• Discussion Evenings: Psychiatric Medication, Recovery In New Zealand & Australia
• 21 Years Survivors MIND Conference
• Client Holidays
• Training For Trainers
• Evaluations: Service User Evaluation, Stakeholder Evaluation

Discussion Evenings: Psychiatric Medication

Network were proud to welcome Guy Holmes and Judy Harvey, who took us through an interesting evening with lively debate and discussion about the positive and negative effects of living with psychiatric medication. There was a great turn out and as a result Network, in partnership with Leicestershire Partnership Trust Psychology Department, have been able to offer an ‘action research’ support group for people who want to discuss the issues of medication further. The group meet every 2 weeks with invited speakers offering a range of perspectives on medication including: pharmacy, psychiatry and alternatives to the medical model. Network has just agreed to support the group to continue in the new year

Discussion Evenings: Recovery in New Zealand and Australia

Jim Campbell presented the findings of a seven week study tour of Australia and New Zealand, highlighting the advances in the recovery movement and the contrast between there and the UK.

‘The aim of the tour was to undertake a scooping study of recovery models, approaches and services being implemented that would also allow for the identification of best practices. The study set out to discover the comparative success of various New Zealand and Australia approaches and how they could be modified for nurses in the UK and elsewhere’.

Once again the atmosphere was relaxed and mutually supportive, allowing for wide and interesting debate on all things ‘Recovery’ which could have gone on all night and the best part of the next day. Jim topped off his presentation with a magic show.

21 Years Survivors Mind Conference

On September 6/7th Survivors joined together for a conference organised by MIND at the Leicester University Conference Centre in Oadby.

I was 45 when I first stayed in a Youth Hostel and now a bit older than that I stayed in a University Hall of Residence for the first time. Obviously it’s never too late to do things in one’s life!

Most people arrived by 5.00pm and were directed to their rooms, and returned to register. After 6pm we started the first session about the History of Service User Groups in the 70s and 80s, especially in London. A History Group has been formed and I have details if anyone is interested. We had a substantial dinner with free flowing wine and then a birthday party to celebrate the Coming of Age. This included a noisy disco and the bar being open.

Thursday started with breakfast, and then we went onto a session about the present state of service users. Rufus May was one of the speakers. The next two sessions were workshops. Shaun and I attended one led by Jim Read about thinking of a day when there is a drug-free mental health system – certainly very thought provoking.

After lunch we met together for a session looking to the future with more speakers. Closing remarks the conference to an end. It was good to mix with other Survivors, even if we did average over 40 years and were mainly white.

THANK YOU MIND FOR ORGANISING THIS CONFERENCE.

Client Holidays

Supported housing and Outreach clients enjoyed another fun packed week in the popular East Coast resort of Caister On Sea earlier this year. With another holiday to Hastings taking place in the late summer. Network holidays offer the opportunity to take time out, relax and make new friends. Many clients, who haven’t had a holiday since childhood, have gone on to independent holidays and staff often comment on the benefits in enabling closer working relationships. ‘When you’ve lived on a narrow boat with someone for a week you can’t help but get to know them better’.

Unfortunately we have haven’t had the resources to offer the usual range of holidays this year, but we are hoping to offer more structured days out in the new year – including a day on a boat, an activity day and perhaps even camping for those who are really brave!

Training For Trainers

Once again the Training For Trainers course brings together service users, carers and workers for a mutual exploration of Mental Health and Recovery Values. The course has been run three times now as a joint venture between Changing Futures and Network For Change. This year’s training has once again been a great success.

‘As a worker for the NHS, Social Care and Health, most training attended is very much service-led, despite the content. It was refreshing (even if slightly scary) to expose myself to an honest and gutsy training course with workers, carers and service users. So many perspectives, so little time. A fantastic course, managed and led by a wonderfully inspiring leader. Marion Aslan should be running the psychiatric system!’ – Deborah Barsby, City East Assertive Outreach Team

Good luck to Marion in her new job with ‘Crazy Diamond Training and Consultancy’ and we hope to continue to work together in the future.

Evaluations: Service User Evaluation

Marion Aslan kindly carried out an independent service user evaluation of Network’s service using an adapted version of the DREEM model (Developing Recovery Enabling Environment Measure – Ridgway and Press 2004). We had lots of great feedback and some valuable constructive criticism which will help us to further develop and improve our services.

Evaluations: Stakeholder Evaluation

Once again, we carried out a Stakeholder Survey and although the response was quite low, the feedback we received was very promising. It’s always difficult to gage the right approach to service evaluation and this year we have learnt some valuable lessons for next years’ evaluation. Hopefully we will be able to increase the response next time. Thanks for all who took part in both evaluations.

Both reports are available on request