Mental Health

Our State of the Sector Survey in 2013 found that there were 3,093 voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations in Manchester, with an estimated income of £477 million. The sector employed the equivalent of 12,400 full time staff and 94,300 volunteers gave 370,000 hours, with an estimated value of £332 million. Decision makers took note of the survey results, we know it increased their understanding of the sector. Some of the key facts (3093 organisations, 94,300 volunteers) are now widely quoted by colleagues in the Council, the NHS and other bodies such as Big Lottery Fund.

Food For All is a small project that is part of Manchester Mind. Their aim is to improve people’s mental and physical wellbeing by supporting them to eat better food, to feel more confident about cooking it, and to connect with others during cooking sessions.

Just Psychology is a social enterprise based in the North West of England which provides services which address the psychological and mental health needs of children, adults and families, with particular emphasis on cultural diversity, cultural competence and social justice.

As part of the Mental Health Grants programme we are facilitating ‘speed dating’ style events where voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE) representatives can meet with IAPT provider representatives to explore the potential for partnership development.

This relates to aim two of the Mental Health Grants programme to: increase the take-up of Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme services among communities that finds them difficult to access.

A recent Care Quality Commission (CQC) national research report has shown that 86% of adults surveyed felt dissatisfied with their treatment in crisis care.

Manchester Mental Health Charter Alliance has been commissioned by NHS North, Central and South Manchester Clinical Commissioning Groups to engage with service users and carers who have experienced crisis.

Voting is now open to vote for the Best Community Space Spirit of Manchester Award 2016.

Award criteria
A community space can be a piece of land or a building available for use by the community. Organisations needed to show:
• Best use of a community space
• How the space is seen as central within the community
• The impact it has within the local community

Macmillan Cancer Support is currently undertaking a number of engagement events to look at issues relating to mental well-being and cancer. This information will be used to inform the future work of Macmillan’s ‘cancer and mental health taskforce’. The taskforce is looking at what cancer patients and carers say about their emotional experiences, the support they get for these, and any extra support they might appreciate.

Any young person aged between 11 and 19, living within the City of Manchester area can now get free online emotional and mental health support using a website called Kooth.com. They can sign up, choose an avatar (an online character) to represent them anonymously and have an online chat with a counsellor or use the many other features on the site such as
message forums and blogs.

More than 1 in 10 women develop a mental illness during pregnancy, or in the first year of their baby’s life. Depression is the biggest problem, affecting 10-14% of women. In England, roughly 122,000 babies under one live with a parent who has a mental health problem. Left untreated, poor mental health can have a devastating impact on mums and their families. Not only can mums suffer unnecessarily, but in severe cases, it can be life-threatening –with suicide being one of the leading causes of death for women in the UK during the perinatal period.

You are invited to attend the launch of the Manchester NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) mental health grants programme developed in association with Macc.

The launch is taking place on:
Wednesday 25 May 2016, 1pm-3.30pm
At Halle St Peters, 40 Blossom Street, Ancoats, Manchester, M4 6BF