Foundation Trusts..

[Tony.B.]

Just a new one to see who can give me as much insight into nhs Trusts becomig Foundation Trusts.

My local Mental Health Trust is now in this process.

This Trust holds the sub/misuse, not a term that sits well with me even now, care group and where all of my sui work has been done.They even paid for my advocacy training.This is an improving service after i waited 15months for a script just a few years ago.

Anyway my point is the Trust+most of staff are working minor miracles here now, compared to then.This Foundation Trust situation has most staff confused let alone the s/u's.

I had to make a quick decision and stand for Public Gov...As i am not going to stop this train but i better be on Board, no pun intended.

Please input
Love+light
Tony

[judith yates]

I'm not sure if i can give you much detailed info , but i have been around the NHS to see it through many reorganisations. Very often it feels as if they are re-inventing the wheel, and not a lot changes in the body of the service, though the managers all get new titles, and most of them change jobs every couple of years, so it is sometimes hard to know how to find someone who knows what is going on.

Your trust sounds as if it has made excellent progress and is moving in good directions..With a bit of luck, becoming a foundation trust could give them a bit more power and control of their own service, which in theory could be good for local service users. i am sure you need to stay close to the action, so that you can influence things, and blow whistles if they move the wrong ways! .  Here is a link to some official explanations, but you may already have this info::

http://www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/OrganisationPolicy/SecondaryCare/NHSFoundationTrust/fs/en

[andrewmoffat]

i am i the process of researching to set up a users group (toolkit) and although i have no current experience of nhs trust and do not work in nhs, i think local pct and mental health service should fund advocacy and aftercare (user groups)
i am an ex-user now clean, and trying to provide a service for those in tier 4 and needing support in recovery, my local drug/alc agency is not funded to offer aftercare and so its up to us service users to self-help
Ive been around quite a bit and i dont see any good new policy on aftercare being offered,and i dont mean the traditional AA/NA 12 step pathways, these days recoverers dont get their needs fully met through these.

as usual the services are set to terminate, aftercare is a inappropriate and inadequate term to describe the process of reintegration and continuing support, thats why we all have to pick up the pieces again when services users lapse.

toolkit will provide this long needed service through indiv and group workshops
i just cant see why trusts and policy is so short sighted, or is it just down to appearances?

i know this does not directly relate to foundation trusts but hey sorry i just couldnt stop myself,my local mentalhealth trust is so distant and out of touch!

[Tony.B.]

Thank you Judith+Andrew

This is a subject that has obviously been on my mind for awhile now.Although the Public Gov.issue crept up on me as i realised that Service User progress would only be made through this position.

Yes Judith as a Mental Health trust, 3* status for consec 2 yrs, i think is the pre-req so not too bad.This is improving the lot of our s/u's, myself included.

Andrew your work around 'toolkit' sounds spot on, would like to hear more.

Well if anyonelse out there has any thoughts RE:Foundation Trusts please give us your comments.Very much appreciated.

Tony

[andrewmoffat]

to tony and you, yes you this isnt really about foundation trusts but is more general, i have however opened up a discussion on the general post board about toolkit, actually, its called oktoolkit!
yes the phrase user when applied to service user is a trifle crude to say the least if not offensive!
when i was discharged from long-term residential rehab. i was determined to try to see what i could do about the plight of service-users, that is mental health,drug/alcohol services, gps, the crisis team, and the mixed-up process of trying to access an in coherent service by the desperately ill and vulnerable, me, and my peers.
so there i was on the platform fresh as a daisy but without a ticket its a literal world and words are important
ok, i had succesfully gone through the whole process, (and i feel graciously thankful that i received funding, and for the work of those who did believe i could make it) otherwise id be pushing up daisies, including counselling harm min. day centre detox referall care funding 12 step and group/indiv. therapy discharge then on to aftercare, and it was hard, but aftercare was a twinkle in my innocent eye and there was little on offer, actually i think i was just dumped!
in my eye, an anticipation, a hope that i would get some support to return to life.so a big so, the only thing i can do now is to change the phrase aftercare into lifelongcare and start to lobby! im now growing daisies.