Posted on by The Cellar Trust

Our CEO, Kim Shutler, discusses all things mental wellbeing in her latest blog post…

Last week, as part of Time to Talk 2019, I tweeted about a few things that help me with my mental wellbeing, which got me thinking. I have huge respect for those in senior positions (actually in any position) who bite the bullet and talk about their mental health, so thought it was time I do the same.

I quote a colleague Nick Smith (from Missing Peace) a lot: ‘1 in 1 of us struggle with our mental health at some point.’ I’m not talking here about mental illness here. I’m talking about the fact that, like with our physical health, mental health and our sense of wellbeing, is on a spectrum, and in everyone’s lives adverse events can affect this, and these events can hit us all at once and that can knock us for 6.

At The Cellar Trust, where I am privileged to work, we run a crisis service called Haven (www.thecellartrust.org/haven). When we set that service up 2 1/2 years ago we thought the people who would come would be those a long term mental illness. Actually, it’s consistently the case that 1/2 the people do not have a diagnosable long-term condition or need secondary mental health care. They are people who have experienced a serious or multiple serious adverse life events, and something has just tipped them over the edge, they can no longer cope, and don’t know where to turn.

Last year bowled me over with a bit too much on the old ‘adverse events front’ and despite being a pretty resilient sort, my mental wellbeing was not tip-top. Suddenly I found myself in the place of being told ‘it’s ok to not be ok’, when usually I’m the one who says that to other people.

I thought I would share the things that have helped me during this time. I’m not writing this to say that these things work for everyone but they have been a winner for me and maybe others can take a little snippet from what I have learnt along the way:

1. At The Cellar Trust we pride ourselves on having a culture where we can talk about our mental health. That did not mean it was easy for me to do it as ‘the boss’. I needed their patience and they were amazing. Bless them, some shed a little tear for me and gave me a big hug, others followed up with a little email offering support. Lots of my colleagues, and indeed my Board, have had my back. Knowing that they do makes the world of difference. Being prepared to be a leader and show a bit of vulnerability gives others the permission to do it too.

2. Not one limited to tricky times but that helps me to stay well is Action Learning, mentoring and peer support from fellow VCS CEOs and other brilliant people who work outside my organisation. When you are already feeling swamped with work, taking time out for these things can seem like a luxury but they are worth their weight in gold. Without doubt I return from these things with increased clarity of thought and plans for clear actions, which in turn, makes me feel lighter and more productive. In the past couple of months, these people have taken me for a walk round the block so I could stop crying before I was about to chair a committee, taken me out for dinner (tasty food always helps), helped me get perspective and generally been good eggs. I am cheesy about it but being part of a wider team is one of my favourite things about my job.

3. I am a massive advocate of therapy and am firmly in the camp that we could all benefit from it (or at least coaching) and I encourage colleagues and friends to take it up regularly. I trained to be a coach a few years ago and it was one of the best things I have ever done but apart from coaching, I have never personally engaged in therapy. But this time I thought I had better – metaphorically – put my money where my mouth is. So I now have a fabulous therapist through our Employee Assistance Programme at work.

4. I have never been an exercise fan. I used to get out of PE at all costs and I can barely run up the stairs. But I bloomin’ love dancing and Zumba makes me smile, so I have pulled my finger out and got involved. And now (begrudgingly) I am actually enjoying a bit of exercise. I have also managed to sign myself up for a giant abseil down a waterfall in Wales later this year thanks to my new mate and colleague Zoe Duffy (from Formations Care) – who is raising funds for us. It is ridiculous and hilarious. Anyone fancy joining us on our little adventure – give me a shout – it is going to be amazing. #feelthefearanddoitanyway

