The Trust provides services not only to Leicester City and Leicestershire but also to the County of Rutland.

Rutland has a rich history and was first recognised as a Shire County in the 12th Century. It has always depended on the land for a living, and today it remains a predominantly agricultural county as can be seen by the rolling hills and flower filled meadows that surround the picturesque villages and market towns. Rutland regained its independence from Leicestershire in 1997 and is the smallest county in England.

LPT works closely with Rutland County Council Social Services to provide an integrated specialist mental health service for the county’s 35,000 residents. A wide range of mental health and learning disability services are available to people of all ages in Rutland. These include hospital and medical services as well as community teams and support services that enable people to remain as independent as possible in the community.

Services available in Rutland include:

• Community Mental Health Team (based at Voluntary Action Rutland).
• Common Mental Health Problems Service (available at most GP surgeries).
• Crisis Resolution/Home Treatment Service (for adults with an acute mental illness, a 24 hour, 7 days a week service).
• Assertive Outreach Service (for adults with severe mental health problems who require intensive support).
• Inpatient Care (at one of our hospital units in Leicester).
• Learning Disability Services (based at The Mount in Melton).
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (outpatient clinics and primary care workers plus an inpatient service in Leicester).

As well as providing health care and treatment LPT also supports people to live the sort of lives they want to lead, with opportunities for employment, education and leisure. The Rutland Community Mental Health team runs several groups that support people in regaining the skills and confidence to participate socially and to fulfil their aspirations.

These groups include:

• The Men’s Group: Sport Activities.
• Wednesday Morning Group: Confidence building for women.
• Women’s Swimming Group: The aim is to integrate into a public session.
• One-to-One Individual Work: 4 sessions per week (2 to 3 hours each) for people experiencing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
• Social Skills Development: Outreach work for introduction into education and anxiety management skills.
• Rutland Mental Health Forum: Brings together all the relevant agencies to develop mental health initiatives within Rutland.

LPT is changing and is keen to work more closely with local communities. We have already built successful partnerships with many individuals, communities and organisations in Rutland, and we are eager to expand these opportunities further and work together in new and more creative ways.

Jane Ford, General Manager for the Melton, Rutland and Harborough Locality Service said: “There is already some great work going on in Rutland which is giving people the chance to develop their potential, but there is still so much more that we could do. We want to get to know the communities we serve much better and enable people with mental ill health or a learning disability to take advantage of the job opportunities, education, housing and leisure activities that are available in their area. Health needs in Rutland may be different to the health needs of people living in other areas and we want to provide a service that is right for local people.”

(Taken from May 2009 edition)