Open Mental Health Community Engagement Project Report March 2024

OpenMentalHealth CommunityEngagement Project EndofProjectReport,March2024

Summary

This report is intended to give readers a taste of the Open Mental Health (OMH) Community Engagement Project; what we did, why we did it, and what we have learned.

It outlines the many different elements of the project and details the implications of working with these groups at these levels.

In addition to our comprehensive recommendations for how services might be improved, you will find real-life examples of how implementing our learning improved engagement and outcomes for people.

We found a willingness in Somerset to make services as accessible as possible. No one said, "We don’t have budget for this," or "It’s not in our remit." We have only encountered enthusiasm and curiosity from colleagues.

Contents

Introduction

Projectbackground

Projectdelivery

Neurodivergentcommunities

Veterans

Adultswithlearningdisabilities

DisplacedPeopleandMigrantWorkers

DeafandHardofHearingCommunity

LowIncomeCommunities

PromotingOpenMentalHealthServices

OpenMentalHealthChampions

FiveWaystoWellbeing

Whatdidwelearn?

Recommendations

Conclusions

Acknowledgements

Reportcompiledby:

HelenFielden,OMHCommunityEngagementProjectLead,SparkSomerset

Withcontributionsfrom:

Gill Harrison, Joan Evans and Val Keeble, OMH Community Engagement Workers, Spark Somerset, Gareth John; Targeted Adults Activity Lead, SASP, Carly Ridgewell; Disability Projects Lead, SASP and RosaldinaCorreia;CommunityEngagementWorker,DiversityVoice

Theprojecthascertainly raisedawarenessof groupsofpeopleinour communitywhohave difficultyaccessing appropriatemental healthsupportfor variousreasons.They havelistenedtopeople themselves-the barriersandsolutions. Theyhavebeenableto feedbacktoservicesand hopefullyaccesswillbe improved. JudithMoore,Mindin Somerset

“

Introduction

OpenMentalHealth(OMH)isanallianceofmentalhealthorganisations who have come together to provide24/7 support to adults in Somerset.

The shared ambition of OMH alliance members is to ensure that people living with mental health problems get the right support at the right time. Working together, OMH supports people to live a full life, by enabling access to specialist mental health services, housing support, debt and employment advice, volunteering opportunities, peer support, community activities and physical exercise, to help support and improve theirwellbeingandqualityoflife.

By working together in partnership, OMH alliance members aim to ensurethatthereis‘nowrongdoor’foranyonewhoneedshelp.

The OMH Community Engagement Project was borne out of the knowledge that some communities struggle to get the support they need when they need it. It has used a community asset approach; engaging with communities to reduce barriers and solve problems. We were able to employ a range of approaches to our engagement and deploytheallocatedfundinginresponsetoidentifiedneed.

Projectbackground

Rationale

Somerset is a county with diverse landscapes and communities. In some parts of the county, residents enjoy good opportunities and outcomes, in others there are limited opportunities and poor outcomes in terms of education,employmentandhealth.

Many people in Somerset suffer from poor mental health, with Somerset in the top twenty percent nationally for depression prevalence. It is estimated that 15.2% of Somersetresidentssufferfromdepression*.

Many Somerset residents struggle to access services. People living in rural communities (48% of our population) are likely to have poor access to statutory mental health servicesandthismaybeworsenedbydigitalexclusion.

There are also pockets of deprivation in our towns and villages, and our coastal communities suffer from poverty andlackofservices.

People from minority communities may find it hard to access health services due to a range of barriers, both cultural and physical.

Suicideratesaresignificantlyhigherin Somerset(15.1per100,000)comparedto theSouthWest(12per100,000)and nationally(10.4per100,000)withthegap wideningoverthelasttwoyears.

According to Somerset Intelligence, risk factors for poor mental health in adulthood include unemployment, low income, debt, violence, stressful life events, inadequate housing, fuel poverty and other adversity such as serving in combat. Risk factors also disproportionately affect the mentalhealthofpeoplefrommarginalisedgroups.

The Open Mental Health alliance was born out of a desire to make it easier for Somerset residents to access services.

TheCommunityEngagementProjectfurtherbuildsonthis.

Projectaim

The aim of the OMH Community Engagement project was to improve the mental health of communities who don’t traditionally engage with mental health services, thus increasing the reach of Open Mental Health and its ability to serveallcommunitiesinSomerset.

