There was an air of celebration at today’s ‘Movin’ On Up’ event at Chepstow Castle Car Park.
Monmouthshire service users and carers were delighted that 382 people across Wales supported the Mental Health Service User and Carer Panel’s views on how the Government’s forthcoming Mental Health Strategy for Wales, “Together for Mental Health”, could be improved.
The Panel was supported by Hafal, Bipolar UK and the Mental Health Foundation.
One of the Panel’s main concerns was how to broaden the engagement of service users and carers – both in the delivery of their own Care and Treatment Plans and in the wider planning and delivery of services. Carolyn Potter, a volunteer at Hafal’s Monmouthshire project, said: “The ground-breaking new Care and Treatment Plans will really benefit service users like myself providing they are used properly. I am passionate about person-centred planning after becoming involved in it while campaigning for better transition services for disabled young people.
Person-centred planning done properly – it will require intensive training and a real shift in attitude – together with the new Care and Treatment Plans could revolutionise mental health care in Wales.
“I can now see a brighter future where my skills, qualifications and experiences can be used to help not just my own recovery but also help improve mental health services in Wales. I hope to be actively involved in training and advocating for Care and Treatment Planning. It’s not the career path I set out on long ago but will possibly be very much more fulfilling!”
The aim of the “Movin’ On Up” campaign is to maximise the opportunities for recovery from serious mental illness which will be provided by “Together for Mental Health”, and the historic Mental Health (Wales) Measure. The Measure is hugely significant because it affords service users key new rights and has finally given users of secondary mental health services in Wales the legal right to a comprehensive holistic Care and Treatment Plan covering areas such as: accommodation; finance and money; and education and training.
The “Movin’ On Up” campaign is run by service users and carers and supported by mental health charities Hafal, Bipolar UK and the Mental Health Foundation. 22 weekly county events are taking place and the campaign will culminate in a climb of Wales’ highest peak, Snowdon, in September. The campaign will also feature an interactive stand on World Mental Health Day at the National Assembly.
For more pictures from the event please go to Hafal’s Facebook page.
To visit Hafal’s Young People’s Information Hub please click here.
For more information on the campaign please visit www.hafal.org.
A full response to the Strategy was published by Hafal today. Please click here to download a copy.