At the March meeting Jenny explained the changes to our advocacy service from April 1 2011.
Everyone is aware that the NHS and local authorities are having to review their budgets and inevitably this means some services being reduced.
NHS Havering (formerly known as PCT), along with NHS Barking & Dagenham have, for the past 20 years, paid for anyone who accesses metal health services to self refer to HUBB for advocacy support.
Unfortunately NHS Havering are no longer able to fund the same level of advocacy and have asked us to review our criteria.
Our IMHA’s (Independent Mental Health Advocacy), Kay, Ian and Suzana will see every patient in Sunflowers Court (Goodmayes Hospital) who is detained under the mental health act (Sectioned). This is a statutory requirement which means patients have a legal right to IMHA.
Clients living in the community under CTO (Community Treatment Orders) will also take priority, as they too have a legal right to IMHA advocacy
IMHAs will then advocate for voluntary inpatients and those under the Home Treatment Team.
If a client lives in Havering and does not meet any of the above criteria, they will be ‘signposted’ to other organisations who may be able to help, such as CAB (Citizens Advice Bureaux) and Family Mosaic.
Family Mosaic is based in Romford and residents of Havering can self-refer for support with debt, housing, and benefits. They have a team of support workers, including three with mental health expertise, who can offer short term intervention. Family Mosaic will be our guest speakers at the HUBB meeting on April 7th.
In Barking and Dagenham our commissioners have not made any changes to advocacy provision, but they have elected not to pay for development work in Barking and Dagenham. Some of you may recall this being the Self-Advocacy Development Worker.
The Recovery Group at Porters Avenue in Barking will cease, but all clients are welcome to attend the Petersfield Centre group in Harold Hill. 10am -12pm first Friday of every month.
Along with changes to IMCA (Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy) so we find ourselves saying ‘Au revoir’ to Lynn and Alistair.
Lynn has been with HUBB 13 years and at the meeting she said “I have grown so much during my time with HUBB. As a person I am more confident and
capable than ever. I have developed skills and experience that I will take with me as my career moves forward. I have always embraced the idea of recovery and would like you to see my move as endorsing the fact that it can happen. I will miss you all, clients and colleagues, but the time is right for me to go”
Alistair will also be moving on, and he too said that he is leaving HUBB with regret, but excited for the new challenges ahead.
Both Lynn and Alistair are staying with mental health and will continue to raise the standards of care through other routes, such as training of mental health nurses and CPN’s at South bank University.
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