Projectoutcomes

New and innovative methods are identified to increase accessibility of Open Mental Health via development of relationships with communities

People are better equipped with the social and emotional skills to manage their lives, to have a sense of meaning and purpose, to develop and maintain good relationships and to be able to cope with life’s challenges

More and better Open Mental Health support provided to underserved communities, emotional resilience of communities is enhanced, and development and escalation of mental distress is prevented

Increased uptake of existing and expanded Open Mental Health grants fund by underserved communities and those worst impacted by Covid to enable growth of Mental Health ecosystem

Skills and general awareness about Five Ways to Wellbeing are embedded within the immediate and then wider Open Mental Health staff teams

Projectdelivery

The project was led by Spark Somerset, in partnership with Somerset Activity & Sports Partnership (SASP) and Diversity Voice. A Researcher in Residence from Plymouth University was also involved to evaluate the project.

Spark Somerset recruited a team of three part time Community Engagement Workers (CEWs) and a Project Manager.TheystartedworkinJune2022.

A Diversity Voice worker was funded for four days a week, focusing on connecting with displaced people and migrantworkers.

SASP workers used sport and physical activity to engage with veterans, displaced people and adults with learning disabilities. They also improved accessibility of Somerset sports clubs through the Access to Sport training programme.

Steeringgroup

The project was supported by a multidisciplinary steering group, made up of representatives from Somerset Council Public Health, Open Mental Health/Rethink, Somerset NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Plymouth.

During the project, team members had over 2,000 contacts with representatives of seldom heard communities.

Projectdeliverycontinued...

Initial communities of focus were decided based on data and knowledge of the project team. The agreed communities of focuswere:

NeurodivergentCommunities

Veterans

AdultswithLearningDisabilities

DisplacedPeople

D/deafCommunity*

LowIncomeCommunities

Workers utilised their contacts in local charities and community groups to reach the identified communities. Individuals and groups shared information about how poor mental health impacted them, and what they felt they needed to improve mental health. Trained CEW facilitators offered Five Ways to Wellbeing workshops as a means for communitiestoimproveandmaintaingoodmentalhealth.

For the first few months of the project, Open Mental Health grants were also available. The Spark Somerset team worked in their geographical area as well as focusing on a communityofidentity.

Through this work the team were able to identify need and begintoworkwithcommunitiestocreatesolutions.

*The word deaf is used to describe anyone who does not hear very much. Sometimes it is used to refer to people who are severely hard of hearing too Deaf with a capital D is used to refer to people who have been deaf all their lives, or since before they started to learn to talk. They are pre-linguallydeaf.

NeurodivergentCommunities

Conversations with the specialist multidisciplinary NHS team, Somerset Autistic Spectrum Service (SASS), revealed that there is little or no support for adults after they are given an autism diagnosis. This can lead to isolation and distress as they struggle with life admin and negotiating reasonable adjustments at work postdiagnosis.

The idea formed that it might be beneficial to have volunteer buddies for people with a recent diagnosis. In partnership with Experts by Experience, the team created an outline for a pilot project and invited expressions of interest. The pilot was funded through ring-fenced funds within the Community Engagement Project. Southwest Advocacy Network were awarded the contract andranthepilotprojectforsixmonths.

Sinceitslaunchon1stSeptember:

FifteenAutisticadultshavebeenreferredintotheservice.

Theirneedsinclude:

Practical:

Social: Work: Health: lifeadminsuchascorrespondence,payingbills, managingtheirdiaryandhomeenvironment

accessingservices/activities,groups, peersupport

“

Thisisamostvitalrapidlydevelopingpositive additiontosupporttherecentlydiagnosed individualsinthecounty.Ithasonlybeen workingfullysincethebeginningofOctoberand Ihavevolunteeredtohelptwopeopletoretain theirjobsbyassistingwithdocumentationto theiremployersexplainingreasonable adjustmentsandtheirrights.

“

MichaelHope,VolunteerAdvocateandExpertbyExperience

“

Meandmy advocatewereable toworktogether andreachareal mutual understanding.

“

“

MarkSearle,serviceuser

I’mnotsure how weandourclients evermanaged without thisservice!

“

reasonableadjustments,accesstowork applications,supportinwork/volunteering/education

GP,hospital,medicationandaccessingcare support/microprovider/socialcareneeds

JenniferLee,SASS

SixVolunteerAdvocacyCoacheshavebeenrecruitedandtrained.

Some of them are Autistic, others have professional or personal experience of supporting Autistic people. They are activelysupportingAutisticadultswithactionplansandtoolkits.

Service users are supported through their preferred means of communication – face to face meetings, emails and phonecalls.

We have found that the Autistic adults may need time to build up the confidence to meet with their volunteer in person andourProjectLeadmaintainsactivecommunicationswiththemuntiltheyarereadytofullyaccesssupport.

Co-productionworkwithOMHExpertbyExperiencefor AutisticSpectrumDisorder&NeurodivergentCommunity

Workingtogetheroverseveralmonths,oneCommunityEngagementWorkercollaboratedwithanAutisticOMH ExpertbyExperiencetocompilealistofonlineservicesthatmightbehelpfultoAutisticadults.

