Issue 64 Summer 2014
The newsle er for voluntary organisa ons and community groups in Rhondda Cynon Taf
Introduc on Interlink News
Welcome
Welcome to the Health edi on of the Link
..... to the Summer edi on of Interlink’s Newsle er. If you would like to contribute to the next issue please send your ar cles, informa on, job vacancies or adver sements by: 1 November 2014 to Cara Jordan-Evans at Interlink by e-mail: cjordan-evans@interlinkrct.org.uk
In this issue we have: Interlink Staff News Introduc on Mental Health (MHSUI) Mental Health World Mental Health Day Health & Wellbeing Community Voice See CHANGE Local News Interlink Training
2 3 4-5 6-7 8-9 10-11 12-13 14-15 16
Our address: 6 Melin Corrwg, Cardiff Road Upper Boat, Pontypridd CF37 5BE Telephone number: 01443 846200 Fax: 01443 844843 E-mail: info@interlinkrct.org.uk Website: www.interlinkrct.org.uk Office opening mes are: Monday - Thursday: 9.00am - 5.00pm Friday: 9.00am - 4.30pm
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It is with great sadness we report that our volunteer of fourteen years, Sue Shaddock, has passed away a er a short illness. Alisa and Cara visited Sue in the Royal Glamorgan Hospital last week and Sue told them she couldn’t wait to get back to “the office”. Sue’s volunteer supporters Hannah and Charlo e who have both been with Sue since they were in school are, as we are, devastated at this unexpected news. As members of Interlink many of you will remember Sue from a ending the annual Volunteer Award Event, which always gave Sue a great deal of pleasure. On behalf of Interlink’s members, Trustees and staff we will arrange for flowers and the staff who worked closely with Sue will a end the funeral.
I’m Carol van den Berg and I am the Community Coordinator for Merthyr Tydfil. As a local girl I’m excited to be working with people aged 65 and over and the communi es and staff that support them. I have worked at VAMT in varying roles for the last seven years and I am passionate about voluntary organisa ons and community groups ability to support this age group by offering innova ve locally based services that can support and strengthen health and local authority services. I look forward to strengthening this rela onship for the benefit of all people aged 65 and over. Give me a call on 07580 866547 or e-mail: carol.vandenberg@vemt.net
I’m Deanne Rebane. I’ve recently Joined VAMT as the Community Coordinator who will be linking in with Primary Care Prac oners throughout the Cwmtaf area. I am currently busy visi ng GP Prac ces and Community Pharmacies, encouraging them to refer a greater number of people to the wide range of excellent services and ac vi es offered by voluntary and community groups in Merthyr and RCT. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to find out more about what our Project can offer, or if you have any informa on that you think would be useful. Give me a call on 07580 869983 or e-mail: Deanne.rebane@vamt.net
Interlink Staff News
Intermediate Care Fund The Intermediate Care Fund announced in December 2013 provides a real opportunity to build on and drive forward effec ve planning and provision of integrated services across social services, health and housing with the third sector as equal partners. The fund assists in the development of new models of delivering sustainable services that maintain and increase older people’s wellbeing and independence and promotes improved care coordina on to support people to remain safely at home or in a community se ng. Cwm Taf received over £4 million from the fund, a por on of which is to support building community capacity, to this end Interlink and VAMT are now hosts to five new Community Coordinator posts. Their roles are to widen access to community and neighbourhood facili es that support older people’s wellbeing, recovery and reablement. I’m Jason Tynan. I joined Interlink on 1 July as the Community Coordinator for the Cynon valley. I’ve already been out and about mee ng with groups and voluntary organisa ons in the community. I’m really excited about being part of this ini a ve to act as a spring board working towards reducing isola on and loneliness among the over 65s and encouraging par cipa on through engaging with voluntary organisa ons and community ac vi es. We will also help organisa ons and groups to be er promote the services available in the community and raise awareness of these services among. Give me a call on 07580 869946 or e-mail: jtynan@interlinkrct.org.uk I’m Karen Powell and I am the new Community Coordinator for the Taff Ely valley. I joined Interlink on 1 July and I’m already enjoying the work I do. I’m currently out and about in the community finding out what’s available for the 65+ age group working toward reducing isola on and loneliness and encouraging social inclusion into the community. Alongside that I’m also helping community groups and organisa ons to promote themselves and to have more awareness of their services and ac vi es within their communi es. Give me a call on 07580 869970 or e-mail: kpowell@interlinkrct.co.uk Hello, you may remember me? I worked for Interlink previously on the See CHANGE Project and Making thee Connec ons. A er 12 months away I’m glad to announce that I’m back and will be working on a very exci ng project that aims to widen community access for over 65’s. I will be based in Ton Pentre and will cover the Rhondda area. I’m really looking forward to finding out what services you offer that can support older people and working with you on joint projects. For informa on on the project you can contact me on kdaniel@interlinkrct.org.uk or call Interlink on 01443 846200.
