South Lakeland Mind Strategic Development Plan 2013 – 2016

Strategic Development Plan 2013 - 2016 1

South Lakeland Mind Strategic Development Plan 2013 – 2016


Statement on Quali ty South Lakeland Mind is committed to providing a quality of service that anticipates, meets and exceeds the needs and expectations of service users and stakeholders. South Lakeland Mind has adopted Mind's values and principles and has been accredited through its Quality Management in Mind (QMIM) standards. In England and Wales 150 Local Mind Associat ions (LMAs) have been accredited through QMIM. South Lakeland Mind is 1 of only 41 LMAs to be accredited at Level 2. Quality Management in Mind (QMIM) enables a Local Mind Association to introduce and maintain quality management and a culture of continuous improvement. By operating a system of quality management the LMA is making a public commitment to provide services of the right quality to the users and commissioners of LMA services. As a member of the Mind network, every LMA is required to use QMIM and to undertake annual self-assessment with the help of key stakeholders. Meeting this standard demonstrates the LMA’s commitment to quality. The Mind quality system supports the LMA to ensure that it:

• meets agreed standards for all areas of service delivery • can demonstrate sound governance • has policies, practices and procedures on key areas of work • meets statutory and legal requirements • meets the requirements of any other relevant professional bodies • implements a cycle and culture of continuous improvement and learning • encourages reflexivity and innovation in its service delivery


Contents Executive Summary Administrative Information Objectives, Mission & Values Demographic/Environmental Issues Policy Context Development Programme 2013 - 2016


1 Executive Summary South Lakeland Mind (SLM) has been providing care and support to people from the local community experiencing mental distress for over 23 years, ranging from mild to moderate depression to more severe and enduring mental illness. We believe our first responsibility is to the people who use our services. The perspective and needs of our service users frames all that we do. A number of our Trustees and volunteers have themselves experienced significant mental and emotional distress or care for those who do. We are affiliated to Mind (National Association for Mental Health) and have adopted their values and principles. We are also active participants in the Cumbria wide Local Mind Association network. Over the past two years we have grown our services and built a reputation for successful service delivery. We have:

• Expanded our counselling service by 400% • Established a new Befriending programme • Developed an information and signposting Hub to support social prescribing

across South Lakeland • Secured £82K+ funding from Cumbria County Council, Lloyds TSB Foundation,

Allen Lane Foundation and national Mind • Strengthened our Executive Committee

This plan sets out the services that we intend to deliver over the next three years. It also ties together three main elements:

• Identifying the main needs in local communities that we aim to meet. • Development of services to meet those needs. • Securing funding to provide services and to give the charity a greater degree

of independence and sustainability. Several key issues have been identif ied:

• Financial weakness and the need for fundraising initiatives. • Meeting a wider range of needs through promoting physical and mental

wellbeing and early intervention. • The need to recruit more volunteers with specialist skills to aid service

development and to secure staffing capacity. • Promoting SLM and its services in the community. • Facilitating easier local access to services particularly for hard to reach groups.

Over the past year we have witnessed a significant increase in the number of local people seeking help and support from us. Our staff and volunteers have risen to the challenge and are to be congratulated on what they have achieved with limited resources. Whilst we have achieved much, there is still much to be done and this plan gives direction to our activities and will help our staff to understand how they contribute to delivering a high quality service.


2 Administrat ive Information Charity Name: South Lakeland Mind Charity No: 514587 Company Name: South Lakeland Mind Company No: 7523986 Registered Office: Stricklandgate House, 92 Stricklandgate, Kendal LA9 4PU Telephone: 01539 740591 E-mail: [email protected] Web Site: southlakelandmind.org.uk Trustees / Directors Dave Stretch (Chair), Cathy Lubelska, Jane Strawbridge, Louise Murphy, Robin Cope Treasurer – Colin Reynolds Staff Peter Davies Chief Officer Chris Frampton Befriending Co-ordinator Daphne Birch Support Worker Catherine Gordon Administrator Volunteers South Lakeland Mind has 42 active volunteers who perform a number of roles including counselling, befriending, acting as trustees and helping with drop-in support and social sessions in Kendal, Grange and Windermere/Bowness. Volunteers are the backbone of our organization and without their enthusiasm and commitment we would not be able to deliver our current range of services.


3 Objectives, Mission and Values Objectives

• To assist in relieving and rehabilitating people suffering from mental disorders or conditions of emotional and mental distress.

