Bridge Connections Coaching Consultancy are currently researching working carers and working parents experiences with employers when caring for dependants or loved ones with mental health challenges. My aim is to look at experiences and see where employers can increase wellbeing care, strategies and solutions to support the retainment of employee carers/parents whilst they are expected to show up for work, whether it be short-term or long-term.
It would start off with a questionnaire, then a short interview, to gather input.
From their experience, they feel there is an area where the working person providing care does not get enough individual wellbeing care, to continue to work effectively, this is an area that they are currently looking into.
You can contact Ceylan Thompson on coachingandmentoringlifeskills@gmail.com
Black Thrive is a partnership between communities, statutory bodies, voluntary organisations and the private sector. We work together to reduce the inequalities and injustices experienced by Black people in Lambeth.
According to the GSTC “One to Many” report, more than 1 in 5 residents in Lambeth live with at least one long-term condition. Over 19,000 live with multiple long-term conditions (three or more). Even though Black communities make up 18% of Lambeth’s adult population, they account for 27% of people with multiple long-term conditions. Furthermore,
in Lambeth, Black residents are four times more likely to be unemployed than white residents. When they are employed, they are disproportionately engaged in insecure, low-paid and dangerous work, which harms mental and physical health. In addition, Black people can face racism and discrimination in the workplace, which negatively impacts mental well-being.
Therefore, we know that people of African and African Caribbean descent in Lambeth are more likely to be unemployed and more likely to have poor health. One of the key drivers of these inequalities is structural racism and the fact that our current healthcare and employment systems prevent Black people from thriving.
As a result, in collaboration with Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Charity (GSTC), Black Thrive’s Employment Project is developing community-led solutions for improving employment outcomes for Black people with long-term conditions. Our goal is to ensure that Black people in Lambeth with long-term conditions are as likely to be in and sustain, meaningful employment as equivalent white people.
To do this, Black Thrive is partnering with community members, statutory bodies and local organisations to achieve justice for the Black community through radical systems change. In September 2020, we launched our £300,000 grant fund to pilot projects that consider the lived experience of Black people with long-term conditions and have the potential to create systemic change. Projects should test and pilot new ideas that have the potential to shift the dial on employment outcomes and improve the evidence base around what works for Black people in Lambeth with long-term conditions.
The fund was managed and distributed by our Employment Working Group; a group of local Black residents with lived experience of managing one or multiple long-term conditions. We believe that prioritising community-power and lived experience is a radical way of funding new and exciting initiatives that may be overlooked by the traditional system. After receiving 84 applications, the Employment Working Group decided to fund 8 projects – the vast majority of which are led by Black and disabled people.
Funded projects include a radical self-care and wellness to work programme, the creation of a network of Black social entrepreneurs, supporting those recovering from mental illness and substance addiction back into employment through dog day-care traineeships and empowering Black people to develop employability skills through social action. To read more about all 8 projects please visit: https://employment.blackthrive.org.uk/our-grantees/
As the projects begin recruiting participants, it is important we ensure that the opportunities available reach the most marginalised people. This is a form of systems change in itself, as it will allow those people who fall outside of traditional referral pathways for services to still access support.
Given that carers have an intimate and trusting relationship with their loved ones based on an acute understanding of their needs, interests and goals, they are a vital network which cannot be overlooked! We strongly encourage all Lambeth-based Black carers to review the projects on offer, share them widely within your networks and follow the sign-up process if you, or someone you know, is interested in taking part.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists are collecting stories from people with lived experience of long term mental health conditions. These stories will support the work of the Royal College of Psychiatrist’s Faculty of Rehabilitation & Social Psychiatry. The Faculty is made up of psychiatrists, service users and carer representatives with experience of psychiatric rehabilitation services. The Royal College of Psychiatrist want to understand and represent such experiences.
You can download the Lived experienced submission form in the link below.
Some of the stories collected will be placed on the Royal College of Psychiatrist Faculty website. They may also use them in future reports and campaigns.
The Royal College of Psychiatrist appreciate that sharing your story with others can be difficult; you may need support from carers or the individual who has invited you to participate.
