Report by Service User

NEXT STEPS CONFERENCE on 11 July 2001 at Grantham

The results of the consultation (county-wide) were discussed and presented by the Joint Development Manager Mental Health. Copy available from SUGAR or Riverhead Connect Services.

Also presented were the components of a locality mental health service.

These included talks on Primary Care Services, Early Intervention, Crisis Resolution, Assertive Outreach, User and Carer involvement, Care Programme Approach, mental health collaborative, Single Point of Access and a consultants perspective.

The new Chief Executive of the integrated Health and Social Care Trust, called the Lincolnshire Healthcare Trust, spoke also about the new mental health service.

A Service user from a different area spoke brilliantly and honestly about people already having an opinion about what a service user is needing or wanting.

I met a service user at the conference called John Skelton from a group he himself has set up called S..U..R..E..R…… Service User Representation (Eastern Region) Committee John Skelton, Jodie Regler and a qualified CCETSW Social Worker from Durham) They would welcome other 'service users' to carry out the work for SURER. Phone:01724 763207 john.f.skelton@btinternet.com

Their mission statement is to provide 'service user' representation for Lincolnshire by acting in an "umbrella" function to other 'service user' group and feeding back their views to Statutory bodies as well as providing support to such groups.

There is a document about this with Gordon Jennings, Community Support Worker based in the first office in the Portacabin at Riverhead Connect Services, Victoria Road, Louth. (07808 682811) Morag Judd 11/7/01