A busy summer for our mental health reps

by Owen Griffkin, Mental Health Participation Officer

The Mental Health Service User and Carer Representatives have had an enormously busy summer so far this year. I have been with them all over Powys helping them get out and about around the county.

When I first started in my role as Mental Health Participation Officer in 2017 it seemed that I was constantly out and about around Powys. Most of my work involved attending meetings or events either on my own, or accompanying the mental health reps to their meetings. Obviously lockdown meant that much of work life moved online, and one benefit of this was that lots of these work meetings continued online. This allows us to have people from all over Powys, and sometimes Wales, present at a discussion instead of having to travel to Llandrindod, or Newtown or wherever the meeting is. This is really useful in some situations, and it has allowed the reps more access to people working in Mental Health services in Powys.

Unfortunately, there was also a downside, as there was less opportunity for the reps to speak to people in communities which is the most important part of their role. That’s why it has been so refreshing to start running Meet The Rep events all over Powys, and to start attending community events with the reps. I think I have driven more miles in the last month than I did in the previous year.

Sally and Sarah at the Help & Information event in Machynlleth

The current reps - John, Sally, Sarah and Rhydian, decided that they wanted to get back out and make sure people knew who they were, and who they could speak to if they wanted to have a say in the way the Mental Health service is delivered. Therefore in June we held two Meet The Rep events in Newtown and Welshpool Ponthafren, and also attended a community Help and Information event in Machynlleth and a Pride Picnic organised by Credu at Llanfyllin Workhouse.

The reps set up stalls full of information about their roles, and spoke to people about their experiences of mental health services. There were activities as well that were relevant to the event. For example at the Pride Picnic, Sarah made some paper fortune teller origami sets. These were fun and dispensed tips on self-care as well as drawing people to our stall.

Sarah Dale said: "We as reps have been extremely busy in the north of Powys, out meeting people and discussing the work we do and some of you shared your views on the service. I believe as reps we cannot represent mental health service users and carers without gathering feedback. Every piece of information we gather does make a difference. Sometimes we may be able to help get you in touch with other organisations that may be able to help such as community mental health advocates. I understand that from the outside you may not know what happened to your feedback. I want you to know I try my very best to ensure each issue is addressed and actions taken to ensure that the service is fit for purpose.

I really enjoy organising activities for community engagement and meeting different people and networking with local organisations. I like listening to other people's experiences. Just listening can make a person in a difficult situation feel less alone, and talking to someone who has no affiliation with a specific organisation (I am just another service user) makes them feel more heard and understood, and brings that trust that we will ensure that their voice is heard. It can give people hope.

After a long break hopefully you will see us out and about again real soon.”

Sarah and Sally at the Pride Picnic in Llanfyllin

The serious part of the events was making sure that we gathered feedback from people about their experience in Powys and added these to an issues log. This issues log is then taken to a quarterly meeting with the Service Managers for Mental Health in Powys and any actions that are taken due to the feedback are noted and can be reported back to the person who gave the feedback in the first place.

Sally Houghton-Wilson said: “Having attended a few events, it's been really helpful to understand people's opinions, point of view and feedback on how they are finding the services, and what works best for them, what hasn't been helpful, and what their expectations are. It's nice to learn all about their experiences. And gives a clear indication of what's lacking within the system.”

The reps have also been continuing with their normal duties, attending Engage to Change and the Mental Health Planning and Development Partnership, which takes up a lot of their time. In fact, the reps now chair the Engage to Change meeting. (The Engage to Change group has been established to more widely promote the Mental Health Planning and Development Partnership’s activity, to proactively challenge any stigma associated with mental health and to collect service user views / experiences, co-ordinate resolution and feedback on resulting change, to people using services).

There have also been three Patients’ Council meetings where the reps listen to people’s experiences on the Felindre Ward.

Sarah delivered three Self Injury Awareness sessions to foster carers, staff from Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services’ teams and school nurses. These have been very well received and are helping to give people who are likely to come into contact with people who self harm the knowledge they need to have a caring and compassionate conversation, and not judge the people they speak to.

John and Josh at the Wales Mental Health & Wellbeing Forum in Llandrindod

It was also a pleasure for Powys to host the quarterly meeting of the Wales Mental Health and Wellbeing Forum in Llandrindod. This national group is a chance for all the service user reps from around Wales to meet and discuss what is happening in their area, and prepare reports that are sent to the Welsh Government. As Powys was the host, it fell upon John Lilley to chair the meeting. John gave an overview of co-production in Powys Mental Health services and there was a lot of approval from the group in regards to the work we are doing here.

