VCS Committee

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VCS Committee 14th November 13

• Working together to address mental health and
  poverty related issues
• A presentation by Islington Mental Health
  Poverty Networking Forum and Islington Faiths
  Forum

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Background

• In March 2011, IFF Committee Members were
  reporting an increasing incidence of people with
  mental health poverty issues coming to their
  faith sites some resulting in violence (the
  people were desperate).
• We reflected on how we could best respond and
  decided that it was best to offer training to
  staff and volunteers at these community sites to
  assist them with handling these types of
  scenarios.
• So Mental Health First Aid Training and separate
  workshops on poverty related issues.
• We submitted this proposal to the Health Belief
  Programme 2011 with a request for funds.
  Successful.

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Work in 2011

• We moved quickly and started the training in
  October 2011.
• Take-up for both sets of training was strong.
• We exceeded outputs and outcomes.
• The interest in this area of work (mental health
  poverty) was immense.
• When we finished the training we held talks in
  May and a meeting in June 2012 to gauge the
  appetite for further partnership working. We had
  a huge response.

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2012

• We wrote a bid to the Health Belief Programme
  2012 to support a networking forum re mental
  health poverty. As we were already a recipient
  (within a year) they could not grant us any
  funding.
• However, London Catalyst (one of HB funders)
  expressed an interest in our proposal and after
  due diligence, they gave us a special interest
  grant.
• With this grant, the IFF sought to match fund and
  brought in further funds to support the work.

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Islington Mental Health Poverty Networking Forum

• Set-up in September 2012

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• The Islington Mental Health Poverty Networking
  Forum was set up in September 2012 in response to
  growing demand for support from faith and
  community organisations to help residents with
  needs around mental health and poverty in the
  Borough.  The Forum now has 30 partner
  organisations from across the third and statutory
  sectors who all work together to see what can be
  done to address existing and emerging needs.The
  interest in this work continues to grow.

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Aims Objectives of the new Forum

• To raise the profile of mental health poverty
  issues across the Borough and to provide
  representation for the members of the Network to
  statutory bodies, government departments and
  other agencies where considered necessary and
  possible.
• To support all organisations in Islington with
  regards to mental health and poverty issues.
• To circulate and share information widely across
  all sectors in order to support the community
  affected by these issues.
• To explore and facilitate partnership working and
  promote sign-posting between member external
  organisations, in order to assist organisations
  in responding to the growing needs around mental
  health and poverty.

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Partners

• CARIS Islington FBO covering homelessness
  mental health issues
• Cranstoun / ICAS Islington Community Alcohol
  Service
• Cripplegate Foundation a long standing,
  experienced charity in both areas
• Direct Action Project - mental health project
  part of Peel Institute - a charity
• Disability Action in Islington an experienced
  charity covering both issues
• Evelyn Oldfield Unit covering both issues to
  support refugee community organisations
• Friends of Isledon Road - at the Mental Health
  Resource Centre
• Help on Your Doorstep a charity covering both
  issues across Islington
• Hillside Clubhouse a charity supporting those
  with mental health issues
• Holloway Neighbourhood Group (The Stress Project)
• iBUG service user-led organisation looking at
  mental health services
• iCope - a more specialist NHS service around
  mental health
• Islington Citizens Advice Bureau - an all round
  relevant support agency
• Islington Faiths Forum covering both issues and
  network lead
• Islington Law Centre - covering both poverty and
  mental health issues

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Partners

• Islington Mental Health Forum user-led mental
  health forum
• Islington MIND they deliver a range of front
  line mental health services
• Islington Peoples Rights - covering both poverty
  and mental health issues
• Islington Public Health (Islington Council)
• Islington Voluntary Sector Health Network they
  cover both areas of work
• Jobcentre Plus Finsbury Park
• Manor Gardens Health Advocacy Project working
  in both areas
• Mental Wellbeing Champions Project, Manor Gardens
  Welfare Trust mental health.
• Mind Yourself support for the Irish Community
  re mental health.
• Refugee Therapy Centre working in both areas
• Rethink Mental Illness a national mental health
  charity
• Safer Islington Partnership, Islington Council
  (where mental health poverty impact community
  safety)
• SHP working in both areas including complex
  needs.
• St.Mungos a national mental health charity
  also dealing with poverty issues.
• The Stuart Low Trust - a mental health promotion
  charity (activities).

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What do we do?

• Lobby Central Government Lord Freud - DWP re
  our concerns about vulnerable adults with Welfare
  Reform personal budgeting payment exception
  arrangements.
• Work with Local Government for example re
  Archway Bridge (suicide hotspot safety
  barriers).
• Work with local mental health services to explore
  care in the community and to support referrals.
• Work with local services on poverty related
  issues mostly on Welfare Reform currently.

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What do we do?

• Channel feedback from our community partners to
  relevant people and organisations (re concerns).
• We listen to service users and hear what their
  experiences are like. Very important.
• We meet circa every 8 weeks.
• Deliver events like the Best Practice
  Networking Conference. Suicide Prevention
  Workshop.
• Link our partners up with other service
  providers.
• We circulate relevant information to service
  providers and other interested parties.
• We make representation where necessary and
  possible.

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What Next? The Way Forward

• Following the success of the Best Practice
  Networking Conference on 20th March 2013, we will
  be delivering another Conference on 26th March
  2014.
• We are working to link more services up,
  statutory and third sector organisations and to
  grow support for those with mental health
  poverty related issues. The possibilities are
  endless

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The Way Forward

• We believe that everyone has a part to play in
  addressing the stigma around mental ill health.
  How are you today? is not a question just about
  physical health.
• Poverty related issues need to be discussed
  openly too.
• A collective response is powerful.
• Islington Public Health, Islington Council and
  our Community Partners have been very supportive
  of our work.

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• Any Questions?
• Contact
• IFF Development Director Roz Miller
• Tel [phone] Mob [phone]
• Email rosalind.miller8_at_btinternet.com