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Conceived in 1980
MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT IN HAMBLETON AND RICHMONDSHIRE (MHS)
Registered Charity Number 1059726 and
Registered Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee Number 3274343
Origins
Conceived in 1980, 'THE MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT GROUP' (MHSG) emerged
as a grassroots response to the unmet needs of people experiencing
mental health problems and their carers. The aim was to offer
support to those isolated by their mental health difficulties.
Initially this was achieved through a social club and befriending
support.
At first the MHSG services were run entirely by volunteers, with
support from newly created Community Care Associations (CCAs). As
the organisation's experience and reputation grew it received
funding in 1988 which allowed a project worker to be employed to
co-ordinate and extend the range of services. Soon after the idea of
a community based day centre was put forward by a newly appointed
consultant psychiatrist.
Another important early development was the registration of the MHSG
as a Registered Charity in 1985 (No 516528). This Registration was
held until 1997 when the Organisation became a Charitable Company
limited by guarantee, and a Registered Charity with a new
Registration Number. This change* required the Organisation to
choose a new title and to cease to use the word 'Group' in it as
this term has a specific meaning in Company Law. It seems however
that firm and fond attachments had been forged with 'MHSG' and many
people still refer to the Organisation by that name.
The Day Centres For Working Age Adults
The idea for the first Day Centre came to fruition on a Wednesday
morning in September 1988 when six newly trained and eager
volunteers gathered in the Friends' Meeting House in Thirsk to await
the arrival of the first MHSG Day Centre Users. Two people arrived.
The first 'Centrepoint', as yet unnamed, was born. With nurturing
and loving care, like any other baby, it grew.
It was farewell to Friends House when in 1991 MHSG took on the lease
of a building in the High Street in Northallerton which would
accommodate the need for a larger Day Centre and also to provide a
base for the Project Worker who until then, had worked from a cubby
hole in one of MHSG's supported houses. Funding was also secured to
employ the Lead Volunteer to operate the 'new Centrepoint' on an
increasing number of days.
*There is an increasing trend for charities to adopt charitable
company status. This is because charitable company status confers
wider powers to engage in activities, and very importantly protects
voluntary trustees from certain liabilities, provided they act
within the law and in good faith. MHS does not use this title in
order to be involved in trading.
Despite the increase in places afforded by the 'new' Centrepoint now
being opened on four days each week, it became evident that a second
Day Centre was needed and in 1995 the embryonic Haven Day Centre
opened its doors in Richmond, firstly in the Cravengate Building
before moving in 1997 to 57 Newbiggin (across the yard).
Entering the Contract Culture
In 1995 the MHSG was awarded its first contracts by North Yorkshire
County Council and North Yorkshire Health to provide non statutory
community day services across the Hambleton and Richmondshire
Districts. Through the 1980s and early 1990s other MHSG services had
grown apace and seven social clubs, which service the majority of
market towns and their surrounding villages had been established,
and these remain in being today run entirely by voluntary workers
which is a testament to their commitment. Also through this period
Outreach Support was being developed.
It was in 1996 that the Centrepoint Day Centre again moved to a
larger and better premises. This time the move was from the High
Street in Northallerton to 2 The Link which accommodates within the
former Grammar School Caretaker's House the Day Centre and MHS's
main office. This move was planned to coincide with the MHSG's Board
decision to obtain Charitable Company status and to adopt the new
title. These events were a reflection of the growing size and scope
of the Organisation's activities.
Services for People Over 65
In 1994 a multi agency survey which included significant involvement
by Service Users and Carers sought to identify the mental health
needs of people over sixty-five and their carers.
The survey was concerned with the needs of people experiencing
functional mental health problems in old age such as depression,
bi-polar disorder and schizophrenia. Over a 1000 people were
identified as being in need of some kind of support. Service Users
and Carers shaped the subsequent development of services, and the
need for them in a widely dispersed population around the market
towns and their hinterlands.
Initially, befriending services were offered by accredited and
trained volunteers and these were so successful that there was soon
a need to grow this form of support from the small pilot project
which started in Wensleydale.
A little later the first Home-Based day care schemes were set up.
These involve a Volunteer Host receiving into their own home up to
four people, for one day a week, through most weeks of the year. The
prized virtues of this kind of support are that it can be arranged
at no great distance from where people live and offers support,
stimulation and companionship, which, with other Community Support
Services enables people to retain their independence in their own
homes, and avoids unnecessary admissions to Hospital and Residential
Care. This Scheme has attracted National interest and is probably a
unique kind of community support.
