Rethink Mental Illness Manchester Group

Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust has a Travel Planner to help support carers and family members to travel to its inpatient units. The Travel Planner is available 4pm to 8pm on 07501462792. For more information click here The Travel Planner can help provide a map for drivers or for more complex journeys details of: • Bus routes • Details of the Local Link transport service • Ring and Ride transport information • Transport services available for Weekend and Bank Holiday • Details for the local Tram Service which stops within a 10 minute walk from the hospital. The TRAVEL PLANNER can also give advice and help plan journeys to other sites, such as Laureate House (based at the University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust site at Wythenshawe Hospital). For more information click here. Shuttle service How to get there... To help with the relocation from Edale House to Park House, the Trust has arranged for a shuttle service to operate between Man

What a week it's been. On Wednesday, the much awaited report from the Schizophrenia Commission was released. The Commission, which led an independent inquiry into the state of care for people with schizophrenia and psychosis in England is calling for a widespread overhaul of the system. We are super proud to say that our Chair, Lindsey Cree, went on BBC Breakfast TV to talk about her experience of caring for her son who has a diagnosis of schizophrenia, to highlight the report's launch. In a society where it's not easy to talk about mental illness, let alone one as stigmatised as schizophrenia, it's so brave of Lindsey to have gone on national television and speak out. Lindsey gives so much of her time to our group, and to Rethink Mental Illness nationally, and we'd like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to her for all her work - she is an inspiration. And back to The Schizophrenia Commission, which was established in 2011 by the charity Rethink M

Our next meeting is on Wednesday 14th November from 6 – 7.45pm at Manchester Carers Centre . As well as having a cup of tea, bite to eat and a good catch up, we’ve got a third year student mental health nurse, who currently works on an acute ward, coming to chat with us to find out more about carers. If you are travelling by public transport or by foot, a ‘walking bus’ will leave from the taxi rank at Manchester Piccadilly station at 5.30pm. Please call Lindsey Cree on 07757 082976 to let us know to wait for you. If you are travelling by car then free parking is available on Pollard Street after 6pm.

Researchers at the University of Manchester are now planning a new research study to help families where there is a parent with severe mental health difficulties. The researchers would like to hear about the experiences of families with a child of up to around 10 years of age who might be having difficulty in bringing them up. Are you a parent with a severe mental health difficulty? Or are you are a family member helping to support someone with mental health difficulties to raise their children e.g. a grandparent or other family carer? Would you be prepared to spend an hour with a researcher either in-person or by phone discussing your views and experiences to help us design a good study aimed at helping others? Confidentiality will be respected. Local travel expenses will be reimbursed and you are offered payment of £10 as a token of appreciation. For further details or to arrange a discussion please  contact Yvonne Awenat by email.

To mark the day, our national charity Rethink Mental Illness has launched a new guide, No Decision About Us Without Us, on how you can have a voice and ensure that local commissioners understand the needs of the communities they serve, especially within the NHS reforms which are due to come in next April. The guide has been coproduced with the Government and links to the Mental Health Strategy Implementation Framework that was launched this summer. To read the full story and download the guide visit the Rethink Mental Illness Website . It's also our monthly meeting tonight at Manchester Carers Centre from 6 - 7.45pm. Professor of Child and Family Psychology, Rachel Calam, is coming to talk to us about a new research study to help families where there is a parent with severe mental health difficulties. We'll put up a separate post about the research study.

It's time for our monthly meet up this Wednesday 12th September. As normal we'll be getting together from 6-7.45pm at Manchester Carers Centre. Anyone is welcome to come along - just turn up. We'll have a few light snacks and drinks, catch up on how everyone is and hear from a speaker. If you're coming by public transport and would like to walk to the Carers Centre with us then we run a 'walking bus' from the taxi rank at Manchester Piccadilly station leaving at 5.30pm - please call Lindsey Cree on 07757 082 976 to let us know you will be coming.

