Rethink Mental Illness Manchester Group

Date:  Thursday, 8th December, 2016     Time:  2016:   09:00 - 16:30   Venue:   Community Essence, 51-53 Castle St, Stockport SK3 9AD  Hearing distressing voices is one of the most common experiences of people diagnosed with a psychotic disorder. However it is a common human experience and there are many people who live well with their voices or have learnt to do so.  This one-day seminar has been designed to provide a safe space for voice hearers, family members and practitioners to explore and better understand the experience of hearing voices and discover how voice hearers can live well with this experience. Learning Objectives: - Better understanding of hearing voices and what it is like for voice hearers - Understand the different beliefs and perspectives used by voice hearers to explain their experience including spiritual and cultural understandings - Understand the different and effective ways of coping with ...

We'll be meeting this coming Wednesday 12th October at Manchester Carers Centre from 6 - 7:30pm.  We have two visitors to welcome: - Stephen McAndrew who is a Trustee of our parent charity, Rethink Mental Illness. He's coming mainly to meet with us but also so we can find out a bit about what he does as a Trustee, and about Rethink. - Adelene O'Connor, a researcher, who is in the early stages of research into family members/carers experiences of supporting their relative who has decided to stop their prescribed medication. I know this won't apply to all of us but it's good to hear about current mental health research whatever the specialism. Bridge5Mill is easy to get to from the city centre - it's 5 minutes walk from Holt Town metrolink stop. There is parking on most streets around the Mill from 6pm. Directions for travelling by tram, on foot, by bike, bus and car are all available on the Bridge 5 Mill website here  http://www.merci.org.uk/d ru...

We'll be meeting this coming Wednesday 13th July at Manchester Carers Centre - usual start time of 6 but with a slightly earlier finish of 7:30. But one thing has changed...Manchester Carers Centre has moved to a beautiful new building, just slightly further up the road.  Bridge 5 Mill already hosts other third sector organisations and is also Manchester's most sustainable conference venue. It's easy to get to from the city centre being only 5 minutes walk from Holt Town metrolink stop. There is parking on most streets around the Mill.  Directions for travelling by tram, on foot, by bike, bus and car are all available on the Bridge 5 Mill website . If you were familiar with Manchester Carers Centre's previous location at Vulcan Mill, the new venue is a 10 minute walk further up Pollard Street, then a left turn onto Beswick St: Bridge 5 Mill is then about 1 minute's walk down Beswick St, on your left. We'll be starting the meeting with a cuppa and a bi...

Last week, Craig Harris came to talk to us about mental health commissioning in Manchester and his own personal interest in mental health. Craig is Chief Nurse and Director at Manchester Clinical Commissioning Groups and keeps up his clinical work alongside various commissioning responsibilities, as well as Chairing the local charity Survivors UK. We raised some of the issues that we would like to see tackled as Manchester takes on a devolved health and social care model. Top of the list were greater transparency surrounding which GPs have a special interest in mental health; providing support and guidance for staff in interpreting and applying confidentiality rules; involving carers and service users, in particular using the Carers Trust Triangle of Care model. We also talked about emergency care including support for carers in an emergency, especially for individuals not already under the care of the Trust. Thanks go to Craig for a very down to earth and open discussion. Here's o...

Clinical Commissioning Groups commission a large chunk of our mental health services, and with wide-ranging changes planned to Manchester we are please to welcome Craig Harris, Executive Nurse & Director, North, Central and South Manchester NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups, as the speaker for our AGM next week. The AGM will take place next Wednesday, 11th May, from 6 - 8pm at Manchester Carers Centre, 12-18 Pollard Street, M4 7AN. For directions see below. No need to book - all are welcome. Light snacks and refreshments will be provided. Craig will talk to us about the current planned changes to mental health commissioning in Manchester, and about what motivates him to work in mental health. After qualifying as a mental health nurse in 2000, Craig worked in clinical practice until 2005. Since leaving full time clinical practice he has served as Executive Nurse for South Manchester CCG and held a variety of Clinical Commissioning posts including Head of Mental Health Joint Co...

We are lucky here in Manchester that we have so many researchers interested in furthering understanding of many different mental health conditions, and more effective methods of treatment. We have been sent details of a study by a Masters student at the University of Manchester into factors protecting young people from suicide. The researchers are looking for participants aged between 18-25 to answer a series of online surveys. See the image below for a bit more information and the researchers' contact details.

Our next meeting will be this  Wednesday 13 th April starting at 6pm for tea, coffee and biccies, and ending at 7.45pm. If you are travelling by public transport, Manchester Carers Centre *(full address below) is directly across the road from the New Islington Metrolink stop (Droylsden Line). It’s one tram stop from Piccadilly train station. If you are travelling by car, free parking is available on Pollard Street from 6pm. As ever, all are welcome! Also, advance notice that our AGM will take place on Wednesday 11 th May from 6 – 7:45pm at Manchester Carers Centre.  We are pleased to be welcoming Craig Harris, Executive Nurse & Director, Citywide Commissioning & Quality from NHS Central Manchester Clinical Commissioning Group as our speaker for the evening. This will be in addition to the formal AGM business. Anyone interested in helping us in a more formal role such as Chair, Treasurer or Group Co-ordinator please get in touch via email. * Manchester C...

We are meeting this  coming Wednesday 9th March  at our usual time of 6 - 7:45pm  at Manchester Carers Centre,  12-18 Pollard Street, M4 7AN . For directions see below. Our speaker this month is Val Bayliss-Brideaux from Manchester Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs are responsible for making decisions about health services that are provided across much of Manchester). She is coming to get our feedback on a new 5-year health and social care plan from Manchester CCGs and Manchester City Council. You can read a copy of the plan here  http://www.manchesterccgs.nhs.uk/download.cfm?doc=docm93jijm4n3311.pdf&ver=4205  and Val will be running through it at the meeting. She has provided a link to a survey which asks for ideas to improve health and social care outcomes in Manchester - here's the link (feel free to complete before or after the meeting):  https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/82XBK5M CCGs commission a large chunk of mental health services so this ...