Outcomesfromthework:

Veterans

With the ability to engage Veterans through physical activity, SASP were well placed to lead this work. Research revealed veterans appreciate the opportunity to engage in physical activity, particularly in a range of outdoorsettings.

SASPcreatedaprogrammeofdifferentactivitiesdesignedspecificallyforveterans.Theactivities were mostly based outside, were open exclusively to veterans and moved away from traditional sportsandactivities.

Their activities programme included:

Bootcampfitnesssessions(deliveredbyourarmyveteraninstructor)

ConservationDays(heldinpartnershipwithQuantockLandscapePartnership)

Sports (American football, basketball, and tennis) in partnership with ARK at Egwood

Mountainbiking

Wheelchairrugbytastersessions

“

Havingthisclass givesmeaplace whereIcanjustbe meforanhour.

Attendee,SASP session

“

“

Thisclassallows metoreconnect withthemilitary familyagain.

“

Attendee,SASP session

Casestudy: TauntonGladiators

WheelchairRugbyClub

From SASP’S data collection and consultation with partner organisations, families, and groups it was identified that there is a real lack of inclusive sports sessions availabletoadultswithadisability,inparticularwheelchairsportsopportunities.

Taunton Gladiators was formed to provide an opportunity for the local community to participate in wheelchair rugby. It had a focus on bringing civilians and exmilitarypeopletogethertoplayasportthattheycouldalllove.

Taunton Gladiators Wheelchair Rugby Club wanted to support people from many walks of life, including veterans, as sport is known to help improve conditions such aspost-traumaticstressdisorder(PTSD)anddepression.

Participants reported that the sport helped them take out their frustrations and worries,andtheclubenvironmentgavethemasenseofbelonging.

Startinganewclubcanbefinanciallychallenging,especiallyforwheelchairsportsastheequipmentcanbeprohibitively expensive.SASPsupportedtheclubtoaccessfurtherfundssothattheycouldprovideplayerswiththeequipmentthey neededtoparticipatesafelyandcomfortably.

Watchinterviewswithplayersfromtherugbyclubhereandhere.

AdultswithLearning Disabilities

It was identified that there was a need for a Somerset resource to raise awareness of mental health and promote wellbeingwithinthelearningdisabilitiescommunity.

Members of the Community Engagement Team, Somerset Public Health, representatives from the learning disabilities community & sector providers, and the local OMH comms teamworkedtogethertodeveloptheresource.

Learning Disability Wales generously allowed us to use their GuidetoGoodMentalHealthasabasisforournewresource.

The guide was shared with local organisations and groups and Experts by Experience with learning disabilities and their feedback and suggestions helped towards shaping the new formatforSomerset.

A hardback copy and online version of the resource will be publishedinMarch2024.

Casestudy: SASPFitForWorkprogramme

Consultation with partner organisations such as Abri and Discovery led us to understand that it can be difficult for adultswithalearningdisabilitytogainemployment.

For those who did secure a role in the workplace, a large number struggle with the physical demands of the workplace. This was due to large numbers of people with Learning Disabilities not being as active as they would like or needtobe.

We delivered a ‘Fit for Work’ pilot, a 6-week programme which was designed to improve participants’ fitness levels, functional movement and soft skills as a result of takingpartinphysicalactivity.

The programme was very successful, with all 10 adults whostartedthecoursecompletingit.

At the beginning and end of the course, participants answered questions on their communication and teamwork, theirattitudestowardsworkandpersonalskills.

Thesuccessofthepilothasresultedinussecuringfunding forafurther8courses.

Casestudy:SASPClubsforAll

The Somerset Activity Alliance completed an Active Lives Survey for people with disabilities, and it was discovered that of those wanting to be more physically active, 67% wanted to attend ‘mainstream’ sessions and clubs rather thandisabilityspecificopportunities.

When talking to sports clubs, whilst many had a desire to welcome those with a disability, most expressed an interest in receiving training and support to help them provide inclusiveenvironments.

SASP created a training programme for clubs to access. The trainingprogrammewascalled‘ClubsforAll’andclubscould access up to six different workshops to help them create a moreinclusiveenvironment.

Many clubs are run by volunteers who are already stretched time wise, as they deliver them alongside their regular employment.

We incentivised the attendance at training so that a club member could attend. We delivered two ‘Clubs for All’ coursesandbothwerewellattended.

We also want to create ‘bitesize’ videos that clubs can access online to help refresh their learning and that are accessible to people who might not be able to attend traininginperson.