Lindsey Cree is a carer, Involvement Worker with Rethink Mental Illness, Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) instructor, Trainer, Counsellor in private practice, Researcher with Manchester University. She writes here about a recent radio internveiw Lindsey addressing a recent RMCIA event As Chair of Rethink Manchester Carers In Action (RMCIA) I write our monthly newsletter and email it to our contacts. Those on our mailing list are a varied bunch – carers, service users, mental health organisations, professionals and local media/newspapers. Our August 2012 newsletter focussed on a wellbeing and fundraising event to raise funds to give our carers a treat, and was picked up by BBC Radio Manchester who telephoned me to ask if I would come in a few days later and give a 30 minute Live interview about our carers group, how I got involved, and our upcoming event. I immediately knew this was an excellent opportunity to talk to the general public about severe mental illness. I had never sp

"As carers of someone with a severe mental illness, we tend to put ourselves last. Today is about celebrating our role and having some fun." These words from our Chair, Lindsey Cree, pretty much sum up the Fundraising and Wellbeing day we had at Manchester Carers Centre on Tuesday. I really enjoyed talking to all the stall holders about the services their organisations provide. Sometimes it can feel as if we're on our own but there are many people out there to help us through advocacy, counselling, therapy, training or just a friendly ear. It's good to be reminded of this sometimes. I didn't get the chance to take up one of the many workshops on offer but I know lots of people enjoyed a hand massage, or mini makeover or even a self confidence counselling session. We all need a bit of me time! We're thrilled to bits that the event raised £250 for Rethink Manchester Carers in Action. We are 100% volunteer run so all that will go towards helping menta

Did you manage to catch our Chair, Lindsey Cree, on BBC Radio Manchester on Friday? No? Well, if not, you have four days left to catch her on iPlayer . You'll need to go to 2 hours and 8 minutes into the show. Lindsey talks about the role of carers and family in mental health.

In just two days, on Tuesday 14th, we're holding a special Wellbeing and Fundraising event at Manchester Carers Centre. We've gots lots of stall holders with information on their services, a fantastic raffle, a bring and buy sale (so don't forget to bring something), tasty nibbles and lots of taster sessions including confidence booster sessions and mini massages. Come along any time between 11.30 and 4.30. Hope to see you there!

This Friday at 11am our Group Chair, Lindsey Cree, is being interviewed on BBC Radio M/c, 95.1 FM by Heather Stott. Lindsey will be talking about carers of those with a mental illness. Do tune in if you can. Good luck Lindsey we know you'll be great!

In just under two weeks we have a fabulous event taking place to raise funds for our group and promote wellbeing. Come along to Manchester Carers Centre on the 14th August between 11.30 - 16.30. We've got workshops, a raffle with great prizes and lots of information about caring and mental health. All the information is listed on the poster here, but just in case the type is too small for you to read it, here's the detail... Call Cat on 07920 048 689 with any enquiries. Workshops Tai Chi demonstration by Wai Yim Stress management workshop Free acupuncture taster sessions Confidence building one to one sessions Mini hand massage and manicures Exhibitions by a range of community organisations Bring and buy sale Free buffet provided Fabulous prizes in our charity raffle Meal for two at Wagamamas Designer perfume Royal Exchange Theatre Tickets Meal at Akbars Spa day passes Why come along? Show your support for carers in your area Meet other car

On 9th June we hosted an event in Manchester about "Living Well with Voice Hearers". Here is a report by our Group Chair, Lindsey Cree, about the day. I first became interested in this event when Paul Baker contacted our group to see if any of our carers might be interested in learning some coping strategies when supporting a family member who hears voices.  As there’s very little practical information or advice that addresses carers needs in this area I was curious to find out more and hopefully discover what we can do to support a loved one who hears voices. I met up with Paul to get to know more about his organisation and how carers could benefit from a ‘Hearing Voices’ workshop. This turned out to be a thought provoking meeting as I realised how naive I was about the voice hearing experience. For instance, I learned that hearing voices is a normal yet unusual experience, and that it’s possible to become ill as result of hearing voices when you cannot cope with them.

