Better Together e-news Issue 33 2020 - news in brief
60 seconds with…
Pauline Mountain – Lead Governor
Tell us about yourself?
For a number of years I was a carer governor for LPFT, until recently I was elected lead governor and I am fortunate to be working with a fantastic team.
What do you do within your role?
The main aspect of my role is to listen to the public and our membership and to feed their ideas back into the Trust. Within my role I also hold our non-executive directors to account and support the development of future services within the organisation.
Why did you become a governor?
I wanted to make a difference in supporting the public. Last year I had my own mental health problems whereby I was diagnosed with breast cancer. The Trust helped me to understand how quickly a physical illness can affect your own mental health, so I wanted to help to share that awareness with other people.
What’s the best thing about LPFT and the NHS?
LPFT is there to support us all in very difficult times. They helped me during a very difficult time to better understand my own mental health. It is a truly caring and dedicated team of people which provides life changing support for those with mental health problems and learning disabilities in Lincolnshire.
The CALM group supporting mums
The Trust’s perinatal team is running a wellbeing drop-in group for new and expectant mums to give them the chance to meet new people and connect in a warm environment. It offers a relaxed and friendly place for a chat with crafting and seasonal activities such as pumpkin carving.
The group is accessible for up to a year after giving birth, for mums who are currently under the care of, or who have been discharged from the perinatal team. It runs every Thursday 10am-12pm at Lincoln Central Children Centre, on St Andrews Close in Lincoln. Another perinatal mental health group also runs in Spalding, on the second and fourth Monday of each month at Spalding children’s centre.
Dads are also welcome to attend to gain support on being a new parent.
For further information on this group please contact the Perinatal Team on 01522 340160Kiki the Worry Monster brought to life in book
Ten-year-old Erin has written a book ‘Kiki the Worry Monster’ which aims to help children and young people to deal with and openly talk about their worries.
The book comes after Erin was referred to emotional wellbeing service Lincolnshire Healthy Minds by her mum, who was concerned over her daughter’s increasing worry over everyday things.
The storyline features everything Erin has learned about managing her worries during her sessions with her Healthy Minds Practitioner, coloured with illustrations which bring Kiki the Worry Monster to life.
Kiki the Worry Monster works through the different types of worries, with steps and tips for children and young people who use the service to keep their worries under control.
Erin even stood up to talk about Lincolnshire Healthy Minds during her school assembly, with her mum saying the book has boosted her confidence, enabling her to help her friends with their mental health. The book is available on our young people’s website
Your chance to tell us about quality of care
We are carrying out a survey to find out what service users think about the care they received from community mental health and crisis services.
Service users who have recently received care from these teams may receive a questionnaire between February and June asking about their experiences. They will be asked about various aspects of their care, including the quality of care and treatment, communication with staff and how we engage them in their care and treatment
Obtaining your feedback and taking account of your views is really important for bringing about improvements in the quality of care.
Results from the previous Community Mental Health survey helped to identify areas where there was most room for improvement including how we support people to access and maintain employment, as well as increasing opportunities for service users to access activities in their community.
People’s responses are confidential and the results will be published later this year.
Supporting vulnerable people in the criminal justice system
A new Criminal Justice Liaison and Diversion Service for Lincolnshire is due to start in April 2020, provided in partnership by LPFT and Lincolnshire Action Trust.
The service will provide support to all vulnerable people (aged 10+) coming into contact with different parts of the criminal justice system. Vulnerable individuals who are under suspicion of having committed a crime will have services made available to them such as drug and alcohol, mental health and housing support.
The service is commissioned by NHS England/Improvement and aims, where appropriate, to divert people out of the criminal justice system into health, social care, education and training, or other support services.
Never a better time to work with us
The Trust has recently received new transformation funding and currently has a variety of exciting opportunities available across all services. There has never been a better time to advance your career in healthcare in Lincolnshire. We are working on introducing a number of new exciting services for all ages, including specialist services to support adults with a personality disorder, rough sleepers and community mental health rehabilitation. There will be a wide range of new roles available over the coming months.
Successful applicants will have the opportunity to help shape the future of how we deliver high-quality healthcare for mental health, learning disability and autism service users. We strive to help people to live well in their community and we are looking for talented and caring individuals to help us making it happen.
Find out more information and view current vacancies
‘Talking helps’ campaign encourages older adults to access talking therapies
The Trust is supporting ‘talking helps’ - the national campaign increasing awareness of talking therapies available for older adults who suffer with low mood, depression or anxiety.
6 in 10 people aged 65 and over have experienced depression or anxiety, with only around half seeking help. These issues are not a natural part of ageing. Older adults are prone to poor mental wellbeing due to life changes such as; retirement, bereavement, being a carer, money worries and poor physical health.
Help is widely available through the Lincolnshire steps2change programme. steps2change is a free NHS service that uses talking therapies to tackle common mental health problems. Professional therapists provide advice and guidance through therapies, counselling, group courses and self-help.
Start the conversation today by referring yourself online by going to www.lpft.nhs.uk/steps2change, calling 0303 123 4000 or making an appointment with your GP.
