Issue 33

Stronger in Partnership Conference

On Thursday 6th August a few of us from the clinic went to a local Recovery Conference in Port Talbot called the Stronger in Partnership Conference. The conference was somewhere that carers and service users from Bridgend, Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot could say what they think about local services and ask questions of those who provide mental health care and services. There were workshops throughout the day and the three main themes discussed were:
Accessing Services, Challenging Stigma, Developing Local Communities.

We were made to feel very welcome and everyone was very friendly. There was coffee and tea available all day and a lovely buffet lunch was provided which included healthy snacks. There were a few presentations by guest speakers and the presentation on healthy eating and balanced diet was very informative; it got everyone thinking about their own diets, what to eat when exercising and using the gym regularly and how diet plays an important part in maintaining good mental health.

During the day we all got to take part in the workshops and this generated lots of discussion. Our group found the workshop on stigma gave everyone a chance to talk about personal recovery journeys and some of the problems faced by patients in a secure setting. There was lots of information about community support groups and an opportunity to talk to others and take details of the support available in local areas.

In lots of ways the ideas that were being talked about in the conference are already being addressed in Caswell Clinic and it was great to be able to tell others how well developed our service is.
Richard, Adam, Chris, Wayne, Lou, Ana, Sam, Jess.

For more info: http://www.mentalhealthsupport.co.uk/Stronger_in_Partnership.html