Over 1,000 Rethink Mental Illness campaigners have helped take a step closer to achieving clearer information about local council spending. Because of the Rethink Mental Illness 'Show us the Money' campaign, the government has agreed to look into how council budgets can be more accessible and easier to understand. Rethink Mental Illness has been invited to take part in this work, which means we can have a key role in addressing this issue. For more information on this national campaign visit the Rethink Mental Illness website .

Manchester Users Network has called a public meeting after finding that Manchester has the highest suicide rate of all cities in England. The meeting will be held from 2-4pm on Tuesday 26th June in the Main Hall of Friends Meeting House, 6 Mount Street, Manchester, M2 5NS. Contact Alan on 0161 918 4343 or 0771 910 2380 for more details.

It's our next group meeting on Wednesday 13th June, from 6 - 7.45pm at Manchester Carers Centre . Come along if you support a family member or friend with a mental health problem or if you experience mental health problems yourself. You'll be sure of a warm welcome. As well as a cup of tea, snack and catch up, we'll be planning fundraising activities for the coming year. If you are travelling by public transport or by foot, a ‘walking bus’ will leave from the taxi rank at Manchester Piccadilly station at 5:30pm. Please call Lindsey Cree on 07757 082976 to let us know you will be coming, so we know to wait for you. If you are travelling by car then free parking is available on Pollard Street from 6pm.

Last year Rethink Mental Illness, the national charity that we're a part of, asked councils to tell them if they had cut or increased the money they plan to spend on mental health services. They got some very confusing answers. In fact, some councils asked them to wait for the figures they submit to the Government later in the year instead. They did - and these numbers weren’t clear either. Rethink Mental Illness believes that you should be able to easily get to clear information that shows how much money your council spends on the mental health services they provide. They think this is vital at a time when services are being cut and councils have less money. That's why Rethink Mental Illness is calling on Grant Shapps, the Minister responsible for local government to ensure that councils show communities what they are spending on services . You can help by taking action. Find out what's happening in your local council and email Grant Shapps, the  Minster for Local

Thanks to everyone who came to our AGM last month. We were pleased to welcome David Worthington as Treasurer, who was voted in by the group. David is a long standing member of RMCIA and Rethink Mental Illness and has a son with mental health problems. We've got some fundraising activities planned for the year ahead to ensure we have the funds we need to keep the group going.

It’s our AGM tonight and as well as being a good chance to review the past year it’s a great opportunity to communicate with each other about what we would like to see happening in our group. So come along and share your thoughts. Our current treasurer, Shail, is standing down this year and we would like to thank her for the time she has given to us. We will be looking for someone to fill the role, so if you are interested let us know. Also, if you are not a member of Rethink Mental Illness come along to find out how you can join and become part of the UK’s largest charity for people with severe mental illness, their families, friends and colleagues. The AGM tonight is from 6 – 7.45pm at Manchester Carers Centre . If you are travelling by public transport or by foot, a ‘walking bus’ will leave from the taxi rank at Manchester Piccadilly station at 5:30pm. Please call Lindsey Cree on 07757 082976 to let us know you will be coming, so we know to wait for you. If you are travelling b

Would you like to get out more or try new things but aren’t sure how? Perhaps you want to go back to college, meet new friends, try an activity, be a volunteer or find out what is going on in your area. Manchester Mind has befrienders who can help you get out more and find activities you would enjoy. You would be matched with a befriender who will help you work towards your goals. Please contact Manchester Mind if you are aged 15-25 and are interested in the befriending service: t: 0161 221 3054 e: yasp@manchestermind.org fb: YASP web:  www.manchestermind.org

