EMU SERVICE USER ENGAGEMENT CONFERENCE …

1 EMU SERVICE user ENGAGEMENT CONFERENCE report Friday 4 September Dugdale Centre, Enfield BACKGROUND AND AIMS The Enfield health commissioners (the CCG), Barnet Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust (BEH-MHT) and London Borough of Enfield have been working together on developments to support an enablement approach in mental health services . This builds on the recovery approach with the aim of working in partnership with SERVICE users to enable them to best achieve their goals. The phrase Live, Love, Do has been coined to describe the various important areas these goals usually fall into, which are: employment, relationships and housing. To test Enfield SERVICE - user support for the approach (in general) and to gather their views as to whether or not our services provide an enabling experience for people in crisis, the CCG commissioned EMU (as a respected local SERVICE user representative organisation) to hold a SERVICE user ENGAGEMENT event on September 4, 2015.

2 This report describes that event, and outlines the findings, plans and actions that will be taken forward as a result. Partners EMU CCG Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust HHASC Speakers Sara Litchfield Brown CEO EMU Kathryn O Donnell Enfield Clinical Director, BEH-MHT Keith Dean Interim Mental Health Commissioner, Enfield CCG Graham McDougall Director of Strategy and Partnerships, Enfield CCG Venue Dugdale Centre Thomas Hardy House Enfield EN2 6DS ABOUT EMU EMU is the Enfield Mental Health user Group. It is a long-established and widely-recognised registered charity providing peer support for people using Mental Health services in the London Borough of Enfield. The charity is led by mental health SERVICE users. EMU s Vision To challenge stigma within the London Borough of Enfield community, to promote social integration and work towards more positive images of people with mental health problems/illness.

3 To be an independent user group led by SERVICE users for all adult SERVICE users to promote personal development with all their different needs and with all their diversity. To improve communications between SERVICE users and SERVICE providers so to influence improvements. This will involve representation on as many committees and recruitment panels held by SERVICE providers as possible. It will also involve monitoring of SERVICE providers. To be the voice of mental health SERVICE users in the London Borough of Enfield working in a constructive spirit. PLANNING When planning the CONFERENCE , CCG, BEH-MHT, HHASC and EMU all felt strongly that it needed to include as wide a representation as possible from mental health SERVICE users in Enfield, and that SERVICE users needed to feel their contribution was valued. It was also agreed that there needed to be a fun element to the day to ensure that people left feeling upbeat and commit to further consultation.

4 The partners felt it was very important this was not just another CONFERENCE with no outcomes, no feedback and no commitment to further partnership work. We agreed on these non-negotiables: 1. services users must lead in the facilitation. 2. There must be a commitment from the statutory services to take part in the CONFERENCE and make clear where information would be going. 3. All the groups who have an interest in mental health must be invited and information must be cascaded across the borough. 4. Personal information must be confidential. 5. The venue and resources must be of a high standard. 6. There must be a fun element. After consultation with SERVICE users at EMU, these were addressed by: 1. EMU recruited SERVICE users to facilitate and gave them training and expenses to do this on the day. 2. EMU discussed with statutory services their involvement and the workshops were co-facilitated, everyone signed up to be in a workshop and there was a presentation and next steps from statutory SERVICE representatives.

5 3. We sent invitations to all the groups via the distribution lists for meetings. We made personal contacts with groups and sent information out across the borough. 4. We introduced the CONFERENCE and made it clear personal information was confidential. We set up anonymous feedback and had a generic box for all questionnaires, feedback and comment. We put facilitators on reception to take feedback where people felt this was difficult. 5. We booked a central venue that is used for staff training for the local authority and booked a catered for lunch and teas and coffees. 6. We ran Poetry/Music workshops after the main event and we gave people goody bags we filled these with information, mindfulness activities and treats. This had the added benefit of ensuring that people took information away with them. THE CONFERENCE AGENDA Sign in Introduction and ground rules Kathryn O Donnell, Enfield Clinical Director Workshops: Crisis Experience What does Enablement and Recovery mean to you?

