MHM March 2010 - West London Mental Health NHS Trust

Clare memaConnexions AdviserAs a Connexions Adviser based at HounslowCAMHS, Clare occupies a unique role within theCAMHS team. Clare has worked alongside colleaguesfrom the Adolescent Team at CAMHS, now based inthe Heart of Hounslow polyclinic, since 2006.She works with 15 - 20 young people who haveexpressed a desire to continue with their education,start a training course, find employment or lookinto volunteering opportunities to develop theirskills and build self confidence. Clare supportsyoung people access suitable opportunities and givesinformation and advice on options, goal setting andaction planning.“I experienced depression as a teenager and wentonto complete my degree in psychology beforeentering the workforce, so I feel I can relate to manyof the young people I meet. It is extremely rewardingto help a young person move forward and take suchpositive steps in their lives.“I have worked with some inspirational young peoplewho have had a difficult time overcoming their mentalhealth problems. As you can imagine, our youngservice users often have a disrupted education andit takes commitment and courage to pick it up again.One young man I am currently working with, wentback to college after being virtually housebound foralmost two years. He gained his GCSE’s and A levelsand is now applying to universities.“For another of our service users, I helped to makethe whole process of going to college less intimidatingby breaking it down into manageable stages. Beforeher course started, we travelled to the collegetogether and had a look around, so she was familiarwith both the journey and the college environment.I liaised with support staff at the college, to makesure she had appropriate support. I continued to be apoint of contact for her until she felt comfortable andsettled on her course.”Back row, from the left: Andy Jacques, Service Manager, Dr Ian Nnatu, Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr Kevin Morgan, SPR, Amaya Zubimendi, Staff Nurse and Patricia John,ECT Nurse. Front row: Dr Rachel Kirya, Dr Maggie Stanford, Anaesthetist, Raj Sookhy, ECT Lead, Maureen Sullivan, Assistant Anaesthetist and Estevao Garcia, DomesticExcellence award for Ealing ECT clinicThe ECT Clinic in John Conolly wing, has been ratedexcellent by the ECT Accreditation Service (ECTAS),following a rigorous approval exercise. The first phasewas a period of self review during which severalaudits were carried out, and questionnaires were sentto patients and staff. All data were then submittedto ECTAS. This self review period was followed bythe external peer review visit by a team comprisinga consultant psychiatrist, consultant anaesthetist andECT lead nurse, all from other NHS trusts. The finalpeer review report noted the following comments:‘enthusiastic team……… excellent environment……..staff training up to date.’ Dr Ian Nnatu, the ECT leadconsultant said: “Everybody had to work really hardto prepare for the peer review visit and so it wasvery rewarding for the clinic to be given an excellentaccreditation. We hope that this rating will assure ourpatients and referrers, that the clinic not only meetsexcellent standards, but continues to strive for furtherimprovement.”Mary McCaffrey, Sector Manager adds: “Well doneto Raj Sookhy and all those involved in making this ahuge success.”Making recovery work– vocational services in Hammersmith & FulhamResearch suggests that less thanhalf of employers would consideremploying someone with aknown mental health issue. As aresult, people with mental healthproblems have the highest levels ofunemployment among any disabledgroup, and yet often have the greatestdesire to work.In Hammersmith & Fulham, a smallteam of specialist occupationaltherapists and voluntary sectoremployment advisors has beenbrought together to help peoplemaintain or find employment as partof their overall recovery.Manager Martin Morgan says:“It’s pretty unique to have a teamof NHS and voluntary sectorvocational workers that is centrallycommissioned by the PCT. It’s a veryreal partnership that we hope willbenefit service users.”Ruth Seargeant is the lead clinicalvocational specialist for the team. Sheand colleague Lorna Wynter receivereferrals from across the mentalheath service, both community andin-patients.“Work can play an important part insomeone’s overall recovery. As wellas building confidence and instillinga feeling of achievement, a lot of oursocial networks are built up at work.“If people are already in employment,it’s vital that we keep that connectionand help them to stay in work.This might mean speaking to theiremployer about ways they canprovide support or make reasonableadjustments to make the return towork easier if an employee has totake time off.”The service also helps peoplewho are looking for work bysignposting them to relevantagencies, such as Job Centre Plus,and helping to build up their selfesteem. Most of the support isone to one, but there is also a tenweek employment support groupto help people with goal setting,stress management, team workand dealing with anxiety. Theycan then go on to receive moreindividualised help if needed.A large part of the team’s role iseducating employers about creatinga supportive work environment thatwill ultimately help them to retainvaluable staff. Despite a slow shiftin people’s attitudes, it can still be achallenge to find employers who arewilling to take people on for workexperience.Employment Advisor, MohamedSylla, explains: “Many people needto be eased into employment and itwould be great if more employerswere open to supporting peoplein this way. If people don’t have anyreal work experience, we can alsolook into their background andlife experience. Being able to helpsomeone to turn their life around inthis way is priceless.”Martin agrees, “The focus is always onthe individual, how we can help themto get better, to get to where theywant to be. It’s about recovery inthe most real sense – aspiration andhope for a better future.”To find out more aboutthe vocational servicesavailable in Hammersmith& Fulham SDU, contactMartin Morgan orRuth Seargeant.16 MENTALHEALTHMATTERS MENTALHEALTHMATTERS 17