50 Voices
NEHA 50 Voices captures the authentic voice of the people that use our services and our staff as Turning Point celebrates its 50th anniversary
50 Voices
Neha Haurheeram
50 Voices
Neha Haurheeram
Neha Haurheeram has been working as a Support Worker at Midpoint, a residential rehabilitation service in Hertfordshire that supports individuals recovering from serious mental health difficulties, since June 2011.
I joined Turning point a year after completing my undergraduate Psychology degree following volunteering at the local hospital and an afterschool play scheme, and I have grown into the role ever since. My main responsibilities now include working with the service users on their care plans and key works, writing case studies, facilitating group therapy sessions, carrying out medication audits and helping train newer members of staff. I love working with the service users and seeing them on a daily basis, understanding how they live their lives and supporting them through the tough moments and congratulating them on their successes.
Midpoint is the only service I know of in the area which caters for people with dual diagnosis, and I am proud to be a part of such an important yet undervalued service to society.
50 Voices
Neha Haurheeram
People with mental health issues just want to be accepted and not stigmatised by their diagnosis – they are like any person from any walk of life.
One of the biggest misconceptions which still exists is that people suffering from mental health issues are incapable of living a ‘normal life’. Working with our service users to gain volunteering placements, we still come across companies that shy away when an applicant mentions they have a mental health issue. People with mental health issues just want to be accepted and not stigmatised by their diagnosis – they are like any person from any walk of life. Hosting our recent summer gala, which members of the public, families and other organisations attended was a very proud moment for the whole team, as it showcased all of the positive people which make up Midpoint.
I am passionate about working for Turning Point because as a company we put the service users first and address their needs to the best of our ability. Using a person centred approach and including all professional teams involved in the individual’s care addresses the holistic view the company is trying to achieve. This approach helps the individual in all aspects of their life. However, it is important to recognise that one method does not fit everyone – as a support worker, you must change your approach to suit people’s needs and personalities. It is important to be approachable and personable, and I try to do this by using non-jargon terminology to explain things and being genuine. However, it is also important to be resilient and not be over sensitive, as people will always have their bad days. As well as helping lots of service users move on to the next stages of their recovery journey, I have also developed a lot myself whilst working for Turning Point. I started as a fairly shy novice to the job, and I have grown in confidence and developed lots of skills, and I now take on managerial responsibilities and have become a lot more confident expressing the service user’s concerns on their behalf to their care teams.
50 Voices
Neha Haurheeram
The 14 service users we have with us come from all walks of life, and each has their own story to tell.
I believe that our honesty and approachability is appreciated by the service users – there is no “Us vs. Them” mentality at Midpoint
As a service, we all socialise, sharing our hobbies and interests. This helps to break down barriers and allows us to really help people through some of their most difficult times, although professional boundaries obviously have to be respected. I believe that our honesty and approachability is appreciated by the service users – there is no “Us vs. Them” mentality at Midpoint, and this is one of the most unique elements of our service which I would encourage people to follow.
50 Voices
Turning Point Standon House 21 Mansell Street London E1 8AA 020 7481 7600 info@turning-point.co.uk
50 Voices Learn more at www.turning-point.co.uk For press enquiries about 50 Voices please contact press@turning-point.co.uk