Better Mental Health For All celebrates five years
On Tuesday 6 October, just under 150 delegates celebrated five years of the Better Mental Health for All Network at the Big Shed in Leicester.
The Network is led by local voluntary sector partners, but also includes stakeholders from public health, the NHS and local councils. Between them, they work together on shared ambitions to improve mental health services across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. (LLR).
Khudeja Amer-Sherif, CEO of Shama women’s Centre in Leicester and recent honorary doctor from the university of Leicester, chaired the event on behalf of the Network. She said: “It is amazing to see so many delegates today from different organisations, representing not only the voluntary sector but so many of our colleagues from primary care, LPT and the local authorities too, highlighting the recognition and importance of working together to help improve mental health outcomes in LLR.
“Today is about looking back at the priorities the voluntary sector identified, and planning ahead together; and a great opportunity for our guest speakers to share their ground breaking innovations and programmes. We have so much to celebrate across LLR ; clearly by co producing mental health solutions we can have greater impact in reducing mental health inequalities across LLR. Together we are stronger!”
LPT’s executive director of mental health, Tanya Hibbert, joined Khudeja in welcoming delegates to the event. She said: “It is a privilege to be here today and to meet so many partners who are working to support our local population. Events like these are important for us to build our networks, to understand shared priorities and see the future direction of mental health services.
Speakers on the day included Justin Hammond who leads the local NHS’ mental health collaborative commissioning team. He provided an overview of the current NHS and mental health landscape, national and local developments and future policy direction and funding context. He was followed by: Rachel Hall, deputy CEO of Falcon Support Services, who led a session on supporting the voluntary sector’s workforce wellbeing; LPT’s Aidha Jagot and the Joy of Music’s Ian Grayling who updated delegates on the training for supporting people with emotional distress; Clare Crowley from Root and Branch Out CIC who explained the easiest ways that partners could contact mental health services in an emergency; and Rehana Sidat, CEO of Jamila’s Legacy who took partners through the results of research into measuring the impact of partners’ work in supporting people’s mental health and wellbeing.
The event was supported by four guest speakers, experts in their field who presented new and emerging topics:
- Doctors Claire Hemming and Lara Harris, LPT’s consultant psychologists
Keeping relationships and community at the centre of care using Open Dialogue. - Dr Sherif Abdallah, Lead Consultant for Crisis Team,
Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust
Flow tDCS in Crisis Care and beyond:
Groundbreaking research at LPT and how this is changing lives. - Emma Burns, Strategic Lead, Health Protection, Leicestershire County Council
From inequality to equity: Improving breast cancer screening participation for people with serious mental illness
The launch of the programme was marked by an event that brought together local GP practices showcasing a number of presentations by healthcare professionals.
Latham House Medical Practice located in Melton Mowbray, took part in the pilot – their Vulnerable Patient Care Co-ordinator, Emeryss Tearne, said:
“The introduction of the programme has been positive for our practice as it has made us more proactive. We’ve reviewed resources and information for patients and looked into what more we can do within our practice to make it more accessible for our patients with a learning disability.”
Beaumont Lodge Medical Practice in Beaumont Leys also took part in the pilot and have started to introduce sensory care bags to support people with a learning disability at their appointments. The sensory bags include items such as stress balls and ear defenders and have been designed to offer comfort and reduce stress when patients attend their appointments at their GP practice.
Practice Nurse Manager, Sarah Wickerson, said:
“We have already started to implement reasonable adjustments and used a sensory care bag with a patient – we had feedback from the patient’s mother to say what a massive help it was.”
The programme also encourages practices to introduce a Learning Disability Ambassador who will work with the LDA Collaborative to help to improve the care of communities across LLR.
Rebecca Eccles, Health Equity Lead for the LLR LDA Collaborative said:
“I’m proud that we are able to launch the Learning Disability Friendly GP Practice accreditation programme across LLR. It will support the LDA Collaborative’s overall aim of health equity for everyone in our community.”
All GP practices across LLR are able to take part in the programme by completing an application form which sets out clear criteria that should be met in order to achieve a bronze, silver or gold accreditation. Once submitted, the form is reviewed by a panel.
The LDA Collaborative is led by Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust with partners and representatives including the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board, Leicester City Council, Leicestershire County Council, Rutland County Council, as well as voluntary and community organisations, and experts by experience.
Working together, the Collaborative’s aim is to address health inequalities and transform services to improve outcomes for people with learning disabilities and autistic people in the community. Currently people with a learning disability or autism have a shorter life expectancy than other people. The Collaborative brings both health services and local authorities together to champion better outcomes for everyone with a learning disability or autism.