Š Sally Bramley. Neil Mayne 2009
A resource to support mental health service users in achieving their vocational aspirations Sally Bramley Consultant Occupational Therapist The Elizabeth Casson Trust
SHEFFIELD; population @500,000 4.5% unemployment
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Economic profile • Pre 1970s. Steel, coal construction, manufacturing • Post 1980s. Public administration, service sectors, finance, IT, health education, tourism sallybramleymelbourne2010
Service user experts and health professionals leading developments together
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Consultant Occupational Therapist Vocational Rehabilitation & Mental Health
Clinical/Case Management Team management User Employment Service
Strategic/ Leadership of Vocational Rehabilitation Service development and evaluation
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Education
The User Support and Employment Service • User expert led in a senior management role • It facilitates and supports the recruitment of service user experts into the NHS • Provides ongoing support in employment post recruitment • Pre employment support for individuals and groups • Mentored, progressive work experience based on preference • Provides training, resources and advice to mental health workers on employment and retention issues Melbourne July 2010
The service user expert brings…..
The health professional brings…….
their own story
other’s stories theoretical knowledge
experiential knowledge about what works (and what doesn't)
training curiosity
motivation
‘can do’ attitude
determination
openness
hope
skills
realism pragmatism
Sally Bramley Melbourne July 2010
Our learning from service user employment‌.
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Challenge and change attitudes • Confront undermining, stigmatising responses and behaviours • Provide opportunities to explore the meaning and impact of the concepts of ‘well’ and ‘ill’ • Challenge the health professionals monopoly on ‘knowingness’
• Facilitate awareness raising in other areas of the organisation • Encourage acceptance of service users rights and capacities for employment • Demonstrate ‘consumer expertise’ through their recruitment to paid jobs
Sally BramleyMelbourne July 2010
New ways of working, new relationships and roles • Sharing power and • Demonstrates to others responsibility through the value of sharing joint decision making. power. • Challenging the norms of • Models communication distancing and nonstyles and behaviours involvement which acknowledge the reality and possibility of • Developping authentic, ‘multiple relationships’ trusting relationships which are mature • Contribute to policy and enough to tolerate practice developments in conflict-no more ‘us’ and service user involvement ‘them’ ! Sally BramleyMelbourne July 2010
Develop new ways of delivering services • Putting the service user perspective into delivery • Integrating ‘been there’ wisdom into service options for other service users • Developping workforces which reflect the communities they serve
• Encouraging workers to acknowledge ‘user experts’ unique capacity for instilling hope, modelling recovery strategies and providing ‘felt’ support. • Promoting REAL user involvement at every opportunity
SallyBramleyMelbourne July 2010
Successful co-working is an exploratory journey during which the common ground is found, shared understandings and values formed and new visions created. (Ref. Bramley,S . Cockshutt,G (2005) Listening not just talking. Occupational Therapy News May. (24)
Sally Bramley Melbourne July 2010
ŠSally Bramley Neil Mayne sallybramleymelbourne2010
• Grew out of a user expert led employment support workshop programme • In response to health professionals’ confidence, resource and information needs • To develop a way for service users and workers to conceptualise and connect with vocational aspiration irrespective of diagnostic or service considerations sallybramleymelbourne2010
• Key development principles – Accessibility and friendliness of resource – User expert paid participation throughout development – A resource common to service users and workers, the service user as ‘expert’ – A development process which grew contributors skills and mastery sallybramleymelbourne2010
Starting Out Those who do not believe they could ever achieve employment on account of the barriers they face. Barriers can include a lack of belief in their own skills and abilities, poor self esteem and confidence and/or attitudes of others that people with mental health difficulties cannot, ‘should not’ or are unable to be employed. sallybramleymelbourne2010
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Moving Forward Those who may have some experience of employment. Those who feel they want to explore their options / choices but lack the confidence in their skills and abilities and/or the information about the opportunities open to them.They may also want to ‘try some things out’ in a stepped way to ease the transition. sallybramleymelbourne2010
Keeping Going and Growing People in employment but who are seeking support to explore new opportunities. Those who are experiencing difficulties at work either because of the employment itself, their health difficulties or because their employment is threatened in some way e.g. redundancy, dismissal, discriminatory employment practices.
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Funded By the Elizabeth Casson Trust
A resource to support you in achieving your employment ambitions. sallybramleymelbourne2010
ŠSally Bramley.Neil Mayne
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