A invitation for families, carers and patients who are involved in mental health services to participate in a research study. The study aims to develop a family focused intervention for people experiencing an acute episode of a mental illness under the care of a crisis resolution home treatment team. Participants must: Be over 18 years old Have supported someone who has been admitted to a Crisis Resolution Home Treatment team as a result of a psychotic illness in the past two years Interviews will held either in your own home or at a place arranged by the researcher, which is at a convenient time for you. Each interview will be confidential and will take about 60-90 minutes. All expenses will be reimbursed. This is an important study as the findings may enable us to identify your needs as a family member/carer when supporting someone through an acute mental health episode. The study is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and supported by Manchester Mental

Below is some information about an event taking place in Manchester on the 17th May... Come and join the conversation about Recovery and mental health services in Manchester. The first meeting of the Supporting Recovery in Manchester Network will be held on 17th May 2012 at the Friends Meeting House on Lloyd Street, Manchester. This event is open to anyone who is interested in Recovery, staff, service users, carers and anyone involved with voluntary sector/partner organisation/ Manchester City Council. Professor Rachel Perkins and a peer expert from the national ImROC programme, http://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/recovery/recovery_project_team.aspx , will provide a presentation on Co-production: Working Together for Recovery. In the afternoon there will be an opportunity to discuss some of the key themes for the Supporting Recovery in Manchester programme: * Peer support * Recovery Education College * Risk and Recovery * The development of Recovery Pledges for the

It's our next meeting this Wednesday 11th April, from 6 – 7.45pm at Manchester Carers Centre . As well as having a cup of tea and a bite to eat we have guest speaker Valerie Minns who will be taking us through the DWP’s Employment and Support Allowance forms. Please arrive at 6pm as we’ll be starting prompt. If you are travelling by public transport or by foot, a ‘walking bus’ will leave from the taxi rank at Manchester Piccadilly station at 5:30pm. Please call Lindsey Cree on 07757 082976 to let us know you will be coming, so we know to wait for you. If you are travelling by car then free parking is available on Pollard Street after 6pm. If you can't make the meeting you can access a range of information and guidance about ESA on the Rethink Mental Illness website .

For anyone interested in the Schizophrenia Commission, a number of the commissioners recently visited a service delivered by Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust to support recovery from a serious mental illness. The services - called Start - is based on the use of art therapy to facilitate a 'journey of self discovery'. You can read more about the service here .

An information and discussion day for family members, friends and workers about people who hear voices. St Thomas Centre, Higher Ardwick Green, Manchester  Saturday 9th June 2012, 10.00 – 15.30 RMCIA are pleased to announce an event for carers and families of those who hear voices. The workshop is intended to help you develop more empowering ways of thinking about your family member/friends voice hearing experience in the hope that it will help you find ways to assist them in their emotional development and recovery from hearing overwhelming voices. Our Chair, Lindsey Cree will be there to introduce the day, and says: “There is very little practical advice available about people who hear voices that addresses needs as parents, family members and friends. This is a shame because you are the most important form of support to them. I welcome the chance to get to know that there are some simple common sense things that can be done to help a family member or friend who hears voice

Do you care for someone with a mental health need? Do you want to share your experiences and hear other people’s? If so then you might want to join Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust's first Carers Live Blog. The blog is a great opportunity for you to chat online to other carers and get some information or support in your caring role. The Trust's Carer Support Workers will also be on hand to answer questions and provide online advice. The live blog can be accessed from the Trust's website between 2pm and 4pm on the 26th March 2012.

It's that time again for one of our regular monthly meet ups, this Wednesday 14th March. If you've got an interest in mental health problems from any perspective - through personal experience, a family member or friend, or as a professional - you're welcome to come and join us. The meeting will run as usual from 6 - 7.45pm at Manchester Carers Centre . If you're coming by public transport then we meet up at the taxi rank by Manchester Piccadilly Station (back entrance down the escalators) at 5.30pm and walk up to the Centre together in a 'walking bus'. Just call Lindsey Cree on 07757 082 976 to let us know you'll be walking with us. If you're coming by car then there's parking available on street from 6pm. We always start our meetings with a cup of tea and catch up, with a chance for us to offer one another support for any issues we might have.

