Consultation on NHS England mandate
November 16, 2015 at 2:28 pm
Public consultation on a mandate which sets the Government’s objectives and budgets for NHS England 2016-17, is now open.
The consultation document highlights the Government’s proposed approach and the strategic priorities that will form the new mandate.
One of the Government’s objectives for NHS England is for it to ‘continue to strive to improve, and reduce inequalities in, physical and mental health outcomes for all’.
The report also states, under the Government’s priority to transform out-of-hospital care, that there is ‘much more to be done to ensure mental and physical health are considered equal, while care for people special educational needs and learning disabilities needs further improvement’.
To take part in the consultation, click here. The deadline for responses is 23rd November, 2015.
The mandate will then be finalised in light of responses, and the outcome of the Government’s Spending Review, ahead of publication in December 2015.
November 16, 2015 at 2:28 pm | News | No comment
Survey on housing and employment
November 16, 2015 at 12:35 pm
Bristol residents with autism are being reminded to fill out an important survey on housing and employment in the city.
The National Autistic Society (NAS) is wanting to find out why so many people with autism in Bristol struggle to find and keep a job or a home.
The charity also wants to know about how your job or home makes you feel and whether you’re happy in it. There are some multiple choice questions and some that have space to write out longer answers.
NAS says the results gathered from the survey, will help shape the campaigning they do in Bristol.
The survey should take about 15-25 minutes to complete and is available via the below link:
SURVEY LINK: www.surveymonkey.com
Alternatively, residents can fill out the downloadable form, and return to henry.barnes@nas.org.u, or if you prefer, you can print the document and return it to the address below:
FAO Henry Barnes, National Autistic Society, Church House, Church Road, Filton, BS34 7BD.
A crib sheet is also attached to help you fill in the survey.
All responses to the survey will be kept anonymous and you don’t have to answer every question. Filling out this survey won’t affect any benefits you receive or support you receive.
Deadline to complete the survey is 23rd November, 2015.
November 16, 2015 at 12:35 pm | News | No comment
Join a Time to Talk Day planning meeting in Bristol
November 6, 2015 at 11:22 pm
Time to Change Bristol will be holding a planning meeting for Time to Talk Day on November 10 and would love for you to join them. Training and ongoing support will be available for those wishing to become involved.
Travel expenses of up to £15 will be reimbursed if you keep receipts.
" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">l.andrews@time-to-change.November 6, 2015 at 11:22 pm | News | No comment
627 conversations about mental health
November 6, 2015 at 11:03 pm
Time To Change’s task is to end discrimination against people with mental health issues by talking to as many people as possible about mental health.
Cabot Circus Shopping Centre offered us a large area for free for the day. This was a great opportunity for Time To Change Bristol to talk to people about mental health. Time To Change created the concept of a village. For this day we had a marquee to show nationally produced Time To Change Films that were ready for the campaign and for World Mental Health Day.
Our Minions at the Time to Change Cinema performed face painting and this was very popular. Balloon Modelling was another very popular activity. Other activities included free massages, and also we had 2 musicians Bex and Chris.
All this helped gain attention for Time To Change with the public and this led to us having 627 conversations with people – ahead of our aim of 500 conversations for the day.
Our Time To Change Table was filled with information and we had many Time To Change goodies to give away to those people who talked to us.
Our Time To Change Post Box was there for people to send a postcard for free with a message to friends or family. Lynne also provided a survey with a prize draw for those most interested in our campaign.
To find out more information about Time To Change visit: www.time-to-change.org.uk
By Peter Hale, member of BIMHN and mental health blogger.
November 6, 2015 at 11:03 pm | News | No comment
Callington Road bus service must be reinstated
November 6, 2015 at 10:42 pm
BIMHN’s campaign officer Amelia Campbell has been busy researching into the ongoing issue with Callington Road Hospital’s public transport provision. A forum is being held at the end of the month to put questions forward to those involved in the service cut.
Ever since Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership (AWP) announced they were ceasing to provide a free bus service to the service users, staff and visitors of Callington Road Hospital there has been uproar, with calls for the decision to be reversed and action to be taken. However it has all been disjointed and not at all collaborative.
Since before becoming so involved in BIMHN and being elected to the role of Campaigns Officer, I have been aware of the issues surrounding the limited public transport access to Callington Road. I am truly passionate about ensuring there are as few barriers to recovery from mental health problems as possible (ideally there would be none) and I feel that the decisions made by AWP, First and Bristol City Council have formed a barrier to those who access services provided at Callington Road.
I am currently leading a planning group which has organised an open forum for 30th November, where questions will be put to representatives from key organisations involved in the Callington Road bus service problem. We have collected information from a variety of individuals and organisations who are supporting the work of BIMHN on this including correspondences and statements of which some will be available for members to view in the near future.
The aim is to provide a list of recommendations, and give service users’ a platform to put questions to those involved in the service cut to achieve public transport being reinstated to the hospital. The forum will be open to everyone so please spread the word and if you have any questions regarding this campaign please email .
Click here for background information on Callington Road Hospital bus service.