5. The last one is a random list:

  • Talk to your friends, family or colleagues you trust
  • Be patient with yourself (this is a tricky one for me)
  • Listen to podcasts that give you perspective (I am a big fan of Fearne Cotton Happy Place which is all about mental wellbeing)
  • Have a kitchen disco, play music and sing loudly in the car (a good 80s classic sorts me right out)
  • Have long baths (my sister bought me one of these – it is a total game changer)
  • Avoid the temptation to go into hibernation (however great the urge might be) and plan lovely stuff and adventures with people who ground you and lift you at the same time
  • Write a gratitude list on a regular basis (it is proven to build resilience!)
  • Find little things that make you smile (I like wearing jazzy clothes for work, having an excessively glittery note pad, writing in purple, and surrounding my desk with motivational quotes and photos of people I love)

Next on my list is meditation. I am reassured by many people who I have big respect for that it is wonderful thing. So the Calm app is downloaded and the challenge is on… wish me luck!

Posted on by The Cellar Trust

Avril, our Wellbeing Lead, discusses all things Telehealth…

Telehealth

Avril, our Wellbeing Lead, discusses all things Telehealth…

What is Telehealth?

The Cellar Trust has partnered with MyWellbeing College (part of Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust) to increase access to psychological services for people living in Bradford, Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven. We can support people with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and panic by using self-help workbooks over a 12 week period. Clients have a fortnightly session with a Wellbeing Coach over the phone. The workbooks offer practical solutions to some of the problems clients’ face using cognitive behavioral techniques and they learn how to manage their symptoms better.

To access the service you enroll with MyWellbeing College and will go through an assessment which ensures you receive the most appropriate help for you. One of the options on offer is Telehealth. Telehealth offers telephone support out of hours which will make the service more accessible to more people, particularly if they live in a remote area, are unable to travel or work full-time.

Some of our coaches can also speak Punjabi and Urdu if clients would prefer to talk in their own language.

Why are you so passionate about this new service?

There are so many reasons but primarily because I have complete faith that it works.

I have used most of the techniques and exercises in the workbooks myself over the years and still draw on them today. Unfortunately this kind of support wasn’t available when I was struggling with my own mental health and it took me a long time to discover and learn what is now collated into the workbooks.

I know some people are skeptical about phone therapy but I have worked on Telephone Support Lines for years and believe they are just as effective as face to face support. In some respects they can be more successful as the therapist needs extra skills in order to build a relationship with the client which is key to recovery.

The other wonderful thing about the service is that the client does the work with support of a coach. This means the clients are self-reliant and this is very empowering. The skills they learn will equip them for life.

Why is peer support key and how will it work as part of Telehealth?

The Wellbeing Coaches at The Cellar Trust come from a range of backgrounds but we all have our own lived experiences of mental health. This means we either have struggled with their own mental wellbeing in the past or have cared for loved ones going through mental health issues, so can therefore relate to what clients are going through and can often draw on our own experiences to help people. Because we know what it is like, we offer non-judgmental support and can offer the guidance and encouragement needed to get better.

To access the service, you can register online at www.bmywellbeingcollege.nhs.uk or give the enrolment team a call on 0300 555 5551

Posted on by The Cellar Trust

Emily, Senior Peer Support Worker in Haven, discusses the importance of peer support…

Peer support

Emily, Senior Peer Support Worker in Haven, discusses the importance of peer support…

I’m a Senior Peer Support worker at Haven and I’ve worked there for about 2 and a half years since it opened in August 2016. When I started at Haven it was actually the first paid job I’d had since I was 17 so for me it was a massive step. I’ve struggled with mental health issues since I was young and was a frequent attender at A & E as a young adult as well as spending time at 17/18 as an inpatient at Lynfield Mount Hospital. I had no access to any kind of peer workers in Bradford when I was younger and I always think back to a time when I was about 18 now when I think of how peer support could have helped me. At the time I asked my psychiatrist if I’d ever get any better, he just looked at me, shook his head and said, ‘No, this is probably the best it’s going to get for you’. To be told that at 18 is devastating and took away any hope I’d got for a better future. I believe that if I’d been able to meet a peer support worker at that time, I wouldn’t have lost as much hope, it would have helped me see there was some way out of where I was stuck at that time.

