|
|||
|
|||
Who is the Cumbria Mental Health Group?
Cumbria Mental Health Group (CMHG) is a service user and carer owned charity. We
work at every level with people whose lives are affected by a range of
mental health and wellbeing problems. Our main aim is to help influence and
change the way mental health and wellbeing services are delivered in Cumbria.
The management of the charity is the overall responsibility of an elected
committee of Trustees and we employ a team of highly skilled and experienced
Development Workers and an Administrator to help our members to run and develop
the charity to meet its objectives.
The Cumbria Mental Health Group works in partnership with all statutory and
voluntary organisations. It plays a constructive and growing role across
Cumbria, vigorously pursing key issues and concerns to seek practical solutions
by working at three levels of influence:
• Local Community
• District Council
• County wide
How do we work?
Local Community - via informal involvement
Our small, informal community based forums and meetings are held regularly in
community centres throughout Cumbria. These are run by our new locality
management groups which are supported by our Development Workers. Attendees are
usually previous or current users of services, families, friends, carers and/or
other interested people.
The friendly informal environment enables highly valuable and beneficial
exchanges of views, concerns and problem solving at a local level. The
information is gathered as general themes and taken forward for further
discussion at our bimonthly ‘Locality Meetings’. It goes without saying that
when urgent issues and action is needed, the relevant managers are contacted.
However, we do not either advocate on represent individual cases and issues, we
will sign post people to the relevant agencies who specialise in this work.
District Council - via locality meetings and workshops
Cumbria Mental Health Group also facilitates bi-monthly ‘Locality Meetings’
which are hosted by our Development Workers and the Locality Management Group.
These are accessible to both service users/carers and professionals at a
District level. County Council and Primary Care Trust (PCT) representatives as
well as managers from other relevant statutory bodies like housing and
employment. The aim of these meetings is to discuss key issues researched and
solutions implemented locally or taken forward to a county level for more
strategic development.
County wide - via strategic county wide discussion and portfolio workgroups
The county wide Cumbria Mental Health Group strategic Review Group consists of
locality representatives and members specialising in specific areas. These
‘portfolio’s’ cover a broad range or service provision and special interest
groups linked to Mental Health and Wellbeing. The group also collates the
information from locality level, investigates and researches further into the
areas of service development and takes the lead on strategic objectives.
The current list of portfolios’ are: Learning Disabilities, Older people
& Dementia, Young people, Drug & Alcohol, Homelessness & Housing, Criminal
Justice System, Finance/Benefit/Budgets, Respite care, Suicide prevention
awareness, Care Pathways, Volunteering and employment, GP based primary care
services, Activity based services, Community Services, Crisis Services, Out of
area placements, Acute wards services, Black, minority and emigrant communities.
Social – stigma, exclusion and civil rights, empowerment and engagement.
The work at local and county level enables users and carers to provide important
help for the NHS, Cumbria Adult Social Care and other developing services.
We are always looking to attract new members to better represent their views,
concerns, issues and recommendations but also to offer them the opportunity to
help run and manage the charity and be involved in its engagement, consultation
and influence activities.