Neighbourhood Partnerships and positive measures

[Dollit]

I have been to a meeting today with the Secretary of my local Neighbourhood Partnership, the Manager of the local Community Development Centre and an officer of the local council.

For those of you who don't know Neighbourhood Partnerships and the earlyish stages of something called Triple Devolution. This basically removes all of the responsibility into the hands of the local councils who then (in theory) pass it to the communities via Neighbourhood Partnerships along with small budgets.

Neighbourhood Partnerships are two or three adjoining political wards typically numbering 20,000 or so people - some are higher than this.

In our Neighbourhood Partnership area we have the highest rate of people with mental health problems across the city. This is due to the fact that we have quite a high proportion of high rise flats and several supported housing units. Some of the residents in supported housing are permanent and others are transient.

We have been meeting to discuss how we can positively include people with mental health issues in to the community. We have all agreed that herding people into groups will not work and are looking at activities that can integrate people more fully into society and also allow them to take positive steps in gaining confidence in social situations and also perhaps experience that can be transferred meaningfully to a CV.

I'll keep you up to date with this when we get more concrete ideas and facts.

 

[nickh]

Sounds very positive; thanks for letting us all know about it.

Nick.

 

[Dollit]

Turning Point

I've had another meeting today with two other people from my Neighbourhood Partnership and with the Service Manager from Turning Point. He has been appointed to provide a buffer zone service for the PCT. Basically they are looking at people who are suffering from anxiety and depression of a low to medium grade. They may not get the help that they need to get well reasonably quickly from a GP but aren't ill enough to merit attention from mainstream mental health services. Turning Point will be picking up that slack.

They will not be doing a one size fits all approach to treatment and they will be looking at inclusion and we will, hopefully, all be working together on this one.

The Service Manager has something like 25 years experience as a CPN and has worked a lot with dual diagnosis people.

It's very exciting to think that this is happening in Bristol and that even before the service is up and running we're being consulted on it

 

[nickh]

Sounds great Dollit. I haven't heard of Turning Point - is that the name of the organisation undertaking the work or of the programme?

Nick.

 

[Dollit]

Turning Point is a national organization with a very good track record. The work that they're doing in Bristol has created 12 new jobs so it's very positive all round.

http://www.turning-point.co.uk/

You can find out more about them here but there will be a separate website for the mental health work. I'll keep you posted.

 

[nickh]

Thanks Dollit.

Nick.

 

[maudikie]

Service user Involvement.

Thanks Dollit. I wish i coulld manage meetings, but have done my whack(rather unsuccessfully) for years. Our local PCT had not at that time thought about housing people discharged from the hospital when it closed. Housing is a great problem for many, and the "crunch! has increased the difficulties, and will no doubt lead to more mental health problems.

 

[Dollit]

Neighbourhood Partnerships aren't about housing - in fact unless it was to help inform with regards to planning permission then not at all. Neighbourhood Partnerships are about the people who live in them.

 

[companion]

I used to work for Turning Point and can advocate that they are a great organisation for inclusivity of it's service-users.

It is always good to hear when either statutory, voluntary, and/or private organisations have a programme that seeks to include people from minority groups such as those with mental illnesses.

Thank you for that information Dollit, I found that very intersting to learn. However, I do have a few questions...are neighbourhood partnerships being rolled out accross the whole country? and do they all have a similar remit to the one you are involved with?

Many thanks

Companion

 

[Dollit]

Neighbourhood Partnerships are England wide at least. Each neighbourhood comprises of two or 3 political wards and have a small budget allocated yearly (this year around £10,000 per ward) to be awarded to groups to improve community cohesion and participation. One grant we awarded was to utilise empty shops as art installations and it opened with a history of the area, very popular.

All partnerships should have similar remits - they have co-ordinating/steering groups, elected members must participate and all major and minor parties in the area are encouraged to take part. Which in theory means that you can have your local police, fire station manager, housing officers, cleansing officers, park groups, tenants associations etc all working together.

We're quite a forward thinking partnership, we tend to be an innovative area anyway. Try your council's website.

 

[intelgal]

Sounds really interesting Dollit.... Is there somone who co-ordinates all this or do u work collbratvley (sp I know)

 

[Dollit]

Each member/partner of a Neighbourhood Partnership does their ordinary work but shares with the applicable partners knowledge & working practice. For instance I lead a Youth Development Partnership and we commissioned a study into what young people in the area want. They have unanimously asked for BBQs in a park. The Fire Service & Parks Dept will do a risk assessment. The Police will look at the potential problems it will cause, Youth Services will look at being a presence the nights the BBQs happen. A local college will build them so that they're a fixture for other people to use and the local parks group will be consulted as to location along with the young people.

The co-ordinating/steering groups meet at least quarterly and there can be public meetings as and when.

I've just had an email re the mental health part so some of the partnership members are meeting as a sub group. Basically it's networking.

 

[maudikie]

neighbourhood partnerships.

Thanks for all the information. It sounds good. but how does this include people who live in isolated places. There is no mention as yet of transport which is sadly lacking in rural areas, and may not be of use to people with disabilities. Theytoo may have mental health problems.
Also there are some people suffering with mentlal health issues who may be well enough to live inthe community, but have not the "get up and go" to join things. They have been so isolated for a long time by the stigma attached to mental mental health issues.
Is there to be family inclusion where this is needed?

 

[Dollit]

What is happening specifically with each Neighbourhood Partnership is down to them. What I am talking about with regards to mental health is only happening in my partnership area. This is quite specific to a very small area of Bristol. If you want to know what's happening in your area then you need to get in touch with your local council.

 

[maudikie]

maudikie

Thanks. You are very helpful