Dates for your Diary Stronger in Partnership 10 September 2014 1.30pm - 3.30pm Voluntary Ac on Merthyr Tydfil Contact Rachel Wya
Voice Conferene 15 October 2014
Service User Involvement Conference October 2014 10.30am - 3.30pm
Mental Health Forum 4 November 2014 10.00am - 12.00pm Contact Maria Abson
‘Date for your Diary’ Interlink AGM 26 November 2014
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Mental Health The Mental Health Service User Involvement Project (MHSUI) promotes and supports service user involvement in the planning, delivery and evalua on of local mental health services across Merthyr Tydfil and RCT to ensure that the voice of service users is heard. Rachel Wya , MHSUI Development Officer, has a development role and facilitates the mul -agency Stronger In Partnership Group. She develops specific projects, such as INFORM, linked to new service developments. Contact Rachel on 01443 846200 or e-mail: rwya @interlinkrct.org.uk
New Reps In Mental Health Strengthening the Voice of Service Users and Carers in Cwm Taf Cwm Taf Health Board have recently recruited four Service User Representa ves and one Carer Representa ve onto the Cwm Taf Mental Health Partnership Board. The role of the board is to oversee the delivery and implementa on of Together for Mental Health. This is the Welsh Government strategy for Mental Health and Wellbeing in Wales. It is a very exci ng me in Mental Health and hopefully the new reps will be involved with some very posi ve changes. Each of the Representa ves are experienced in using Mental Health Services or caring for someone using the service. Here is a short introduc on to the five people who will be represen ng Service Users and Carers on the Board. Hi all, I’m extremely excited about becoming a service user rep on Cwm Taf’s Mental Health Partnership Board. As a service user for over 14 years and an Occupa onal Therapist, I hope to draw upon both my personal and professional experience whilst working with other members on the Board. I’m extremely passionate about meaningful involvement for service users and carers during the design, delivery and evalua on of services. Bethan Becoming a service user rep on the Cwm Taf Mental Health Partnership Board is my latest involvement in this area of work. I'm an ac ve champion of the Time to Change Wales campaign and am developing an organisa on 'Making Minds' that is promo ng the role of art and crea vity in mental health. Mark Smith Page 4
I am delighted to have been selected as a Representa ve on the Partnership Board. I believe that as Service users we now have the capacity to make a real impact to future changes and become involved at all levels of decision making. My background is in educa on and one of my passions is bringing awareness and breaking s gma towards mental health, par cularly in the workplace. I also believe that if we can educate young people of today we will improve a tudes of a future genera on. Nik John I am a carer representa ve on the Local Partnership Board and also one of the two carer representa ves on the Na onal Partnership Board. I have been a carer for 12 years and am passionate about the quality of mental health services locally and na onally. I hope that as a team we will be able to effec vely represent the views of service users and carers; highligh ng those issues that really ma er. Ul mately, I would like to see mental health professionals who are prepared to listen and everyone working together to achieve a really good quality mental health service. Representa ve Hi my name is Sharon Phillips and I am involved with a number of mental health peer support groups within RCT and I have recently been asked by Merthyr and the Valleys Mind to be a trustee. I feel that by being on the Partnership Board it will be an ideal opportunity for me to represent service users and carers who a end these group and take their concerns forward which will hopefully help toimprove the service that they and others receive now and in the future.
Mental Health
Do you have Experience of Care and Treatment Planning? Your Voice Counts! The Mental Health Involvement Project is carrying out a survey to gather the views of people who receive support from secondary mental health services in RCT and Merthyr Tydfil. If you are receiving support from the Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) (e.g. social worker, psychiatrist or community psychiatric nurse (CPN), we would really like to hear your views on your experience of Care and Treatment Planning.
