BIMHN member attends National Suicide Prevention Alliance annual conference
February 23, 2021 at 11:35 am
In January 2021, Francesco, a member of BIMHN, represented the network by attending the National Suicide Prevention Alliance (NSPA)’s annual conference. For the first time, this conference took place online due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Francesco shared a summary and his thoughts on the event. The event included updates about local ‘real time surveillance’ data that will support effective bereavement support in communities, national NHS funding increases, and experiences shared by people who have been bereaved by suicide.
Click here to read the write-up of the event.
You can also watch the presentations made at the conference by clicking here.
February 23, 2021 at 11:35 am | News | No comment
Mental health support over the 2020 festive period
December 23, 2020 at 10:06 am
The Independent Mental Health Network (IMHN) has published the annual Christmas mental health guide for Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.
Each year, IMHN produces a written guide about changes to the operating hours of local mental health support during the festive period. The guide includes information about services operating over the seasonal period, making note of any changes to opening or operating times, and contact details. It brings together information about mental health support from both NHS and voluntary & community sector partners that can be accessed. Also included are details of national crisis and helplines.
The resource has been written for both members of the public and mental health professionals alike. We are encouraging people to share this with others who might find it useful.
Click here to read the guide: www.imhn.org/christmas2020
December 23, 2020 at 10:06 am | News | No comment
Coronavirus: local mental health service information
March 25, 2020 at 7:03 pm
BIMHN is the Bristol branch of the Independent Mental Health Network.
The Independent Mental Health Network is building a guide covering local mental health support. It includes information about how mental health services are changing how they work in response to the measures being taken to tackle the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19). There is also additional signposting advice.
New information is being added daily, as it becomes available.
Click below to access the guide’s webpages.
Do you have information about a local service, organisation, charity, or helpline that isn’t on the webpages? Get in touch and we will update the guide. Email us at engagement[@]imhn.org (removing the square brackets from the email address).
March 25, 2020 at 7:03 pm | News | No comment
Suicide Prevention Summit – January 2020
December 21, 2019 at 12:07 pm
Please note: this item was originally published in December 2019. Thank you to everyone that attended the Summit. To keep up to date with work in this area, and outcomes from the Summit, click here.
[Content note; this news post deals with the topic of suicide]
BIMHN are supporting an event taking place this coming January 2020, bringing people, professionals, and those with lived experience of mental health together to agree a clear call-to-action on working together to prevent suicide across the local area of Bristol, as well as South Gloucestershire and North Somerset.
The Suicide Prevention Summit takes place on Monday 13 January 2020 at Bristol City Hall. The event will consider the latest research into suicide prevention, work happening nationally, and will focus on initiatives and stories by people in the local area. We will also be inviting attendees to share their experiences and ideas about suicide prevention, exploring the role that communities should be playing in this work going forwards.
The summit will be lead and facilitated with those with lived experience of mental health, mental health professionals, and those with personal experience of suicide and bereavement by suicide. Because of the range of individuals and organisations expected to attend, spaces are limited. Please click here to book an individual free place.
The Summit is the final keynote event of Shine On, our Suicide Prevention campaign.
Please note: the BIMHN committee have decided to defer January’s BIMHN Monthly Members Meeting so that members can attend the summit. As a result, the scheduled meeting between 12:30 – 15:00 at St James Priory, Bristol City Centre, will not take place.
December 21, 2019 at 12:07 pm | News | No comment
Christmas Mental Health Services Guide 2019
December 20, 2019 at 6:44 pm
Please note: this item was posted ahead of the Christmas 2019 period. The information contained in the guide mentioned below is therefore outdated.
BIMHN are pleased to share the news that this year’s Christmas Mental Health and Wellbeing Services guide has been published. This guide outlines the services providing wellbeing and mental health support available to people in the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire period over the Christmas 2019 and New Year 2020 period.
The guide has been produced with input from BIMHN members, in collaboration with members of Clarity-North Somerset Independent Mental Health Network. This year’s guide follows on from the success of last year’s guide in helping people and communities navigate what is available at this time of this year.
Included is information about services operating over the seasonal period, making note of any changes to opening or operating times, and contact details. It brings together information about mental health support from both NHS and voluntary & community sector partners that can be accessed. Also included are details of national crisis and helplines.
You can view or download a copy of the guide on the Independent Mental Health Network’s website, here.
December 20, 2019 at 6:44 pm | News | No comment
Suicide Prevention Innovation Fund – Second Round of Funding
December 6, 2019 at 5:29 pm
BIMHN is proud to be supporting Shine On, a campaign all about working together to prevent suicide. Back in September, ahead of the launch of the campaign, the Suicide Prevention Innovation Fund was launched.
The Fund provides funding to support local organisations deliver their own initiative to reduce suicide in their local area. Many of the initiatives funded were included in the Shine On event programme.
We are delighted to share that the fund has re-opened for a second round. For more information and details on how to apply, click here.
You can also read more about some of the funded activities and events that have already taken place on the Shine On website here.
December 6, 2019 at 5:29 pm | News, Opportunities | No comment
BIMHN Member Attends Shared Learning Day on Suicide Prevention
October 18, 2019 at 12:22 pm
The Bristol Independent Mental Health Network (BIMHN) is actively involved with suicide prevention work taking place locally. Two of our members sit on the local Suicide Prevention Transformation Fund Working Group, which oversees the use of a portion of money given by NHS England to address the relatively high suicide rate in the local area. This group oversees initiatives such as the Hope Project, which aims to help men at risk of self-harm or suicide.
Additionally, BIMHN is supporting a wide-ranging campaign taking place later this year that will raise awareness and educate on suicide and self-harm. Watch this space for more details, to be announced soon!
