Women, Children and Families
Safety First: A coalition to decriminalise sex work and prioritise safety
Safety First, which is co-ordinated by the English Collective of Prostitutes, includes the Royal College of Nursing, bereaved families, Ipswich residents, church people, doctors, probation officers, anti-rape and anti-poverty campaigners, trade unionists, prison and drug reformers and sex worker projects. They have highlighted a detailed evaluation report from the New Zealand government which confirms the positive impact of decriminalisation on sex workers’ rights and safety. For more information .
Sanctuary Magazine
Inner Space for Women's Mental Wellbeing.
Sanctuary is published quarterly and is free to everyone. If you would like to subscribe, please email Megal Aspel
Issue 1 - January 2007
Issue 2 - Summer 2007
Issue 3 contains articles on the legacy of childhood abuse and a mental health strategy for women. Contact Megan for your copy.
Gender Equality and Women's Mental Health Network
Relaunch of the London- wide Gender Equality and Women’s Network 12 July 2007.
Melba Wilson and Karen Newbigging represented both national and regional leads when they led a stimulating meeting in London to celebrate the relaunch of this CSIP-based mental health network. SPN were there! We started with a rich sharing of experience from those who had used services which provided a valuable context for the day.
The group developed the draft terms of reference and also heard from Karen on progress on delivering change in mental health care for women with valuable reminders on the different life experiences, socio-economic realities, expressions of mental distress, pathways into services and treatment needs and responses between women and men. After taking us through reactions to service development she summarised the national priority areas for women: gender sensitivity in services, addressing violence and abuse, perinatal mental health, meeting the mental health needs of black and Asian women, choice and psychological therapies and women in the criminal justice system. I was glad to realise that these were areas that SPN is striving for too (SPN Paper 7)
Shirley McNicholas described the impressive amount of change for women that she has been able to introduce into Camden and Islington mental health services through nine years of being Women’s lead there. Then a colleague from South London and Maudsley explained the success of their single sex wards policy that they introduced 3 years ago which led to a lively debate on the policy.
Judy Foster
July 2007
Everybody Hurts Post Conference Report
Report on a Conference held by Newham Asian Women's Project at the Barbican Centre on March 14th 2007. It addresses why young women self harm and the attitudes they have encountered when seeking help
If you would like more information please contact the Newham Asian Women's Project on 0208 519 9136
Safety of Women in Acute Settings
Safety of Women in Acute Settings - Following the shocking abuse figures highlighted by the NPSA report With Safety in Mind and issues relating to mixed sex accommodation which were further highlighted in the results of the Count Me In census (and reported by SPN), the government has announced how the £30m earmarked to improve women’s safety on acute wards will be allocated. More Information:
Media Watch - Survivors in the Headlines by Raza Griffiths
Count me In - 2006 Healthcare census of Mental Health Inpatient Wards by Vicky Nicholls
Women and Mental Health: From Rhetoric to Reality
Presenting the findings from the Social Perspectives Network study day on Women and Mental Health, this papers not only listens to women’s stories – it believes them.
Containing speakers’ and workshop notes as well as presentations, the report gives insight to a range of perspectives. Jolie Goodman, a survivor, writes of her years campaigning for women-only wards in South London. Sue Waterhouse from the National Institute for Mental Health outlines the organisation’s strategy for women’s mental health. Marcia Rice delivers sobering statistics on the mental health of women in prisons. Aisha Gill presents information on violence, suicide and honour in the Asian community.
These are just some of the informative, inspiring and accessible papers presented in this 110 page booklet. Download the paper here.
Falling through the gaps
Looking for ways to fill the spaces between mental health services for children, young people and adults.
Written at the time of Every Child Matters, this report explores ways that children and young people’s mental health can be supported into adolescence and adulthood. Covers crime, inter-agency co-operation, case-studies and good practice. 51 pages
Women, children and families
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