The Irish Advocacy Network  Ltd.,                

Home   News      Discussion    Poetry & Writing   Events     About IAN     Contact Details      Links

Writing:
 

Speech given at Northern Ireland Minister’s Conference

Good Morning Ladies and Gentlemen. Thank you Denise for those kind words of welcome. Anyone involved in business, either retail or service provision, knows that to succeed in that business, they have to give the customer what they want. Business managers will do this in a number of ways, they examine trends, do market research, learn from other peoples experience and often they would undertake customer research. Patterns and trends begin to emerge which help the manager take decisions on what retail stock he should keep or how he should tailor local services to meet and best satisfy local demand. In the business world, customers determine what they want and ultimately they shape the services by what they buy.

Why should it be any different with health services? A person's health is much more important than what washing powder they use. They should be encouraged to speak out and say what they need and want.

For many years there was a stigma associated with mental illness that not only encouraged isolation but also promoted the notion that sufferers did not have any insight or input to their condition. This idea was not only held by many of the public at large but also by many health professionals as well! Thankfully this has, to a large extent, changed over the years and people with mental health problems are being treated with more respect and starting to get a real say in the planning and design of their own services.

That is why I am delighted to be here today at your conference on "Recovery and Advocacy, the user perspective". Recovery and advocacy - perhaps it should be advocacy and recovery. I am firmly of the opinion that the chances and speed of recovery from illness is improved if people are involved in, and understand, their own treatment.

This conference is an important initiative. It sends out the message that users of mental health services are keen to become involved and have a valuable voice in developing mental health services. However the second message is that they have to be involved! I mentioned earlier how successful business managers achieve their success. The vast experience of past or present service users should not be ignored - not only in the development of local services, but also, in the reshaping and future development of a successful and top quality mental health service.

It is fitting that this conference is being held here in Downpatrick where health services generally, and Mental Health services specifically, have shown themselves to be at the leading edge of service improvement. I understand that the Mental Health Directorate of Down Lisburn Trust began developing a user's forum in 1998. Out of this grew the Mental Health Alliance - a very significant development! - an alliance of service users, carers and professionals working in partnership to develop and improve local mental health services with the WELL Project winning the national Eli Lilly award for innovation in mental health services. This was a tremendous initiative and worthy of replication elsewhere. It is not surprising that the Mental Health programme within the Trust was also the first Trust within Northern Ireland to achieve HQS accreditation. However, I note that the Trust is still showing the way to others, recently becoming the first Health and Social Care Organisation to be awarded the Northern Ireland Quality Award. Congratulations! These are exciting times in mental health services. There is a greater awareness than ever before of the particular needs of those with mental health problems. There is a greater understanding of their problems and needs and a greater determination to meet these needs. But! There is still a long way to go! There is still suspicion. There is still a lack of respect and an undervaluing of users rights. Many users are not treated as equals in the health care system and many carers are not given the help that they want and need to give them and the users the maximum quality of life achievable. I was particularly pleased when I learned of the prominent role played by service users within Professor Bamford's review of Mental Health and Learning Disability. This review of strategy, services and legislation provides, perhaps, a once in a lifetime opportunity to get things right. That it why it is so important to have the expertise and experience of the users and carers. They are not peripheral or token players, they are central to the review. They can bring their expertise to help develop a modern mental health service which is more caring and more responsive to the needs of the individual.
I know that I am speaking to the converted here at the conference today but I hope the message from today can be sent to all those involved in mental health services so that we can achieve together the goals and vision of a new, modern and compassionate service.

I hope that you have a successful conference and I wish you all well for the future.

Thank you