6 What makes a good life when living with mental illness? What is a mental health friendly GP? Facilitators Feedback Lunch Response and Next Steps Graham McDougall, Director Strategy and Partnerships, Enfield CCG 2pm-3pm Music/Poetry workshops THE EVENT 118 people signed into the CONFERENCE , however it is estimated that approximately 125 people attended. There were 109 attendees identified as SERVICE users. There was representation from: EMU MIND Saheli Ebony Individual SERVICE users CCG BEH-MHT Healthwatch Enfield LB Enfield LB Enfield Quality Checkers Labour Party Kate Osamor MP SPEAKERS Sara Litchfield Brown, CEO EMU EMU thanked the CCG, BEHT and HHASC for the opportunity to host the CONFERENCE and for their commitment to consultation. Sara thanked all the SERVICE users who had attended on the day, and thanked those who were willing to share their experiences to ensure that Enfield had the best mental health support possible.

7 Sara went through the agenda and explained that this was not the forum for individual issues to be dealt with but there were staff available on reception or around the room who would be able to take forward issues. She then explained that if people were sharing information this should be treated with respect and confidentiality. Sara thanked the other groups who were represented. Kathryn O Donnell, Enfield Clinical Director Kathryn thanked everyone for attending and gave a PowerPoint presentation (see attached) outlining the BEH-MHT plans. She took questions from the floor these included: Are you saying you don t want criticism? Answer: Not at all we welcome comments and suggestions and will be working hard to have a dialogue with SERVICE users. I would like anyone who wants to stay in touch to pass me their details so I can include them in consultation. Comment: Without my psychiatrist I would be dead. Comment: I was let down by the Crisis team, as a carer.

8 Keith Dean, Interim Commissioner Mental Health CCG: Keith thanked everyone for attending and EMU for arranging the CONFERENCE . He said he was very pleased to be involved in such a well-attended event. WORKSHOPS There were four working groups, with each one focusing on a separate theme or question. These were: Crisis Experience What does enablement and recovery mean to you? What makes a good life when living with mental illness? What is a mental health friendly GP? We offered people the opportunity to choose their own workshop, depending on what they were most interested in. 17 people chose Crisis 13 people chose what does Enablement and recovery mean to you? 33 people chose what makes a good life when living with mental illness? 16 people chose what makes a mental health friendly GP? Others chose as the groups were formed FEEDBACK FOLLOWING DISCUSSION Group 1 Crisis Experience Team don t know your background Responsiveness In crisis need to know someone who knows you Care plans that continue through crisis Crisis team need to listen to carers and clients How they communicate with family and patients who are suicidal Home crisis team not understanding/misunderstanding behaviour Calls to police yes/no.

9 No opportunity to explain context When mistakes happen how do we put them right and quickly Recording info info learning are they recording right info Lack of communication within team Crisis team not helping when caller not suicidal not helpful in to complex cases Lack of contact with care coordinators Comms don t hear Not listening need helpful first contact getting it right first time More prevention Need to understand what the client feels is serious 4 hour wait for crisis is too long Same targets as health Interagency issues are difficulty Duplication need to share info One stop shop Better training for staff so they can signpost No supporting for users if they are not demonstrating suicidal ideation Active listening Timelines of response Support for carers Empathy Need to direct to right SERVICE More options for people in crisis not just hospital Patients want privacy non clinical space to recover Prefer to use Samaritans not crisis team Would like response to feedback from users Next steps info on feedback on web sites Not good signposting Unclear pathways Group 2 What does enablement and recovery mean to you?

10 Value Contribute Work voluntary Financial freedom Creating a paid post To be valued Independent Organisations and services should liaise with each other more Communication needs improvement Central team offering advice Education and training police and local organisations Awareness for SERVICE users and services Raise awareness of community services Psychiatric dept should be more active with SERVICE users Psychiatric dept should get more training from SERVICE user perspective Group 3 What makes a good life when living with mental illness? Drop-ins EMU/Park Ave Well being groups Walking groups Voluntary work Training Having chase farm for emergencies Dating groups Quality housing Budgeting Day trips Ongoing assessment of medication Having fun Swimming Being able to share and talking Gardening All forms of exercise Yoga Shopping Cinema Tea parties Pampering Resting and sleep Reflexology Overcome isolation Motivation Planning ahead Playing games Keeping up with obligations Good friends to listen to Story writing Poetry Music therapy English course Developing new skills Recovery College Trekking Dance groups Evening meals Xmas parties Learning a foreign language Helping other people Good nutrition Drama/acting Doing things you feel good about Manage stress levels Stop worrying Reward yourself often Get a pet Dental hygiene Grooming Motivation Plan ahead