Welcome to the September update of the Southwark mental health carers forum. Out of all the mental health carers forums, this forum was the last carers forum to be set up throughout South London. The forum is held over at Southwark carers.

Southwark Carers provides information, advice and support to carers across the borough of Southwark, they also aim to raise awareness of the rights and needs of carers. One of the aims of the Southwark mental health carers forum is to raise awareness of mental health carers. That being families and carers who care for someone close suffering mental health needs.

The forum also looks to educate carers on mental health services, by bringing in guest speakers. Raised discussions on what is happening to carers in the borough of Southwark, empower carers by forming links and networks. In fact in the September forum we agreed to form a network with a new advisory group.

We were lucky to have Alice Glover the public and patient involvement lead for a local mental health trust. She covers Lambeth and Southwark and also runs the new Advisory groups in those boroughs.

The local Trust is South London and Maudsley, which has been very good engaging with the mental health carer forums. And thus spoke about the importance of involving carers in regards to the Mental Health Trust services, especially when it comes to how the services are affecting carers and how the services are run.

We heard from Alice the good news in which one our members is also on the new Southwark Advisory group, which started the day before. We are hoping for feedback in regards to what do new advisory group focuses on. This new advisory group Focuses heavily on the services run by South London and Maudsley, but the members of this group advises how services are affecting those in the borough of Southwark.

The advice group consists of both service users and carers, with mental health professionals working within the NHS trust. The carer forum has a lot of work to do and we are looking forward to hearing updates on the following.

1. More engagement regarding the mental health trusts carers strategy.
2. Engagement from Southwark CCG
3. Engagement from the local MPs.
4. Involvement and engagement from the trust modern matrons, specifically on carer peer support projects.
5. Updates from King’s College Hospital, guys and St Thomas’s in regards to physical and mental health improvement.

You also look too promote the forum and get more members attending, this will be a big job, but it is a skill worth having as I am aware many carers still do not know enough about the Mental of services let alone knowing if they are even a carer.

At the end of the forum, I presented the Final report on the recent SLaM’s carers Listening event held over at the Coin Street Community Centre. I presented on the following, which took place at the event.

1. The carers stories shared at the event.
2. Presentation from Brimingham & Souilhil on their Planning for the future and emergency planning for carers.
3. The workshops on confidentiality, care act and how staff should engage with carers.
4. The panel at the end of the event.

We are very grateful to have Alice Glover it in and here are views at the Southwark mental health carers forum.