About the conference
Social inclusion and mental health policy has wrestled with the “services first, community first” dilemma as the point of reference for its agenda for more than a decade now. Recent changes in the political landscape of health and social care make it clear that services will be shrinking and changing ownership for some time to come. This, taken in the context of the rhetoric of the Big Society, suggests that now may be the time to move away from a struggle between adopting either an “inside out” model or an “outside in” approach to community engagement to one in which we work directly with communities and their members as empowered actors in their roles as universal natural supports. But how do we make the transition in service design so that we connect up inevitable change and reduced state support so it leads to increased inclusion for people with mental health conditions?

This conference takes the idea that social networks are at the heart of both social inclusion and well being and then proceeds to apply this thinking to mental health service user empowerment by offering examples of emerging or transitional service forms that embrace both inside out and outside in qualities! With austerity comes the need to bolster independence and inclusion that doesn’t necessarily involve services. Many of us will be familiar that within the inclusion agenda the same social policy often stems from very two quite different and sometimes opposite moralities. Which will we wish to promote or is there a middle ground?

Aims of the conference

• To share new research findings on the power of social networks in supporting everyone’s inclusion and how this knowledge is being applied to thinking about the inclusion and citizenship of people with mental health conditions.
• To explore the rich potential and the many dilemmas inherent in developing community engagement between mental health services and local people.
• To showcase emerging or transitional forms of service which enhance social inclusion and community cohesion at the same time.
• To share developing frameworks and principles for effective practice and to reflect on these in the context of “the Big Society” debate in a public arena.

Key themes
The key themes will involve definitions of community, person and services and the relationships that exist between them. Social networking and the power of connectedness will be considered with respect to their value in supporting the inclusion of mentally ill people in our society.

Changes to service design and ownership can be driven by a number of moral positions with each giving radically different messages to potential recipients about the nature of their citizenship and worth to society. Can we develop ways to engage in community life that allow services to give positive messages to people using services and their communities in a time of less for more and the risk of blaming the disenfranchised for their own situation.

Speakers

• Dr Fabian Davis Consultant Psychologist, Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
• Professor David Morris UCLAN and A N Other (TBC by David) Royal Society of Arts
• Mr Peter Bates Senior Mental Health Consultant, NDTi
• Bernadette Davies Torfaen Mind Wellbeing Project
• Sally Hurcomb The Network, Barnet Local Authority, London
• Neil Springham Head of Arts, Oxleas NHS Trust
• Steve Cooksley (Develop) Dulwich Picture Gallery
• Beren Aldridge Growing Well, Cumbria

Who should attend

• GP consortia commissioners – mental health and general wellbeing
• Health and well being leads in local authorities
• Regeneration specialists
• NHS Mental Heath Foundation Trust Social Inclusion Leads
• Social care providers
• Third sector mental health day service providers
• People with mental health conditions, their families friends, employers, faith leaders etc.
• Educators
• Employers
• Community workers
• Community development workers
• Engagement specialists
• Mntal health team workers
• Faith group workers
• Neighbourhood renewal workers
• Community wellbeing practitioners
• Community-Led planning officers
• Community organisers
• NHS Foundation Trust Governors
• Community Bridge Builders
• Volunteer Bureau
• Personalisation implementation teams
• Social Workers
• Care coordinators
• Service improvement leads
• Social networking researchers
• Advocacy workers
• Service user involvement teams
• Advice and guidance organisations
• Local authority

Location Tags: London

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