Rethink Mental Illness Manchester Group

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 o...

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 ...

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....