Taking part in their project is entirely voluntary, and stories will be anonymised.
Patients and carers with lived experience are leading on this project.
Any queries about the project please email stella.galea@rcpsych.ac.uk.
Welcome back and thanks for stopping by. Have you ever heard of PCREF? There was a blog about it in 2019 regarding mental health inequalities for black people. Mental Health outcomes for those from the Afro-Caribbean community has been very poor for a long time. So there has to be some form of change, but how can this go about? I think it starts with the community and a way for black people to come together and query how mental health services and support the community.
The blog about health inequalities from NHS England is below.
South London & Maudsley short for SLaM are one of the mental health trusts looking to work with the black community on ways to support wellbeing and close the inequalities gap.
I recently made a short video as an intro into black health inequalities, although its not going to be the only video I am working on.
They are looking for members of the Black community to attend a series of events SLaM call ‘Fit for Partnership’. These events well focus on four boroughs they run services.
Croydon’s Black Community: Tuesday 19 January, 6pm – 8pm: Register here
Welcome back to my first blog post of 2021 and I have exciting news. I have just heard some days ago carer Alan Worthington got an OBE from the New Years honours. When I found this out, I was overjoyed. If you do not know who Alan Worthington is. Alan was instrumental in the creation of The Triangle of Care.
Alan Worthington – Founder of Triangle of Care
The Triangle of Care has been around for some time, I believe 2010. The Triangle of Care is a set of policies to involve families and carers in the decisions and care of those suffering mental ill health, especially inpatient settings on mental health hospitals.
Triangle of Care Logo
With the support of national carer charity Carer’s Trust and National Mental Health Development Unit, Alan worked so hard to help implement the policy for mental health trusts.
When a mental health trust wants to sign up to the triangle of care, they need to self-assess how families and carers are involved and supported regarding mental health services. Once self assessment of services is complete then the trust can identify what needs to improve in comparison to the triangle of care’s six policies as in.
Carers and the essential role they play are identified at first contact or as soon as possible thereafter.
Staff are “carer aware” and trained in carer engagement strategies.
Policy and protocols re; confidentiality and sharing information are in place.
Defined post(s) responsible for carers are in place.
A carer introduction to the service and staff is available, with a relevant range of information across the acute care pathway.
A range of carer support services is available.
All too often carers can be shut out of the care for their loved ones as all too often Mental Health professionals get the last word. When things go wrong, people finally ask the question “What did you ask the carer about the situation”? It is like families and carers are screaming to be involved, but something is pushing them out.
The aim is to increase involvement and communication between patient, health professional and carer. As in the past all to often there has been an imbalance of communication. There have probably been dozen’s of involvement policies from a patient or MH professionals perspective, but with the triangle of care we get the family and carer influence.
Over the years many mental health trusts have rose up to the challenge and signed up for The Triangle of Care. Below is a list of some of the Mental Health NHS trusts who have signed up and are currently working with triangle of care.
Birmingham & Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust Bradford District Care Foundation Trust Devon Partnership NHS Trust Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust Leeds & York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust Livewell South West Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust South Staffordshire & Shropshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust Sussex Partnership NHS Trust West London Mental Health NHS Trust. Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust. Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust. Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust. Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. Southern Healthcare. Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust Mersey Care NHS Trust Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust Tees Esk and Wear Valley NHS Foundation Trust.
It is with the hard work of Alan Worthington and Carer’s Trust that the triangle of care has made such a difference in families and carer’s lives. I myself as a carer activist got involved with the triangle of care because I felt so passionate about the cause. I certainly have to thank Ruth Hannan who inspired myself and others to make a difference and help shape the Triangle of care.
I would like to finish off stating that I am excited South London & Maudsley have taken the challenge to sign up to the Triangle of care and I look forward to see how they can set an example like other trusts currently on The Triangle of Care scheme. There is still much work to do and one should never fully rest on their laurels, but congratulations to Alan for all his achievements.
We can hope the triangle of care continues to work its magic for many across the country and that carers should always be counted.
A Caring Mind 