The survey can also be completed on-line in two parts. Part 1 asks about your experiences of Care and Treatment Planning and can be completed on-line at h ps://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ M95SYL3 Part 2 asks about the review of your Care and Treatment Plan and can be completed on-line at h ps://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MJ6KKN5 The survey will be live un l October and the results will be fed back to Welsh Government and be used to help improve services locally.
If you would like to have an informal chat about the service you have received, or request a hard copy of the survey please e-mail Rachel on rwya @interlinkrct.org.uk or phone Interlink on 01443 846200.
Mental Health Awareness Training for GP Prac ce Staff The need for be er mental health awareness in Primary Care has been iden fied at both a local and a na onal level. One of the key recommenda ons from Gofal’s 2014 survey of People’s Experiences of Primary Mental health Services in Wales 2014 states that; ‘Local mental health partners should ensure that GPs and other primary care staff a end training to increase their awareness and understanding of mental health problems.’
The group delivered their first session in July to staff working at Park Surgery Aberdare and will be delivering further sessions to prac ces across Cwm Taf this Autumn. INFORM has been one of our most exci ng and innova ve involvement projects to date and we wish the group every success in delivering this training into 2015.
The Mental Health Involvement Project had also received many anecdotal reports of the impact that nega ve a tudes can have when people visit their GP for support with their mental health and iden fied a lot of enthusiasm for a project that promotes be er mental health awareness in primary care. Consequently, the INFORM training package was co-produced with service users and carers, and aims to raise awareness amongst prac ce staff of pa ents’ and carers’ experiences of accessing primary care for a mental health related condi on. The group have developed a variety of interac ve training methods including digital stories, group ac vi es and presenta ons to highlight common themes and demonstrate how simple changes to working prac ces can be extremely effec ve in suppor ng people. Page 5
Mental Health Maria Abson, Mental Health Development Officer, supports local mental health organisa ons in Cwm Taf and co-ordinates links between communi es, voluntary organisa ons and the statutory sector through the Cwm Taf Mental Health Forum. The Mental Health Forum welcomes any community or voluntary group with an interest in mental health within Cwm Taf. Contact Maria on 01443 846200 or e-mail: mabson@interlinkrct.org.uk
Community Based Mindfulness and Stress Control Self Help Courses Cwm Taf University Health Boards Local Primary Care Mental Health Support Service (LPCMHSS) commenced a pilot to deliver open access community based self management courses in January 2014. A total of 32 courses will be delivered during 2014 at venues such as leisure centres, community centres, church halls and libraries many of which have been funded via Communi es First. To date the average a endance has been approximately 30 people per course but 95% of most par cipants have a ended at least 5 out of the 6 sessions which make up both courses. Our highest a endance to date has been for an evening Mindfulness course at Llantrisant leisure centre where 87 people a ended and over 80 completed the 6 week course. For the dura on of the pilot scheme the course is being promoted via GPs, the LPCMHSS, Communi es First, UHB and Local Authority websites and occupa onal health services and the third sector.
The courses help people to be er understand and manage their feelings and thereby improve their well being. Courses are ‘walk in’ / self-referral, all adults are welcome, no one is expected to speak during the sessions and anyone a ending is welcome to bring a friend.
The Courses available are: Stress Control© •
This course is based on Cogni ve Behavioural Therapy (CBT) techniques The Course aims to help people understand the causes of stress and how to manage its symptoms
•
Mindfulness •
This course is based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with some medita on Mindfulness is a technique that once learnt can be useful throughout your life
•
For further informa on contact: CTT_stresscontrol&mindfulness@wales.nhs.uk
Mental Health Support Service Directory The Mental Health Support website is a partnership project between New Horizons Mental Health and Emo onal Well-being Resource Centre, Local Health Board and Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council. The website aims to provide accessible advice and informa on about mental health issues and services to people with mental health problems, their carers, health professionals and anyone else with an interest in mental illness. The site has many features, visit www.mentalhealthsupport.co.uk to find out more! Page 6
Mental Health
Mental Health Peer Support Groups in RCT Posi ve Steps - Darran Las, Mountain Ash
M.A.S.H. - Maerdy
This group meet every Friday a ernoon from 12.30pm - 3.00pm at Darran Las Community Centre
This group meet every Wednesday 6.00pm - 8.00pm at No.9, Maes y Rhedyn, Maerdy
New Beginnings - Glyncoch
Rhondda Listening Friends is a social group that
This group meet every Friday morning 9.30am - 12.30pm at Glyncoch Community Centre
operates for people with mild to moderate Mental Health condi ons. They meet in the Church Hall of St John’s Church, Ton Pentre and operate from 11.00am - 3.00pm. People are welcome to a end for the whole of the me or to call in for as long as they want.
