North London NHS Foundation Trust sent this bulletin at 22-05-2024 10:37 AM BST
Letter to service users and carers
May 2024
Dear All,
I hope you are keeping well, enjoying the warmer weather, and looking forward to the upcoming Bank Holiday.
There have been lots of exciting and positive developments since I last wrote to you. Our journey to becoming a single Trust by 1 October 2024 is on course and we will be submitting our plans on how this will improve patient care to NHS England.
Our teams and service users are settling in to new surroundings at Highgate East Hospital and Lowther Road, which enable us to deliver even better care to those who need it, in state-of-the-art facilities. If you've used our services yourself, or someone you care for has, we'd be keen to hear your feedback wherever it was. Please email feedback@candi.nhs.uk to let us know your thoughts, so that we can work together to make improvements where needed.
We marked Mental Health Awareness Week from 13-19 May. This year's theme was 'Movement: moving more for our mental health”.
One of the most important things we can do to help protect our mental health is regular movement. Our bodies and our minds are connected, so looking after ourselves physically also helps us prevent problems with our mental health. Exercise releases “feel good” hormones, that reduce feelings of stress and anger. It can improve our sleep.
Despite these benefits, so many of us struggle to move enough for various reasons. Visit the Mental Health Foundation website for more tips and helpful information on how you can boost your mental health by moving more.
Keeping the faith: a new approach to supporting young people
In a groundbreaking collaboration, our Children and Young People's Service has joined forces with three local faith groups to pioneer innovative approaches to mental health support. The Redeemed Church in Barnet, Jubilee Church in Enfield/Haringey, and Church of Pentecost in Enfield have united with the service to create walk-in clinics to improve accessibility to mental health services by breaking down stigma surrounding mental health.
King Agyapong, our Coproduction and Engagement Lead, said "By engaging with faith leaders and actively involving community members in discussions about mental health, we are not only providing essential services but also building trust and fostering a sense of belonging among our youngest members."
Future plans include collaboration with mosques, additional faith groups, and local businesses.
Podcast for young people, by young people, coming soon!
Our Haringey 18-25 Transitions team is launching a new podcast by young people, for young people, as well as the people in their lives, such as friends, family, professionals, community leaders.
Through a series of authentic conversations, the podcast aims to create a space for young people who are moving to adult mental health services to feel empowered to discuss the issues they feel are overlooked in relation to their mental health, both within and outside of the NHS. The podcasts will cover:
-Sexuality -Neurodivergence -Trauma in the NHS -Gender -Immigration -A Young Person's Story -Race -Anxiety and Coping
They will available from June/July 2024.
NHS 111 mental health option goes live as 24/7 service
We're thrilled to announce a significant development in our efforts to enhance mental health support across the Partnership. From Tuesday 2 April, the 24/7, NHS 111 service across our five boroughs includes a dedicated mental health option, providing timely assistance and guidance to those in need.
Calls will be taken in our Crisis Hub based at St Ann’s in Haringey.
To see the full guidance from NHS England, please click here
Celebrating International Nurses' Day across the Partnership!
Sunday 12 May was International Nurses' Day - an opportunity to celebrate the 1,400 nurses we have working across the Partnership and the wonderful work they do to support our service users, their families and carers everyday.
"The most rewarding aspect of my job is witnessing people's growth."
Jacqueline Howell, Health and Wellbeing Peer Coach at the Partnership, describes how she came into her role on the NHS Health Careers website.
Her personal experience of anxiety and panic attacks led her to want to work in mental health and she secured a place on a mental health peer support worker training programme and began work as a response volunteer at an NHS mental health hospital.
Now she’s helping service users meet their health and fitness goals, offering much-needed motivation and empathy.
You can read more about Jacqueline’s journey, her future career plans, and her tips for following in her footsteps to work as a peer coach here.
Please get in touch with your service contact if you ever feel in need of greater support. We are here to care for you. Please take look after yourself and support those around you when possible
