CONNECT | AUTUMN 2009
GET INVOLVED! Jenny Gray, Director of HUBB, a leading
Some of the HUBB staff have used, and currently use,
mental health charity in East London, sends
mental health services. Again, with advocacy or
a ‘Get involved’ message to service users.
training, having a personal knowledge of using
People who use mental health services were
services is invaluable. Staff can then offer peer support,
instrumental in getting HUBB started eighteen
understand some of the issues, and also act as role
years ago.
models for other people who are unwell.
The message I would like to give all of you out there
There are many challenges to getting people involved.
is GET INVOLVED! It may be that you are thinking –
People worry that they do not have the skills; they
What can I contribute?
worry about being unwell and unable to contribute.
Well, I may be the Director of this organisation, but I could not steer it in the direction we need to go without our Management Committee and staff. The knowledge that people have about how they have been treated within mental health services – both good and bad – keeps HUBB as an organisation true to its roots and its
Conversely some people worry about being seen as well by the Department of Work and Pensions, and that being involved will lead to losing benefit. This has not happened to any of our Committee members, or staff. All these concerns can be worked through, and support can be given.
membership. The service user Committee gives us an
HUBB would not exist as an authentic user group
authenticity that people recognise, and you can only
without the involvement of our members. This must be
get that from people who have had real experiences.
the same for many charities in the homeless sector.
All HUBB’s Management Committee – apart from one co-opted member - has used or still uses mental health services. We have a Committee meeting once a month where I report on the day to day affairs of running HUBB and flag up areas in the wider mental health world that the Committee may be interested in getting involved in. People can become Committee members by first becoming a member of HUBB. It only costs £1 to join. This sum is deliberately low so it is affordable for the majority of our members who are on benefits. Members receive our monthly newsletter which covers local and national items of interest, and the chance to join the Committee in September every year. All Committee members have training and support to carry out their role, but they do need to pass a standard Criminal Records Bureau check, to satisfy the Charity Commission’s requirements. They are paid reasonable expenses – fares to meetings, refreshments etc.
SERVICE USER INVOLVEMENT – THE KEY THAT OPENS NEW DOORS Hestia has worked hard over the years to establish a solid service user involvement (SUI) structure reaching into many areas of the organisation. We believe that the people that use our services hold the key and that they can and will tell us what they need if given the right atmosphere and situation to do so. The first involvement institution in Hestia was the founding of the “Better Lives Forum” (BLF) which meets 6 times per year and is run by 4 elected Service User officers. This is what some of the officers said:
Your involvement is vital. You may have concerns, but
“The BLF has become stronger and more successful
support is available. Without your involvement, services
over the 2 years I was the Chair. More people are coming
will not improve, and who knows, it may lead you down
to meetings and more people are involved in the voting
a whole new area in your life. GET INVOLVED!
process for the new officers. There have also been some very significant changes in Hestia’s procedures as a result of consultation with service users.” Patrick “After some time spent in hospital, I started receiving support from Hestia. Firstly I was reluctant to join the BLF, as I was worried that the responsibility would be too much for me. But everyone has been terrific in helping me develop into the person I am today, my confidence has grown and I’ve stayed out of hospital for the whole period. The Better Lives Forum has helped me to feel
14
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
• Service User Newsletters - A group of Service User editors meets regularly to produce the quarterly Newsletters. • Service User Inspectors visit Hestia’s projects as part of internal inspections, speak to service users to gather their feedback on the service they receive. Issues that arise are taken forward and addressed. • Service Users involvement in recruitment - Service Users are involved in staff recruitment and we offer professional training to those that are interested to sit on interview panels. • Service User Trainer group. A group of Service Users that have been trained to facilitate training to staff and other Service Users. We have seen a change in the way we do SUI in the organisation and realised that we have to review structures frequently. Hestia supports service users from many different backgrounds and we know that we have to offer each group activities that are relevant to them to have a successful involvement structure. T. Nebel, SUI Worker, Hestia “Before starting to get involved, I often felt that I just wanted to be left alone. I then volunteered to help
more positive.” Steve
distributing Hestia’s Newsletter. At first I was reluctant, but
Over the last few years more and more involvement
most important built my confidence and relation with
activities have grown:
other people. I was offered a work placement in the
• A Service User Policy Group - A strong group of Service Users who look at policies and procedures and give feedback on them. Many procedures
Jenny Gray at HUBB’s AGM in September. Photo Hubb
FEATURES
have been changed through his process.
soon I realized it motivated me to go out, do things, and
finance team and I gladly accepted it. The world opened new doors for me and it wasn’t all grey and black anymore.” Women’s Aid Service User For more information, visit www.hestia.org
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
15