We are a community for people with lived experience of mental health to campaign for change.
The Community Mental Health Framework is a national framework, launched by NHS England in 2019. This framework sets out what effective and joined-up community mental health support will look like across the country.
Late last year, the Independent Mental Health Network (IMHN) began running a series of engagement events, hearing from people with lived experience of mental health about how the framework should be implemented in the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire areas. This was part of a wider ‘discovery’ phase, led by the local Clinical Commissioning Group, which heard from all parts of the mental health system.
IMHN’s engagement took the form of multiple focus groups looking at particular mental health pathways, followed by a closing Mental Health Conversations event where the findings were presented and discussed. This closing event took place in January 2021.
Please click here to download the executive report of the engagement. This document summarises the findings of the focus groups, organised by pathway.
Please click here to download the report from the closing Mental Health Conversations event.
You may also download the full combined report, that includes notes from each focus group. Click here to do so.
March 31, 2021 at 7:23 am
The Independent Mental Health Network (IMHN) are excited to launch some new training. These workshops will look at how peer support for mental health works, and help develop group facilitation skills.
The first two-part workshop will take place on Tuesday 31 March and Tuesday 6 April 2021. Please note that you will need to be able to attend both sessions if you wish to book on. They will be held in Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset. Click here to book your place now – but hurry, there are only limited spaces available!
You do not need any experience prior to joining. IMHN’s peer support facilitators, Lorna and Julie, will be leading the workshops; and will develop people’s understanding of how peer support works, and build skills necessary in order to facilitate an effective peer support group.
If you have any questions about the training, please email .
March 23, 2021 at 3:05 pm
I’m Julie and I am delighted to introduce myself as the new Peer Support Facilitator/Team Leader following Independent Mental Health Network being funded by the Disabled People Organisation’s Covid-19 Emergency Fund to develop Peer Support Services across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has left people with mental health problems feeling more isolated than ever before, and not being able to access the same level of mental health support as they have previously. Nearly 80% of people living with a mental illness reported that their mental health has deteriorated since the coronavirus emerged and National estimates indicate we may see a 30% increase in mental health needs as a result of the pandemic.
In response to this, IMHN’s new Peer Support project will develop and deliver a peer support service for people with severe and enduring mental health problems with the focus on reducing social isolation and helping people to develop and build skills and strategies to support their mental wellbeing and feel more connected. The project will deliver a mixture of online and safely delivered face-to-face support (subject to Government restrictions) to ensure it is accessible to all members of the community who need it. Three Peer Support groups meeting weekly will be developed, including one group specifically for those people who identify as LGBTQ+, which we know is one of the communities that is currently most deprived of mental health support. The project will also include opportunities and training for people with lived experience to support facilitation of peer support and further develop the service.
A bit about me…I have 30+ years of lived experience of using mental health services. In addition to this I worked in the mental health sector as a Support Worker/Senior Support Worker for 25 years including with Rethink and Second Step. I was responsible for co-developing the Peer Support Training Programme at Second Step which provided people with lived experience of mental health problems the skills and opportunities to gain paid work in peer support roles. I have also worked with AWP’s Learning and Development Team for 15 years co-designing and delivering staff training in the Care Programme Approach and Risk, Mental Health Awareness and Recovery from a lived experience perspective; as well as writing and facilitating courses for service users, carers and staff through Recovery and Wellbeing Colleges across the region. I have been a member of IMHN for several years, sitting on the Clarity-NSIMHN committee and representing other people with lived experience on various projects and steering groups. I am passionate about the voice of those of us with lived experience of mental health services being heard, and our expertise through experience utilised in the co-design, co-production, monitoring and evaluating mental health services. I am especially interested in Trauma Responsive Services for people with a diagnosis of Personality Disorder.
I’m so excited to be joining an organisation, led by its members, that shares my vision and values, striving to improve our mental health services and I look forward to meeting/hearing from you with your thoughts and idea’s about Peer Support and this new Project.
You can contact Julie at .
March 9, 2021 at 7:17 pm
In recent weeks, discussions about the prioritisation that is used to determine how soon people will be offered the coronavirus vaccine have been taking place. Members of the Independent Mental Health Network (IMHN) in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) and the Bristol Autism Spectrum Service‘s Coping During Covid group have been meeting frequently to discuss this. Both groups were concerned that ‘Cohort 6’ 1 included a very narrow definition of ’serious mental illness’, and did not prioritise people with learning disabilities.
Members of IMHN and BASS worked together to raise their concerns with local health commissioners, who in turn escalated these to NHS England’s clinical reference group, alongside national charities who have also been campaigning on this issue.
Last week it was announced that adults with severe and profound learning disabilities, and those with learning disabilities in long-stay nursing and residential care settings, should be offered the vaccine more quickly in England. 2 This advice was issued by the government’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (‘JCVI’).
