Staffordshire's Positive Focus on Mental Health

Lead by Staffordshire County Council, Staffordshire's Wellbeing Partnership is focusing on taking a preventative approach to mental health and following a successful bid for Big Lottery Funding, has developed projects which target vulnerable groups and communities in the county.

Staffordshire Joint Commissioning Unit and local voluntary and community sector partners are delivering four specific projects as part of the Wellbeing Programme.  These include workshops to enable organisations to have a wider understanding of mental health issues, volunteering and mentoring programmes for people suffering from or at risk of suffering from mental distress and a project to improve the environment and grounds of 12 primary schools in the county which not only aims to improve pupil wellbeing but also to increase their activity and behaviour.

And Changes, the organisation who are delivering Wellbeing Workshops as part of the programme are a holding a mental health awareness event this Friday to coincide with World Mental Health Day at the New Vic Theatre in Newcastle.  The day will include a performance of a mental health related play written by one of Changes Co-founders called 'A Matter of Time' which has been touring the north of the county for the past few weeks.

Nicky Bromage, Commissioning Manager for Mental Health at Staffordshire's Joint Commissioning Unit said: "The funding from the Big Lottery has enabled people with mental health needs across Staffordshire to have more choice and control in their recovery and has further offered the opportunity to receive personalised and preventative services."

County Councillor Carol Dean, Cabinet Member for Safer and Stronger Communities said: "The approach being taken by the Wellbeing Partnership is based on evidence of effectiveness of what works for mental health promotion.  In its first nine months, the partnership has both increased the number of voluntary and community sector organisations providing local health and wellbeing services to vulnerable adults and communities and the number of people accessing mental health promotion and counselling services.

"Having such a high level of commitment and involvement from all partners has certainly helped the programme progress as it has so far and it demonstrates that Staffordshire clearly gives mental health and wellbeing high priority."

Amir Kabal OBE, Director of East Staffordshire Racial Equality Council said: "We are delighted to have been given the opportunity to provide mentoring support to BME people suffering mental ill health. We have a dedicated team of officers who will be setting up support network and training mentors to provide help, guidance and support across the County. This is the first project of this kind targeting BME communities. It is a challenging and exciting project which we are looking forward to delivering."

Additional notes

Partners involved in the Staffordshire Big Lottery Wellbeing Partnership:

·                    Tamworth Council for Voluntary Services

·                    Changes

·                    East Staffs Race Equality Council

·                    Staffordshire Joint Commissioning Unit

·                    NHS North Staffordshire

·                    West Midlands Regional Assembly

·                    National Big Lottery

·                    GHK External Research Consultants

Details of the four projects:

Wellbeing Workshops - delivered by Changes

Focus on developing preventative services: to promote mental wellbeing rather than treating mental illness.  A 12-steps model is designed to take people through a systematic approach from understanding the causes of mental distress to developing means and strategies for managing distress.

Wellbeing Workshops - focusing on individual and organisational wellbeing through a 'Train the Trainers' approach.  Those in organisations completing the course can go on to run their own wellbeing workshops.  Course accredited via Open College Network.  Focus primarily on deprived areas and people who have suffered from or are at risk of suffering from mental distress.

Volunteering4Health - delivered by Tamworth CVS

The benefits of volunteering are well recognised - growing body of research connecting volunteering to improvements to mental health and overall wellbeing.

Working via GP surgeries, a volunteer advisor supports beneficiaries into and through volunteering opportunities and placements which they are then supported in throughout.  Benefits gained can include improved self-esteem, reduced isolation, increased skills and increased ability to enter employment, plus wider benefits of reduced use of GP services and reduced levels of prescribing.

The Dove Mentoring Service - delivered by East Staffs Race Equality Council

Mentors (from diverse backgrounds and experiences) to work with black and ethnic minority communities and develop one-to-one relationship to enable individuals to achieve their goals.  Support to be delivered in a variety of settings such as leisure centres, educational establishments, volunteering opportunities and the workplace.

The project promotes recovery and recognises individual aspirations and supports person centred goals and ambitions whilst reducing the stigma of mental ill health by enabling people to use mainstream services as part of a community.

Sharing Spaces - delivered by NHS North Staffordshire

Well developed and utilised school grounds provide the opportunity for everyone in the school community to play, relax and learn in surroundings conductive to improving social and academic ability.  The converse is also true, poorly developed and utilised grounds are conductive to negative interaction, such as bullying, vandalism and neglect.

The Sharing Spaces project aims to address this issue in 12 primary schools throughout Staffordshire - enhancing their grounds as a means of improving pupils' wellbeing.  Pupil-centred approach, they take part in working groups and are consulted on plans.

For more information contact:

Louise Shaw, Communications Officer, Social Care and Health

e-mail louise.shaw@staffordshire.gov.uk or telephone 01785 276082 / 07976 191459

Samantha Turner, Head of Communications, Social Care and Health

e-mail samantha.turner@staffordshire.gov.uk or telephone 01785 277002