Brighter Journey - Tonyrefail This group meet every Tuesday 10.30am - 12.30pm at Capel Farm Resource Centre
Footsteps - Ferndale This group meet every Tuesday 10.30am - 1.30pm at The Morlais Hall, Ferndale
All the groups charge for refreshments and the amounts differ. For more informa on contact Sara Davies on ....
Making Minds As part of our commitment to encouraging art to promote wellbeing, Making Minds is cura ng an exhibi on in Llantrisant Gallery @ Model House, old Llantrisant. We are looking for art that represents mental illness or mental wellbeing. It can be pain ng, mixed-media, ceramics, tex les - anything ar s c that we can display on the wall or upon a table.
Space is limited so the amount of work we can exhibit will depend on the sizes of each individual piece. The exhibi on will run for the whole of October and work will need to be delivered during the last week of September. Work can be for sale with the gallery taking 40% commission, but we are also happy for items to not be available to sell.
To offer a piece of work, to make a sugges on or for further informa on contact: kira@kirajones.co.uk or call Kira on 07973 539026
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Mental Health
World Mental Health Day 2014 New Horizons Cynon Valley ‘Open Day’ 7 October 2014 12.00pm - 3.00pm 16 Dean Street, Aberdare Contact Janet Whiteman on 01685 881113
‘Quiz Night‘ 8 October 2014 7.00pm Quiz starts at 7.30pm Ton Pentre Footabll Club Last year’s quiz was another resounding success and as such we will be repea ng it again this year for all general knowledge quiz enthusiasts. Boyd Clack, Patron of New Horizons has agreed to compere again this year. Please come along with your friends and colleagues to show your support, lots of prizes to be won and to have some fun. For more informa on contact Claire Hughes on 01443 424530 or Janet Whiteman on 01685 881113
New Horizons Rhondda Valley ‘Open Day’ 9 October 2014 12.00pm - 3.00pm Apple Tree, Dinas Contact Janet Whiteman on 01685 881113
A Global Mental Health Awareness Campaign
Living with Schizophrenia A er the World Federa on for Mental Health (WFMH) founded World Mental Health Day (WMHD) on 10 October 1992 many countries adopted it as a means of promo ng mental health issues. Every Year a theme is chosen and educa on materials are produced by WFMH for distribu on. This year, the theme is ‘Living with Schizophrenia.’ To request the educa on material, please e-mail: wmhday@wfmh.com with your contact details! World Mental Health Day makes mental health a global priority where millions of people from across the globe organise and launch educa onal events and many interes ng and fun ac vi es in their local communi es, raising awareness and funds for mental health causes. Each year, on and around the 10 October, mental health organisa ons, health professionals, academic ins tu ons, service users and carers become unified in their efforts to promote greater public awareness and understanding of mental health and emo onal wellbeing. This brings mental health issues to the forefront of public a en on tackling misinforma on and common misconcep ons achieving greater public awareness, empathy and understanding. Promo ng mental health and well-being at a local level has important advantages and benefits for everyone in communi es and goes a long way in reducing s gma and isola on crea ng a non-s gma sing, well informed and suppor ve community. This directs new energy and effort at improving the lives of those living with mental health problems by challenging discrimina on locally.
This year some wonderfully exci ng events and ac vi es are being planned throughout RCT and Merthyr Tydfil. Interlink would like to extend a very genuine thank you to everyone involved in the planning of local WMHD events. Without con nued par cipa on and support these events would not get off the ground. We thank everyone for his or her individual and collec ve support. For more informa on contact Maria Abson, Mental Health Development Officer at Interlink on 01443 846200 or e-mail: mabson@interlinkrct.org.uk
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Mental Health
World Mental Health Day 2013 ‘RCT World Mental Health Day Event’ 3 October 2014 10.00am – 3.00pm Hawthorn Leisure Centre Fairfield Lane, Pontypridd This event will offer a wide range of informa on relevant to mental health, general health and well being as well as other related issues.