Theseworkshopsincluded:

DisabilityAwarenessTraining(Learning,Physical andSensory)

DisabilityAwarenessTraining(Neurodiversity)

TraumaInformed/ACEs–Part1

TraumaInformed/ACEs–Part2

RestorativePractice

LGBTQ+AwarenessTraining

“

We now have a bank of clubs that we can work with when signpostingthosewithadditionalbarrierstoparticipation. Thetrainingformatwashighlybeneficialasit allowedforeasyaccessfromthecomfortofmy homeandfitseamlesslyintomyschedule.The interactiveresources,suchasvideos,ontheonline platformgreatlyenhancedmylearningexperience. Thetraining'sdurationwasappropriate,strikinga balancebetweencoveringthenecessarycontent andmaintainingengagement.Theflexibilityofthe onlineformatcontributedtoapositiveandpractical trainingexperience,whichIamgratefulfor.

“

DisplacedPeopleand MigrantWorkers

Diversity Voice have a wealth of experience of working with migrant workers and displaced people. At the beginning of the project, we had little idea of how important this experience would be. The knowledge, dedication and expertise of the Diversity Voice Community Engagement Workerwasvitaltothiswork.

Casestudy:astoryfrom DiversityVoice

Ms. T is a 61-year-old Brazilian woman who lives alone in Bridgwater and does not have any children. Recently, I worked as an interpreter for Citizen's Advice to assist Ms. T in filling out an application form regarding her physical mobilityandmedicalissues.

Ms. T has been facing various financial issues and has been receiving support from Navigate Money to help resolve her debts. Additionally, Village Agents from Community Council for Somerset visited her at home to provide assistance. Due to these challenges, Ms. T has been experiencinganxietyanddepression.

After further discussion, it was determined that connecting Ms. T with a support worker from Navigate would be one of the most beneficial interventions to help herregainasenseofcontroloverhercircumstances.

It is also crucial for her to receive support for her mental health, as she has recently expressed suicidal thoughts andadesiretonolongerbealive.

Since Ms. T speaks Portuguese and has poor English proficiency, it was necessary to provide her with a Portuguese interpreter to effectively communicate and addressherneeds.

During my interactions with Ms. T, I offered emotional support, assessed her situation, and directed her to the appropriate mental health resources. I provided her with information about Mindline, which she can call if she needs immediate assistance. Additionally, I referred her toamenopausepeergroupasshewasstrugglingwithher menopausesymptoms.

As a result of these interventions, Ms. T now appears happier and is actively attending therapy sessions and participatinginthepeergroup.

Feedback

InpartnershipwithanOMHChampionwhowasamigrantworker,theDiversityVoiceworkersurveyedmigrantworkers tofindoutabouttheirexperiencesofmentalhealthservices.Thisenabledhertogainausefulinsightintotheir experiences.

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Peopleneedtotalk abouttheirfeelings inourmother languages.

“

Migrantsshould haveanopportunity tocommunicatein there[sic]first languageasitis easiertotalkabout mentalhealth difficulties...without alanguagebarrier.

“ “ “ “ “

“

Drop-insession, speedoftheservice. Theyneedtobe advertisedproperly onsocialmedia,Tik Tok,Facebook, WhatsApp,Twitter etc.

Workingpeople needflexibilityin accessinghelpsuch asonlineorevening hoursmeetings. Mostnon-English speakerswillnot feelcomfortable talkingabouttheir needsinalanguage otherthantheirfirst soit’snecessaryto getOMHworkers fromdifferent communities.

Moreworkisneededtoexplorehowmentalhealthneedsinmigrantworkercommunitiesmightbemet.

Casestudy:AsylumSeeker DispersalHotel

In November 2022 the first asylum seeker dispersal hotel wassetupinSomerset.

This was quickly identified as a community of high need and the team set about exploring how mental health needs mightbestbemet.

The team ran several wellbeing events there to raise awarenessofOMH.

The Diversity Voice worker set up a sewing group in partnership with Mind in Somerset, and quickly developed a reputation as a trusted person to provide one-to-one support.

The Project Manager set up a multidisciplinary working group to explore how referral pathways into mental health services might be refined for residents of the hotel. The group also explored how residents’ mental health and wellbeingmightbeimprovedandmaintained.

Shortly after the hotel set up, Mindline Somerset set up an interpretingserviceontheirphoneline.

Asaresultoftheworkinggroup:

Two laptops were made available at the hotel to ease accesstoTalkingTherapies

Several multiagency wellbeing events were offered at the hotel. These events were an opportunity for hotel residents to engage with OMH services in an informalway

Two hotel residents attended the working group meeting and were able to share their experiences to helpshapeservices

TraininginLGBTQI+rightsforhotelstaff

Mental health triage questionnaire created for use by hotelstaff

Training for hotel staff in OMH services and referral pathways

Barriers to accessing services were identified and minimised

Casestudy:Foodand ConsultationEvent

In December 2023 we ran a food and consultation event for hotel residents to betterunderstandthebarrierstoaccess.

