• We are users of the mental health services that live in East Devon
• The project is run by and for service users with a coordinator to help maintain the smooth running of the project;
• The Self-Advocacy Project gives you the opportunity to say what you think about the services you are getting;
• The group has been set up so that service users can have a say in how the Health and Social Services develop and provide mental health care;
• We get together to find out what opportunities to get involved are coming up in the next month;
• We also get to find out what other people have been doing in the previous month;
• We discuss issues that are directly relevant to people who use mental health services, for instance changes in law to do with the Mental Health Act or issues with medication;
• We have guest speaker from time to time. In previous meetings, we have had solicitors, Patient Advice and Liaison Service and Local Implementation Group worker to name a few;

Membership

• Membership is open to anyone, living in East Devon, who has had experience of mental health services, whether they wish to attend meetings or not. Groups for both the Honiton side of East Devon and the Exmouth side of East Devon meet once a month to discuss mental health service issues.

Venues

• All our venues have toilets, suitable for disabled and able bodied.
• Parking is always available at our meeting venues.

Special Needs

• We will do out best to meet any special needs you have.
• All out venues are disabled friendly.
• We can arrange for our newsletter and minutes to be recorded or printed larger if required.

Funders:

We are funded by:

Directorate Management Team Meeting
This is a meeting where service users from East Devon and Exeter can raise concerns about mental health services with the managers of the service. It lasts an hour and takes place every six weeks at Wonford House in Exeter. We also have a planning meeting in Exeter a week before each meeting so that service users can decide what they want to raise. This is a really good opportunity to have a say in how services are run.

Making Connections
This is a Devon wide service user and carer forum that meets at different locations around the county. It is a nice opportunity for people to meet with other groups of service users across Devon.

Rehabilitation and Recovery Forum
This meeting takes place at the Russell Clinic at Wonford House Exeter and it brings together various managers, psychiatrists, psychologists and service user groups to look at developments in Rehabilitation and Recovery services for people in East Devon and Exeter. It is quite a complicated meeting, but has a nice atmosphere.

Acute Care Forum
This meeting take place at Wonford House Exeter and brings together a group for staff, service users and carers who all have an interest in the Exeter based inpatient services (East, Mid, Exeter). It is developing a plan of action for the inpatient wards, in line with the Government’s Acute Care Guidelines.

Women’s Mental Health Strategy Steering Group
This meeting takes place every six weeks and happens at the Briars in Alphington in Exeter. The meeting focuses on the way in which the women’s strategy for mental health needs to be implemented in Devon.

Local Action Group
This brings together representatives from service user groups with key people from health and social services.

Local Implementation Group
This is a high level meeting where important decisions are made

Ward Visits
The Project carries out visits to Combehaven Ward on a regular basis. Visits take place once a fortnight and are publicised in advance on the ward. We aim to provide patients on the ward with an independent listening ear for any concerns or issues they may have about their care. We then feedback these issues to ward staff anonymously, agree any actions that need to take place, and look at actions agreed from previous visits for updates.

In-Patients Clinical Governence Meeting
This meeting brings together clinical staff and service users to look at issues related to in-patient care.

Essence of Care
This meeting happens on a monthly basis at The Cedars Unit in Exeter. The Cedars Unit is the building that houses Combehaven Ward and Delderfield Ward, the two acute inpatient wards that serve East Devon, Mid Devon and Exeter. The meeting is concerned with getting the Essence of Care programme put into practice on Combehaven Ward and Delderfield Ward and includes participation from nursing staff, patients and carers.

Catering Meetings
These meetings take place at Whipton Hospital in Exeter. This is where all the food that is served to patients on the psychiatric wards in Exeter is prepared. The meeting looks at catering arrangements on the wards and considers feedback from patients and staff.

Visits to Day Services
The project visits the Rethink centre in Exmouth on the first Tuesday of every month for two hours so that we can meet with individuals who live on that side of East Devon who want to share their views about mental health services and ensure that their needs are reflected at the meetings we attend. Similarly we visit Mind Centre at The Haven in Honiton on the last Tuesday of every month for two hours so that we can meet with individuals who live on this side of East Devon who want to share their views about mental health services and ensure that their needs are reflected at the meetings we attend. We are also happy to arrange to visit or meet with any other groups or individuals who have views or opinions about mental health services in East Devon that they would like to share.

Links to useful information

www.mind.org.uk