Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Shepway Open Forum Easter Blog


It has been a very busy time since our last blog and as we are getting closer to Easter we can wish you all a Happy Eastertime.

During our meetings and lunches we have discussed many issues. Many members are concerned about ESA and Benefit changes and are unhappy about their GP’s charging £15-£25 to write letters when some people have had their benefit cut to £67.50 per week.

Poor quality rented housing is another issue in Shepway and the points system does not favour single people with a Mental Health Issue, this is another area where GP’s could be more supportive.

We are planning another outing perhaps to Brighton or Hastings and will encourage members to take part in local events celebrating the Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics.

Happy Easter from Angela and Jackie shepwayopenforum@gmail.com

Counselling Team

Counselling Team Ltd are your local NHS free of charge Psychological Therapies Provider, for patients with mild to moderate depression and/or anxiety. If you are registered with a Shepway GP surgery you can now self-refer using this online form.

Open Day at The Beacon 27 March

The Beacon in Ramsgate is the home of the Thanet Community Mental Health Team. On Tuesday 27 March they are holding an Open Day, to enable Beacon-based staff to meet and mingle with local voluntary, charitable and non-statutory providers of care and support to those with mental health problems and needs - including service user and carer organisations. The intended outcome is increased referrals from The Beacon to non-statutory providers, increased use of Personal Budgets, and greater community connections!


Amongst those attending will be representatives from the Live It Well website, Rethink, Mental Health Matters and Time to Change.


Tuesday 27 March, 10am to 2pm at


The Beacon
Manston Road
Ramsgate
CT12 6NT

Service user and carer involvement - 15 Steps Challenge

We all know that first impressions count and when walking on to a hospital ward the first “15 Steps” will give you an impression of what is happening on the ward. The NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement are developing the 15 Steps Challenge, a tool to support ward walk arounds, looking at productive wards from the patient perspective. The programme identifies simple things like protecting meal times, protecting drug rounds and preventing interruptions at staff handovers.

The Strategic Health Authority (SHA) are working with mental health trusts across the south of England in developing this tool for mental health, as it was originally developed for Acute Trusts. The Kent & Medway Partnership Trust (KMPT) have adapted this tool slightly to fit in with the productive mental health ward and will be part of the SHA’s work, but in the meantime will use the tool developed.

The process will be that a team of people consisting of non-executive directors, carers and services users, directors, service managers etc. will visit one to two wards every month to audit against the 15 steps criteria (no more that 4 people will be in any team). A programme will be produced and co-ordinated through the Compliance and Risk Management Team who will also work in getting teams together. A briefing session will then be delivered by the Deputy Director of Nursing to the teams.

The dates for the team briefings aimed at a more in-depth explanation of the process are 11th April in Canterbury at 2pm for 90 minutes &10th April at West Malling at 2pm for 90 minutes.

Anyone interested in getting involved in the team visits should contact Janet Lloyd, PPCI Manager Kent & Medway Partnership Trust, via email or on 01227 812034

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Are you a mental health service user or carer?

Would you like to ask a question or raise an issue about Kent & Medway Partnership Trust (KMPT) services with senior management?


Andy Oldfield, Assistant Director for East Kent Community Services

Cathy Nyemeck, Service Manager for Canterbury, Coastal & Swale Recovery Services

Michelle Webb, Service Manager for Canterbury, Coastal & Swale Access Services

will be available to talk to you on 30th May 2012, from 2.30pm - 4:30pm

at

Main Hall, St Martin’s Hospital,
Littlebourne Road, Canterbury, CT1 1AZ