Brent CCG are looking for Patient Representatives - deadline noon tomorrow

Brent CCG are now recruiting for exciting opportunities for people to get involved in shaping their local NHS and supporting the work within Brent by becoming a non-clinical patient representative.
We are therefore seeking to recruit individuals from Brent, particularly those who have not worked with the CCG before, to become patient representatives on committees.

To apply and download the Patient Representatives Recruitment Information Pack click here.
Please contact Ian Niven by emailing ian.niven@healthwatchbrent.co.uk or call him on 020 8912 5830 if you have any queries.

Please return the completed application form to Sian Avery by emailing her on recruitment@communitybarnet.org.uk or post it to Healthwatch Brent, 3 Rutherford Way, Wembley, MIDDX HA9 0BP

The deadline for all applications is 1 December 2017 at 12.00 noon

Can any WM readers offer Brent Advocacy Concerns any advice? Councillors, Brent CCG, Brent CVS, Brent Healthwatch not responding.

From Brent Advocacy Concerns

Dear Martin,

I was informed today that our office (in Willesden Centre for Health and Care) has been designated as 'a clinical waste dispersal site'.  The building work to convert it is due to begin on the 2nd Jan. 2018.

I have contacted Brent CCG, councillors, Brent Healthwatch & Brent CVS, so far no one has replied.  We have not been informed about any of this but it looks like we will be evicted before Christmas.

Could you ask your readers if that is the way to treat a disability charity that has been providing services for free, for the last 30 years in Brent. 

Just today I had to turn down a business from NW10 who had asked us to represent one of their clients in an ESA benefit appeal next week.  They wanted to know who would be able to help them but there is no one.  I did suggest Brent CAB but they normally require a lot of notice, whereas we could have helped them now.

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The background to this distressing issue can be found HERE

'Change of culture' needed to ensure positive use of self-directed mental health support

The Brent  Health and Wellbeing Board on Thursday 6th October has a heavy agenda but the report on Brent Mental Health User Group's (BUG) research into the use of self-directed support is well worth a substantial discussion. LINK

Although overall the findings are positive the recommendations point to areas of tension which are worth investigation, including the possibility that is some cases the support may be directed by others who think they know better than the user about the support they need:

Recommendations from the report include:

·      Ensure that staff maintain the ethos of self-directed support, enabling individuals to use direct payments in ways that they feel will meet their social care needs

·      Individuals need to have more choice about their personal assistants and staff need to work with them to ensure they feel in control of their relationship.

·      Staff need to work with individuals to enable them to identify and utilise personal assistants to do what they feel motivates them as opposed to what staff think will motivate people

·      Individuals need to be actively involved in measuring their progress; flexibility to meet individuals changing needs also needs to be incorporated

·      The role of personal assistants needs to be distinct from that of staff in specialist mental health services

·      Where individuals are using personal assistants via agencies, the role of the agency needs to be clear

The section of the report on 'Changing the Culture' is key:

While some progress towards change has been made, mental health services do continue to use the traditional, chronicity approach – characterised by staff ‘managing risk and care’. This represents a barrier to achieving consistent use of self-directed support by individuals using services to deal with mental health issues.

 Service providers need to replace this approach with all elements of a wellbeing and recovery and personalisation approach which is consistent with national expectations of services.

Staff need to be provided with comprehensive wellbeing and recovery training such as that designed and run successfully by BUG for some years, based on the approach developed together with people using services, carers and clinicians from a range of disciplines by National Institute for Mental Health England (NIMHE). Staff need to work with people as unique individuals in the context of their lives, in equal partnership, facilitating their identifying what they feel will enable them to improve all aspects of their wellbeing and move towards recovery. Staff’s practice needs to incorporate a strengths-based approach – recognising and building on people’s strengths and engaging with their intrinsic motivations as opposed to trying to create artificial motivations. As well as using reframing skills to challenge negative assumptions about individuals and turn them into opportunities to get to know and work with them as individuals, staff also need to use a positive risk- taking approach, enabling individuals to stretch themselves and try new things in order to achieve their potential.

Use of self-directed support needs to be incorporated, including to facilitate a personalisation approach, enable individuals to address all aspects of their wellbeing, develop their self-management and utilise community resources. Individuals who took part in the survey talked about how use of self-directed support had enabled them to regain their loss of identity as well as having developed a sense of purpose in life.

Other recommendations follow:  

Individuals Being Actively Involved in Their Use of Self-Directed Support

People’s response to this research has indicated that they are often not aware they are using self-directed support.

1.  Experience to date has indicated the importance of people using services leading to a greater extent as opposed to staff deciding what will motivate them. People also need to be actively involved in their use of self-directed support.

Creating Opportunities for Individuals to Meet Each Other

People do not have many opportunities to meet each other.

1.  Opportunities need to be created for individuals using direct payments to meet and gain peer support from each other, sharing their experiences and finding ways of resolving any difficulties.

Brent Healthwatch to be farmed out to Barnet organisation

The June 1st Cabinet will be asked to approve the award of the Brent Healthwatch contract to CommUNITY Barnet LINK

The contract worth £149,110 pa will commence on July 1st 2015.

Healthwatch Brent is currently being delivered by a local consortium of organisations, which include Brent Mencap, Elders Voice, Brent Citizens Advice Bureau and Age UK Brent. Healthwatch Brent is an independent community interest company established by the consortium.

The aim of local Healthwatch is to act as the consumer voice for health and social care. It aims to benefit patients, users of services, carers and the public by helping to get the best out of services, improving outcomes, and helping services to be more responsive to what people want and need.

The May 2015 Healthwatch Brent bulletin can be found HERE 
 

At the Healthwatch Brent  public board meeting on 17th March HWB reported that the current  Community Interest Company   had decided not bid for the new Healthwatch tender:

 The Healthwatch Brent contract was re-tendered by Brent council – the closing date was 16th March.  This current Community Interest Company decided not to submit a bid.

In response to a questioner asking why they had not bid for the contract the board said:

Healthwatch was new when we created a consortium of local organisations and community Directors to run HWB. The experience and reach of the partners was a real strength. However, the structure was complicated and it was harder to deliver than we expected. We have laid a foundation for a new organisation to make further progress.  

Healthwatch Brent worked with Healthwatch Barnet in the development of HWBs enter and view training. Some of the current HWB staff will transfer to Healthwatch Barnet/Community Barnet.  Healthwatch Brent will continue its work and we hope that Brent people will get an even better Healthwatch with the support of Community Barnet.