet young people who wish to make a difference with the outlook and positive attitude toward mental health. 

Lucy Taylor, Senior Officer Children & Young People, PAVO

Thank you to all the students and organisations that joined PAVO in making our World Mental Health Day celebrations with NPTC Colleges in Brecon and Newtown a success. It was so good to see everyone chatting about wellbeing, mental health and just how they were feeling that day. Our Emoji walls captured an image of "How are you feeling today?" 

We would be really pleased to know how you felt the day went and whether you would like to partner with PAVO on future events/ collaborative working? Comment in the box below, or contact us by emailing mentalhealth@pavo.org.uk or ringing 01597 822191.

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.

The BAT Project in North Wales

Staff from the Ablett Unit in Rhyl with voluntary sector agencies including Vale of Clwyd Mind, Unllais,
Therapy Dogs Nationwide and Twix the dog.

I recently found out about a new partnership project in North Wales called BAT - Bringing Agencies Together. It's all about supporting people who have been in contact with mental health services, specifically hospital, and bridging that gap between leaving the ward and returning to the community.

The BAT Project has been running in the two neighbouring counties of Conwy and Denbighshire for just over a year now. It is a massive geographical area to cover, taking in the sandy beaches of the North Wales coast from Llandudno across to Prestatyn, and sweeping south across parts of the Snowdonia National Park, east into the Clwydian Hills and right down to Llangollen. On its southern edge Denbighshire borders Powys, so we can definitely count the locals there as our near neighbours! 

Hannah Luhde-Thompson (4th from left in photo) is the Improvement and Partnerships Development Officer at Unllais, the mental health development, involvement, information and training agency covering North Wales (our sister agency in the North!) She told me more about the initiative:

Service users at the Ablett Unit at Glan Clwyd Hospital in Rhyl are being supported in their recovery and return to the community thanks to an innovative multi-agency group. The Bringing Agencies Together (BAT) project supports patients in identifying activities and groups which can help them in the transition back into their local community and continue to promote their health and wellbeing. We formed the BAT group (patients in the unit chose the name) in early 2016 and it has been a very successful, multi agency partnership. 

The project is a collaboration between the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board staff (including Ablett based Occupational Therapists, Clinical Psychologist, and Home Treatment and ward staff), the North Wales mental health development agency Unllais, and Vale of Clwyd Mind, service user and carer representatives, as well as a range of community groups and charities from throughout Conwy and Denbighshire. The occupational therapists from the unit lead the group, but the service user & carer rep on the group played a big part in pulling it all together. 

The BAT group organises community groups to facilitate therapeutic sessions jointly with staff as part of the patient therapeutic programme. These include shared reading delivered by the library service, taster sessions run by the Women’s Centre in Rhyl, massage sessions run by the Red Cross, therapy dog sessions supported by the Therapy Dogs Nationwide and courses run by Llandrillo College to commence in May of this year.

The project group also held two open events in July and November of last year to support patients once discharged back into the community. The project welcomed Conwy and Denbighshire based groups, clubs and organisations to the unit to showcase activities available to service users and their carers out in the community.

More than 24 groups, including Conwy Community Wellbeing Team, Men’s sheds, and Denbighshire Walking For Health, attended the event to provide information on how to sign up to their activities.

The aim was to showcase community activities to service users, as well as their families and carers. It has been really helpful, enabling people to continue pursuits which support their health and wellbeing. The two events were true networking and celebration events and have connected many people in the unit to groups in the community. I frequently hear from third sector colleagues who attended the events that they have since linked with people when they go home! 

Feedback following the open events:

'Everyone was really friendly and approachable.'

'I think all the organisers and volunteers have done an excellent job today.'

'Excellent day, really inclusive and positive. In line with the Social Services & Wellbeing (Wales) Act, partnership working and integration,' - someone from the Community Mental Health Team.

'Wonderful event bringing services together. Promoting wellbeing.'

We were really keen that people were aware of the things available AND they could meet a friendly face from the organisation and understand what to expect if approaching the organisation when they got home.

In Powys Mandy Pearce works as a Reablement Worker with Mid Powys Mind to help support people in transition from hospital back to the community. Mandy also works very closely with the statutory provider of health services, in this case, Powys Teaching Health Board, and other third sector groups.  We would love to hear what you think about initiatives like these in the comments box below.