Working together to help everyone affected by severe mental illness recover a better quality of life Bristol Carers Service Working with carers of people with mental health needs Margaret Price Carers Service Co-ordinator Karen Allen Carers Liason Officer

Some Statistics 420,000 70% 80% 48%

Carers Service in Bristol 130 carers mental health teams hospital staff self recovering wellbeing improving communication

What do we offer? One to one meetings Home visits Individual Recovery Plans Phone support Drop in evenings

Wellspring Healthy Living Centre Support groups

Quarterly newsletter Educational seminars Information on mental health how the system works who to contact

Know your rights: Carers Assessment Care Programme Approach Confidentiality Mental Health Act Complaints Advocacy

Signposting to other agencies Involvement: Developing and shaping services Interview panels Hospital acute care fora

Impact of caring Social Relationships Psychological and emotional

What is ‘Recovery’ for Carers? Rethink believes that by working together we can create a culture of hope, support and recovery that embodies a belief in people’s own ability to manage, change and improve the quality of their lives. It is about working out strategies for self- management, and shaping ones own life.

Looking after Yourself physically and emotionally demanding consider your own health as well

“Carers forget they’re people. You might think that you’re selfish for doing something for yourself. I recognize now that it’s not wrong, she needs her life and I need mine. Maybe there’s a paradise island out there, and I’m trying to swim out to it. I’m trying to swim against the tide, and the tide is pushing me back to land, back to my old role.” Simon

“ I need to recover what I’ve lost, I need guidance to help me think about myself. It’s a step by step thing. It could be about going to college, doing an art class, or going on a walk. I take a look at myself and ask ‘what can I do to change things?’ Someone who’s supporting a loved one who has just fallen ill will just talk about them, what’s happening, how they are, but there’s a ‘you’ somewhere.”

Carers Individual Recovery Plan

Volunteering opportunities, Employment & Education

Family & Friends Community

Leisure activities

Respite breaks and down time Wellbeing

Diversity issues Local community groups

Carers Liason Post Reaching carers at an early stage working with staff on psychiatric acute wards Carers Leads referrals from wards evening drop in for carers training on carers issues

Matt, Carers Lead “It has helped me in my job as a nurse because a patient in acute crisis is not the best historian, so as a vehicle for information the carer is invaluable. It’s a two way street, we get a clearer picture, and they get relief from sharing the trauma, and get a chance to tell their story, which they value.”

“It’s really useful to be able to say “Here is someone who can offer support who has nothing to do with the clinical side. Especially when there are issues of confidentiality. Hopefully it makes us more sensitive.”

Since we started… one ward at one hospital seven wards in two hospitals Referrals: Jun 07 - Sep 07: 6 Oct 07 - Mar 08 : 44 Apr 08 - Sep 08 : 40 Oct 08 – Jan 09 : 21