l i fewww.mcch.org.uk Spring 2014

mental health and wellbeing news

Find out how to take part in the doitforcharity Superhero run. Page 6

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Ask mcchDo you have a question that you want mcch to answer? Is there something you want to know? This is your chance to ask us and we will write the answers in the next newsletter.

To get started we will answer the question that we get asked the most.

Q. What does mcch stand for?A. mcch doesn’t stand for anything! We used to be known as Maidstone Community Care Housing. In the 1980s, we helped to move people from hospitals into homes in the community. Our first services were in Maidstone, but we now have many more services across the South East.

Welcome

If you have a question you would like to ask us then please get in touch

Email: marketing@mcch.org.uk

Address: Sam Woollardmcch, One Hermitage Court, Hermitage Lane, Maidstone, Kent ME16 9NT

The mcch life newsletter has changed. It is now written in an easy to understand way, without difficult words. The new layout also makes it clearer for people to read.

Sam Woollard Editor

mcch is a charityDo you know what an ‘industrial and provident society with charitable status’ is? Many people do not!

We have changed to a registered charity and our number is 1156486. This is great news for us. We can now ask more funding organisations to give money to our projects.

Talking is great. Talking about mental health is also great. You don’t even need to be an expert.

It was Time to Talk day on 6 February. We asked people to tell us why talking helps.

“Talking more openly about mental health is a really powerful way of breaking down the stigma and discrimination that one in four of us with a mental health problem have to face.

Previous research has shown that people can feel uncomfortable talking about mental illness but when they do talk it’s often much easier than they expected.” Sue

It’s always time to talk

Sue BakerDirector at Time to Change

3Spring 2014

This is what people told us:

Living alone, life can be lonely, so talking helps.

I have a lot going on in my life at the moment and some of those things are positive changes and challenges. However even positive changes can cause or trigger anxiety and I found it good to talk.

Talking helps me to realise that I am not alone, that mental health issues are not to be feared but can be conquered and I can live my life.

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We have 9 community psychiatric nurses (CPN) working with mcch as mental health specialists. They are working with staff and GPs at doctor’s surgeries to support someone as early as possible.

This project is for 2 years and is helping people to get the right mental health service sooner.

Why is the project important?• It aims to move people with mental health

needs in secondary care services back to primary care.

• It supports people with long-term mental health needs into the community.

• It helps people to focus on their recovery.

Mental health specialists

What is primary and secondary care?

Primary care is given by your doctor, dentist, pharmacist or optician.

Secondary care is for when your mental health needs cannot be supported in primary care.

You will then see a specialist.

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Staff get an awardWe had an event in November for staff and volunteers. We gave them awards to thank them for their great work with mcch.

The Volunteer of the Year award went to the Wellbeing Centre in Hart and Rushmoor. Well done to all the winners.

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We were finalistsWell done to Kerry Turner, who is a senior manager at mcch. Kerry was a finalist in the Laing & Buisson Independent Specialist Care Awards.

Well done to the Holly Lodge team who were also finalists. This challenging behaviour* service has mcch and Avenues staff.

* A person’s behaviour can be defined as challenging if it puts them or those around them at risk or leads to poorer quality of life.

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When: Sunday 18 May 2014 (arrive at 9.45am)

Where: Regent’s Park, London

How much do I have to pay to enter? £22 How much money do I need to raise? £100

How do I take part? Call Emma on 01622 722536 or email fundraising@mcch.org.uk

Take part in the doitforcharity Superhero run. You can walk, jog or run 5km or 10km. It’s your choice! You get a free superhero costume to wear, or wear your own costume.

Get involved

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Love superheroes? Love running?

This is how we will spend the moneyThe money raised will buy sensory equipment for the people we support. This uses special lighting, music and objects to help develop people’s senses and improve their concentration, memory and communication skills.