Ten women attended, along with interpreters. Besides enjoying delicious homecooked food, we were able to gain a greater understanding of the barriers that people seeking asylum face inaccessingservices.

Keylearningsfromthisevent:

Mental health was taboo in all of the communities represented. They also experienced shame, not trusting the authorities, fear of being judged and low self-esteem/notfeelingworthyofhelp

People tend to talk to family if they are struggling and their families are not necessarilywiththemintheUK

Readtheeventsummary

Readthefulleventreport

Due to their living situation, the women hadfeelingsdespairandpowerlessness

They recognised that they had all experiencedtrauma

People aren’t aware that there are free, confidential services available to them. They felt that talking therapies and counsellingwouldhelp

They also felt that they would benefit from learning about depression and attending courses on self-help and managing depressionandanxiety

Face to face/in-person support is best, ratherthanoverthephoneoronline

Men need help too, including support to understandthatthereisnoshameinasking forhelp

D/deafCommunity

Building trust and effective communication with this community, who are accustomed to being excluded from mainstreamservices,tooksometime.

After an initial meeting we were able to help a Deaf Club find anewinclusivevenueforregularsocialmeetings.

Through partnership with our Digital Inclusion team, Spark iT, we were able to source a new laptop and updated softwareforthesecretaryofthisclub.

Additionally, the Spark iT Project Leader met the secretary to support her in becoming confident to use the new packages that had been installed. We were then able to move towards a co-produced consultation day, Let’s Connect,whichtookplaceinOctober2023.

Casestudy:Let’sConnect

Twenty people attended the event, which aimed to provide an opportunity for people to share their experiences of servicesandtolearnmoreaboutthesupportavailable.

Seven partners from the OMH Alliance had stands at the event, showcasing their organisations' offers. Two British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters were employed so that those who use BSL were able to communicate their experiences.

An inclusive sports activity provided by our partners from SASP, a presentation by a Clinical Associate Psychologist from the NHS Taunton Community Mental Health Service and a presentation by Rusty Road to Recovery CIC provided furtheropportunitiesforparticipationandinclusion.

During the event a lot of frustration and emotion about inequity of access to services was expressed. We learned a lot from the day and are grateful to attendees for their openness and honesty. We are now working with two separatesocialgroupsforD/deafpeopletoplanactivities.

Thereisalotmoreworktobedonebeforethereisequity ofaccesstoservicesforthesecommunities.

Viewthefullreport

ViewtheBSLtranslation

LowIncomeCommunities

We focused our outreach efforts in areas of deprivation such at Priorswood in Taunton. We also delivered Five Ways to Wellbeing courses in low income/rurally isolated areas such as Minehead. Additionally, we attended job centre events in Glastonbury, Frome and Bridgwater.

Casestudy:GlastonburyMentalHealth Network

Our Community Engagement Worker (CEW) for Mendip connected with Glastonbury Mental Health Network (GMHN) to discuss the challenges they were facing. They were looking for adviceandsupporttoapplyforfundingtoenablethemtocontinuetoruntheSnug,amental health drop-in for the local community. The CEW encouraged them to apply for an Open MentalHealthgrant.ThiswassuccessfulandenabledTheSnugtocontinue.

Glastonbury is unusual in that it has a high proportion of alternative practitioners and spiritual gurus; unorthodox appearance and unusual behaviour is part of the townscape and the GMHN were aware that mental distress can sometimes be misidentified and left unsupported. They aimed to raise awareness of mental health support on the High Street in Glastonbury, so promoted a Mental Health First Aid training coursetoshopkeepers.

PromotingOpenMental Healthservices

The team quickly identified that most Somerset residents were unaware of Open Mental Health, so they set about findingwaystopromotetheAlliance.

We found it frustrating that so many community events were poorly attended so began to think more carefully about the events we attended, focusing on ones where people were likely to feel welcomeandrelaxed.TheseeventsincludedWarmSpacesandfamilyactivitydays.

After some time, we decided that rather than waiting for people to come to us at community events, we would go to the people. We carried out awareness-raising walkabouts in towns across thecounty.Thesebecameknownaswalkabouts.

Team members would meet with Open Mental Health colleagues and champions in a given town and visit places where people often confided and shared worries. Businesses including pubs, cafes, hairdressers, barbers, launderettes and shops as well as libraries and local theatres were happytotakeourflyersandotherpromotionalmaterialtosharewithanyonewhoneededit.

The public were often keen to talk about their mental health. As well as raising awareness of Open Mental Health to hundreds of organisations, the walkabouts also resulted in a number of peoplebeingsignposteddirectlyintomentalhealthservices.

PromotingOpenMentalHealth servicescontinued...

