Transcript Presentation to the EMS Conference

Essex Mind & Spirit (EMS): Audit of Faith/Belief
led Mental Health provision
Bill Coomber
Praxis Proactive Solutions Ltd
Presentation to the Essex mind & Spirit (EMS)
Mini-Conference
Tuesday,19 May 2015
Objectives of the Presentation
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Scope out the research
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Convey ‘headline’ results
Highlight some good practice projects/services
Identify some key issues arising
Secure feed back via group discussions
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Headline Results – Questionnaire responses
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111 responses in total
Mid-Essex Cluster – x40
West Essex – x20
North Essex – x25
South Essex - x18
‘Metropolitan Essex’ – x8
Headline Results – projects identified
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96 groups/projects/services identified across
Essex
Mid-Essex Cluster – x31
West Essex – x14
North Essex – x21
South Essex - x24
‘Metropolitan/Essex borders – x6
Diversity & Geography
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Heavy representation of Christian-led groups
Representation of Muslim, Buddhist and
Jewish-led groups
Degree of cross-cultural activity?
Identify apparent gaps and verify
Geographical gaps – for example Tendring
area
Real or illusionary?
Six Good Practice Examples
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Need to drill down
Examine the x96 groups/projects/services
Verify and confirm
In the meantime - x6 Good practice examples
selected by the EMS Cluster Chairs
They give a taste of the faith-led groups that exist
across the County
And the services/projects that they deliver
Example 1 – Women Together (South Essex)
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Female, Muslim led, multi-cultural project
Based in Basildon – Social support group
Promote good mental health via social activities
Coffee mornings, education & discussion
Arts & crafts
Knitting, card making & stencilling
Festivals, parties & food
Combats female social isolation/exclusion
Example 2 - Eternal Fitness: Spirit, Soul &
Body (mid-Essex)
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Christian-led social enterprise
 Offers qualified trainers, nutrition & therapy
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Link with local counselling service
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Physical/mental/emotional fitness
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Training, walking and running club
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GLAD programme – stress and emotions
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Revive – Weight loss, fitness & healthy
eating
Example 3 – Christian Youth Outreach (CYO)
(North-Essex)
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Charity that works with schools and colleges
 Explores positive lifestyles, spirituality & Faith
 ‘Beloved’ Programme – 6 week course for year 9
girls
 Examines issues of body image, identity and selfesteem
 Promotes positive self image and prevents/tackles
depression, eating disorders and low esteem
Example 4 – Amber Lights Psychological
Services (Mid-Essex)
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Christian-led Social enterprise committed to
therapy, training & research
Interested in psychosis & BME communities,
person centred therapy and the therapeutic value
of creative writing and art
How therapy can incorporate the spiritual
Therapy sessions available
Led by Dr Hilary Garraway
Example 5 – Brentwood Buddhist Centre
(South Essex)
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Buddhist-led centre offering services/access to all
sections of the community
Classes/course available in meditation, Qi Gong,
yoga, pilates and tai chi
Buddha Café – offering food/refreshments and
company
Promotes social contact and healthy lifestyles
Example 6 – Affordable Counselling Services
(West Essex)
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Faith-led Counselling service
The provision of fully qualified counsellors
Knock down rate of £5 per counselling session for
those on low incomes/benefits
Individual and group counselling techniques
Offers much needed counselling in a period
of statutory service contraction
Issues Arising
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Statutory-Voluntary-Faith Sector collaboration in a
period of enforced ‘austerity’
New partnerships and commissioning to meet
community needs
‘The Elephant in the Room’ and overcoming it
A Faith-statutory code of practice/concordat
Sign up required to work with statutory providers
Greater recognition by clinicians of the role of
spirituality in good mental health
Issues Arising (2)
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Can Faith-led groups co-operate to provide
better/new services – lever in new resources?
Is there scope for greater faith-voluntary sector
co-operation – better use of resources?
Can this co-operation be organised via the EMS
cluster areas?
Is there a genuine will to co-operate?
Should statutory services reconsider established
ways of working – (ie, link chaplaincy Services to
GPs)
Set Question for Working Groups
How should we set about achieving improved cooperation between the statutory-voluntary-faith
sectors in the provision of mental health related
services in Essex?
Is it possible or desirable?
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