Join supporters of our national charity Rethink Mental Illness and 1000s of Care and Support Alliance members lobbying Government.  We will be saying ‘End the Care Crisis’ to the Government on Tuesday March 6 and you can too! Put the date in your diary.  This is a key time. Our social care system is broken. It is really important that we make sure MPs and Ministers act now to reform our social care system. We can work together to prevent more of the cuts, neglect and abuse in social care.  Follow Rethink Mental Illness on Facebook and Twitter on the day to get involved with the Tuesday March 6 day of action.

If you've already signed up to updates from The Schizophrenia Commission website, then you'll know about the latest blog post from Commissioner Jonathan Phillips on the gap between theory and practice in the treatment of schizophrenia. At the Schizophrenia Commission hearing that took place in Manchester last week, I was struck by the huge gap between the practice of the very committed professionals who spoke and the experiences relayed by service users and carers. There are pockets of good practice but so many people with schizophrenia and their families are being failed by the system of care.

The Welfare Reform Bill, which is in its final stages in Parliament, will mean significant changes to the benefit system. One of the key changes is the introduction of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) to replace Disability Living Allowance. PIP will be introduced in April 2013 and the Government is currently consulting on the changes. Read on to find out more about the proposals and how you can have your say. What do we already know? A lot of the detail around PIP has yet to be finalised but the key changes are listed below: Most individuals will have a face to face assessment as part of their application. There will be regular reassessment of claimants to check if their entitlement to the benefit has increased or decreased. There will still be two components – called Daily Living and Mobility – and both will be paid at two rates, called standard rate and enhanced rate. To claim PIP you will have had the disabling condition for 3 months and expect to have it for anot

Our national charity, Rethink Mental Illness, has been receiving an increasing number of calls from people concerned about Employment and Support Allowance, in particular how to fill in the form and attending the medical. They've put together a series of top tips that you might find useful if you are being assessed to receive this benefit: 1. Request medical evidence from your own healthcare professional and send it to the DWP with your completed ESA50. This could be your GP, psychiatrist, CPN or social worker. 2. Read the Rethink Mental Illness factsheets on Employment & Support Allowance and the Work Capability Assessment before you fill in the ESA50 questionnaire. 3. On page 2 of the ESA50 questionnaire when you are asked if you need any help if you were called for a face to face assessment, state that you would like to be assessed by someone with training and experience of mental health. 4. Get some help from a welfare benefit specialist if possible. 5. If you are

As readers of this blog may know, Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust is in the process of relocating psychiatric inpatient services from Edale House at the Central Manchester Hospital (MRI) site to Park House at North Manchester General Hospital. We've always been concerned about the impact that this move will have on carers and service users in terms of increased transport times. A representative from the Trust came to our meeting last month to update us on plans for transport and the Trust's latest newsletter contains the following update on the service user and carer transport sub-group: "The group last met on 6 February and it was decided that another visitor questionnaire should be undertaken to make sure that we make the right  decisions about transport.  It was also agreed that more engagement and       communication with service users is necessary and  the service users and carers who attend the meetings will support this.  For more information on

Rethink Mental Illness are running two more of their free training days for people who want to help start a sibling support group in their local area. The training day will be a chance to learn more about starting a group, meet other siblings and you could learn some new skills too. You can choose from the following dates: York – Saturday 24 th   March 11.30am – 3pm London – Thursday 29 th   March 11am – 4pm During the day, we will talk about how to start a group with our support, for instance finding a venue, advertising and promoting the group  and arranging meeting times and  ideas of how you might like your group to be. Lunch will be provided on the day, and we also have a small budget for travel expenses and  may  be able to pay a proportion of your ticket (amount dependent on how many people attend and the cost  of your travel ). Please get in touch with ticket costs before booking if you would like help with this so we can confirm the amount we can assist with

