In the second of this 3 part mini series, we continue the discussion..
Cultural diversity and access to services is an issue that is high on the agenda for CAMHS and there is no better way of understanding the needs of the BAME community than hearing directly from the young people that have accessed the service. Today, we are privileged to have four of our ex service users talk about judgement, understanding and how important it is for clinicians to be curious and open to challenging their own beliefs. We also are very happy to welcome Helen Anderson, a CAMHS Clinician based at the Bedford Clinic. Helen has joined the discussion today to further her understanding of the challenges and difficulties that our young service users experience and to discuss the changes that can be made to make the CAMHS service more inclusive and accessible to all.
Cultural diversity and access to services is an issue that is high on the agenda for CAMHS and there is no better way of understanding the needs of the BAME community than hearing directly from the young people that have accessed the service. Today, we are privileged to have four of our ex service users talk about judgement, understanding and how important it is for clinicians to be curious and open to challenging their own beliefs. We also are very happy to welcome Helen Anderson, a CAMHS Clinician based at the Bedford Clinic. Helen has joined the discussion today to further her understanding of the challenges and difficulties that our young service users experience and to discuss the changes that can be made to make the CAMHS service more inclusive and accessible to all.
In today’s episode, we’re continuing the conversation about mental health, lockdown and how to manage during this time.. There’s lots of information in the media about what we should and shouldn’t do.. we see statistics.. we’re given direction and advice.. sometimes it sounds clear to us, and sometimes it doesn’t… we see advice change.. sometimes on a daily basis and this can leave us feeling worried, scared or just plain confused.. but on a more positive note, we’re also hearing about new and inventive ways of living life.. people are coming up with ideas that we maybe wouldn’t have thought of before…so it’s true to say that there’s a mix of experiences that people are having about lockdown.
But there’s one aspect of lockdown that we’ve all had to do… We’ve all had to socially isolate and keep to social distancing… which means limited access to friends and family, and our normal ways of socialising are currently off the agenda.. As a result of this, we’ve seen an increased use of social media. Now, there are lots of us that would never have entertained the idea of talking on screen.. but suddenly we’ve all got to grips with video calling, texting and even learning new dances on TacTic (name changed for copyright purposes..!)
and no, the last bit doesn’t apply to me.
But for some of us, our usual ways of managing health, and in particular, mental health may have become difficult to access.. such as taking exercise, going out and meeting people.. and getting access to fresh air. For those of us experiencing this.., daily life can be difficult… and many of us have increased our use of social media to support our wellbeing. In today’s episode, we’re going to explore how to manage mental health within the current climate…and give tips on how to make social media support our wellbeing as opposed to making it worse.
Today we have Nikki Scott, who is the user participation lead for Luton and Bedford CAMHS and is also a co-host on CAMHS Talk. I’d also like to welcome Lawrence Chung who is on the NHS graduate programme and is working an Operational Lead for Bedford CAMHS.Also welcome to our service users, Jay and Gracie
In this episode, we’re talking about mental health, lockdown and how to manage at this time. Lockdown has affected us all and as such, everyone’s daily life has been significantly affected. Our normal daily routines changed overnight and many of the things we took for granted are things we’re currently doing without. We’ve seen lots in the media about how and when we can expect things to go back to normal, but the messages can feel vague and unclear and lead to lots of debate from those with and without ‘professional opinions’… and no-one can predict what the ‘new normal’ will look like anyway. A decision that has brought substantial change for many is the suspension of education.
At a time where many teenagers were gearing up for exams and getting ready for university.. suddenly.. their education looks uncertain. For younger children who are maybe too young to fully understand what’s happening, this might be a confusing time, being at home with their family and away from their friends.. but for others, it might be a time of creativity and finding things to do with their newfound boredom. But for many, their education hasn’t stopped just because they’re not at school. This temporary ‘new normal’ still has its expectations and demands.. with changes such as work being sent home, video link classes, increased use of on-line learning and being taught by their parents. But for many, in the new ‘classroom environment’ at home, there can be new challenges.
