Successful Completion of Well London Changing Minds Project

Inclusive Solutions working in partnership with the Enfield Mental Health Users Group, Open Minds, Enfield Homes and London Sustainability Exchange – has successfully completed delivery of the Changing Minds project managed by the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust actively supporting mental health and wellbeing of local residents.

Local residents of Snells Park, Upper Edmonton, took the opportunity to get involved in the Well London programme – which delivered a wide variety of different projects and initiatives ranging from training and activity to improve life skills, language ability, mental health and community living over the last 3 years. 

Funded by the BIG Lottery, the Changing Minds project trained local people with direct experience of mental ill health to deliver mental health awareness training in their local communities, thus empowering people to use their experience to help reduce the stigma and discrimination faced by many people with mental health problems and to promote understanding of mental health and well-being.

A 9 month part-time training course, designed and shaped by people who had themselves used mental health services helped participants to acquire new transferable skills that could be transferred into the job market e.g. understanding group dynamics, preparing presentations, facilitation skills, and how to design and deliver training sessions.  The course helped not only to improve particpants skills but also helped to enhance their confidence and self-esteem enabling many people to get back into full/part-time work.

Inclusive Solutions and EMU worked with and supported two trainees to deliver mental awareness and wellbeing sessons, as well as stress management workshops in Snells Park. The sessions were attended by 95 local residents of all ages. The local residents that attended were representative of the local community with an even split between male and female.

Sessions focused on general mental health awareness and stress management with content including:

• General overview of mental health & wellbeing – definition + scope dual continuum
• problems (signs and symptoms, nature and causes) and how they affect people
• Types of mental illness i.e. depression, bipolar, psychosis
• The importance of social inclusion
• Practical steps to improve your mental health
• What help is available in your community

Outcomes

• Enhanced understanding of mental health and the stigma that surrounds it
• Confidence to deal with clients or colleagues who may be experiencing mental health problems
• Increase in participants' awareness of their own attitudes to mental health and illness
• Improved customer service, particularly to those currently experiencing some form of mental health issue
• Understanding of pathways to mental health support in the local community

Stress Management

Our stress management workshops were highly interactive and allowed for group discussion, personal reflection and action planning. They focused on how to enhance wellbeing, confidence, and communication skills, work life balance, conflict management and relaxation techniques.

Sample content included:

• Understanding stress: What is stress and why does it happen?
• Pinpointing the signs, symptoms and causes of stress
• How to break the vicious cycle of stressful thinking
• The vital link between your beliefs, perceptions and your experience of stress
• Managing stress: Learning practical insights, tools and techniques to manage stress
• Focusing your mental energy, thinking positively and responding proactively
• Conquering stress triggered by change using highly effective strategies