‘ Merthyr Tydfil Main Event ’ World Mental Health Day 2014
There will be a variety of different organisa ons present providing opportuni es for individuals to ask ques ons and be given guidance on issues and topics of interest to them. The event will also provide an arena for organisa ons to celebrate good prac ce and achievements whilst showcasing their services.
The World Mental Health Day Event is a way of working collabora vely towards addressing the needs of our local communi es.
Holis c therapies will also be available for you to try. Please come along and benefit from the informa on that will be provided. Refreshments will be provided throughout the day. For more informa on contact Sara Davies on .....
Storyboard for World Mental Health Day RCT plans to celebrate World Mental Day with an Informa on and Awareness Raising event on Friday 3 October 2014 Hawthorn Leisure Centre 10.00am – 3.00pm The theme for World Mental Health Day this year is ‘Living with Schizophrenia’. If you would like to contribute to the storyboard, please send it to: Rachel Wya at Interlink or e-mail: rwya @interlinkrct.org.uk The deadline for submissions is
Friday 26th September 2014
9 October 2014 10.30am - 1.30pm Merthyr Tydfil Leisure Centre
This day will provide opportunity for service users to engage with providers of services, and will also be a chance for local organisa ons and partners to showcase their services. There will be a range of ac vi es, cra s and complementary therapies available on the day. Contact Maria Abson on 01443 846200 or Shian Neale on 01685 727067
Art Compe
on
Thursday 9 October 2014
Are there any artists among you?! Produce an A4 outline of a contemporary pain ng that depicts a
‘RepresentaƟon of Living Well in Merthyr Tydfil’ The Winner will produce a 3’x 4’ pain ng that will be shown on the 9 October at the World Mental Health Day event. Prize - £300 awarded to the Winner on the day.
Closing Date is 1 September 2014 Send your entries to: Merthyr and the Valleys Mind - Informa on and Advice Centre, 88 High Street, Pontmorlais, Merthyr Tydfil CF47 8UH Please mark your entry ‘World Mental Health Day - Art CompeƟƟon’ and include your name and contact details on the back. By submi ng your entry you will be consen ng to your work possibly being displayed on the day. Sponsored by: Tydfil Training
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Health and Wellbeing Anne Morris, Health, Social Care and Wellbeing Facilitator, provides informa on, advice and support to community and voluntary groups involved in improving health and social care in RCT. This o en involves ge ng people to network and work together. Anne also facilitates the RCT Health Social Care and Wellbeing Forum and a weekly bulle n on all things healthy. Contact Anne on 01443 846200 or e-mail: amorris@interlinkrct.org.uk
‘Project 5’ Ways to Wellbeing Merthyr and the Valleys Mind has recently launched ‘Project 5’ ways to well-being, working in partnership with local Registered Social Landlords across the Cwm Taf community. Funded through the Intermediate Care Fund (ICF) the project will work with older people to enhance their overall sense of wellbeing by engaging volunteers. The volunteers will assist older people by suppor ng them to connect to others, keep ac ve, take no ce of their environment, give to others and keep learning.
Pam Khan – Project Coordinator said, ‘We are delighted to bring Project 5 to older people living in Sheltered Accommoda on – we know that people o en experience loneliness and isola on which can be detrimental to a person’s wellbeing, Project 5 is designed to change this trend’.
For further informa on on this project – you can call Merthyr and the Valleys Mind on 01685 353944 or visit them via www.matvmind.org.uk
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Health and Wellbeing Healthy Compe
on at Crystal Trophy Awards
Community groups that have gone above and beyond to promote healthy lifestyles and prevent ill-health were commended at the pres gious and popular annual Crystal Trophy Awards ceremony. CwmTaf University Health Board’s Health and Wellbeing Partnership, in conjunc on with the voluntary sector hosted the Awards at Coleg y Cymoedd’s Rhondda Campus. Cllr Mike Forey said: ‘The success of this overarching work is the day-to-day, grassroots innova on that takes place in communi es, targe ng a par cular group of residents or a par cular health and wellbeing issue. This is where residents are truly engaged and assisted to deal with the issues that affect them. Crystal Trophy is a chance to showcase and celebrate local work, raising the profile of the sheer range of ac vi es and services on offer across Rhondda Cynon Taf to help people to help themselves.’ This year’s winners were Fixers Project ‘Choices’ an innova ve project that raises the awareness of ‘legal highs’ such as NRG, Popper, Black Mambo and Meow Meow. The misuse of these drugs was first raised in a PACT mee ng held at the Forsythia youth project, where young people expressed their fears about the widespread use of the drugs. This led to the produc on of a powerful DVD that can now be seen by young people, parents and professionals wishing to find out more about this important issue and raise awareness among young people.
