Recovery Group Information Day

Service user trainers wanted to co-facilitate Recovery Groups. For more information and to apply please click on the link below:-

http://liveitwell.org.uk/docs/blogs/blog_canterbury/Recovery%20Group%20poster.pdf

Mental Health Support/Action Event at Maidstone on 25th January

MIND are running these national events on the themes of campaigning and influencing the new NHS structures and the tools people need to effectively do so, to showcase peer support research, highlighting interesting and innovative projects, and to look at challenging discrimination through workshops run by Time to Change champions.

The Kent event will be in Maidstone. For further details and to book a place please click on the link below:

http://liveitwell.org.uk/docs/blogs/blogs_all/Take%20mental%20health%20action_A5_v8.pdf

The Good Thymes Newsletter

The Abbey Physic Community Garden  Autumn 2012 Newsletter

Dear All

We are looking at how to improve services for people in a mental health crisis. We launched a public consultation on mental health crisis care services in July and want to hear people’s views. The deadline for responses is 26 October and we’d be grateful if anyone who uses or is involved with mental health services could please complete this survey.

Here is a short film on our YouTube channel which explains what the proposals are and why they are needed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PNHI91ovVs

Here is the link to the online survey to have your say: http://www.kmpt.nhs.uk/adultacuteconsultation

There’s also more information on the KMPT website: http://www.kmpt.nhs.uk/acute-mental-health-review

Many thanks for your help.

Emily Turner

Communications and Media Manager

NHS Kent and Medway

Brook House

John Wilson Business Park

Whitstable

CT5 3DD

FACES of Kent newsletter published

FACES of Kent (whose website is now online) have published their first newsletter. FACES (Families Affected by Caring Empowerment Services) is a charity that promotes, supports and empowers carers of all ages in Canterbury and Swale.

Draft LPMG minutes online

Draft minutes of the March 2012 Canterbury and Coastal LPMG meeting have been published. They contain two presentations from KMPT,  Audrey Quansah-Abakah on Equality Delivery Systems, and David Tamsitt & Phillipa Macdonald giving an Acute Services Update.

Minutes are now being published in PDF format.

KMPT Foundation Trust Public Engagement Event

The Kent and Medway Partnership Trust (KMPT) are holding a series of events to enable the public, some of whom will be service users and carers, to open up a dialogue with members of KMPT's Executive team in finding out about the values, visions and future plans of the organisation, and how this inter-links with KMPT's application to become a Foundation Trust.

The East Kent event is on 11 April, 18:30 - 20:30, at

Anselm Hall (Main North Campus),
Canterbury Christ Church University
Homes Road, Canterbury
CT1 1QU

Open Day at The Umbrella Centre, Herne Bay

The Umbrella Centre of Herne Bay, at

54 William Street
Herne Bay
CT6 5PB

invites you to an Open Day on Thursday 19th April 2012 from 11.00 am to 3.00 pm.

The centre provides community support and activities via our drop in centre for people with mental health problems. We offer comfort and a listening ear in a safe environment with the opportunity to meet others with similar problems.

Come and have a cup of tea or coffee with us and take a look at some of the activities our members do such as gardening, woodwork, computing, sewing, music, art and photography (and maybe try some yourself).

We look forward to welcoming you.

If you would like any further information please phone either Lynn or Jean on 01227 370200 or email jeanarnold@umbrella.plus.com

Kent Hope

Kent Hope is a newly formed Community Interest Company. They currently offer a range of services for residents in the Canterbury district including psychodynamic counselling, drama therapy, music workshops, meditation, tai-chi and holistic therapies; all for a small donation of £3/£5.

Read more on their website.

Service user and carer involvement - 15 Steps Challenge

We all know that first impressions count and when walking on to a hospital ward the first “15 Steps” will give you an impression of what is happening on the ward. The NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement are developing the 15 Steps Challenge, a tool to support ward walk arounds, looking at productive wards from the patient perspective. The programme identifies simple things like protecting meal times, protecting drug rounds and preventing interruptions at staff handovers.

The Strategic Health Authority (SHA) are working with mental health trusts across the south of England in developing this tool for mental health, as it was originally developed for Acute Trusts. The Kent & Medway Partnership Trust (KMPT) have adapted this tool slightly to fit in with the productive mental health ward and will be part of the SHA’s work, but in the meantime will use the tool developed.

The process will be that a team of people consisting of non-executive directors, carers and services users, directors, service managers etc. will visit one to two wards every month to audit against the 15 steps criteria (no more that 4 people will be in any team). A programme will be produced and co-ordinated through the Compliance and Risk Management Team who will also work in getting teams together. A briefing session will then be delivered by the Deputy Director of Nursing to the teams.

The dates for the team briefings aimed at a more in-depth explanation of the process are 11th April in Canterbury at 2pm for 90 minutes &10th April at West Malling at 2pm for 90 minutes.

Anyone interested in getting involved in the team visits should contact Janet Lloyd, PPCI Manager Kent & Medway Partnership Trust, via email or on 01227 812034

Wine and Wisdom evening

Don't miss the Wine and Wisdom evening, this Friday 16 March!

A Friends for Mental Health (East Kent) Fund-raising Event

FRIDAY 16 MARCH 2012
7.00pm for 7.30pm start
Main Hall St Martin’s Hospital, Canterbury CT1 1AZ

Admission £6.00 per person which includes supper

RAFFLE

To book your place or table please phone 01227  812042

COME ALONG AND JOIN IN THE FUN

Are you a mental health service user or carer?

Would you like to ask a question or raise an issue about Kent & Medway Partnership Trust (KMPT) services with senior management?


Andy Oldfield, Assistant Director for East Kent Community Services

Cathy Nyemeck, Service Manager for Canterbury, Coastal & Swale Recovery Services

Michelle Webb, Service Manager for Canterbury, Coastal & Swale Access Services

will be available to talk to you on 30th May 2012, from 2.30pm - 4:30pm

at

Main Hall, St Martin’s Hospital,
Littlebourne Road, Canterbury, CT1 1AZ

East Kent Carers Support newsletter

East Kent Carers Support - part of Rethink Mental Illness - have published a newsletter full of valuable information and articles.