The Befriending and Home-based Day Care Schemes received Lottery
Funding and support from North Yorkshire County Council through the
early years. When in 2000 Lottery Funding ran out, at first, North
Yorkshire County Council and then the Primary Care Trust moved to
secure them by providing core funding through contracts.
Mental Health Support in Hambleton and Richmondshire Today
Mental Health Support (MHS) now provides services to over 150 people
of working age and a further 100 people aged over 65 throughout
Hambleton and Richmondshire.
At any given time over 80 Volunteers support the whole range of
MHS's services from driving to running the social clubs and
befriending. Without their commitment, skill and experience, which
has been sustained over many years, MHS's services would be much the
poorer.
MHS also manages 3 supported housing properties and provides
'floating support' to others, a Bond Bank Scheme set up by North
Yorkshire County Council to assist people with mental health
problems to access privately let housing, when no other access to
housing is available, and the 'Breakaway Fund', which was set up in
memory of a young man who was one of MHSG's early Service Users
which enables MHS to provide small holiday grants to individuals.
Staffing
The MHS Staff Group comprises twelve people, most of whom work
part-time. To enable it to offer Service Users and Carers a
competent and confident service, staff and volunteers are engaged in
Lifelong Learning. The range of training undertaken includes courses
for volunteers, participation in the Mental Health Foundation Course
run locally, to NVQs in Care and Administration, through to PhD.
Increasingly, Volunteers and Service Users are taking the
opportunities to train alongside staff.
Currently there is 1 NVQ Assessor in post, with 2 more in training
and 2 Practice Teachers who enable MHS to offer placements to
Diploma in Social Work students. The ability to offer these is also
the result of one of the many working partnerships with other
Voluntary Organisations in the area, which include the Hambleton and
Richmondshire Mental Health Forum and the Voluntary Association
Network. MHS also provides representatives in support of a wide
range of Primary Care Trust and County Council activities.
Service User Involvement
All MHS Staff are very actively involved in facilitating and
supporting the involvement of Service Users and Carers in the
planning, running and evaluation of services. The Centrepoint Day
Centre also provides a home for the local Carers Support Group which
meets on the last Wednesday of each month.
Recent Developments
For many years there has been Open Access to MHS's Day Centres on
Wednesday mornings (9.30 - 12.30) most weeks of the year. Over the
last two years Open Access Drop-ins have been available on alternate
Sundays (10.30 - 2.30) at Centrepoint and The Haven. Centrepoint
also offers an Evening Drop-in on one evening each month.
The most recent developments have attempted to address new service
needs which have emerged. These have resulted in setting up a group
especially for women and another for younger people (18-35). These
are in their second year of development and their popularity
suggests that they are here to stay and are meeting expressed needs.
Service Ethos
From its infancy Service Users have helped shape the development of
all the services described above and their contribution has remained
a vital feature of MHS Service Provision.
The approach to Service Provision is based on being welcoming and
offering practical support which wherever possible, will help the
many people concerned to achieve independence, and to prevent
deterioration in their condition and or situation when they become
unwell.
The types of activities in which staff and Service Users are
involved mirrors these aims. Currently there are working
partnerships with the Workers Education Association which have
engaged people in activities from creative writing to pottery to
artwork. There are also a wide range of social activities, which
include fund raising in which most people are involved at some time
or another. Raising money is only one aspect of these activities
which also enable MHS staff and volunteers to promote understanding
about mental health problems, and provide information about access
to support.
The Young Persons and Womens' Group activities appear to be moving
towards an Outward Bound approach which has already resulted in
activities such as orienteering, ice skating, raft building, and at
times even shopping.
Despite its growth with the consequent development of more formal
internal structures, MHS has retained its commitment to listening
and responding to the needs of those it serves based on the belief
that people are the true experts in their own lives in terms of
their needs and how they might best be met. Although MHS does not
provide counselling services, counselling skills are needed by staff
and volunteers.
There is still much to be done and there is a need to go on
affording those in our widespread communities, and who are
experiencing mental health problems, the opportunity to remain as
part of their communities, and to have access to support and
resources which are necessary to achieve their potential in whatever
sphere that may lie. This commitment is shared by all those involved
in MHS whether Service Users, Volunteers, Staff or Trustees.
Authors: Marlene Tait Service Development Worker
Malcolm Ashman Manager
21 August 2003
As with other Organisations MHS is always seeking support from
interested people who may wish to become Trustees or Voluntary
Workers.
If interested please contact MHS on Northallerton (01609) 780758 or
write to 2 The Link, Northallerton, DL6 1DG
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