• To work to develop prevention activity that reduces the scale and impact of mental ill health.

• To promote the preservation of mental health and wellbeing. • To challenge stigma and raise public awareness of mental health problems.

Mission Statement South Lakeland Mind exists to enhance the quality of life for people experiencing mental and emotional distress and to work generally towards the promotion of better mental health and a greater sense of wellbeing for people in South Lakeland. We achieve this through the provision of a range of services including information and support, drop-in centres, one-to-one support, counselling, advocacy, befriending, outdoor and other activities and complementary therapies. We aim to improve public understanding of mental health issues, challenge discrimination and seek better local and national services. Values We believe... Everyone experiencing mental or emotional distress has the right to live a full life and play their full part in society, and to be treated fairly, positively and with respect. Everyone experiencing mental or emotional distress has the right to information, choices and to be involved with their own care and recovery. The experiences, needs, views and opinions of people experiencing mental or emotional distress are valid and frame all we do at South Lakeland Mind. In respecting and valuing the contribution made by staff and volunteers to the work we do through their varied experience and skills we will provide a supportive environment for them to work in.


4 Demographic / Environmental Issues1 South Lakeland is a large area covering some 600 square miles that continues to be perceived as a relatively prosperous, healthy and attractive area in which to live, work and visit. The resident population of South Lakeland is 103,700 (2011 Census), but this is increased very considerably by visitors (and short-term immigration) to the area from all over Britain and abroad. The three main centres of population supported by South Lakeland Mind are Kendal (27,505), Windermere/Bowness (8,300) and Grange over Sands (4,000). Populat ion Headline Statist ics

• The population of South Lakeland has risen from 102,306 to 103,700. However, the increase of 1.36% is lower than that of England and Wales (7.75%) and Cumbria (2.52%)

• When compared to England and Wales and the North West Region, South Lakeland had a significantly lower proportion of residents under the age of 40 and a significantly higher proportion above the age of 60

• The largest rise in population by age group in South Lakeland was evident in the 60-64 age group, where a 38% increase was recorded

• The largest decrease in population by age group in South Lakeland was evident in the 30-34 age group, where a 26% decline was recorded

• The gender ratio in South Lakeland changed only slightly between 2001 and 2011. In 2001 the ratio of males to females was 48.4:51.6. In 2011 this ratio was 48.7:51.3

• The population of the district under the age of 40 has declined. The highest

rates were recorded in the 30-34 and 35-39 age groups where the population fell by over 20%

These statistics clearly show the importance of engagement with older age groups and this will be a significant driver for the way in which we deliver services. As part of this approach we have developed stronger links with Age UK particularly through our Befriending programme and also through collaboration around our information and signposting Hub. There are many factors, which influence people’s sense of well-being. These include income, work, stress, where we live, lifestyle choices and age. Research commissioned by Cumbria Rural Partnership suggests that within communities in South Lakeland there are a number of vulnerable groups at risk of a lower level of well-being and that this is in part due to geographical location. Rural areas have seen the loss of services such as post offices, banks, local shops and pubs that may have been considered as cornerstones of a community. This has been exacerbated by the withdrawal of public transport in rural areas on uneconomic grounds.

1 Sources: 2012 report from the Director of Public Health in Cumbria http://bit.ly/10IhpiS 2011 Census / Cumbria Intelligence Observatory http://bit.ly/VZUD2Z Cumbria Joint Strategic Needs Assessment 2012-2015 http://bit.ly/WfAzJw


Research developed by the Centre for Regional Economic Development at Northumbria University into rural disadvantage shows there are different forms of disadvantage at different locations in the area. South Lakeland would not normally be associated with significant levels of poverty and deprivation. The reality, however, is very different and some people who live in the area do experience genuine hardship and isolation. In respect of South Lakeland, research shows that a high proportion of older people are asset rich and income poor. South Lakeland Health and Wellbeing Status Hospital admissions for neuroses 15.4 per 100,000 NHS 2010 Trend: Worsening Admissions for deliberate self-harm 176 per 100,000 NWPHO 2010 (NW Public Health Observatory) Mortality from suicide and injuries undetermined 7.4 per 100,000 NHS 2010 %working age population with a disability 23.1% APS 2011 (Annual Population Survey) Trend: Worsening %working age adults with disabilities in employment 63.4% APS 2011 Trend: Worsening Total population aged 65+ predicted to have dementia 1,849 POPPI 2010 (Projecting Older People Population Information) Total population aged 65+ living with long-term illness 10,898 POPPI 2010 Total population aged 65+ predicted to live alone 9,449 POPPI 2010 Vulnerable Residents % older people affected by income deprivation 11% (IDAOPI Income Deprivation Affecting Older People Index) Trend: Worsening DCLG 2010 Number of households registering for 2,887 social rented housing Trend: Increasing LA Register 2011 % working age unemployed 3.5% NOMIS 2011 (Official labour market statistics) Trend: Increasing The district of South Lakeland has the second highest proportion (nationally) of ‘lone parents in part-time employment’ households at 47.1% and second highest proportion of ‘female lone parents in part-time employment’ at 45.4%.