Second Prize went to Community Food Boxes (Rhondda Housing Associa on and FareShare Cymru) This life-changing scheme is the first of its kind in South Wales and has seen healthy food that was once considered waste and thrown away by distributors, producers and retailers redirected into healthy food boxes that are distributed to residents in need. So far, 160 families have benefi ed from the boxes and rent arrears have been cut by five per cent. The scheme also offers valuable volunteering opportuni es. Prepare to Care (Merthyr and the Valleys Mind) won Third prize Prepare To Care is a unique training opportunity for those who care for someone else in their community or for those looking for a career in care. The Level Three Agored Cymru accredited course offers an informal and suppor ve introduc on to care for par cipants. One par cipant said: ‘Taking part has made me aware we are all unique with different health and wellbeing needs and disabili es and it has provided me, for the very first me, informa on about my choices and not to judge people.’ Fourth Prize went to Ac vity for All (Friends of Ty Cwm Care Associa on) Ty Cwm is a first-of-its-kind complex providing extra care for those with physical and sensory disabili es and long-term chronic condi ons. Residents were brought together via the Ac vity for All ini a ve and now enjoy no less than 44 fun, s mula ng ac vi es that not only bring people together socially, but also assist with health and wellbeing. Nicola John, Director of Public Health at Cwm Taf Health Board, said: ‘These grass root projects are making a huge contribu on to health and wellbeing. I commend the work of these groups and would like to see it replicated in other communi es across Rhondda Cynon Taf and Merthyr Tydfil.’
This year’s winners Fixers Project ‘Choices’
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Community Voice Lucy ‘2 jobs’ Foster is a busy girl holding down roles as Community Voice Par cipa on and Evalua on Officer and also Training Co-ordinator. Lucy’s Community Voice role involves suppor ng 8 very different projects to involve a range of people, including young, older people and people with disabili es, in having a voice in improving community services. Contact Lucy on 01443 84200 or e-mail: lfoster@interlinkrct.org.uk
Community Voice The Community Voice Programme will run over 4 years in RCT. Year one has seen some fantas c work being carried out. Interlink coordinate 8 organisa ons to work together to deliver 8 projects to engage people and communi es in public service design and delivery. The programme is all about coproduc on. This involves people and communi es who receive services working with those who provide them.
‘I love youth club, I can’t believe we wasn’t allowed one!! I’m glad Becca helped us get one!’ Young person aged 11.
The projects Ynysybwl Futures - Ynysybwl and Glyncoch Regenera on Partnership Engaging the whole community, specifically targe ng harder to reach groups to take responsibility for improving their own lives and that of the community. Links with the Community Plan for Llanwonno and Hydro Schemes. Many fantas c opportuni es and ac vi es have been carried out that includes - Street Cleaning – engagement with the street cleaning team, Keep Wales Tidy and residents have led to a couple of coproduced street cleaning projects with a lot of new volunteers. At the start of the year the street cleaning team were informing residents of their work and this has moved through to engagement, par cipa on and co-delivery. Youth Provision and Youth Forum – regularly a ended youth club with a youth forum that informs the ac vi es that go on in youth club and during the Easter holidays that are provided by Communi es First and E3. Volunteers have been undergoing relevant training to help them support the youth provision.
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Project worker Rebecca Arnold engaging with socially isolated older people - Comple ng an en re ques onnaire done through the le erbox
Welcome to our Woods!’ - Learn & Grow Engaging the whole Community in the Rhondda Fawr to regenerate the Cwm Saerbren woodland to improve community access, health and wellbeing and economic regenera on. Our aim is to encourage and mobilise the community to become the main stakeholders and decision makers for the development of the Cwm Saerbren site. ‘We are Suppor ng local people / community groups with woodland community voice related issues and rela onships i.e. access to woodland, woodland enforcement, woodland enterprises, woodland training, bio security, tree felling, wind farm, storm damage, woodland related green spaces.’