A few of us from Rethink Manchester Carers in Action attended the Schizophrenia Commission 's Manchester event yesterday at the University of Manchester. We heard from a really wide range of speakers including people with personal experience of schizophrenia and professionals working the field. The morning started with some really moving testimonies from carers and service users, talking about their struggles to get adequate care for loved ones and the side effects of anti psychotic medication. One of the speakers has a son with schizophrenia. She said "I just want to be a mum and spend time with my son", highlighting how deeply the illness can affect our family relationships as we change from parent/sibling/friend to carer, and even then can feel excluded and unvalued by service providers. Other speakers included a GP from Birmingham, who raised the shocking statistic that in one survey, schizophrenia was found to be the least favourite illness to treat by GPs. She m

Tickets are now available for Rethink Mental Illness' first ever information, advice and support event for brothers and sisters: Siblings Connect. On Saturday May 12th we will be holding a day of talks and workshops for anyone who has a brother or sister affected by mental health problems, and best of all...it's free! This one-day event will include talks from authors, siblings and expert professionals, and a range of workshops exploring mental health, how to cope with difficult issues and worries, and ways you and your family can get the support you need. You will also get the chance to meet other siblings and share your experiences and advice! Where and when? The event will be held at the Hotel Russell, London WC1B 5BE on Saturday May 12th 2012. Who should come? Anyone who has a brother or sister affected by mental health problems (aged 14 to adults). There are just 200 places available so register now to make sure you get your free place! Get more info and

At our meeting on Wednesday 11th April, Valerie Minns from the Rethink Mental Illness North West Regional Committee is coming along to take us through the Department for Work and Pensions  (DWP) "limited capability for work" questionnaire. If you have applied for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) because you are not well enough to work, the DWP have to decide whether you do qualify for this benefit. The test they use to decide this is called the Work Capability Assessment (WCA). The "limited capability for work" questionnaire (ESA50) forms part of this assessment process. The meeting will run from the usual time of 6 - 7.45pm but instead of having a half hour catch up before we begin the main session, we'll be starting as soon as possible after 6pm as we'll have lots to get through. Could those attending please be at Manchester Carers Centre for 6pm prompt. If you need information on the WCA in the meantime, then there's a useful summary an

Making Space have set up a new website advising on the Incapacity Benefit reassessments, as part of the service we previously featured on our blog . The new website is http://peermentoring-makingspace.co.uk/ The Making Space Work4you project is here to help Manchester residents with mental health issues who are having their claim for Incapacity Benefit or Employment Support Allowance (ESA) reassessed.

Today we've heard the news that disabled people (including people with a mental illness) could be forced to work for free or face a cut in benefits . The clause is part of the welfare reform bill currently working its way through Parliament and applies only to individuals placed in the Employment and Support Allowance 'work related activity group'. If you are unsure whether this applies to you, talk to you benefits advisor. If you think you have been placed in the Wrag group incorrectly, contact the Rethink Advice and Information Service . As well as changes to the welfare system, government is also reforming our social care system. On 6th March, Rethink Mental Illness is organising a lobby of parliament to protest against some of the changes. Participants will meet in Westminster at 12pm, where you can participate in a Rethink Mental Illness ‘lobbying your MP’ training session. We’ll have lunch. You can then take part in a media photo opportunity, if you want to. We’ll

Because of high demand, the Advice and Information Service run by Rethink Mental Illness is in desperate need of additional funds. They've been a great source of support for many of our group so if you can spare a few pounds then every little really does help. You can donate here . Find out more about the Advice and Information service .

Please see below for an urgent notice about getting involved in commissioning for health care services in North and Central Manchester. Very important - we need local voices on these groups to get the best/ correct health care for our communities !!! - please circulate to your contacts , especially people who have a GP in North Manchester. Thankyou. Please let us know if you are interested by 5pm on by Friday 17 February. Contact: North:               julian.palfreyman@manchester.nhs.uk Advertisement for North & Central Manchester Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) Patient and Public Advisory Groups  The GP-led Clinical Commissioning Groups in north and central Manchester are looking for public representatives to act as a ‘voice’ on behalf of patients registered with north and central Manchester GP practices.  The groups will be supported by NHS staff.   Who might become a member of a Patient and Public Advisory Group? We welcome anyone living and / or working in no