However, the current prioritisation that determines how quickly people receive the vaccination does not include people with learning disabilities who are not on a GP’s Learning Disability Register. The current guidance also adopts a narrow and unclear definition for ‘serious mental illness’, by limiting the category to schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, or any mental illness that causes severe functional impairment. 3 All mental illnesses have the potential to cause severe functional impairment, and therefore additional guidance should be issued to ensure that people who live with all types of mental health conditions are given the priority they need.
Tom Renhard, Chief Executive Officer of the Independent Mental Health Network, said:
“Wednesday’s announcement is a step in the right direction to ensure that people who live with learning disabilities are able to access the vaccine following the work of tireless campaigners across the country. There is also more work to be done to ensure additional groups of potentially vulnerable individuals are prioritised urgently.
We would welcome a swift clarification to ensure that those with a severe and enduring mental health problem can be given access to the vaccine without delay beyond the current existing narrow definition being applied.”
Ben Argo, member of IMHN’s BNSSG Mental Health Lived Experience Steering Group and Peer Mentor at BASS, said:
“We welcome the JCVI’s recent decision to add all people on the Learning Disabilities Register to priority group 6, but believe this does not go far enough. The definitions continue to completely overlook autism spectrum disorder, and do not adequately identify people with severe mental illness.
Our work has demonstrated that mental health patients have a loud voice and will not sit idly by while vulnerable people are systematically overlooked.
Thanks to the hard work of the Lived Experience Steering Group, LGBTQ+ Steering Group, and service users from the Bristol Autism Spectrum Service, we have made clear our concerns about the strict definitions used for prioritisation of people for vaccination against COVID-19. It was well received by the CCG’s Insights Team and Clinical Delivery Group that it was decided important enough to refer to the more senior Clinical Reference Group.”
– ENDS –
(1) https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/publication/vaccination-of-jcvi-cohorts-5-6-and-additional-funding-for-vaccination-in-residential-settings/
(2) https://www.gov.uk/government/news/jcvi-advises-inviting-people-on-learning-disability-register-for-vaccine
(3) https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2021/02/16/covid-19-vaccination-programme-where-do-people-with-mental-health-difficulties-lie-within-the-order-of-priority/
Notes to editors
Press contact/enquiries:
What is the Independent Mental Health Network (IMHN)?
IMHN are a member-led organisation that work for and in the interests of people with lived experience of mental health. The network supports work improving local mental health services, contributing and campaigning on mental health matters happening both locally and nationally. IMHN actively challenges mental health stigma by working with partner organisations.
What is the Mental Health Lived Experience Steering Group?
The Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Mental Health Lived Experience Steering Groupis a group of people from across the area that have lived experience of mental health. The group ensures that the views of people with lived experience are heard by mental health organisations and health commissioners when changing or improving local support. The group has recently inputted into the design of the local 24/7 Support & Connect mental health counselling telephone line, and is actively supporting the development of the local community mental health transformation programme.
What is the LGBTQ+ Mental Health Lived Experience Steering Group?
The Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire LGBTQ+ Mental Health Lived Experience Steering Group is a working group in which members can discuss issues, challenges and opportunities particular to the mental wellbeing of LGBTQ+ people. The group is focusing on changing and developing mental health support, with the aim to drive positive change for the LGBTQ+ community within services.
What is the Bristol Autism Spectrum Service (BASS)?
BASS Autism Services for Adults provide a service to adults with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and professionals and carers who support them. This is a service that is run by the Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust. Click here to read more about them.
How can I find more about IMHN?
You can sign up to IMHN’s mailing list by clicking here. Find out more about the organisation and how to join as a member by visiting www.imhn.org.
March 2, 2021 at 4:14 pm
Please note that this guide was put together for the December 2020 to January 2021 festive period. The information contained within the guide may now be out of date.
The Independent Mental Health Network (IMHN) has published the annual Christmas mental health guide for Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.
Each year, IMHN produces a written guide about changes to the operating hours of local mental health support during the festive period. Also included are the details of national helplines that people can access.
The resource has been written for both members of the public and mental health professionals alike. We are encouraging people to share this with others who might find it useful.
Tom Renhard, CEO of the Independent Mental Health Network, said:
We know that Christmas can be a particularly difficult time for many. We have created this guide to help ensure people and communities in the area can find the right support when they need it.
I would encourage everyone to share this guide to anybody it may help and start a conversation with someone we care about. It’s important to reach out and keep in touch with loved ones, especially those who may be struggling and feeling isolated.
This year, the information included in the guide takes account for the fact that many services are not running as they normally would, due to the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The guide can be accessed by visiting www.imhn.org/christmas2020. A version with accessibility in mind has also been produced, available on the same webpage.
– ENDS –
Notes to editors
Press contact/enquiries: press[@]imhn.org (take care to remove the square brackets from this email address)
What is the Independent Mental Health Network (IMHN)?
IMHN are a member-led organisation that work for and in the interests of people with lived experience of mental health. The network supports work improving local mental health services, contributing and campaigning on mental health matters happening both locally and nationally. IMHN actively challenges mental health stigma by working with partner organisations.
