This is a update from the new Southwark Mental Health Carers forum for July. The Mental Health Carers forum for the London borough of Southwark, took place on the 28th of July 2017 over at the Jane field room at Maudsley hospital.

We had good attendance from carers, a representative of Southwark Carers and a researcher working on carers experiences. The first forum for carers caring for someone suffering mental health problems looked into how such a forum would be shaped.

To watch the video version of the update, please click below.

I basically presented on why such a forum should exist.

• It can be difficult for Carers in Southwark have an idea on Mental Health services and influencing them.
• There has not been a Mental Health forum for some years, although there are Mental Health carer support groups.
• Mental Health carers need some empowerment in their role.
• Services have suffered from cuts, carers need to act in order to support everyone.
• There needs to be an engagement platform for carers to discuss issues.

We also talked about our experiences as carers and what affected carers in the borough of Southwark.

I presented on the importance of Carer networking, but due to time constraints, I did not go into the full detail of carer networking. An update was presented by Southwark Carers on a carers Workshop being developed.

We also discussed the need for promotion. Plus an update on location and when the forum should be held. I then presented on the themes the forum could focus on, being the following.

• Making complaints and compliments.
• Carrying out your role as carer.
• Working with Mental Health Staff on confidentiality.
• Medication and monitoring.
• Mental Health Carer rights.
• Your right to support.
• Coping as a Mental Health Carer.
• Carer networking.
• Dealing with difficult Mental Health staff or doctors.
• Holding to account.
• Triangle of Care.
• Volunteering.
• Filling in forms.

Obviously I am not an expert in quite a few of these fields, so I hope to have a speaker attend the forum and inform the carers about such issues. I pointed out the Care Act should be of vital importance.

As a last note, any carer providing care for someone using mental health services in south london, if your interested.  Please contact Rory Pesta on gyongyver.pesta@kcl.ac.uk to participate in her studies.