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When: Sunday 7th September 2014 (arrive between 6.30am and 9.30am)

Where: From Clapham Common in London to Madeira Drive in Brighton

How much do I have to pay to enter? £35 How much money do I need to raise? £100

How do I take part? Call Emma on 01622 722536 or email fundraising@mcch.org.uk

Take part in the doitforcharity London to Brighton bike ride. You will cycle 54 miles with many cyclists.

Emma Cassley Fundraising Manager

Get a fundraising website pageMake it easy for people to give you money!

You can give people your sponsorship form or you can ask people to give you money on your fundraising website page.

Go to www.doitforcharity.com/give and set up your fundraising website page.

Get on your

bike!

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Supported living: the facts

Julianne Garner Senior Operations Manager

What is the difference between supported living and registered care? Supported living provides people with their own tenancy and is 100% focused around them. A tenancy agreement means housing laws protect you.

Some people think that registered care is 24 hour support and supported living is just a few hours a week. Supported living can also be up to 24 hour support, depending on needs.

The quality and content of support people receive is the same.

Tenancies and support are separate. Someone could live in a service managed by mcch and get support from another provider.

Can anyone have their own tenancy?Yes, the Mental Capacity Act of 2005 has made this possible.

If you do not understand your tenancy agreement, that’s ok. It does not mean that you cannot have a tenancy.

Advocacy services and Independent Mental Capacity Advocates (IMCAs) can support people to understand their tenancy.

Supported living helps people have choice and control and their own tenancy.

Valarie helps to prepare and cook all her meals. She also goes to a dance group three times a week and loves going to the theatre.

Manage your anxietySAM is an application for your mobile phone that helps you to understand and manage anxiety.

It helps you to understand what causes your anxiety and helps you to monitor your anxious thoughts and behaviour over time.

There are also some useful built in self help exercises that help you to breathe calmly and change your focus away from what may be making you anxious.

The ‘Social Cloud’ feature allows you to anonymously share your experiences with other people who use the SAM app.

Cost: Free

We take a look at mobile apps

Where can I get it?http://sam-app.org.uk

Technology review Sam Woollard Editor

9Spring 2014

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Garden wins!Gardening, pool, arts and crafts are just a few things that Paul gets up to in his spare time but being outside is what he really enjoys.

Paul works at a garden centre 3 days a week in the canteen but it does not stop there.

At the weekend green fingered Paul is outside in the garden at Wimborne Road growing his own vegetables and making the garden look its best. This was noticed in the 2013 mcch Gardening Competition where Wimborne Road won the ‘Best Use of a Small Garden’ award.

PaulTenant

This year we are holding another mcch gardening competition and everybody that enters will receive their own compost bin to help the environment.

We will feature some of the winners in future issues of mcch life.

I enjoy being outside and watching things grow.

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We have employment services in Folkestone, Maidstone, Dartford and Gravesend. They support people with mental health needs to gain and maintain employment. Paula tells us how they helped her to find a job.

I met with Caroline at mcch Employment Service Maidstone. She listened to where I was and encouraged me to consider what interested me and what skills I had to offer.

I have always been interested in supporting people in the community and mentioned this to Caroline. We used this as a basis for job searching.

In October I had an interview with Switch Café where I worked as a volunteer.

I am now a volunteer peer mentor at a charity that helps people who are recovering from alcohol and drug addiction. I organise support groups and mentor new people who do not have the confidence to talk to a key worker.

I look forward to this next step in my life and am finding that everyday my confidence is growing and I plan to find a paid job soon.

My pathway to employment

For more information about our employment services visit: www.mcch.org.uk/employment

In 2013 our Maidstone employment service supported 36 people into paid employment and 10 into voluntary positions. They also helped 48 people to stay in their job.

Paula Volunteer

It feels good helping people.

Printed on 100% recycled paper

Are you looking for support? Call us free on 0800 028 28 15

mcch One Hermitage Court Hermitage Lane Maidstone Kent ME16 9NT

t. 01622 722400 f. 01622 722450 www.mcch.org.uk

mcch is a registered charity number 1156486 and a company limited by guarantee (registered in England and Wales number 8971493).

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