Mental Health in the UK in Cornwall

National Dementia Strategy

Launched on 3rd February 2009 to transform the quality of dementia care, including improved community personal support services and domiciliary care services.

The strategy aims to develop services for people with dementia and their carers that are fit for the 21st century, with services that meet the needs of everyone, regardless of age, ethnic group or social status.

The strategy is designed for:

• People with dementia
• Carers
• Health and social care professionals
• Anyone affected by dementia

(Getting high-quality care and an equal quality of care, are involved in decisions about their care.)

To find out more about the National Dementia Strategy visit www.dh.gov.uk/dementia

or call 0300 123 1002

The Dementia Gateway

The Dementia Gateway is a new section of the Social Care Institute for Excellence’s (SCIE) website. The Gateway comprises a comprehensive set of resources on dementia aimed at staff, managers, carers, commissioners and people with dementia.

The goal of the Gateway is to increase good practice in care homes and within domiciliary care, and in turn to improve the lives of people living with dementia. The website contains practical tips, tools and activities on key areas in an accessible and user-friendly format. Visitors can check for quick updates, or look in detail at dementia issues and the site also includes free e-learning programmes, developed in conjunction with the Alzheimer’s Society.

Sections of the site include:

• Getting to know a person with dementia
• Eating well for health and enjoyment
• Tackling difficult situations
• Keeping active and occupied
• Making living places safe and enjoyable

In addition, the site offers access to a series of new films developed by SCIE for its Social Care TV service. These films cover dementia and other relevant topics such as nutrition and personalisation.

www.scie.org.uk/dementia  |  Tel: 02070 896 840

Alzheimer’s Society

The Alzheimer’s Society is the UK’s leading care and research charity for people with or affected by dementia.

Alzheimer’s Society is a membership organisation, which works to improve the quality of life of people affected by dementia. In over 250 locations across the UK, Alzheimer’s Society staff and volunteers work together to provide help and information to people affected by dementia in their communities.

Our branch services include day care and home care for people with dementia, as well as support and befriending services to help partners and families cope with the demands of caring. For your nearest Alzheimer’s Society Branch you can call the national helpline on: 0845 300 0336 or visit us at www.alzheimers.org.uk

SANEline                                              0845 767 8000

SANE is a charity set up in 1986 concerned with all mental illnesses including depression and manic depression, schizophrenia, anxiety, obsessions, phobias, as well as alcohol and drug addiction, and more. The three main objectives:

• To raise awareness and respect for people and their families with mental illness, improve education and training, and secure better services.
• To undertake research into the causes of serious mental illness.
• To provide information and emotional support to those experiencing mental health problems, their families and carers through SANEline.

The lines are open 6pm to 11pm every day, calls are charged at local rate. Help includes practical information, crisis care and emotional support to anybody affected by mental health problems, including family and carers. Call: 0845 767 8000

Rethink

We were founded over 30 years ago to give a voice to people affected by severe mental illness and today, with over 8,500 members, we remain determined that this voice will continue to be heard.  We help over 52,000 people every year through our services, support groups and by providing information on mental health problems. Our website receives over 500,000 visitors every year.

Our aim is to make a practical and positive difference by providing hope and empowerment through effective services, information and support to all those who need us. People who use our services and their carers are at the heart of our vision and we believe that all those who experience severe mental illness are entitled to be treated with respect and as equal citizens. We carry out research which informs both our own and national mental health policy and actively campaign for change through greater awareness and understanding. And we are dedicated to creating a world where prejudice and discrimination are eliminated.

Mission statement:

Working together to help everyone affected by severe mental illness recover a better quality of life.

Rethink’s work is overseen by the Board of Trustees, of whom the majority are carers and users. Rethink Northern Ireland is from 1st April 2009 a separate organisation.

Most of Rethink’s funds come from statutory funders such as health authorities, but these are bolstered by sources including central government departments, the European Social Fund, trusts, companies and individuals. Rethink’s income is currently over £41 million per year.

Rethink services are designed to display best practice and to be sensitive to local needs. Our quality strategy promotes and monitors consistency and coherence, and ensures that users’ and funders’ requirements are met. At the same time, Rethink’s planning and monitoring systems aim to make all the services we provide as effective and efficient as possible, while encouraging continuous improvement.

In all its work, Rethink is committed to promoting equality, choice, dignity, respect and access to care and support. As part of this committment Rethink has signed up to The Charter for Employers who are Positive about Mental Health

Our wide range of services includes advocacy, carer support, community support, criminal justice, crisis, employment and training, helpline and advice, housing, nursing and residential care, respite, IAPT talking treatments and young people. The support we offer spans from acute and long-term care through to practical support and advice.

The people who use our services play a central role in determining how we run our services. We provide high quality services that are carefully planned, managed and monitored and we support the people who use our services towards achieving their potential.

We rigorously examine our services to find better approaches to their provision and continuous improvement. We explore innovative and imaginative strategies for developing and delivering services that build new partnerships and ways of working with people with severe mental illness and other mental health problems.

Rethink, Head Office,

15th Floor, 89 Albert Embankment, London, SE1 7TP

Tel: 0845 456 0455  |  info@rethink.org

Rethink Advice and Information Service

Tel: 020 7840 3188 (Mon - Fri 10:00 - 13:00)  |  advice@rethink.org

Membership: Tel: 0845 456 0455 (for membership queries)

www.rethink.org