November 6, 2015 at 10:42 pm | News | No comment
How Bristol Active Life Project helped me put my life back together
October 9, 2015 at 9:44 am
Background
After Christmas 2008 I was critically injured and in a coma due to an incident which also had considerable impact on my life, leading me to also be at the centre of press attention. At the same time I was also made redundant. A knock-on effect of these events was for me to be evicted my accommodation. At that time I was also near the end of a Computing and Engineering PhD.
I was discriminated against by many public authorities who showed little understanding or care for mental health, nor knowledge of the related disability and human rights laws. I have reactive anxiety and depression due to all of the above. I also have a mild trait of Asperger syndrome.
All of the above events and my personality and ability/disability traits led to a perfect storm of conflict where I sued (usually successfully) every agency that harmed me. I also had great support from Rethink to cope through all this. This help, combined with legal successes created some space and time in my life to get involved in more constructive activities.
Bristol Active Life Project (BALP)
These constructive activities involved a mixture of completing my PhD, volunteering, mental health campaigning, temporary work and research, and BALP activities. I’ve also completed many vocational and academic web, programming, computing, business and admin courses.
The BALP activities have been the most enjoyable. This has greatly helped my mental health and physical health, which both needed constructive activities to improve. I have asthma and diabetes, but this doesn’t stop me exercising, this makes exercise more important, but only in combination with the appropriate medical treatment and advice.
Before this I had been putting on weight because of lack of exercise due to PhD work, and court cases etc that needed mental not physical effort.
I first took up walking with BALP, and was a regular for this. We used to get together at MIND in Old Market, to meet before and have tea and coffee after. Whilst there, I saw a poster for BALP football training at St Pauls. I have played football on and off, all through my adult life. So I took part in BALP football training and playing on Tuesdays at St Pauls. What I hadn’t known was that there was professional coaching, other training and football days, and a football team.
As I got used to the Tuesday football and got fitter, I realised that I was ready to train on Fridays at South Bristol, where there is a large weather proof Astroturf pitch. This is also the training place for the BALP football team. Before long I was also ready to play for this team, and now I’m a regular in this team. Our BALP team also won a tournament last summer.
I’ve only missed one BALP football games day and this was because the Bristol Half Marathon clashed with the football that Sunday. BALP had supported me by paying the fees and giving advice so I could run. I was able to run this Half Marathon because I had been training at a gym and outdoors with the help of an exercise on prescription scheme.
I’ve also played in a BALP badminton tournament and still go on the walks also. These walks are now with Rethink and Walking for Health.
The main organisations that have been supportive of me are BALP, Rethink, and the NHS. My physical and mental health is not perfect because the reactive depression is as a result of the balance between the good effects from these organisations such as BALP easing the depression, and other organisations that have harmed my health. This balance leaves me able to control though not eradicate my depression. But I hope with BALP, Rethink, and NHS help I can put the reactive depression behind me.
I wouldn’t have got involved in football outside BALP. BALP provides a supportive environment, and their mental health knowledge prevents me becoming stressed as I would by playing in regular league team.
I’m a BALP member, Rethink member, and part of a highly effective campaign against mental health stigma and discrimination that combines activities of many charities and groups. Also I’ve passed my PhD, published my research, I’m well published and connected over the web, and I’m involved in further research on computing, and on mental health and activities.
The reason BALP has been so effective is because it has worked out WITH me what I can and can’t do and what I want, not decided this FOR me.
So with BALPs’ help, things are looking up!
By Peter Hale, member of BIMHN and mental health blogger.
This is from a talk that Peter gave back in January 2013.
October 9, 2015 at 9:44 am | News | No comment
Have your say over new housing strategy
September 2, 2015 at 1:37 pm
The council is urging people across Bristol to have their say over proposals for a new housing strategy for the city.
A public consultation is now underway and will run until September 21.
Before finalising the policies, the council, alongside Homes4Bristol, would like to hear what the people of Bristol think of the initial proposals.
These views and opinions will be taken into account and used to help shape the new strategy, which will be published towards the end of this year.
The consultation document sets out plans to address housing related issues over the next five years and focuses on new directions and proposals.
The strategy ‘My Home is My Springboard for Life’ has a vision that homes should provide a springboard to achieving a high quality of life and create the opportunity for all to thrive in mixed communities of their choice.
Bristol faces a number of key housing related issues over the next five year period. There is currently a serious shortage of housing, particularly of affordable housing for low-income households. Addressing this is at the heart of the new strategy.
Also the implementation of welfare reform changes, including Universal Credit, will result in more households being unable to afford to rent or buy in the private sector, therefore relying on affordable housing.
In addition there is still much that needs to be done to improve the city’s housing stock, including:
- Reducing overcrowding or under occupation
- Increasing housing and management standards in the Private Rented Sector
- Reducing fuel poverty
To take part in the consultation visit: www.bristol.gov.uk/housingstrategy and complete the survey September 21.
Following the closing of the consultation, a report will be produced containing a summary of all feedback and amendments, which will be taken to Cabinet for approval. We are hoping to publish the new Housing Strategy in December 2015.
September 2, 2015 at 1:37 pm | News | No comment