So, when I got the role as a peer support worker in Haven I was so excited but I guess absolutely terrified too. Working in such a supportive team really helped me gain so much confidence and I started to saying yes to opportunities when they arose. This led to me becoming the first Senior Peer support worker at Haven and gave me the opportunity to really help shape the service, creating a peer led service that really offers something different for the people we work with.

I often get asked “What is Peer support?” There are of course lots of different types of peer support, like AA and postnatal support groups in the community and generally, peer support is about building a relationship based on mutuality, reciprocity and shared experience. At Haven and in the other places our peer support workers are now working, we mostly use 1:1 peer support to support people in mental health crisis.

But often people think that peer support in mental health settings is just support given by someone with lived experience of mental health issues, if this was all it was, then we would surely already have a workforce full of peer workers as a lot of people who already work in services have had experience of mental health problems or experience of distress. So, what is it that makes peer support roles so different? The powerful part of peer support comes from the sharing of those lived experiences. And that sounds easy, until you look more closely at all the factors around sharing lived experience. As peer workers we have to learn:

What we want to share, what feels ok for us to share, where our boundaries are, the impact of sharing these experiences on both ourselves and on the people we are sharing them with.
So, this sharing has to be relevant within the relationship, appropriate and safe for both parties involved.

I don’t know of any other roles where you are expected, it’s actually part of the job description, to share on a daily basis what were potentially some of the most distressing parts of your life. And often to share these with complete strangers. But that’s what peer workers do, they learn to read the situation quickly and accurately, weigh up if self-disclosure is going to be helpful, how they can do this safely whilst offering empathy and creating a safe non-judgmental space.

We like to think that our form of peer support promotes a trauma informed way of working, instead of asking “What’s wrong with you?” we learn to ask “What happened to you?”; we listen to the story behind the distress, give the person the time they need to articulate what they think has led them into crisis, or the space to think about it alongside someone who isn’t judging them, who isn’t making notes, someone who’s been there.

What are the benefits of Peer support in acute settings?

From doing ENRICH we have seen some of the ways in which peer support on discharge from hospital has been helpful. It has long been acknowledged that discharge from an inpatient psychiatric ward can be a difficult time for many people. People are often going back to the same situation that led to their distress in the first place. Peer workers can work with the person before discharge and continue this support afterwards, helping them prepare, understanding the worries about returning home because they’ve often been in that situation themselves. They understand that however chaotic the ward can appear, it feels safe, and to be thrown out of a place of safety can feel devastating and extremely unsettling.

I would like to see peer workers on the wards as are they are in other trusts and actually peer workers across all mental health services in Bradford, especially peer workers who have used those services, to be able to sit alongside people when they can see no way out, without advising them, without problem solving. Being there, helping them see they’re not alone. In these settings having peer workers who can support people but also share their own experiences inspires hope, hope that things can change, that there is a future that is worth trying to get to. And I believe that having peer workers around also benefits other staff, peer workers are tangible proof that people can move forwards even after having debilitating mental health problems, and I think this can help staff see that what they are doing is important, that what they say and do in all their different roles can help change people’s lives.

I am biased, I do love peer support, l love the connections it can create, the shared learning it brings and how it does change people’s lives. I’d just to end with a quote from a case study from a Haven client who had attended haven for 1:1 support in crisis and then went on to our crisis peer support group…

“I started the peer support group. I didn’t want to go to the group because it came after I’d had a really bad day and experience at another service. I woke up thinking that it won’t help me but I forced myself. I remember walking into the group and thinking I had nothing in common with these people, that I shouldn’t be there. But I was so wrong, it was such a powerful session, we were such a diverse group and it was the first day I felt hope. I went on Instagram straight after the group and said ‘this is the day it starts. I’ve found what I need to do and this is the thing that will help me’. I phoned my mum on the way home and told her, it was so powerful. You hear people tell stories about what changed their life and this was it for me, peer support is it, it changed my life.”