Mark Sheldon

Via the MIND Website – http://www.mind.org.uk

This new DVD package explores some of the pressures which might contribute to poor mental health in young people, and examines how society views people with mental health problems and the impact of the resulting stigma.

The service users who took part in Finding the Edge felt that it is important that young people understand that they are not alone when they feel upset by issues they face. DVD 54 minutes.

Price £35

More details can be found here on the MIND Website

Via the Valuing People Now website.

Valuing People Now was launched on 19th January 2009. In the past year we have seen good progress in a number of areas.

Anne Williams, National Director for Learning Disabilities at the Department of Health says: “We are seeing real success as more people are using advocacy services and personal budgets, and having more choice and control in their lives.”

Scott Watkin, Co-National Director for Learning Disabilities says:
“People with a learning disability and family carers have been telling me that Valuing People Now is making a difference. They have been particularly encouraged to see more people with learning disabilities employed in Government departments and greater engagement with people from black and minority ethnic communities and people with complex needs.”

Download this update here

The consultation on the future strategy for adults with autistic spectrum conditions (ASC) closed on 15 September 2009.

Over 1,100 responses were received, including people with ASC, families and carers, voluntary sector organisations and health and social care bodies.

This report highlights the findings from the consultation including the importance of training, awareness raising and better diagnosis pathways.

Download the response to the consultation here

Via CQC Website

Regulator publishes results of mental-health patient ethnicity monitoring tool: ‘Count me in’ census

The NHS, councils and wider community bodies should improve preventative services to ensure they meet the mental health needs of people from black and minority ethnic (BME) groups, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has said as it publishes the Count me in census.

The report – published today and designed to promote equality in healthcare – monitors the ethnicity of inpatients and people subject to the Mental Health Act.

It underlines the need for better local strategic needs assessments and bespoke community-based services to reduce the risk of admission and detention.

As similar reports by CQC’s predecessor organisations have shown, this year’s Count me in census shows people from black and white/black mixed groups are three times more likely than average to be detained under the Act. Furthermore, there is no evidence of a decline in admission rates among BME groups, one of the 12 goals of the Department of Health’s action plan, Delivering Race Equality.

The report is the fifth of its kind and is carried out in support of the Department of Health’s action plan.
The data collected is a snapshot of patients on one day only (31 March 2009) in NHS and independent mental health hospitals and learning disability services in England and Wales.

Count me in recommends better partnership working between organisations in the health sector and BME communities, to tackle the health and social care needs of local populations.

Preventing mental ill-health by addressing contributory factors and intervening early is at the heart of the Department of Health’s plan for the future of mental health services.

CQC is also urging trusts and independent providers to continue to record accurate patient information. This will support their compliance with the new system of registration, which comes into effect in April.

Recording accurate patient information, including data on ethnicity, will support the regulation that requires providers to assess and monitor the quality of service provision. It will also support the regulation on the care and welfare of people who use services.

Trusts and independent providers that do not consider the ethnicity of people who use services may be unable to fully assess and meet their needs.

CQC chair, Jo Williams, said: ‘This census has once again highlighted the overrepresentation of some people from black and white/black mixed communities subject to treatment under the Mental Health Act.

‘We would urge all local providers and commissioners to analyse their own data
and decide what steps they need to take to meet the mental health needs of their communities.

‘We will also, through our commissioning assessment role, be examining the responsibility of commissioners to clamp down on poor practice.

‘Furthermore, there is no excuse for poor data collection and we will be scrutinising providers that perform badly in this domain. Data is critical for seeing how patients gain access to care, how they receive care and what the outcome is. Without it, providers cannot be assessed or assess themselves.

‘CQC will push hard to protect the vulnerable members of society and to ensure the safety of patients, through our registration enforcement powers if necessary.’

Download ‘Count me in’ census

The work of NICE has placed Evidence Based Practice at the centre of mental health service delivery for children and young people. Evidence Based Practice has helped bring about an awareness of the importance of general outcomes and equality in the delivery of best practice for all patients nationally. However, the UK is a multicultural society and our children and young people come from culturally, ethnically and racially diverse backgrounds.

One Day Conference

Speakers

Dr David Goldberg, Consultant Adolescent Psychiatrist, Wandsworth Adolescent Service, South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust

Britt Krause, Training & Development Consultant, The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust

Louise Lyon, Clinical Director, The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust

Dr Rob Senior, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and Medical Director, The Tavistock & Portman NHS  Foundation Trust

Mike Solomon, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Tavistock Clinic and Secondary Behaviour Support Service, London Borough of Camden

Dr Sami Timimi, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation NHS Trust

More information from http://www.tavi-port.org/node/1461

Recently published research commissioned by the DH as part of the patient safety programme identified considerable scope for improvement of prescription, dispensing, administration and monitoring of medicines in care homes. The study’s authors recommend clear local leadership and improved inter-professional communication.

In summary, the main findings were:

• residents (mean age 85 years) were taking an average of 8 medicines each
• on any one day 7 out of 10 patients experienced at least one medication error
• whilst the mean score for potential harm was relatively low, the results did indicate opportunity for more serious harm.

The full text version of the research can be downloaded here

CQC will be carrying out their own review and their existing guidance is available here

Other useful guidance includes the  Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain 2007 – The Handling of Medicines in Social Care

The full Government response to the final report of the independent CAMHS Review, setting out progress to date and plans for the future of children and young people’s mental health.

The response also gives examples of the outcomes expected from a good service as an aid for commissioners, providers and practitioners.

The publication sets out a package of support to help Children’s Trusts, including:

• guidance on supporting the emotional health of children, the commissioning of services and the self assessment of local services;
• an enhanced National Support Programme for practitioners, providers and commissioners, building on the work of the National CAMHS Support Service and related field forces;
• the roll-out of the £60 million Targeted Mental Health in Schools programme;
• the allocation of approximately £58 million to support the co-location of health services incorporating mental health provision alongside schools or youth centre type settings through the Co-location Fund; and
• a programme of action to support the workforce, including the announcement of new training support in relation to children with learning disabilities and children at risk of self harming.

The publication can be downloaded here

Via the Valuing People Now website.

This newsletter is for people with learning disabilities, family carers, Learning Disability Partnership Boards, self‐advocacy groups and anyone who works with people with learning disabilities.
It tells you what we are doing to make Valuing People Now happen for everyone, everywhere. It gives you information about work that is going on in the regions and nationally.

Download the newsletter here

This is the report of a national survey of children’s own experiences, bringing together the views of 1,195 children and young people. It is those children’s own assessment of how care is doing in 2009. It is the second annual survey produced by the Children’s Rights Director for England, Dr Roger Morgan.

The report indicates over nine out of ten children (92%) feel safe in the home they live in and 90% thought their care was good. However, over three quarters of children in care (76%) have been separated from brothers and sisters who live in different care placements and one in five (20%) continue to be bullied for being in care.

The document can be downloaded here

Via NMHDU Website

Bi-polar audio diary for BBC Radio

23 November Shift Speakers’ Bureau volunteer

Chris has been keeping an audio-diary about life with bipolar disorder for BBC Radio 4′s You and Yours.

You can hear the first installment here (bbc iplayer) and read a transcript of the first installment here.

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There are also several stories from people on the BBC’s “My Story” section under the tag: bi-polar disorder

You can access this here.