It's our next meeting this Wednesday 8th February, from 6 – 7.45pm at Manchester Carers Centre , Vulcan Mill, 12-18 Pollard Street., M4 7AN. As well as having a cup of tea, bite to eat and a good catch up, we've got a guest speaker, Jessica Williams, from Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust. She’ll be talking to us about what becoming a Foundation Trust will mean for the Trust, our service users and members. As well as our forthcoming public governor elections and how these will enable members to have their say and shape the way mental health services are delivered in Manchester. If you are travelling by public transport or by foot, a ‘walking bus’ will leave from the taxi rank at Manchester Piccadilly station at 5:30pm. Please call Lindsey Cree on 07757 082976 to let us know you will be coming, so we know to wait for you. If you are travelling by car then free parking is available on Pollard Street after 6pm.

If you're a member of Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust, you'll just have received - or will soon be receiving - a letter about upcoming governor elections. As a membership led organisation the Trust needs to have members involved in the Council, which provides oversight for (though does not run) the Trust. If you're interested in standing for the role of Governor, then the letter contains information about upcoming events where you can go and find out more. Details are also available on the Trust's website . The events run from 6th to 17th Feb, with nominations closing on 21st February. Ballot papers will be sent out to members on the 9th March with the ballot closing on the 30th. There's a useful FAQs section on the Trust's website about becoming a Governor, as well as an outline of duties . If you're not already a member of the Trust you can join here .

Next Tuesday 7th Feb, at 9am and repeated again at 21.30, Professor Robin Murray is being interviewed by Jim al-Khalili on The Life Scientific about his views on the causes of schizophrenia. If you can't listen at either of these times then the show will be available as a podcast on BBC iPlayer - we'll post the link once it's up. More information on BBC R4 website .

Manchester Users Network meeting, 21st February, 11am, Harpurhey Wellbeing Centre, (formally Harpurhey Day Centre), 93 Church Lane, Harpurhey, Manchester M9 4BE. Guest Speaker, Steve Cova from DWP to answer your questions on DLA & cuts to your benefit. Further information tel Alan, (0161) 918 4343/(0161) 492 0790. More information on Manchester Users Network website .

We've just received this announcement from the Trust... Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust recently announced that they passed into the final Monitor phase of their Foundation Trust application. This means that they will shortly be launching our Governor elections and need people who are passionate about improving our services to come forward and stand for election. As a Governor you would play a big part in shaping services by representing the views of service users and carers as well as carrying out key statutory duties. There will be 14 Public Governors on the Council of Governors representing four constituencies – North Manchester (five Governors), South Manchester (five), Greater Manchester (three) and Out of Area (one). These 14 Governors will sit alongside four staff Governors and seven appointed Governors representing partner organisations such as Manchester City Council. There are lots of reasons for standing as a Foundation Trust Governor. For some, beco

We're really delighted to announce that following an election at our meeting last week we now have a new group Chair. Lindsey Cree has been a really active member of Rethink Manchester Carers in Action and is a brilliant champion for mental health issues. Lindsey says of herself: "I am a member of Rethink Mental Illness, as well as Rethink Manchester Carers in Action, and am passionate about supporting carers of those with a mental illness. I am an Involvement Worker with Rethink's Mental Health Education Team and am involved in research with Manchester University with the aim of enhancing service user involvement in care planning of mental health services. I attend local LINk and Mental Health Watchdog meetings in Manchester." Well done Lindsey and thanks so much for taking on the role!

The Schizophrenia Commission held its first event in London last week. More information from the event including pod casts of speaker talks and their slide point presentations will be posted on the Commission's website soon. The second event will be in Manchester on 21 February 2012. You can apply online now for tickets . Please follow the link - and pass onto your friends and contacts. The theme for Manchester is treatment and services for schizophrenia and psychosis.