Voice
Our Voice, Our Future - Tonypandy Community College Wan ng to be Heard - Cardiff Vale and the Valleys Developing the visually impaired forums to engage with decision making and consulta on, working to ensure effec ve integra on to mainstream services. ‘I have increased not only the numbers for the CSG but the enthusiasm of those on the CSG. They have taken a very keen interest in evalua ng the services provided to visually impaired people and are promo ng the group at every opportunity. Consulted with Network Rail, undertaken an evalua on of the services provided, arranged for feedback to be provided to a Network rail representa ve and prepared relevant notes. Group members have developed new links with other groups in the Pontypridd area via the Movers and Shakers mee ngs. There is also representa on on other groups such as the Access group.’ Kris an, Project Worker
Create a Voice - Eye to Eye Engaging young people, age 14-18 accessing mental health services to research and develop more effec ve ways for service providers to engage with service users of self-harm and mild to moderate mental health services. The worker has focused on the engagement of key stakeholders, ensuring their understanding of the project, and its involvement of young people and self harm. These have been people who either play a direct part in suppor ng young people, people who can influence or those who can provide young people for consulta on in the second year.
Coproducing the Future - Glyncoch Regenera on Partnership Engaging young people to coproduce local ac on plans on issues that affect them. ‘Youth club and local youth provision was increased as well as par cipa on and coproducing ac vi es that are delivered by Communi es First and external organisa ons. The youth club has moved from being a Communi es First based provision that was delivered to young people and young people being informed, to a service that engages young people and that is co-delivered with young people and co-evaluated.’ Project Worker
Targe ng young people aged 16 plus at risk of being NEET. It aims to research how service providers such as Careers advice, educa on and the police engage with young people, developing a toolkit of good prac ce at engaging young people in decision making at all levels. The project worker has run a mass Wellbeing survey with the en re school popula on, analysed the results and wrote a wellbeing ac on plan for the senior management team. Arranged for alterna ve educa on provision for students who were struggling to meet tradi onal academic workloads, and taken those students out to experience outdoor educa on and for students to undergo a number of extra training opportuni es.
Neighbours - Spectacle Theatre Targets the whole community ini ally in the Rhondda Fach, Porth and Pontypridd Clusters. Aims to empower community voice through ‘ac ve theatre’ to reduce the instances of ‘risky behaviour’ on the most vulnerable members of the community. ‘Without spectacle engaging with our young people who knows what they would be up to!. Working on this DVD had benefi ed these young girls a great deal and said without this to keep them occupied they’d be at the bus stop drinking’ Debbie, Penrhys Partnership July 2014
The Breakthrough Project - Age Concern Morgannwg Engaging hard to reach older people who are not part of a recognised community group. Aims to improve access to informa on, advice and advocacy through engaging with older people and commissioners. The project worker has ini ated very strong partnerships with 34 individuals, Third Party Sector Organisa ons, various departments and individuals at Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council and Cwm Taf Health Board. The strength of these partnerships can be seen with the various projects she’s become involved with and have ini ated. A great example of this is the ‘Quality of Life Survey’ that she ini ated with the help of Chis Davies, the Corporate Policy and Consulta on Manager of Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council. Page 13
Connec ng Communi es
Communi es Ge ng Connected Maps, Gaps, Connec ons and Solu ons in Taf Ely, Rhondda and Cynon ‘It is extraordinary to see how many groups are in our communi es doing really important work that is making such a difference to people’s lives. The unsung heros we have out there is amazing – we want to find ways of giving them more recogni on!’ Interlink staff member Making the most of and joining up what we have in our communi es in the face of austerity is more important than ever. At three Connec ng Communi es Events during June and July in each of the three valleys, voluntary groups occupied a big sports hall to showcase their work, network with each other and with council, police and health staff. Joining forces to serve communi es in the best way possible was top of the agenda and par cipants built connec ons as well as se ng an agenda for ac on on how services can be improved in each area.
There are lots more issues and ac ons – a report will soon be available on the web and if you have li le me – just look at the fantas c graphic illustra ons of people’s ideas. Event feedback has been very posi ve with lots of lovely people giving lovely comments such as; ‘What a wonderful event, everyone here [at our organisa on] has given posi ve comments, with many useful connec ons made on a professional and personal basis. The whole event was a jovial affair yet professional and informa ve.’ Par cipant Interlink would like to offer a huge thank you to all the people who made these events a success and also to RCT CBC Adult services for coming up with the idea AND commissioning them!!! Ma Wya from the NHS was an incredibly inspiring and funny facilitator and the Leisure Centres went above and beyond to help – in each locality.