John Lilley said: “Having attended several national forums in the past, and chairing one online during Covid, I knew roughly what was expected when it came to chairing in person. I was still a little nervous when the date came round and was grateful for Josh from Practice Solutions (who facilitates the forum) for co-chairing and Owen’s help in the regional update.

Knowing most of the attendees certainly helped calm the nerves and on the whole, I enjoyed the experience, though being a hybrid meeting I found it challenging to monitor the online screen for hands raised but with help from Josh I managed.

At times it was difficult to keep discussions relevant and on time but with gentle reminders of the agenda this became easier. Would I do it again? Yes and I also recommend people to try it. I found it a great learning opportunity and it boosts one’s confidence.”

Summer is traditionally a quiet time for the reps, a time to reflect on the year so far and plan for the future. However this summer they have really gone above and beyond what is expected of them in their roles, proving how much they deserved to receive the Outstanding Contribution award at this year's Powys Volunteer of The Year Awards.

If you would like to get involved in having your say in services, and be informed when there are future vacancies, then please fill in this expression of interest form here.

“Outstanding Contribution Award” for Powys mental health reps

Jamie Burt (chair of PAVO trustees), Clair Swales (PAVO Chief Executive Officer),
Sarah Dale (Mental Health rep) & Tom Jones OBE (High Sheriff of Powys)

Owen Griffkin (Participation Officer) and Sarah Dale (Mental Health Representative) share their experiences of the recent 

Powys Volunteer of the Year Awards night.

The annual event is organised by Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations.

Owen Griffkin

The Powys Volunteer of The Year Awards is a wonderful way to celebrate all the volunteers in Powys who help to improve their communities and I was, therefore, really pleased to hear that the mental health service user and carer representatives had been nominated for this year's awards.

I attended the awards ceremony with Sarah Dale and our newest rep, Sally Houghton-Wilson, at the Elephant and Castle in Newtown.

My role is to support the reps to make sure they have everything they need for meetings, for example - agendas, travel etc. Because of this I see first-hand the work they do, and am constantly amazed by the dedication, bravery and hard work displayed by the reps. This was highlighted by the fact that one of the reps, John Lilley, couldn’t attend the awards ceremony as he was in Carmarthen at a national meeting!

It was a pleasure to see other groups and individuals who contribute so much to improving wellbeing in Powys receive awards. For example, Mums Matter Peer Support service, Cherilee from Ponthafren and Richard from Brecon & District Mind. There were also some really inspiring young people like the Junior Startwell Board who received well-deserved awards.

Mums Matter Peer Support Service receive the
Excellence in Health & Wellbeing group award

Then, after a delicious meal and a superb performance from two local performers who had entertained audiences in starring roles in West End productions, it was time for the Outstanding Contribution award. Sarah was really nervous in anticipation of the announcement but there was no need to be as the name on the envelope was read out - The Mental Health Service User and Carer Reps.

Sarah went up to collect the award, posed for some photos and then sat back down, grinning from ear-to-ear. Seeing how important the recognition was to Sarah made my night and I hurriedly sent texts to the other reps with photos and congratulations.

So once again to all the people who have been there to give service users and carers a voice - we all salute you and thank you!

You can read below what winning the award meant to Sarah and more about their roles.

Sally Houghton-Wilson (Carer rep), Owen Griffkin (PAVO Participation Officer)

and Sarah Dale (Mental Health rep)

Sarah Dale

Winning the Outstanding Contribution award means so much. As mental health service user and carer reps we are only required to attend the planning and development partnership board four times a year. But all of us do much more than this basic requirement. Myself and the other reps - John, Sally, Rhydian (and others like Hayley and Jane who have been involved recently) also attend the National Mental Health and Wellbeing Forum, Engage to Change, Talk to me 2 Group, and Powys Crisis Care Forum. We also meet patients at the Felindre ward at Bronllys Hospital every month to collect feedback, and report to the health board, to improve patience experience.

As reps we are asked to join working groups to help develop services to make sure they are fit for purpose, looking at specific areas such as the NHS111 Press 2 (due to launch in Powys soon) and complex trauma services.

