The presentations and displays focused on what helps recovery journeys. Current service users described care that instils hope and the valuable opportunities that they have accessed at Cygnet Hospital Beckton. The speeches shared strategies to cope with loss when detained under the mental health act and helpful activities.
Our guest speaker Ros Blackburn, a national and international speaker with severe autism. Her presentation shared her experience of life with autism and how most of us are driven to be ‘social’ and our worries are largely social based. For her, social does not factor and she is logical and literal. Her presentation was controversial at times discussing the rules at reception and her view of psychiatric services as too ‘comfy’.
A further guest speaker Charmaine Harris shared her training and research for peer carers. She shared the challenges in developing these work roles and the benefits that they have delivered to wards in Redbridge. She spoke about their application for the Big Lottery to develop and sustain the project.
The local adult education co-ordinator and inclusion officer from the Globe attended and thanked staff for an interesting and thought provoking day. The family and friends at the event reflected on the changed practice over the last three years and described how they feel more involved in service delivery and how the hospital has moved from ‘informing and supporting’ to ‘involving and partnership working’ with family and friends.
Some of the service changes that have been implemented over the last three years include:
- Bi monthly newsletters for 3 years
- A family and friends forum every 6 months
- Booklist and resources created to support carers
- Recovery college workshops and events for carers
- Carer involvement in service planning and delivery
- Carers presenting at conferences
- Carers receiving support to contribute to national survey and standard setting.