Examples of emerging issues to work on: Issue / gap: Communica on what groups and services are doing Ac on: Interlink to develop and app inspired by ‘GO4IT!’ where anyone in any community can find out what is going on locally and how to get the help they need. Issue / gap: There is li le peer support for families with mental health issues Ac on: To develop peer support group in the Llanharan / Pontycun area where there is currently no provision. Issue / gap: Isola on – a growing problem Ac on: Support exis ng plethora of brilliant groups working on isola on and also do exci ng research project that involves listening to people experiencing isola on, hearing their individual stories and working out how a reconnec on could develop.
We need your help Would you be an ambassador for your community helping to keep the informa on up to date? Would you or your group like to help with research projects to reduce isola on? If so, contact Jenny O’Hara-Jakeway on 01443 846200 or e-mail: johara@interlinkrct.org.uk Page 14
Local News
Rhondda Breast Friends was established in 2006 and we have a centre based in Porth. Our aim is to support people living with and beyond cancer in Rhondda Cynon Taf and also to give support to their carers and family members. We hold monthly coffee mornings and evening mee ngs as well as computer studies, light exercise classes and a cra club. More importantly we have a wonderful counsellor and therapist who a end the Centre to give much needed support to our members. Our counsellor offers one-to-one counselling as well as group counselling and hypnotherapy. Our therapist has completed various therapy courses from full body massage to Reiki and our ladies really enjoy their session with her.
During 2013/2014 we were chosen as ‘Charity of the Year’ by Sainsbury’s Pontypridd. Two members of staff were invited as guest speakers at our AGM in April and this is a small part of their speech which we would like to share with you. ‘When we got back to the store we told everyone about our visit and lots of people asked us ques ons like ‘Was it a depressing place?’, ‘was it sad?’, ‘Did you get upset?’ they were quite surprised when we said it was nothing like that, that it was a great place to meet likeminded people, share stories, get advice and also offload your fears and thoughts. In all it was a really cheerful, friendly, vibrant place.’
If you require any further informa on on the above or if you have had a diagnosis of breast cancer and would like to be involved with RBF whether it be for support or to help fundraise, please contact us on 01443 687556 or email info@rhonddabreas riends.org.uk
RBF members were invited by Frankie & Benny’s to hold a coffee morning at the restaurant
Would you like to find out more about demen a? Are a erDemen someone with memory problems? Join you us atlooking our Carers a Workshops and find out more about the services available to you, your legal rights, benefits that maybe available to you, the emo onal aspects of caring and much more. Carers Demen a Informa on Course dates include: • Tuesday 7th October 2014 Rhondda Heritage Park Museum • Tuesday 17th February 2015 Coleg Y Cymoedd, Nantgarw Campus All 10-3:30pm Respite and transport can be provided if needed. Call Trudy on 01685 353919 or Claire on 01443 668813 to find our more or to book your place. Page 15
Broaden your horizons ..... with Interlink training Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults
Alcohol Brief Interven on Training
23 October 2013 9.30am - 1.00pm
14 November 2013 10.00am - 12.00pm
Safeguarding Children and Young People
Stress Management 4 December 2013 2.00pm - 4.30pm
23 October 2013 2.00pm - 5.00pm
All courses held at Interlink unless otherwise stated. For more informa on call 01443 846200 or visit www.interlinkrct.org.uk to download a booking form, training programme and our new outreach programme.
ICT Support We are able to assist with skill sharing or provide bespoke training on the following Microso packages: Word Excel Publisher Access Powerpoint Internet and e.mail
Our HelpDesk team are able to assist organisa ons with the following services: • Website – we can post informa on about your organisa on/event on our website • Mailshot – send us your informa on for our newsle er and mail outs • Desktop publishing – which includes design of leaflets, posters, ckets, business cards, etc. • Photocopying – our colour photocopier has the capacity to print in full colour with a professional finish • Lamina ng/Binding • Signpos ng – if we can’t help, we will find someone who can! Contact the HelpDesk on 01443 846200 or e-mail: info@interlinkrct.org.uk
Mental Health First Aid Training
Charity No 1141143 Company No 07549533
Next Issue: December 2014