It was the first hearing of the Schizophrenia Commission today. If you're on Twitter you can follow what's happening at @szcomm  https://twitter.com/#!/szcomm

We've posted a couple of blogs about a review being conducted by Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust of Adult Mental Health Community Services. You can read the main points we raised with the Trust. The Trust has provided an update on this review which you can access on its website . Some of the points we raised - about how people will be 'stepped up' and 'stepped down' the new model of care, and continued involvement of carers - are addressed.

Manchester City Council's Directorate for Adults, Health and Wellbeing is proposing to change the way it commissions Residential and Nursing Care placements for customers with mental ill-health. A 12 week consultation process runs from 6 December 2011 and ends on 28 February 2012. The Council is seeking the views of both existing and prospective Service Providers in relation to our future commissioning intentions and the development of a mental health specific, service specification and pricing framework. We'll try to take a look at the consultation documents (though there are three of them) and if appropriate complete the survey. Full details of the consultation are available on the Council's website .

I've pinched this graphic from the Time to Change website. It's part of a new campaign for 2012 to try and get people talking more openly about mental health in an effort to reduce discrimination. I think it's a great illustration of how we can get a bit wound up about how to approach talking to someone who's experiencing mental health problems, when often a simple 'hi, how are you feeling today' is all that's needed. You can make a pledge to talk about mental health on the Time to Change website.

On Wednesday 15th February 2012, Lancashire Hearing Voices Network will be holding an event to launch a new regional network for the support and empowerment of those who suffer emotional distress from hearing voices, unusual beliefs and tactile experiences. This event will include the following speakers: Peter Bullimore & Kate Crawford - Hearing Voices Network Dr Rufus May - Clinical Psychologist Rachel Waddingham - Voice Collective (Young People) Erica Irene - Dutch Hearing Voices Network Paul Hammersley — Lancaster University Venue: Claremont First Steps Centre, Dickson Road, Blackpool, FY1 2AP Registration, tea & coffee: 9.15—9.45am Close of event: 4.00pm Buffet lunch included Cost: £40 Waged / £25 Students and part time / £15 Unwaged For more info and to book your place, contact: Dean Smith— 8 Edmondsen Place, Fleetwood, FY7 7GD Tel: 07933 519 051 Email: shah75@gmx.com or Jo Henderson— Tel: 07581 236 397 Email: mydae1@googlemail.com

We'll be having our first meeting of 2012 next Wednesday 11th January, from 6 – 7:45pm at Manchester Carers Centre, Vulcan Mill, 12-18 Pollard Street, Manchester M4 7AN. As well as having a cup of tea, a bite to eat and a good catch up, we'll be planning our activities for the year ahead and hearing from a speaker about a research project being carried out by the University of Manchester to find out more about the daily lives of people who experience psychosis. Everyone is welcome – just come along. If you are travelling by public transport or by foot, a ‘walking bus’ will leave from the taxi rank at Manchester Piccadilly station at 5:30pm. Please call Mary Patel on 07816 754 032 to let us know you will be coming, so we know to wait for you. If you are travelling by car then free parking is available on Pollard Street after 6pm.

And another article on mental health from local media. This time much less positive (though thankfully balanced) but highlighting a really important issue, that many people in our prison system experience mental health issues. The MEN reports: "Some 80 per cent of inmates had at least one diagnosed mental health issue, while 70 per cent had two or more. Despite that, the mental health unit at the over-stretched Cheshire prison had space for just ten women, the report found." Full article here . What I found more disturbing than the article were the comments - why is it that people spend their time posting such negative things? Here's a selection of the worst... "is this 80.000 hyperciondriacs or just a lot of excuses for being locked up?????" "They must have been mental to have been put in there in the first place." I'll be optimistic and say that the kind of people who post comments such as this probably aren't very pleasant and ar

Just spotted this article in the Stretford and Urmston Messenger about Greater Manchester West Mental Health Foundation Trust launching a new research project to evaluate cognitive behavioural therapy for bipolar disorder. Full article here if you're interested .