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Local Rethink carers’ service short listed for East Midlands NHS Awards
Rethink Leicestershire County and Rutland Carers’ Service, were short-listed for the Mental Health and Wellbeing category of the NHS Health and Social Care Award scheme. The scheme has been set up across ten regions in the UK including the East Midlands as part of the NHS 60th anniversary celebrations.
Unfortunately Rethink did not win the overall award but did receive a certificate presented to them by Sir John Brigstocke KCB Chairman of the NHS East Midlands.
Rethink carers support service is run by mental health charity Rethink in partnership with the local NHS Trust.
David Barsby, Rethink Service Manager said:
“I am very proud of the team and I believe that it is an achievement to reach the finals. The project has managed to let many carers see they are not on their own, that their situation is not unique and that there are others ‘out there’ experiencing exactly the same issues, problems, stresses, anxieties, pain or anguish. To some, knowing there is a support network available to them, has literally saved them from their desperate situations.
“Many people who are in a caring role do not identify themselves as a carer, they are a wife, husband, father or mother caring for and supporting the person they love and don’t realise there is help available as a “carer”. We are particularly pleased that we have successfully managed to reach many people within the Leicestershire area with this message.”
One of the key things the service provides for carers is a respite service – providing care for the person with a mental health problem whilst their carer has a break, helping to prevent the carer also becoming ill.
A carer’s experience:
John* 45 and his wife Amanda*, 48, care for their son Andy*, 18, (who is recovering from his first psychotic episode).
16 months ago Andy was sectioned as he was having a psychotic episode. In the lead up to being sectioned Andy’s behaviour changed becoming both more lethargic and more aggressive which John and Amanda put down to teenage hormones
Then, over three weeks, he got rapidly worse including starting to hear voices – Andy had “arguments” with a television presenter, believing the presenter was stealing his logic
“The doctors said he had a serious mental health condition and there were no cast iron answers. We were given a leaflet explaining what psychosis is but we were so stunned by it all we just couldn’t take it all in.
“A couple of months down the line we managed to stumble over some information about mental illness by doing searches on the internet. Then David Barsby from Rethink rang us. I still don’t know who told him about us but I am very grateful they did.
“David runs rethink Leicestershire County and Rutland Carers Service and it is a godsend. We went on a ten-week educational programme with Rethink, which was excellent; in fact we’ve asked to do it again. We learnt so much about severe mental illness over all and insight into what our Andy is going through. The Rethink team was on hand to explain anything and everything that came up. They support the whole family so we are better able to support and care for Andy. We now know exactly what to do if Andy has another crisis.”
(*names have been changed to protect identities).
About Rethink
Rethink, the leading national mental health membership charity, works to help everyone affected by severe mental illness recover a better quality of life. We aim to provide hope and empowerment through effective services and support to all those who need us and campaign for change through greater awareness and understanding.
For further information on the charity and its work, visit: www.rethink.org or call 0845 456 0455.
The Mental Health Shop is an online resource for mental health publications, leaflets, booklets, videos, DVDs and more. Jointly founded in 2006 by Mental Health Media and Rethink, the Mental Health Shop is funded with the kind support of the Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and Wales.
For more information about the Rethink Leicestershire County and Rutland Carers Service ring David Barsby, service manager, on 01530 276 525
For more information on the Awards contact the NHS Communications Team on 0115 9684468 or log onto: www.healthandsocialcareawards.org.uk and click on ‘East Midlands’
Date: 5 June 2008