Why has IMHN produced this guide?
IMHN has been producing a Christmas mental health signposting guide for Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire since 2015. Each year, the guide is read by hundreds of people, with many people telling us they find it useful.
In addition during 2020, IMHN has also launched a web guide to local mental health services and how they have changed how they are running during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic). This has been continually updated throughout the year, and can be viewed at: https://www.imhn.org/coronavirus/guide/
December 22, 2020 at 8:50 pm
[Content note; this article contains references to bereavement by suicide]
IMHN, in partnership with the Community Access Support Service (CASS) Bristol, are hosting a set of workshop sessions looking at improving what support is available to people who have been bereaved by suicide in the local area.
We will be looking at what is working well in support that is currently available, what could be improved, and where there are gaps in what services people are able to access.
There will be three sessions. Click the links below to be taken to the event pages to sign up and book your place.
- Suicide Bereavement Support workshop (Monday 14 December 2020 14:30)
- Suicide Bereavement Support for BAME Communities (Tuesday 19 January 2021 13:00)
- Suicide Bereavement Support workshop (focus on support for children and young people) (Monday 25 January 2021 13:00)
We have also launched a survey, asking people in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire about their experiences of bereavement support. Click here to access the survey.
December 3, 2020 at 10:00 am
Please note: this round of recruitment has now closed.
Are you someone with a passion for improving mental health services and empowering those with lived experience of mental health?
Do you support the principles of lived experience leadership and have a willingness to ensure this remains embedded in health and social care services?
If so – you may be interested in opportunities to join our team in the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire areas!
We are currently recruiting:
- a project Coordinator – fixed term, to 31 December 2021
- a peer Support Facilitator – fixed term, to 30 June 2021
- Trustees – voluntary position for a three-year term
If you know someone that would be interested in any of these roles, feel free to put them in touch with us.
If you would like an informal conversation about any of these roles, please send an email to engagement[@]imhn.org.
Apply by midday on Friday 4 December.
November 29, 2020 at 4:27 pm
IMHN are running six focus groups in December that each look at a different element of the NHS’ Community Mental Health Framework. These focus groups will help directly shape what the roll-out of the Framework looks like in the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire areas.
- Developing peer support approaches (Tuesday 8 December at 2pm)
- Personality disorders and trauma-informed approaches (Monday 14 December at 4pm)
- Transitions from adult care to older adult care (Tuesday 15 December at 11:30am)
- Rehabilitation services (Tuesday 15 December at 2pm)
- Eating disorders (Wednesday 16 December at 5:30pm)
- Transitions of care for children and young people (Thursday 17 December at 5:30pm)
This will be your opportunity to discuss what matters most to you around the elements listed above, to help health commissioners ensure that the new services meet people’s needs.
People who attend a focus group will receive a £25 voucher as a thank you for their contributions and time.
We expect there to be a high level of interest for these events, and we want to ensure that everyone can have their say. Please make sure that you book your space as soon as possible!
More about the Community Mental Health Framework
The Framework was first published in September 2019, following publication of the NHS’ Long Term Plan and the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health. The framework intends to deliver person-centred mental health care in the community, and address the needs of people that have previously struggled to access effective support (for example, people who’s needs cannot be met by primary care services, but are not deemed severe enough to access secondary mental health care).
- click here to read the framework document, published in September 2019
- click here to read an article about the framework, published by the Centre for Mental Health
November 29, 2020 at 4:27 pm
Last Friday, the first formal meeting of the BNSSG LGBTQ+ Mental Health Lived Experience Steering Group took place. This was an exciting session because it represented the culmination of a number of planning sessions that have taken place over recent months.
The main part of the meeting was welcoming a co-chair of the local Mental Health & Wellbeing Cell. The main responsibility of this Cell is to allocate emergency funding to support the local mental health system in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
One of the main reasons the Steering Group has formed is because the proposals of how to use emergency funding notably lacked provision for the mental health and wellbeing needs of the LGBTQ+ community. The Steering Group held the Cell to account by raising a number of questions with their guest, including how there can be more embedded co-production with the community in future projects to improve local mental health services.
The Steering Group looks forward to working with the Cell in order to improve dedicated mental health support for people who identify as LGBTQ+. Future meetings of the group will look at future projects that will raise awareness of mental health within the LGBTQ+ community.
October 2, 2020 at 12:45 pm
Give us the benefit of your experience
Get involved with the South Gloucestershire Wellbeing Network.
Be part of establishing a vocal and influential group that will speak out about mental health support in South Gloucestershire.
The network is a working collaboration between Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership, The Independent Mental Health Network and South Gloucestershire Council to provide a platform for people with lived experience of mental ill health. The group will discuss experiences of local mental health support, and work to influence services provided in the South Gloucestershire area.
The network currently meets on the first and third Thursday of the month between 10:00 – 11:00am.
The poster for the network can be seen below.
August 27, 2020 at 11:10 am