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USER VOICE
SUBSTANCE MISUSE SERVICES FORUM…
YOUR CHANCE TO HAVE YOUR SAY ABOUT THE TREATMENT YOU RECEIVE…
WEDNESDAY 26 SEPTEMBER 2007
12.30pm-3.30pm – 2FLOOR – Orsborn house, TERRACE RD, HANDSWORTH (JUST OFF VILLA RD/SOHO HILL JUNCTION)
BUS ROUTE – 74 & 79
Service director will attend to answer any queries you may have…
Guest speaker of your choice to answer any questions…
Travel costs paid – just show your ticket…
Buffet lunch available…
Refreshments provided…
Service users only for the first 30-45mins …
For further details contact Martine Evans SMS User Voice development worker – 07985 883359 or 301 1625
The User Voice Forum is organised by User Voice - a project promoting user participation in Birmingham’s mental health services
KEY ISSUES FROM THE SMS USER VOICE FORUM
The following issues are a summary of those raised at the July 2007 SMS forum:
The service users raised the issue that they didn’t know what PALS were and there should be more effort put into advertising and letting people – What are PALS? Where are they based? And other advocacy services for SMS users…
There needs to be more awareness of what drug and alcohol services are on offer…
Those from the alcohol services are annoyed that the drug services seem to offer more than the alcohol services and even though drugs and alcohol both come under the trust they feel that they are left out most of the time…
Women with children are worried to come forward for help/treatment due to the fear of being separated from there children…
There should be more independent S.U groups, social events, sports etc available…
There are not enough beds at the detox unit (unit 10 – church rd)…
The after care is non existent in Birmingham…
There needs to be more resources to help S.U’s once finished their treatment access voluntary positions…
There needs to be more awareness with in the drug teams regarding S.U.I and how it can be integrated into everyday practice instead of it been a novelty…
S.U’s need to be involved from their treatment from the start and instead of the workers getting frustrated it would be more beneficial to enable the S.U’s to help themselves from the beginning of treatment…
Workers attitudes especially that of the G.Ps/Psychologists need to be addressed – maybe it would help if there was an open questions session for S.U’s to go and put issues to workers/G.Ps and Psychologists…
Could do with a bit more quality time with the G.P…
Tuesday, 03 April 2007
ANNUAL REPORT
MARTINE EVANS
SUBSTANCE MISUSE SERVICES DIRECTORATE USER VOICE DEVELOPMENT WORKER…
I started my role as a U.V development worker in May 2006 and I have enjoyed my job immensely – despite the tears of frustration and all the politics which quite frankly is enough to drive anyone mad…
I was a little unsure of my role at first but as the months progressed on I really feel that I have come into my own – I have a great rapport with the SMS S.U’s to the point where they want me to be their personal drug worker (which is very flattering) but like I have told them on numerous occasions I am NOT a Clinical worker and therefore can not be their drug worker but I am there to help them get involved within their services and to help improve the service they currently attend…
Most people are aware that I am an ex SMS service user and I was very lucky indeed to have an excellent worker so when I took on the role I guess I just presumed that all drug workers and everyone else within SMS was the same but over the past 11 months I have discovered that not to be true…
I am quite a sociable person so didn’t find it hard to approach the S.U’s at all the clinics/teams that I visited and because of my kind nature I found that the S.U’s found it extremely easy to open up to me about the difficulties they were facing regarding their treatment. For instance at Orsborn House where I am based they had no children’s facilities to keep them occupied so I took it upon myself to write a policy on children’s in waiting areas with regards to health and safety – the management were that impressed that they are in the process of trying to get it ratified as a legitimate trust policy (which I was rather proud of considering I’ve never wrote a policy in my life).
I hosted an event (which I was very nervous about) but to my surprise it went great – I had a good turn out and plenty of positive feed back.