As a team, we often struggled to explain OMH to the public and the promotional resources thatwehaddidn’talwayshelp.

A team member struck upon the idea of the Greggs sausage roll analogy. When buying a sausagerollacustomerdoesn'tcareaboutwhomadethesausagerollorwherethefactoryis, or who indeed who Mr Greggs was. They simply want to know if it tastes good and how much itcosts.

This premise guided our approach to promoting services. We endeavoured to explain OMH in terms that were as simple as possible, only sharing information that was relevant to a potentialserviceuser.Wedidthiswheneverandwhereverwehadtheopportunity.

Twomembersoftheteamspoketoaladyinoneofthe shops,andshewasstruggling.ShespoketoherGP,but shewasn’tgettinganywhere.(ACEW)said:‘well,that’s fine,let’sgethersomehelp’.Theywentbackandspoketo her,andshesaidshe’dliketohaveaface-to-face appointment,sotheyemailedthroughandarrangedfor thisladytohaveanappointmentthatnightat6o’clock.It wasamazingbecauseI’vebeeninthatplacewhereit’sso difficulttoreachout.

Debbie,ExpertbyExperience;BridgwaterWalkabout

OMHWalkabouts

During these walkabouts, CEWs and Open Mental Health colleagues asked members of the public and business owners whether they were alreadyfamiliarwithOpenMentalHealth.

As this graph demonstrates, the vast majority of those approached during the walkabouts were not familiar with the alliance, showing just hownecessaryitwasforthesewalkaboutstooccur.

OpenMentalHealth Champions

Co-production, lived experience and service user involvement are core principles for Open Mental Health. Recruiting and supporting OMH Champions from a range of backgrounds became an important elementofourwork.

TheroleofChampionsistopromoteOMHintheir communities,butalsotoeducateusabouthow servicesmightbeimprovedtosuitspecific communities.

TwentyChampionshavebeenrecruited.Themajorityidentifythemselvesasrepresentinga communitythatmightstruggletoaccessmentalhealthservices:

5speakEnglishasasecondlanguage 2unpaidcarers

1wheelchairuser

1withADHD

1ispartiallysighted

We were able to pay Champions for their time and expenses which means that we were able to engagewithpeoplewhomightnototherwisebeabletoaffordtoparticipate.

The role was designed to be flexible, and each Champion adapted the role to suit their own abilities and interests. Their experience and passion for raising awareness and their contribution and commitmenttoOpenMentalHealthandtheCommunityEngagementProjecthasbeeninspiring.

“ “

Ipromotedthe MindlineandI talkedwithmy colleaguesinmy workplaceabout ourproject.

“ “

Idefinitelyhelped someofthepeople Ispoketo,aswell asseveral businesses.

WhatworkhaveourChampionsundertaken?

DeliveredFiveWaystoWellbeinginUkrainianatvarioussettingsacrossthecounty

SharedinsightintoUkranians’reluctancetoaccessmentalhealthsupport

SharedflyersandraisedawarenessofOMH

Talkedtomigrantworkersabouttheirexperienceofmentalhealthservices

ActedasExpertsbyExperienceontheBeHeardpro

SupportedOMHcarers’serviceasExpertsbyExper

RunningOMH’sfortnightlyWellbeingCaféinFrome SupportingwalkaboutstopromoteOMH

Casestudy: OMHWellbeingCafé,Frome

Champions based in Frome identified that there was little mental health service provision in the town. They felt that it would be good to have a means for people to interact informally and to access support. They secured funding through ringfenced funds, and the OMH Wellbeing Café wasborn.

Since November 2023, around 30 people have accessed the Wellbeing Café, run by OMH Champions out of The Good Heart Café near the centre of Frome. Some people have just enjoyed the opportunity to have a drink in a warm space, others have welcomed the opportunity to find outmoreaboutOMHandhavebeensignpostedtofurthersupport.

One customer visited the Café after seeing a poster on a community notice board. While visiting, he met a Community Connector, who referred him for an appointment with a Health Connector. The Connector was able to signpost him to a range of services and activities to help his mental healthrecovery.

Whatweofferwasreallyjustifiedtodaywiththearrivalofayoung-ish manwhowassentourwaybyVickiRoss,CoordinatorofTheGood Heart.Hehadtheself-awarenessanddisciplinetoturnupandshare. Itseemswewerehonouredthattohearhisstoryashedoesn'topen uptopeople.

WeaskedhimwherehewasspendingChristmasandheshowed interestinattendingtheBigXmasGet-together.Wealsoinformed himoftheMusicforMentalHealthworkshops,theMens'Group...so hopefullyhe'sgotsomethingstolookforwardtoandwillbringhis mobilephoneinnexttimesothatwecanshowhimhowtouseitonline andstayintouch.

