Transcript the Wirral Experience with Chris Shaw of Wirral Advocacy, Sean

Chris Shaw – Advocacy in
Wirral (CEO)
Barbara Edwards – NHS Wirral
Sean Harrington – Wirral CABx
Driver Docs such as A better future in mind
and A new vision for mental health … offered
such weighty support to our aspirations at
AiW by their Advocating…
A movement away from the dominance of the
medical model…. Experts by experience taking a
strategic leadership role….. Power relationships
need to shift in order to give real selfdetermination… widening the availability of
advocacy services .… expanding the role of the
voluntary sector to increase accessibility and
appropriateness .… a positive approach to the
mental well-being of the whole population .…
creating conditions conducive to good mental
health …. increasing early recognition of problems
and preventing escalation of problems to crisis
point…. Offering advice from an advocate …
Moving away from the expert/patient paradigm
So, today –
1. We just want to give a quick insight into the recent journey that AiW as a 3rd
sector organisation has gone through.
2. And to see this journey through the experiences of AiW and its development
of true Partnership Working with Wirral CABx.
3. And, then to look at the nurturing of the 3rd sector, and AiW, by enlightened
commissioners who took the time (considerable time!) to learn about the 3rd
sector, and engage with it helping us to become credibly fit for purpose
enough for the NHS to discharge its duty of care safely and also to invest
their resources wisely in innovative Commissioning.
AiW’s Journey 1992 2005
Founded in 1992 by Lilian Baker (Chair) and a group of 4 other service
users.
We were entrusted with our first Wirral Borough Council contract in 1993 –
continuously funded by WMBC ever since
By April 2005 AiW’s projects were:
General Community Advocacy
LSC Welfare Benefits advice
Hospital In-Patient Advocacy (via Lottery funding)
Delivered by:
6 paid staff (5wte’s).
12 volunteers
2005 - 2009
When I arrived at AiW in 2005 – The whole landscape was changing
and expressions such as User Led and 3rd Sector were beginning to be
terms that would be spoken about positively - and not just
tokenistically
PCT Commissioners were being actively encouraged to develop links
and relationships with Voluntary and Community Sectors – and on
Wirral – (almost) undertaking an ethnography to immerse themselves
in the issues and working environments of the local 3rd and
community sector.
Our Service Model 2009 ..
Mainstream Advocacy
1.Primary Care Advocacy Link
(PCAL) - Wirral CABx and PCT
Partnership .
2. Talking Changes – Cheshire &
Wirral NHS Trust and Wirral
Mind.
Community MH (SEMI) Advocacy (DASS – Rolling
Contract).
2.
Community MH Debt Advocacy (3rd Sector Health
Innovation Fund)
3.
EMI Advocacy
4.
Legal Services Commission Specialist Welfare
Benefits Contract – (Rolling Contract)
5.
Clatterbridge, Arrowe Park and St Caths Hospital
Advocacy
6.
Substance Misuse Advocacy (Wirral DAAT – rolling
SLA)
7.
Wirral’s - Independent Mental Health Act (Statutory)
Advocacy Service
8.
Alcohol Advocacy Grant– from DAAT/PCT
9.
(Some) Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy on
behalf of Wired.
10. Wallasey GP Integrated Care Organisation Advocacy!
PBC
11.Primary Care Advocacy Link (PCAL) - Wirral CABx and
PCT Partnership
1.
Building Bridges – Social
Enterprise.
7.
Wirral Bridges – Mental Health Supported
Employment Project (DASS Rolling)
Wirral Mental Health Forum (PCT).
Mental Health –Psycho/Educational Training
West Kirby Self help Group (PCT Rolling).
APEx – England Athletics – c(PCT Rolling)
Woodside Positive Mental Health Support Group
extended (PCT Rolling).
Woodside Women’s Group (PCT Rolling)
8.
Beating The Blues Computerised CBT
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Our current Staff team of over 50 paid staff and 38 volunteers are 65% Experts by Experience
– ( and many of whom were also economically inactive before starting working with us) and a thus a
real User-Led and highly cost effective local Regeneration success!
Our AiW team will see approaching (and probably exceeding) 3000 clients directly this year
and through our Partnership Projects (PCAAL and Talking Changes) several thousand other
distressed individuals will be directly supported by our staff this year.
By moving with the times into Primary Care (as well as growing our Secondary Care services)we now employ a sizeable step 2 mental health team with:
•5 advocate therapists – part of our partnership with Sean/CAB (10 advisors)
•8 Case Managers and 3.4 STR Workers – part of our Partnership with CWPT
•2 workers and 24 volunteers – delivering Computerised CBT
•4 workers employed by our Wirral Bridges Supported Employment Scheme - in partnership
with Wirral DASS.
Primary care mental health has undoubtedly been our major growth area in the last 3 years!
The PCAL Partnership
Back in 2005 - I could see straight away that there was a “therapeutic value”
to our advocacy projects.
The chance to test the marrying together of advocacy/advice and rudimentary
talking therapy came as a result of meeting Sean Harrington (in 2006) from
Wirral CABx – This project was solely for Primary Care services and people
with Depression and Anxiety (Mild/Moderate)..
This innovative blend of of skills led to a truly 21st century Person Centred
support model – that works very well indeed!
Sean Harrington – (PCAAL).
The Model = Generalist Advice + Advocacy + Talking
Therapies/Emotional Support = effective support that
rebuilds independence and robustness.
A Stepped approach:
1. Generalist Advice.
2. Longer term support for more complex practical
issues and any resulting emotional issues.
• History of The Project
• History with the PCT
Barbara Edwards - Commissioning
Intentions
• My role specifically to develop services
with local third sector providers.
• Programme of engagement and
understanding of organisational cultures,
systems and processes.
• Skills of workforce
• Development Areas
Drivers for Commissioning from
Third Sector- NHS Wirral
• Evidence of quality services provided from
existing third sector providers.
• Working collaboratively with local partners
to develop services.
• Darzi review ‘Quality at the Heart of NHS’
• Local third sector providers such as
AIW/CAB proven quality outcomes
Competencies
Together…
So – I hope that this has given a view of our recent
successful experiences and how innovative project ideas
– if they are worthwhile and able to demonstrate the
meeting of needs and prove their outcomes – can, with
brave commissioning support, lead to new ways of
supporting mental health without the need to overtly
pathologise human mental distress or necessarily follow
tired old dogmas and restrictive models.
Thank-you for listening
Any Questions?