Postingan

Menampilkan postingan dari Juli, 2015

Advance Statements for Crisis Planning

Gambar
by Janet Rogers and Derek Turner Possibly for the first time in history, the new Mental Health Act Code of Practice (April 2015), for England , has included a section that puts a responsibility on Mental Health Practitioners to encourage ‘patients’  to set out their wishes in advance as ‘statements’ or ‘decisions’. While advance statements are not legally binding professionals are advised that they ‘should make all practical efforts to comply with these preferences and explain to patients why their preferences have not been met.’ Within the Code Advance Decisions relate to medical treatments and should be adhered to by practitioners whenever possible, whereas Advance Statements can be used to cover a wide range of factors that might affect the life of a person who experiences difficulties as a result of their mental health, and how other people, as a result, become involved in the person’s life. This article aims to explore the rational for writing an Advance Statement to assist Pr...

Hafal's All Together Now! Campaign Rocks at the Royal Welsh!

Gambar
 Aims to unite people through music Glynis Luke (PAVO mental health team - far right) being photographed with an army dragon mascot and Hafal staff High summer is here - time for shows and festivals and having fun. My colleague Glynis Luke was at the Royal Welsh Show earlier this week, and met up with staff and visitors at the stand of the mental health charity Hafal where she was introduced to a giant blue dragon and listened to some banjo playing amongst other things... A visitor to Hafal's stand plays the banjo!   Photo courtesy Hafal "We get by with a little help from our friends" The Beatles I visited the Hafal stand at the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show earlier this week to find out more about their All Together Now! Roadshow. The campaign is promoting opportunities for peer support and wider social integration for both clients and carers with a priority to develop the social life sections of individual care and treatment plans and sharing information of appropria...

Health & Social Care Network events - a mental health perspective

Gambar
PAVO teams in Health & Mental Health L - R: Ruth Middleton (Health, Social Care team), Anne Woods (Mental Health team), Pete Lathbury (Head of Third Sector Support), Freda Lacey (Senior Officer HSC), Jackie Newey (MH), Claire Powell (Third Sector Broker & Info-Engine Officer) Have you come across the PAVO Health & Social Care Network events ? I was asked to help out at the latest one (well, it does say Health in our team title) along with colleagues from Mental Health and Health & Social Care. The event took place at the Subud Centre in Brecon last week on 8 July. Anyway, whilst I was more than happy to help shift tables, take photographs and scribe for part of the day, it also seemed like the ideal opportunity to find out more and share any updates to the wider world - so, here we go! I hope you find it useful. Three of the key benefits available to members of the Health & Social Care Network, (which is open to any voluntary sector organisation providing support to...

Five top sportsmen and women talk about mental health

Gambar
It’s one of my favourite times of the year – Wimbledon fortnight! Sport plays such a big part in so many people’s lives, whether as participants or spectators or both. For me – well, playing tennis is definitely not one of my strengths – but I just love to watch or listen on the radio. You can’t help but admire the abilities of top sportsmen and women at the peak of their game. But there is another side to sport, and particularly over the last few years we have become more aware of the impact that the pressures of playing at the top of your game can potentially have on your mental health. Organisations such as Mind have written on the subject . And it is summed up well by Liz Lockhart on Mentally Healthy : "We see pictures of athletes enjoying a celebrity life-style, out on the town, mixing with the ‘beautiful people’ but we rarely stop to consider the downside to the pressure that comes with success. Players must feel dreadful ‘lows’ when they are not selected and a huge emptin...