AccountfromanOMHChampionattheFromeWellbeingCafe

FiveWaystoWellbeing

Five Ways to Wellbeing is the golden thread that runs through the project. ‘Five Ways’ are simple stepsthatanyonecantaketopromotetheirwellbeing.Theyarewidelyusedandevidencebased.

We were lucky to have an experienced trainer on the team. She created a training course for direct delivery to communities, as well as a short Train the Trainer course. She also trained other team membersasfacilitatorstosupporttherollout.

AsaresultofacourseinMinehead,theSpecialistActivityandGroupWorkerfromMindinSomerset supportedagroupofparticipantstoformapeergroup.

The course was also adapted for specific communitiesincluding:

Autisticadults

Youngadultswithlearningdifficulties

Asylum seekers and refugees (includingfordeliveryinUkrainian)

Peopleonlowincomes

Other peer support resulting from the course:

Two women started cold water swimmingtogether

One woman supported another to join anorganisedwalkwithalocalgroup

“ “

IreallyenjoyedGill’s honestideas,her kindness,andher real-lifestoriesand support.

Participant, CommunityCourse

“ “

Ifeelwell-prepared andsupported–(this course)catersfor peopleatdifferent placesinlife.

Participant,Trainthe Trainersession

Thesessionsinnumbers

Casestudy:ArkatEgwood

Examplesofprofessionals attendingtrainthetrainer course:

OMHCarers’Assessment Team

DiversityVoiceWorkers

SparkSomersetVolunteer Co-ordinatorsforum members

A rurally isolated woman who had not socialised for several years arrived at the firstworkshopshakingwithfear.

She cried many times during the first session but with support and encouragement from the facilitator and co-facilitator she was able to gain selfconfidenceandcontributetothegroupdiscussions.

With support, she was able to take the next step of joining a regular craft group at ARK.

Whatdidwelearn?

Desiretobettermeetthe needsofseldomheard communities

There is willingness in Somerset to make services as accessible as possible. No one said “We don’t have budget for this”, or “It’s not in our remit”. We have only encounteredenthusiasmandcuriosityfromcolleagues.

The Somerset response to the dispersal hotel for people seeking asylum is testament to this. Willingness to support/enable inclusion/participation is also demonstrated in the enthusiasm of sports clubs to make their offers more accessible.

Simply translating promotional resources word for word isn’t always helpful. There needs to be careful considerationofculturaldifferencesaroundmentalhealth.

The same principle applies when talking to individuals: it is vital to find out what is meaningful to the community/people with whom engagement is being sought.

We learned that being aware of our own unconscious bias and assumptions that we make about individuals and groups is key to remaining sensitive and respectful in conversation with everyone we encounter. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training was very helpful in this respect.

To communicate effectively with communities, it is important to take time to talk to and meet groups and individuals,listenrespectfully,andaskrelevantquestions.

The Open Mental Health Alliance can be a confusing concept to explain, but the details don’t necessarily matter to the public. They just need to know what help theycangetandhowtheycanaccessit.

Engaging in a group’s own territory in an informal way can be helpful. The Wellbeing Café in Frome demonstrates how much people value informal support as a route to accessingservices.

Theneedsofseldomheard

communities

There are still many communities in Somerset who struggle toaccessthementalhealthservicesthattheyneed.

Building relationships and trust with seldom heard communities takes time and persistence. For example, establishingmeaningfulworkingrelationshipswiththe D/deaf and hard of hearing communities has taken a long time. We feel as if we have only scratched the surface in understanding how we might best meet needs of these communities. Offering an enjoyable activity to a community can serve as useful way of engaging; for example, offering cookingtowomenseekingasylum.

Displaced people can be wary of disclosing mental ill health for fear of it affecting their asylum claim or having theirchildrenremoved.

People value being able to access services and support in a variety of ways, but it shouldn’t stop at online and over the phone communication. If you aren’t confident speaking English,communicatingonthephonecanbeverydifficult.

The encounters we had on our walkabouts demonstrated howmuchpeoplevaluetalkingtosomeoneface-to-face.

People on low incomes may not have the technology or a private space to access online services such as Crisis Safe Space. There are many individuals in Somerset who are digitally excluded.

Conversely, Autistic people value the opportunity to engage with services digitally. They can find this method ofconnectingeasiertomanage.

Waiting lists and appointment-making systems can be a barrier to some people accessing services. Letters and texts to people who don’t have English as a/their first language or havelowliteracymaybemeaningless.

If organisations can use WhatsApp voice notes, it may make it easier for some people to process information. However, those seeking asylum often rely on free SIM cards which expireeverysixmonths.

*The word deaf is used to describe anyone who does not hear very much Sometimes it is used to refer to people who are severely hard of hearing too. Deaf with a capital D is used to refer to people who havebeendeafalltheirlives,orsincebeforetheystartedtolearntotalk.Theyarepre-linguallydeaf.

