July Newsletter
Change at the centre:
SPN’s founder co-chair, Judy Foster, is to stand down. As she says:
‘I have been involved for five years now and feel it’s time for new thinking. It has been a wonderful experience working with so many gifted and committed SPN supporters and I am really proud of what we have achieved together. Who would have thought that first discussion paper would lead to 1400 members around the country, a dozen study days and publications, a real book and a website with quarter of a million hits last year? It does show there is power in working together and sharing ideas.
I now must complete the doctorate I started before all this excitement but I’ll still be an active supporter of SPN, confident in a great committee and brilliant staff team. Funders can rely on them and you to go on developing imaginative ways to increase user and staff confidence in spite of these uncertain times for social care and social perspectives in mental health. I am delighted to hand over to Alleyn Wilson, one of the vice-chairs and know that she and Stewart will continue an excellent partnership.’
Terry Bamford, SPN Director, said ‘Judy has given inspirational leadership to SPN . Her energy is boundless and her enthusiasm infectious. Through SPN she has been instrumental in sustaining a vision of services committed to users and carers and to social approaches. We all owe her a huge debt of gratitude’.
Alleyn Wilson will be acting co-chair with Stewart Hendry from September with a full election being held next April.
A Common Purpose: Recovery in future mental health services
We have waited a long while for the publication on recovery to be published by CSIP/SCIE and the Royal College of Psychiatrists, but it is here and available from SCIE. It was launched by Professor Anthony Sheehan (recently translated from the Department of Health to Leicestershire Partnership Trust) at the Royal College of Psychiatrists Annual Conference in June. SPN did the first draft for the publication with Jan Wallcraft leading the writers group.
While the directness of the call in that draft for users to define what recovery means for them and to shape their own journey has been somewhat muted in the final version, it is an important step forward for the user community. It validates people with severe and long term conditions being in control of their own lives. Putting it into practice will require a reorientation of services which has already begun in some areas.... and SPN will play its part in pushing forward knowledge and understanding through.....
Feeding the Flowers
This web based publication will be available in the next few weeks on the SPN website. It contains contributions from a number of writers who contributed to SPN thinking on recovery together with some commissioned pieces. It has links to key publications, presentations and articles and is intended to be a primary source of reference for those interested in the concept. And in addition to the publication, SPN is planning a study day on......
Recovery and Diversity Study Day
One of the big gaps in the literature on recovery identified through SPN's work was the perspective of black and minority ethnic communities. SPN organised two focus groups with the help of the Afiya Trust which inform our own publication. Now we are planning a study day in London on 16th October to explore these issues in more depth. The programme will include cultural perspectives from New Zealand as well as the UK, the experience of dual discrimination affecting the LGBT community, and findings from some of the Forward Implementation Sites of the Delivering Race Equality Programme. Read more from the Steering Group meeting
Book the date now in your diary!
Whose Health, Whose Care, Whose Say
This is the report of a joint CSIP Eastern Region and SPN study day. It is available from SPN and from CSIP Eastern Region. The study day was based on the White Paper, "Our Health, Our Care, Our Say" but looked particularly at the impact of the proposals on marginalised groups. Learning disabilities, homelessness, criminal justice, substance misuse and personality disorders were considered in the workshops with a host of ideas for action and recommendations developed by the workshops. Read more..
Mental Health Bill
This legislation has had a tortuous passage but is now on the last lap prior to Royal Assent. See Raza Griffiths detailed analysis of the gains made in the course of the Parliamentary progress and what is still left to play for in the Code of Practice.
Parental Mental Health and Child Welfare Network
SPN took over the running of the network in April. In the first three months we have conducted an online survey of Network members and secured an astonishing 20% return of the questionnaire - unprecedented for an online survey. We have set up a dedicated website for the network which went live this week. The Network plans two study days, probably run jointly with SPN on safeguarding in fragmented families and Perinatal mental health. And we have produced our first newsletter for PMHCWN members.
With the focus on families from the Cabinet Office and Social Exclusion Unit, this is an important time for developing a family policy which straddles organisational divides.
Happy Holidays
We hope you have a good summer break. The next newsletter will be issued in September.
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