We have been working with a local Company recently, one which to a degree had become a victim of its own person-centred philosophy and practice. Don’t get me wrong the being person-centred isn’t a bad thing, its just when the barriers between the roles between Employer and Employee become blurred. Employers have a duty of care towards their staff members,… Read More

We are nearly a fifth of the way through the present century. The 21st, I know I’m good for knowing that. I will take my bow later. But what has this new century brought us, this new millennia? I look at the world and I see an increase in poverty, racism, anger, xenophobia, hatred, homelessness and mental health problems. I… Read More

You would think that any changes to a piece of legislation such as the Mental Capacity Act 2005 would be a straightforward thing to do. Well, I would. The DoLs process was not working as effectively as it should have, so  those that do took a look at how to make it work better. But sadly in the proposals put… Read More

Training! What importance do you give to training within your Organisation? Is it high priority – low quality? Is it high priority – high quality? Is it low priority – we’ll get what we can? Is it high priority – we’re struggling to organise it? If it is 1 or 4 maybe we can help! Train for Care will support… Read More

Over the past four of five weeks I have personally encountered three people with harrowing stories of being let down by the very services that should be there to support them with their Mental Health problems. All three regard the mental health of children and young people. Two involved young people attempting to end their own lives. Sadly the local… Read More

It was in 1961 that the Suicide Act decriminalised the act of suicide, so ensuring people who had tried to end their own life would not be prosecuted. Prior to that, a person found guilty of ‘felo de se’, felon to himself could be sentenced to serve a term in prison or be taken to be ‘treated’ at a Psychiatric… Read More

“I’ve been working here for ten years, I know my job!” How many times have you heard something like that? A few times I would hazard a guess. I have, facilitating training over the years I’ve heard it a lot. It usually means “Don’t tell me how to do my job”. Or, “You can’t teach me anything”. Sadly it cannot… Read More

There are, as there is in many fields, models of care, treatment regimes, care pathways and approaches, but in the end what matters? In the end it always comes down to the person who is being cared for and the person providing the care, and what matters more than anything is ‘trust’! Can I trust the person to treat me… Read More

Having worked in mental health for many year, I still find the act of self-harm is one that is hugely misunderstood. I still hear the comments from a minority of health professionals and from within the general population that ‘they’ are ‘seeking attention’, ‘manipulating’, ‘over-reacting’, ‘wasting our time’. Or as a Dr said to a young woman a couple of… Read More