Theneedsofseldomheard communitiescontinued...

Stigma still prevents some people from accessing services.

With communities of individuals seeking asylum, we need to be clear that services are free and confidential, and that accessingsupportwon’taffecttheirasylumclaim.

Consideration must be made not only of interpreting language, but also cultural interpretation; for example, the term “mental health” may not mean anything to some culturesandinothersit’sholdsstigma.

Huge barriers remain for the D/deaf and Hard of Hearing communities to have equity of access to mental health services.

People who use BSL as a first language may have low literacy levels in written English, so may struggle to access therapies throughconventionalpathways.

Without infrastructure or sufficient funding to facilitate the use of BSL interpreters, most of OMH’s offer is not accessibleforthem.

People from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities often struggle with poor mental health and existing servicesdon’tmeettheirneeds.

Services relying on the written word to communicate means that these communities often miss out.

Cultural beliefs can also prevent members of these communitiesfromaccessingservices,particularlymen.

Thereisstillagreatdealmoretobedonetoimprovethe accessibilityofOMHservicestoSomerset’sseldom-heard communities.

Recommendations Communicatingabout OMH Serviceprovision

Explain services in the simplest of terms that have the mostsignificancetopotentialserviceusers

Consider that not everyone, particularly displaced people and migrant workers know that mental health servicesarefreeandconfidential

Consider how to communicate information about services other than in the written word. Is there capacity for more videos on the OMH website that describeservicesandserviceusers’experiences?

Create simple leaflets in a range of languages that are appropriately translated for a range of cultures. Include a QR code with a link to translatable version of theOMHwebsite

Resources should also be made available in BSL and EasyReadformats

Include budget for interpreting services (spoken and BSL) in funding applications. Promote that these servicesareavailable

Consider whether current services meet the needs of seldom heard communities once they have navigated waiting lists and appointment systems. For example, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy might not be appropriate for someone whose life is in turmoil, or accommodation isinsecure

Consider what reasonable adjustments people might needtoaccessservices

Recruit OMH Experts by Experience who represent seldom heard communities so that they can actively influenceservicedevelopment

Go out into the community via walkabouts or a similar format to help gauge understanding of services and possiblygapsthatneedfilling

Consider opportunities for staff being accessible in person, so that a friendly face is available to support those who struggle with using technology to access services.

Projectfollowup Strategic

Create a means for the legacy of the Community Engagementprojecttobeembedded.Muchmorework is needed to improve access to mental health services, particularly for migrant workers, and displaced people and those from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities

Consider how to continue funding for the Austim Advocacy Project as a means of maintaining and improvingAutisticadults’qualityoflife

Create a strategy and working group to create a longterm plan for meeting the mental health needs of displacedpeopleinSomerset

Recruit OMH Experts by Experience from the seldom heard communities to coproduce services that better meettheircommunities’needs

Securelong-termfundingforOMHChampions

Build on learning from D/deaf consultation event to improveaccesstomentalhealthservices

Explore opportunities for future roll out of OMH grants tofacilitatecreativeresponsestocommunityneed.

Identify means to continue the work of the OMH Champions, including continuation of the Frome WellbeingCafé

Provide funding for Champions to test out solutions totheproblemsthattheyidentify

Conclusion

Two years is a short time in the world of community engagement, but we have achievedagreatdeal.

We have worked meaningfully with communities to identify needs and have tested solutions. Five Ways to Wellbeing traininghasbeenavitaltoolinthiswork.

OMH Champions have been a huge asset to our work, promoting OMH and representing their communities to help shapeservices.

However, there is still much to be done to explore how services can best meet needs of seldom heard communities in Somerset.

We hope that we have created a blueprint forhowthismightbeachieved.

Acknowledgements

Hugethanksto:

The Open Mental Health Community Engagement team members. Without their tenacity, wisdom, creativity and hard work,thisprojectwouldhavefailed.

Colleaguesacrossservices,whoneversaid“no”,“wecan’taffordit”,or“that’snotourjob”.

SupportoftheOMHCoproductionTeam,especiallyLucyGrist.

OMH Comms Team for never baulking at our demands for more promotional resources and for taking our feedback onboard.

MindinSomerset,especiallyJudithMooreforherkindnessandgeneroussupport.

SecondStep,especiallyRobynButler.

PublicHealthcolleagues,especiallyAmyHardwickandEileenD’Souza.

The generosity of Mary Griggs and her colleagues at Avon and Wilshire Partnership NHS Trust in supporting our work with asylumseekersandthedeafcommunity.

CharleyHobson-Merret,researcherinresidencefromPlymouthUniversityforherwisdomandsupport.