There are, as there is in many fields, models of care, treatment regimes, care pathways and approaches, but in the end what matters? In the end it always comes down to the person who is being cared for and the person providing the care, and what matters more than anything is ‘trust’! Can I trust the person to treat me… Read More

Having worked in mental health for many year, I still find the act of self-harm is one that is hugely misunderstood. I still hear the comments from a minority of health professionals and from within the general population that ‘they’ are ‘seeking attention’, ‘manipulating’, ‘over-reacting’, ‘wasting our time’. Or as a Dr said to a young woman a couple of… Read More

Mental health and wellbeing is such an important issue. With increased numbers of people reporting feelings of depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts, it is very important for people to be able to, on the one hand, spot the signs of distress, and the other, to be able to share their feelings in an open way with people who will listen…. Read More

Have you noticed how contracts are becoming a lot longer and more detailed in their outcome requirements? The emphasis is, as it should be, on care being delivered by competent, appropriately trained and supported staff. They also outline the outcomes that the training should deliver. The contracts may say that all staff need a Learning and Development Plan, However the… Read More

About 7o% of referrals for social care have been assessed as having mental health issues. That is a staggering number. Yet the level of training in mental health is greatly under provided for. There are many reasons for this, one being that the subject of mental health is vast, another is that it is seen as a role for the… Read More

I teach about Dementia, I teach to the relevant standards and can present the information in an inclusive way. BUT, I have two outcomes in mind, firstly, of course, to enable Learners to gain the necessary knowledge and understanding to work with the individuals they work in a more empathic, more person centred way and informed way. Secondly, to grasp… Read More

I am not going to go into statistics on the prevalence of mental health problems across society. It is simple enough to acknowledge that it is there. It is there in Celebrity Land, in the Business World and across Everyday Life World. It is in my life and maybe it is in yours? Who cares huh? The media cares if… Read More

The front page in the Daily Mirror [ https://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/health/dementia-breakthrough-simple-eye-test-12969732 ], tells the story of an eye sight test that can ‘predict’ dementia. In conversation with my Optician over a year ago we talked about an eye test that had been developed over seven years before we spoke. This was based on the build up of proteins at the back of… Read More

Neuro-protection, a word that obviously trips off our tongue during every conversation that we engage in….. not! Over my years of teaching mental health I have never been so focussed on the subject of our bodies being a very unique ‘eco-system’, especially when focussing on our cognitive function, as I am now. We live in a very complex and stressful… Read More

There have been many films about Mental Health, but not many that really understands the subject. Films that don’t get the subject right tend to add to the misunderstanding about mental health and also to the stigma surrounding it. ‘I’m a Cyborg, but that’s OK’ (2006) gets it right, ‘Schizo’ (1976) gets it wrong. ‘I’m a Cyborg, but that’s ok’… Read More