North and East Spotlight
Home Support Service
The North and East project started in October 1993 and was set up to offer services in Greater Springburn, Greater Possilpark, Milton, Hamiltonhill and Sighthill. The project seeks to support adults of 18 years and above where:
- Serious enduring mental health problems are present
- Mental health is felt to be at risk
- A person is isolated, alone and vulnerable
- Carers require support, information and advice
- Assistance is required in approaching or accessing other agencies e.g. DSS, Social Work Services or the Housing Department
There are a number of individual and group services offered, all aiming to provide emotional, social and practical support. They are all held in the north-east area of Glasgow. These include:
- Men's Group
- Women's Group
- Advice and Advocacy
- Home Support
- Intensive Home Support
To gain access to these services a referral must be made. Anyone can make a referral and forms are available on request asking for very basic details. When this form is completed and returned a worker will get in touch to arrange a meeting in order that the person can discuss their support needs further.
Intensive Home Support Service
An intensive home support worker provides individual support to people with severe, longstanding mental health difficulties. this support can be used to increase social contact, develop practical skills and assist in looking at alleviating mental health problems.
Support could involve:
- Spending time discussing any problems or concerns about mental and emotional health
- Helping develop a new or existing social network in your local area
- Providing advice, information and assistance with issues such as benefits, housing, form filling and contacting representatives from these and other agencies
- Support and education in developing practical skills such as budgeting, shopping, self care and home care
- Help in approaching other agencies, for example, community psychiatric nurses, GPs, social work, benefits agency, home helps etc.
Referrals to the Service
Referrals to the Intensive Home Support Service usually come from social workers, community psychiatric nurses, GPs or hospital doctors. However, anyone can make a referral to this service and self-referrals are encouraged. A referral form should be filled in giving basic details of name, address and reason for referral.
Needs Assessment
After referral an assessment of needs will be arranged which allows discussion to take place about which service is needed. This may be intensive home support or it may be felt that this is not the most appropriate support at this time. If this is the case other services may be offered.
The type and amount of support will be agreed between the worker and the person referred to best meet their individual need. The service will be reviewed regularly to allow planned changes to take place and monitor progress. A further community care assessment will be completed as part of the assessment of needs in order that appropriate support can be offered in a coordinated way.
Working Agreement
The Intensive Home Support Worker is not there to do things for the client, but rather to work with the client to encourage new skills, refresh old ones and promote indepedence. An Intensive Home Support Worker does not provide a domestic, medical or personal care service (for example, laundry, cooking, housework, bathing or nursing) but does assist in accessing these services if needed for the support identified. The time, length andfrequency of visits will be agreed, planned and reviewed.
How Long Will The Service Last?
This is dependent on individual need and will be reviewed. Where appropriate the goal will be to enable and encourage a move towards reducing the need for an intensive level of support. Access to other community based support will be sought where required to meet individual needs at that time.
Personal information is treated as confidential andwill only be shared with other members of the team who have direct input into the support service. information will only be given to other professionals with prior consent. An exception to this would be in the event of an emergency arising.
Volunteer Befrienders
What Is Befriending?
Befriending is an additional service, complimentary to our other services. It is where a trained volunteer spends time with someone who, through various circumstances, has become isolated. Both people will meet on a regular basis and share an activity together. What that activity will be depends upon what you both decide. This could be staying in for a chat, visiting a museum, the cinema, or going for a meal.
Potential befriendees are interviewed beforehand to find out what they want from the service. They are then carefully matched with befrienders on the basis that they will have shared interests and a likelihood of getting on well together. Thereafter a relationship is built up through listening and talking.
Who Can Become A Befriender?
You probably could! You do not need experience in the mental health field. You only have to be over 20 years of age, be compassionate, reliable, sensible and have a genuine willingness to listen.
We also ask that you give us at least nine months commitment.
You will have to fill out an application form, a declaration of convictions, an enhanced disclosure, provide two references and attend a short interview.
How Often Will I Have To Work?
You will be expected to spend a minimum of three hours a week with your befriendee. Centralised volunteer training is two hours for eight weeks. Induction training is one morning. Volunteer support meetings are two hours every two months. Supervision is approximately one hour every four weeks. Optional training opportunities as they arise.
Where Will I Work?
Our projects are throughour the North and East of the City. The location will depend on what your befriendee wishes. It could be at their own home or you could meet there prior to going elsewhere. You might remain within their local community, meet up in the City centre or at another suitable place.
Bi-monthly meetings are currently held at Charing Cross, with centralised training at St. Andrews Square and supervision at a mutually agreed venue.
What We Can Offer You?
- Supervision and support
- Ongoing training
- Access to training opportunities
- Out of pocket expenses
- An opportunity to increase your self-confidence
- An opportunity to gain work experience skills (not the same as work experience placements)
- An opportunity to meet new people
- A sense of achievement
- Fun!
Dollshouse Project
GAMH North & East Community Mental Health Project have recently run an innovative pilot programme in conjunction with PEEPS.
The pilot which generated a tremendous amount of local interest (we had to turn away a number of people who would have liked to take part in the initial pilot) was a 10-week training courses to teach 11 people with mental health problems literacy skills and basic living skills using an innovative technique involving the design and construction of doll’s houses as a tool for discussion and demonstration. The courses took place in Parkhead Congregational Church on Westmuir Street on Monday afternoons from 1pm to 4pm. Tutors were provided free of charge through John Wheatley College (Shettleston) Widening Access budget. Most people were referred to the project through local agencies and projects such as the Anvil Centre, the Arran Centre, Social Work, GPs and through GAMH’s own community projects in the east end.
It is hoped that the first of the two programmes will start in February 2006, followed by the second one starting in May.
Speaking about the pilot Janice Stirling Senior Project Worker in the North & East said “The pilot has been the most successful way of engaging people with mental health problems that we have ever done. Those taking part have dramatically improved their confidence and self esteem, while making friends and learning skills. Word of mouth from the ten on the pilot is spreading and we have enough names to run at least two more programmes.
You can use the Enquiry form to contact the project or write to us using the contact details posted on the main project page.
Related Befriending Services Links