Risk Factors / Inequalities The number of people suffering stress, anxiety and depression because of redundancies, job insecurity and pay cuts owing to the recession has increased since the economic downturn began. Cumbrians experiencing deprivation are more likely to experience mental health problems. Around 87,000 people in Cumbria live in deprivation. Cumbria, like other parts of the global economy, is also being affected by the economic downturn. There were 9,615 Job Seeker Allowance (JSA) claimants in Cumbria in January 2012, a rise of 1,248 (14.9%) over the year, the highest number since July 1999. Mental illness is a major contributor to inequalities in health outcomes. On average, people with schizophrenia die 25 years younger than the general population. The contribution of depression to increased mortality is equivalent to the effect of smoking. 5 The Policy Context England’s Mental Health Outcome Strategy ‘No Health without Mental Health’ , February 2012, highlights the link between good mental and physical health. Cumbria launched its own Strategic Framework, ‘Working Together for Wellbeing and Mental Health’ in October 2011. Its twin objectives are that more people have good mental health and wellbeing, and more people recover sooner from mental health problems. It also seeks to:

• provide a focus on priorities and outcomes for mental health and wellbeing during the crucial transition period 2011-2014.

• promote wellbeing and early intervention to prevent mental health problems • champion the integration of mental health into primary care to address people’s

mental and physical health needs together • ensure high quality, recovery focused specialist services are available to all

when needed • empower citizens, service users and carers and improve their experience of

care. Current policy is driving the need for localities across Cumbria to develop more and better community services, alongside preventative models of care. As a result ‘Social Prescribing’ is being piloted in several parts of Cumbria. This is a mechanism for linking people in primary care with non-medical resources in the community to strengthen their wellbeing. This can be through increasing skills, increasing sources of social support, and increasing access to resources and services that protect wellbeing such as arts and creativity, physical activity, volunteering, mutual aid, befriending and self-help, as well as support with employment, benefits, housing, debt, legal advice, or parenting problems.


6 Development Programme – 2013 - 2016 As a result of the work on the Strategic Development Plan we have formulated 12 Development Objectives that will shape our work over the next 3 years. We have focused on Section 4 (Demographic / Environmental Issues) and Section 5 (The Policy Context) of the Strategic Development Plan as the key drivers in this process. Objectives 1 We will identify local mental health needs aligned with local data, research and

information sources to ensure that we offer services that meet the changing demands of mental health locally.

2 We will continue to facilitate easier local access to services and seek ways to

engage with hard to reach groups and individuals e.g. through befriending and workshops.

3 We will promote and market South Lakeland Mind and its services in the

community to reach as many people as possible. 4 We will promote mental health and wellbeing to the general public and provide

information and intelligence to our stakeholders. 5 We will continue to recruit and train more volunteers to assist with service

development. 6 We will bid for extra funding to extend our front line services, build on progress

to date, give the charity a more sustainable financial base and secure staffing capacity.

7 We will continue to expand and develop our advice and information hub. 8 We will continue to develop and grow our befriending service and secure

Approved Provider Status. 9 We will be responsive to high levels of potential need and new areas of

demand through links and partnership working with other agencies e.g. post natal, mental health and young people, employment support, suicide prevention, mental health and an ageing population.

10 Having achieved level 2 Quality Management in Mind, one of only 41 Local

Mind Associations nationally, we will continue to embed continuous improvement and quality assurance.

11 We will continue to deliver and facilitate training on mental health for our own

staff and for other organisations. 12 We will continue to expand and grow our “Talking Therapies” support.

Documents

South Lakeland Mind Strategic Development Plan 2013 – 2016