"Whose parity is it anyway?” including reflections from service users' and carers' perspectives Alisdair Cameron

The norm: data, sweet data. And infographics

And of course, motivational slides

Mental Health: It is different Compulsion Separate services/system Stigma & discrimination (inc within system) Social vs Medical model Subjective (woeful indicators and bad proxies) Poor relation Bigger VCS role Stronger peer support and user/carer movement

1948 and what if..? Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Preamble to the Constitution of the World Health Organization as adopted by the International Health Conference, New York, June, 1946; signed on 22 July 1946 by the representatives of 61 States (Official Records of the World Health Organization, no. 2, p. 100) and entered into force on 7 April also saw what?

False friends Binary thinking simplifies but does that help or hinder? Health vs social care Primary vs Secondary Statutory vs Voluntary Clinician vs Patient Physical health vs Mental health Is “parity” what we want or need?

Person-centred services (Recovery-focused) Is that the whole of the person? Are services the whole? And whose recovery is it anyway?...But that’s for another day…

The lived experience as a service user (or carer), survivor, patient, client, consumer, service refuser. Hang on…aren’t we in danger here… Of adhering to another label..?

New, new ways of working? I Redefining peer, not by labels “Unbadged” peer support Positive family and community interactions Wider socio-political climate Build capacity in individuals and communities as opposed to merely in services Cross-platform “Open source” Maximises resource use

New, new ways of working? II Parallels to Community psychology Flexible working Loosening professional roles (where appropriate) Utilising all resources (Community, voluntary, statutory etc) Capturing and using all expertise (not simply professionals) Disseminating knowledge, insight and techniques from “experts” “Experts” acquiring community and person-centred knowledge insight and techniques Maintains interest and engagement Letting people be people

Everyday Triumphs

Problems Emphasis on providers not the system Over-focus on symptoms or output Absence of professional humility Pathologising or separating normal dimensions of humanity Assembly-line response to pressures Clarity and transparency STIGMA £££££££££££££££££££

Um, because it’s all another binary good/bad system. Which someone has helpfully mapped, and put up signposts for us.