We also go out to organisations and community groups to talk to people at ‘Meet the Rep’ events to gather experiences on services and directly discuss these issues with the service managers for mental health.

Sarah receives the Outstanding Contribution award on behalf of the reps
from Clair Swales, CEO PAVO

Recently myself and John Lilley have been voted in as the chair and vice chair of the Engage to Change sub-group which is a really productive meeting held with staff from all organisations who play a part in services. It is more responsibility and work but we also get to shape the discussion and give people a voice.

I have also led self-injury awareness sessions which have been attended by people from all over Powys and I have to reflect on and share some very triggering memories for me, but I do this because I want to help others who may be going through the same experiences. If I can tell people what could have made my experience better then they can make sure that others are treated with more empathy and compassion in the future. This is what drives us all as reps.

We do our utmost to champion the voices of those we represent, to ensure services are fit for purpose and the service user voice is heard loud and clear (I do have a loud voice!). People often forget that what we do is voluntary and that some of us are still receiving treatment for our mental health or caring for someone with a mental health condition. Because change takes time this can be exhausting and frustrating. So being recognised for everything we do with this award means so much that I can’t put it into words.

"The award has pride of place on my mantelpiece for now, until I pass it 

on to one of the other reps for them to keep." 

Find out more about becoming a Mental Health Rep in Powys.

The Powys Volunteer of the Year Awards is held annually by PAVO as part of the work 

of Powys Volunteer Centre. The awards recognise the commitment and value of volunteers across the County. If you feel inspired to volunteer, please get in touch with us:

volunteering@pavo.org.uk or 01597 822191 

Watch this space for our next annual awards and the opportunity to nominate a volunteer or group of volunteers who have made a difference to you!

Shared Power training - your chance to make a difference!

Sarah Dale, John Lilley & Rhydian Parry - Mental Health Individual Reps

Do you use health wellbeing services in Powys? Do you ever think about using your lived experience to make a positive difference to the way these services are designed and delivered?

If the answer is yes, but you’re not sure about how to get involved, you could well be interested in a full day of free training around this important area. Our Shared Power training will run on Wednesday 8 February at our Llandrindod Wells office.

We spoke to PAVO’s Participation Officer Owen Griffkin about why Shared Power training is important and the opportunities it may bring to people who attend.

Who is the Shared Power training for?

It’s for anyone who uses health and well being services in Powys and feels like they could use their lived experience to help plan and deliver these services.

What will people who attend get out of the training?

We will be looking at how health and wellbeing services are planned in the county, and the importance of the voice of the people who use these services in helping to make sure the services are run in the best possible way.

People might not know that their experience can be massively important in helping to make health provision better and there have been some big changes over the last few years that have been made because of what issues people have raised.

It can be quite daunting for people to share their stories, which can sometimes be traumatic, so we will look at how to share their experiences. There will be lots of practical exercises, and also we will talk to some of the current service user and carer representatives who sit on the partnership boards responsible for making decisions around health and wellbeing.

What can people do with the knowledge they learn?

A lot of the subjects covered will help with people’s everyday lives. We will have some assertiveness training, and look at how to prepare for meetings and confidence building. We will also look at discussing difficult subjects that can be quite personal to someone.

There will also be a chance to see what current opportunities there are in Powys for people to get involved and make a difference straight away. We try to have as much fun as we can whilst learning, and we will make sure there are lots of practical activities to try out what we are teaching.

Why is this training important?

The Well-being of Future Generations Act in 2015 made it a requirement for Welsh public bodies to involve the people who use, or who care for those who use, health and well-being services. The more people who feel confident in getting involved in this decision making, the better the services will be for anyone who has to use them.

People who have attended previous training sessions have gone on to help make really positive changes in Powys and Nationally as members of health and well-being partnership boards , volunteers for Powys Patients’ Council and leading awareness sessions for social care staff on issues important to them.

There are many more opportunities now to get involved than there were before COVID, and health services are always looking for people with lived experience in lots of different roles.

The people we work with in participation at the moment all say how much it has improved their own well-being because of their increased confidence and self-worth so I can really recommend getting involved and this training will be a great place to start!

If you want to find out more about the Shared Power training you can email owen.griffkin@pavo.org.uk

Or, you can book your place online HERE.

You can read more, and watch a video, about the concept of Shared Power, 

on our recent blog post Shared Power - an Introduction.