LDC's Work With Carers and Users of Mental Health Services
Delivering high quality health and social care services for people across London needs a partnership approach at local, regional and national level in both the statutory, voluntary and community sectors.
But more than that, the partnership approach needs to be extended to a group of people
who know how difficult and bewildering a path it can be to find ways of dealing with mental health issues
We, at NIMHE’s London Development Centre realize that high quality mental health services can only be delivered to meet the needs of Londoners by taking on board the views and suggestions of those who have first hand knowledge of what it really means to find ways of coping with mental illness – both carers and users are at the sharp end of service delivery and are therefore equally qualified as professional providers and commissioners, to measure the success of mental health initiastives..Improvements in mental health services are provided across London can vary greatly and this is an area where LDC can usefully influence change through its various networks and reference groups..
The London Development Centre has established Carers Advisory and Users Survivors’ Reference Groups to whom we are committed to share our work initiatives. This ensures that we focus squarely on the issues around mental health for both patients and the families and friends that care for them.
Carers
Delivering high quality health and social care services for people across London needs a partnership approach at local, regional and national level in both the statutory and voluntary sectors. But more than that, the partnership approach needs to be extended to a group of people who are rightly acknowledged by a new Prime Minister’s strategy – Carers.
We, at NIMHE’s London Development Centre realize that high quality mental health services can only be delivered to meet the needs of Londoners by taking on board the views and suggestions of those who have first hand knowledge of what it really means to care for someone with mental illness – all the families, friends of carers who are at the sharp end of caring on a daily basis.
That is why we have a long established Carer’s Advisory Group and a Carers Network to whom we are committed to share our work initiatives. This ensures that we focus squarely on the issues around mental health for both patients and the families and friends that care for them.
- The role that Carers play impacts at the individual, community and national levels – a fact that has been acknowledged by the Prime Minister’s recentCarers Strategy.
- Carers are mainly unpaid family or friends of patients – a resource which would have a severe financial impact on public spending policy on health care under other circumstances.
Here is a summary of how the LDC encourages and empowers Carers to become involved in its work, includes links with other important organizations and areas of work, and invites Carers to participate in future developments.
Current Activities At LDC
The London Mental Health Carers Advisory Group (CAG) monitors LDC work from the carers’ perspective. work in progress includes
- analysis of London mental health trusts’ strategies for carers
- guidance to PCTS and mental health trusts on information to carers*
We work to build capacity, to encourage, train and empower friends and family Carers and to improve communications with other organisations eg:.
Useful Links
London Carers Advisory Group
Set up in 2000, as the London Carers Forum, The London Carers Advisory Group has been supported by NIMHE/LDC since 2002. Activities from the Group include the publication of the innovative “Carers Charter” booklets in 2001, reprinted 2004 These were based on the groups own experiences of mental health carers’ needs.
Although much of the information in the booklets remains relevant today, they have now been superseded by other booklets (either publications or online) from other organizations and they predate significant carers’ legislation, the Mental Capacity Act and the coming Mental Health Act
LondonCarers’ Network
The Carers’ Network was set up to provide regular workshops for carers and professionals working with carers, and a carers database established.
Two
carers’ conferences (2004 and 2005) in partnership with the Supporting(Mental Health) Carers Better Network , each attracted some 200 participants.
Future trends
Current health and social care reforms create new opportunities and demands - for friends and family carers. LDC can help mental health carers to maximize opportunities and influence change. Our vision is set out in [Link to “carers, the way forward”) . If YOU would like to get involved contact information@londondevelopmentcentre.org or telephone 020 7307 2431 for more information.
