About the Forum:
The Lewisham, Lambeth & Southwark Carers Forum is a collaborative online space that brings together unpaid carers, carer leads, mental health professionals, and support organizations to share experiences, raise concerns, and influence change. Focused primarily on mental health caregiving, the forum serves as a platform for peer support, policy updates, training insights, and service development. Led by carer advocate Matthew McKenzie, the group fosters empowerment through regular discussions, creative expression, and co-produced solutions, ensuring carers’ voices are heard across local systems and beyond.

Carers Week Collaboration Discussion

The meeting began with introductions from Matthew McKenzie, who leads a merged online carers group, and other participants including Yvonne, a carers navigator at Southwark Carers, and Margaret, a carer representative with the Royal College of Psychiatrists. The group discussed Carers Week activities and their various roles in supporting carers across different organizations. Karen Hooper, connected with the Lambeth Living Well Collaborative, while Lee Roach, the carers lead for South London & Maudsley in Lambeth, shared his involvement with the Trustwide Family and Carers Committee.

Mental Health Bill Feedback Concerns

Carers raised concerns about the closure of feedback opportunities for the Mental Health Bill, noting that the deadline was unexpectedly set early. They also discussed a campaign for carers to share photos to highlight their lack of breaks, which Matthew agreed to share information about.

https://carers.org/campaigning-for-change/give-carers-a-break-join-the-carers-protest-from-home

The group expressed shock and concern over the planned disbandment of Healthwatch, an organization they valued for its community-focused advocacy work. Matthew mentioned the need to find a replacement for Healthwatch’s services and suggested an MP could visit the group to update.

Carer Roles and Trust Oversight

Lee Roach carer lead in Lambeth for South London & Maudsley NHS trust discussed the allocation of responsibilities within the organization and mentioned a meeting with the team that will be handling carers and carers’ lead roles later in the week. He explained the trust’s oversight of activities related to family carers through the Family and Carers Committee, which meets bi-monthly and is used as a consultative body for various organizational developments. Lee also highlighted the organization’s submission for the Carers Trust’s Triangle of Care audit, which resulted in achieving the second star, and outlined recommendations for improvement, which you can see below.

Recommendations to Maudsley – Triangle of Care (Stage 2) Audit

• Improve Identification of Young Carers:
  Strengthen processes for identifying carers under 24, particularly those involved in caring for people using mental health services.
• Embed Carer Awareness Training Trust-Wide:
  Ensure consistent and high-quality carer awareness training across all directorates—not just in Lambeth.
• Strengthen the Carer Champions Network:
  Appoint and support dedicated carer champions in every team to act as a key contact and advocate for carers.
• Ensure Carers’ Needs Are Considered in Policies:
  Include the impact on staff who are also carers in internal policy reviews, ensuring carer needs are reflected across procedures.
• Advance Work on ‘Think Family’ Approach:
  Further embed the Think Family framework to support carers holistically, including young carers and families.
• Develop and Promote Advanced Choice Documents:
  Increase use and awareness of advance choice documents (ACDs), especially in inpatient settings.
• Enhance Co-Production of Resources:
  Collaborate with carers in the creation and revision of tools such as welcome packs, training content, and care planning processes.
• Improve Use of Audit Feedback for Accountability:
  Share audit findings and action plans with the Family & Carers Committee to maintain accountability and measure progress.

Carer Training and CQC Feedback

The group discussed carer awareness training and recent CQC inspection feedback, with a carer sharing her experience of staff training needs and the impact of high staff turnover. Lee acknowledged the challenges in training healthcare professionals and suggested sending staff to the Lewisham training program. Another carer highlighted the importance of informal carer-staff interactions and suggested implementing a “Tree of Life” exercise similar to what was done during peer support worker training. The conversation ended with Lee announcing an upcoming carers and family listening event scheduled for November 12th, for which volunteers are needed for the organizing committee.

Ortus Center Event Planning Meeting

The group discussed plans for an upcoming event at the Ortus center on November 12th, with Lee Roach seeking ideas and participants for organizing it. Matthew expressed interest in reading poetry at the event to connect with carers. Karen Hooper congratulated Matthew on his book, which was highlighted at a recent collaborative meeting. Karen Ibrahim shared her experience reading poems written by Lambeth carers at a mental health carers’ peer support group, noting the positive impact it had on the group. Matthew played a song he composed based on one of the poems, titled “Peer Carer.”

Carer Support and Digital Engagement by Mobilise

Matthew discussed his work on songwriting and its connection to peer carer support, emphasizing the importance of knowledge sharing and service referrals. Elle shared Mobilize’s digital support initiatives for carers during Carers Week, including online sessions, mini-lives, and a poll that revealed mixed awareness of the events. Elle noted that while some events resonated with carers, others faced misunderstandings about their purpose, highlighting the need for clear communication. Karen Hooper inquired about carers’ discussions during gatherings, to which Elle responded that themes are set but conversations often organically shift based on the group’s needs.

Carer Support and Mental Health

The group discussed the challenges faced by carers, particularly in mental health contexts, emphasizing the stigma and guilt they often experience. Elle highlighted the importance of a gentle approach and peer support within their online community, while another carer shared insights from her experience in peer support, emphasizing the value of sharing stories and the need to remind carers that they are not alone. Others agreed on the significance of carers sharing their experiences and receiving support from others who understand their situation, despite the stigma surrounding mental health issues.

Carers’ Week Support Activities

The group discussed carers’ week activities and support services. A carer representative shared her experience of running carers’ groups in Lambeth, noting that while some carers want to share their stories, others prefer to focus on practical support and peer connections.

Yvonne from Southwark Carers described a range of activities during carers’ week, including a book club, tech clinic, health and wellbeing sessions, dance classes, and an emergency planning workshop. The discussion highlighted the importance of providing a supportive environment for carers at different stages of their journey, with a focus on both practical support and opportunities for social interaction and self-care.

Carers Week Event Planning Meeting

The group discussed Carers Week activities, including an online event about Care Act rights and two in-person events: a yoga and mindfulness session, and a hand cream making and massage session. Karen Ibrahim shared details about an upcoming Mental Health Carers Route meeting at Mosaic Clubhouse, where colleagues will discuss hospital discharge support for psychiatric ward patients.

The next group meeting was scheduled for July 28th.