In today’s episode, we’re going to take a look at some of the challenges faced by those in secondary school.. and as such I’m very pleased to welcome today’s guests.. I’d like to welcome: Nikki Scott – service user participation lead for Bedford and Luton CAMHS Lawrence Chung – who is currently on the NHS Graduate Scheme and is working for CAMHS as an Operational Lead whilst studying for his master’s degree. We’re also joined by three of our service users, Wiktoria, Kirri and Lucy who share their views, thoughts and tips.
Now.. as we’re all aware, we’re living in strange times due to the COVID pandemic and this has brought some change to the services that are currently offered by Bedford CAMHS. In this episode, Nikki and I are talking to Ross Truscott, General Manager for Bedford CAMHS about the changes that have been made to make sure that CAMHS can continue to deliver the service to those young people and families that are under their care.
We also have the opportunity to hear about new service developments including the self referral process and the new 24 hour Crisis line that is now available for anyone, those that are already under the care of the service and for those that feel they may need CAMHS support.
In this episode, we’ll introduce you to Dr Charlotte Bolt and her co-therapist, Ruby (the dog!). this is a great opportunity to find out how animals can enhance treatment for some that struggle to manage with face to face therapy. Come listen as Dr Bolt takes us through how she and Ruby have developed the use of animals in treatment.
As a note, not all types of treatment mentioned in this episode are therapeutically appropriate in all cases and may not be available in your area.
Today we talk about Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, more commonly known as CBT. In this episode we are so grateful to Gemma Douthwaite and Dr Charlotte Bolt who share their insights and demystify the inner workings of this treatment model. As always, we also have our service users, this week we have Lucy and Jay who also share their own knowledge from a service user perspective. We also get to hear a little about Ruby, our therapy dog – but that’s a story for next time! Just to say that in our conversation we discuss some of the options that we have used in our service. It may be the case that some of the options we have discussed may not be available in all areas, or indeed be appropriate in all treatment cases.
Let’s rejoin the conversation and continue to hear about the SWITCH Program where Dawn Bere, Post 16 Personal Adviser & Enhanced Evidence-Based Practitioner and Christopher Allan – Early Help Professional at Bedford Borough talk with two of their service users, Georgia and Stephen about ‘The Forgotten Population’ – young people who are not in education, employment or training (or NEET for short). Georgia and Stephen give very frank accounts of how they were supported by Dawn and Christopher’s team within the SWITCH project – a project designed to provide targeted support to NEET young people.
The risks associated with being a NEET young person is significant in terms of developing mental health difficulties and falling by the wayside in society with increased risk of getting into crime, drugs and gang violence. Come listen to the work that is happening in Bedford.
Come listen to Dawn Bere, Post 16 Personal Adviser & Enhanced Evidence-Based Practitioner and Christopher Allan – Early Help Professional at Bedford Borough talk with two of their service users, Georgia and Stephen about ‘The Forgotten Population’ – young people who are not in education, employment or training (or NEET for short). Georgia and Stephen give very frank accounts of how they were supported by Dawn and Christopher’s team within the SWITCH project – a project designed to provide targeted support to NEET young people.
The risks associated with being a NEET young person is significant in terms of developing mental health difficulties and falling by the wayside in society with increased risk of getting into crime, drugs and gang violence. Come listen to the work that is happening in Bedford.
Navigating local support and services for children with special educational needs can be cumbersome and stressful. Come listen and learn all about the Bedford Borough Local Offer Service that works tirelessly to bring information about what’s out there into one easy to access website. We discuss how to access the services and also have first-hand feedback from some of our service users about how having a ‘one-stop-shop’ has improved their own well being and that of their family. To take a look at the Bedford Borough Local Offer website, just click the link or cut and paste if you’d prefer. If you are a local service that wants to be included on the local offer website, you can also click the link below and make contact. The more services that make themselves known, the richer the mix of support is available to SEND children.