Two days after the event which took place in December I received an award at the Drug Action Team Crack Strategy Awards which also came as a huge surprise – it was for my input into the Crack Strategy which is part of a national frame work regarding Crack and other stimulant users – it showed other S.U’s in treatment that if you put the effort in they too can be where I am today and the best part of that was the inspiration it gave to others – I still have people come up to me now and say “Martine, I want to achieve what you’ve achieved – I always thought that because I was a drug user and I have
a criminal record that I’d never be able to make anything worth while out of my life but you have given me hope” and that itself makes my job worthwhile and rewarding…
I attend quite a few meetings and give the points of view from a S.U perspective (obviously some meetings S.U’s aren’t allowed to attend but those that they are allowed to attend I try and encourage the S.U’s to come and have their say such as the NTA (National Treatment Agency of Substance Misuse) S.U forum which is where all interventions etc are ratified and looked at – and this way the S.U’s can let those at the top know if they’re going to work or not which I feel is very important because some agencies just run with some ideas and fall flat on their faces after blowing loads of their budget on something that may have worked a lot better if those using it were involved on a strategic level…
I have achieved quite a few things in the 11 months I have been here such as getting sound proofing for one of the drug teams who’s walls were that thin you could hear every single word that was being said in a consultation – I sent one email and within a week the surveyors were in measuring up to get it done – the manger of that particular team was over the moon as she’d been on at them for over a year to get something done about it…
I am in the process of trying to get something done about the quality of the food in the SMS inpatient detox unit (which I am aware that other U.V workers are trying to do the same in their directorates) – I’m sure if we go on about it enough something will get done.
I have my fingers in many pies at the moment regarding different projects but my main concern is trying to get the SMS U.V forum up and running as I know there are a lot of different types of issues being raised by S.U’s on a regular basis and this way the S.U’s will have somewhere neutral, and safe where they can raise these issues – and it also makes it a lot easier for me to document them.
I have wrote quite a few reports regarding comments and issues raised by a number of S.U’s and I also even came up with ideas (simple ideas) to resolve some of these issues and concerns (obviously I can’t resolve them all on my own which is why I regularly meet up with a few S.U’s for their feed back to see what they think – and it all seems to be positive so far with regards to certain things. Even though I have been in post for 11 months I still find myself having to explain to quite a few staff members my job role as they tend to think I’m the jack of all trades within SMS. I try my best to advertise what services/support etc is out there for our S.U’s and I am now finding that I’m getting quite a positive response – I guess I’m a bit impatient and thought it would never take off but lately my phone hasn’t stopped ringing with referrals of S.U’s who want to get involved and the more S.U’s involved the better…
Like I said at the beginning of this report the whole politics thing is frustrating but for my own sanity I am learning to deal with it on a more professional level which in itself can’t be a bad thing as it helps my improve as a U. V worker.
I’d like to say I am glad to have got this job – it’s been a wonderful opportunity to help S.U’s help themselves and also to give them hope that if you speak out things CAN CHANGE…
Martine Evans
SMS USER VOICE COFFEE
AFTERNOON…
Orsborn house
55 TERRACE RD
HANDSWORTH
BUS ROUTE 74 & 79
(At Villa Rd/Soho Rd Junction)
1pm…
FRIDAY 4 APRIL AND ALTERNATE WEEKS THERE AFTER
COME AND SOCAILISE WITH OTHER SERVICE USERS.
IT’S TIME DEDICATED TO YOU SO COME AND TAKE THE WEIGHT OFF YOUR SHOULDERS AND ENJOY A CHAT WITH OTHER FRIENDLY PEOPLE.
Coffee and biscuits will be available…
For any more details contact –
Martine Evans on 07985 883359 or 0121 301 1625
SUBSTANCE MISUSE SERVICES FORUM…YOUR CHANCE TO HAVE YOUR SAY ABOUT THE TREATMENT YOU RECEIVE…
WEDNESDAY 28 MAY 2008
12.30pm-3pm – 2FLOOR – Orsborn house, TERRACE RD, HANDSWORTH (JUST OFF VILLA RD/SOHO HILL JUNCTION)
BUS ROUTE – 74 & 79
Guest speaker who will answer your questions …
Travel costs paid – just show your ticket…
Buffet lunch available…
Refreshments provided…
Service users only for the first 30mins …
For further details contact Martine Evans SMS User Voice development worker – 07985 883359 or 301 1625