Recently, Francesco, one of our members, attended the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health (NCISH)’s recent learning day in London. These learning days are known as ‘Learning Sets’.
These sessions are an opportunity for healthcare organisations to provide updates on various suicide prevention initiatives taking place up and down the country, with an emphasis on shared learning, with the ultimate goal of reducing the number of lives lost to suicide nationally.
You can read Francesco’s report of the session here.
October 18, 2019 at 12:22 pm | News | No comment
Shape the future of mental health services across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire!
July 14, 2019 at 12:15 am
Thank you to everyone that took part in our survey and shared their experiences. This survey has now closed.
Have you accessed mental health support in the area?
Attempted to, but not been successful?
Caring for, or supporting someone else with lived experience of mental health?
Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group (BNSSG CCG) are the local body responsible for ensuring delivery of mental health services. They have begun a review of mental health services across the combined three areas. As part of this, BIMHN wants to ensure that people who have lived experience of accessing mental health support (either personally, or as a carer for someone who has) are able to share experiences their experiences and feed into this review.
Our Survey
We have launched a survey to gather feedback about what’s working well, what’s not and what would make the biggest difference to the area’s mental health services in years to come.
The survey is closes on Friday 9th August.
As a thank you, there is the option to enter a prize draw to win one of 15 £25 One4All gift card vouchers.
Mental Health Conversations
Additionally, there are two feedback-gathering Mental Health Conversations events taking place, at:
- The Vassall Centre, Bristol, on Monday 29th July 2019
- The Royal Hotel, Weston-super-Mare, on Thursday 1st August 2019
All are welcome. The events are free, but please register your place by clicking the links above. Mental Health Conversations have always been very well attended, with spaces often running out in advance, so be quick!
Want to get involved in a different way? Email us at engagement[@]imhn.org so we can have a chat.
July 14, 2019 at 12:15 am | News | No comment
BIMHN calls for increased scrutiny on treatment of inpatients after ward closure
September 13, 2017 at 11:54 am
BIMHN is calling for increased scrutiny over the treatment of inpatients. The call, follows the continued closure of mental health inpatient unit, Laurel Ward at Callington Road Hospital. This will include a user-led visit to review the ward.
Laurel Ward is a later life inpatient ward at Callington Road Hospital in Bristol. It was closed shortly before a CQC inspection in June 2017 with limited information made publicly available at the time of the closure.
It has since emerged that the closure was as a result of safety concerns raised amid a patient being “unlawfully restricted” after being locked in their room.
A spokesperson for Bristol Independent Mental Health Network (BIMHN) commented:
“We are deeply concerned over the ongoing closure of Laurel Ward. There must be increased scrutiny of the care people are receiving when residing in an inpatient setting. We recognise that patient safety and dignity must be a top priority when someone is being supported by mental health services, especially where their legal rights may be restricted under the Mental Health Act 1983. BIMHN will continue to monitor the situation closely and is making regular communications to both Bristol CCG and the service provider of the ward: Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust (AWP).”
Questions to AWP on Laurel Ward closure
In a response to a public statement released by AWP on 16th August, the following day BIMHN has written to the organisation. We are requesting further information and assurances on a number of issues, including:
- Some family members and carers were not made aware at the time and in fact found out via the BBC news article. The statement suggests that all were notified at the time, could you please clarify this?
- What were the circumstances that led to a patient being locked in their room?
- How long was the patient locked in their room for?
- What is being done in regards to training for staff to ensure they are effectively supported to carry out their roles? Does this include face-to-face training or just online/e-learning training?
- Could you please confirm what steps are being taken to make the ward “dementia-friendly” and how this is being co-produced with service user and carer involvement?
Next steps…
Whilst we are yet to receive a formal response at the time of publication, we have separately agreed a visit will take place by BIMHN representatives next month along with visits to other wards at the hospital.
The Board of AWP shall be meeting this afternoon (Wednesday 13th September 2017, 3 – 4:30 pm) and BIMHN members will be in attendance.
Would you like to feedback your experiences of accessing mental health support in the area? Email BIMHN on to confidentially share your personal story and help improve future mental health services in the area.
If you would like to know more about some of the locally available services, please visit: http://www.bristolmentalhealth.org/services/
September 13, 2017 at 11:54 am | News | No comment
Our response to latest Crisis Line Statement
August 27, 2016 at 9:23 pm
We are disappointed by the recent statement released by Bristol Mental Health and Bristol CCG, which now states that the public crisis line will be closed.
This is a u-turn on Bristol Mental Health’s previous statement which said that the telephone service will not be cut, but “redesigned”.
Their latest communication says that a 24 hour telephone line service will continue to be available, however this is only for people who have been referred to the line by professionals, or for people as “part of their identified support”.
Whilst we acknowledge that it is good to hear there will still be a line for some, we have real concerns about what support there will be for those where access to the crisis line is not “part of their identified support”; for those that don’t access mental health services; and for those from transient parts of the population, such as university students that may have a crisis.
It is imperative that there is access to a 24 hour crisis line for all that need it in Bristol. It is also vital that additional alternatives are identified to provide people not in crisis with emotional support where it is required to help prevent any further deterioration in their wellbeing.
We feel that communication from Bristol Mental Health and Bristol CCG has been unclear, and we are concerned about the anxiety that it is causing people. We urge both organisations to give a clear stance on their decision and respond to our calls for a public meeting, taking into consideration the large number of concerns that have arisen as part of our campaign.
We are meeting with both organisations on Friday 9th September, and will post a further update shortly after then.
The latest statement from Bristol Mental Health can be found here.
Want to support our campaign? Click here to sign the petition.
August 27, 2016 at 9:23 pm | News | No comment