Issue - meetings

A copy of the Charter is attached to this agenda. The Select Committee will also receive a brief presentation at the meeting.

Caroline Mellers, Charter Lead, St Mungo’s / New Hope and Ralph Lillywhite, St Mungo’s Bridges to Wellbeing Manager gave a presentation to the Select Committee on the Mental Health & Wellbeing Charter for Bath & North East Somerset.

A copy of the presentation can be found on their Minute Book and as an online appendix to these minutes, a summary of the presentation is set out below.

Background

·  Why the Charter was developed? - The aim of the Charter is to inform those who work with people with mental health issues about the key areas which support wellbeing. It promotes a shared approach between those using services, their families, friends, groups and professionals to support each person’s unique mental health needs.

The idea of Charter was introduced and led by Caroline Mellers, initially as a St Mungo’s and New Hope volunteer. Caroline has a personal and professional background in mental health, having used crisis, and inpatient services. She worked for the District Health Board in New Zealand as a service evaluator and now works with a number of local statutory and 3rd sector organisations in B&NES.

·  What supports people’s mental wellbeing? - The Charter supports the key aims of New Hope which are to ‘affect positive change in treatment and support services’ and to ‘give service users and carers a voice’.

·  Scope of the Charter - The Charter highlights the 10 Guiding Principles that reflect the support people need for their mental health and wellbeing. Local organisations are invited to sign up to these principles.

St Mungo’s Bridges to Wellbeing

·  New Hope - New Hope is an organisation of volunteers working to improve mental health services in Bath & North East Somerset. We focus on co-production: working together with other groups to produce great work.

·  How the Charter fits with the multi-agency services approach – Worked alongside many organisations including Healthwatch, Council and the recent Your Care, Your Way consultation.

·  ‘Bridging the Gap’ report – This report currently underpins mental health commissioning strategy. One of the key findings of the report was the impotance of ‘statutory services and other support networks working together to optimise support for the individual’.

·  Building Bridges to Wellbeing – Our service works with people with low to moderate mental health needs in Bath and NE Somerset.

Our aim is to enable clients to have more independent and fulfilling lives by developing peer support networks and groups.

Creating the Charter – How it happened

•  Led by people who have used services

•  Steering group – local organisations

•  Initial Charter design – Two Focus groups

•  Consultation - Ten focus groups, over 100 people who had received support for their mental health

•  Final Charter & ‘In Practice’ document

What is the Charter?

•  In 2 parts: i) 10 point Charter

    ii) In Practice document

•  Increases awareness of mental health needs

•  Integrates the views of people using services into service delivery

•  Supports staff to understand and follow the philosophy of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12