Welcome back. Here is the first Mental Health Carer forum update for the London Borough of Lambeth. Help for Carers or what used to be known as Crossroads has managed to create a brand new Mental Health Carers forum for Lambeth. With the collaboration of its carers.

To see the video update please click on the 4 minute video below.

When I mean mental health carers, I do not mean the forum enquires into the mental health of carers, but has carers who care/support someone close who uses suffers from mental illness.

As far as I know, we have around 700 to 800 Mental Health carers in the borough of Lambeth. The forums aim is slightly similar to the one over at Carers Lewisham. The Lambeth Mental Health Carers forum is interested in what is happening to carers as a whole in that borough.

The forum took place over at the 336 over in Brixton. As dedicated and involved carers we set out the scope of the forum and heard views from fellow carers. We agreed that we should certain have a guest speaker from our local mental health trust, but what is more important is that we should inquire more into what the speaker is telling us. My view is that involved carers need empowerment and also to be consulted, we are partners in regards to the health services and we should seek council and CCG engagement.

Also at the Lambeth Mental Health carers forum, we heard from other carers who feel the forum can be used as a way to network with like minded carers and also link into other forums I am helping to run. The Lewisham Mental Health carers forum will network with the other forums I am involved with.

To conclude this update. We discussed the venue of where to hold the forum.
Promoting the forum via social media
The dates when the Lambeth Mental Health Carers forum is to be held.
Allowing carers to chair the forum (a good example of empowerment)
Inviting carer governors to attend and a few other things.

I am liking how this carers forum is developing and look forward to attend for July.