Skip to main content

Mental Health Wizwoman

No provisos, here in Norfolk we have a wonderful HERO.

Emma is a UNISON officer. She is one of the mainstays of the practice led Mental Health Crisis Campaign (see the 4th December entry). One of the reasons the Campaign is beginning to achieve some success, she is an excellent public speaker. And passionate about her causes; at a recent NHS protection rally, in the middle of her speech she became choked up with emotion and broke off in tears - in my book an unfailing recommendation. She means it! she is genuine!

County Councillor Corlett, for yes, as well as everything else, Emma is a Labour (Co-op) Norfolk County (NCC) Councillor. Well respected by her fellows, in the Council Chamber she has made her mark and her reputation in support of the Mental Health Crisis Campaign goes before her. This month, NCC said on its website (
http://www.norfolk.gov.uk): “At a full council meeting last month councillors voted unanimously to approve a motion by Emma Corlett, the council’s Member Champion for Mental Health, to take up The Mental Health Challenge.” That motion reads:

“This council notes:
1 in 6 people will experience a mental health problem in any given year.
The World Health Organisation predicts that depression will be the second most common health condition worldwide by 2020.
Mental ill health costs some £105 billion each year in England alone.
People with a severe mental illness die up to 20 years younger than their peers in the UK. There is often a circular relationship between mental health and issues such as housing, employment, family problems or debt.

This council believes:
As a local authority we have a crucial role to play in improving the mental health of everyone in our community and tackling some of the widest and most entrenched inequalities in health.
Mental health should be a priority across all this authority’s functions.
All councillors can play a positive role in championing mental health on an individual and strategic basis.
By working with all our strategic partners we must develop a coherent mental health strategy for Norfolk

This council resolves:
To sign the "Local Authorities’ Mental Health Challenge" run by Centre for Mental Health, Mental Health Foundation, Mind, Rethink Mental Illness, Royal College of Psychiatrists and YoungMinds.
And thereby agrees to:

  1. Identify a ‘lead officer’ for mental health to link in with colleagues across the council

  2. Follow the national mental health strategic partnership guidance for local authorities "no health without mental health" http://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/pdfs/Mental_Health_Strategic_Partnership_ LA.pdf

  3. Work to reduce inequalities in mental health in our community

  4. Work with the NHS to integrate health and social care support

  5. Promote wellbeing and initiate and support action on public mental health

  6. Encourage positive mental health in our schools, colleges and workplaces

  7. Proactively engage and listen to people of all ages and backgrounds about what they need for better mental health

  8. Sign the Time to change pledge to tackle mental health stigma and discrimination”


The following amendment was proposed by Mr Watkins:- After ‘This Council notes’ insert: “This Council welcomes:


•        The steps taken by this Government to ensure that, for the first time ever, mental health is given equal priority to physical health across the NHS through the NHS Mandate.
•        The significant progress made by this Government in responding to the worldwide challenges presented by dementia, culminating in the recent London G8 Summit agreement to         significantly increase investment in dementia research, with an ambition to identify a cure, or a disease-modifying therapy, for dementia by 2025.”

The amendment was accepted by Ms Corlett and became the substantive motion.

After a discussion the motion was CARRIED unanimously.

Emma is reported to have said: “It was heartening to have the support of all 84 councillors, which shows that in Norfolk there is genuine commitment to ending mental health stigma, and improving the mental health and wellbeing of Norfolk people.”

There’s a great deal of hope for our campaign.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

SURVIVOR HISTORY NEWSLETTER

>From Andrew Roberts Secretary Survivors History Group http://studymore.org.uk/ studymore@studymore.org.uk telephone: 020 8 986 5251 home address: 177 Glenarm Road, London, E5 ONB Survivor History Group Summer 2012 Newsletter The July London meeting of the Survivors History Group will be held on Wednesday 25.7.2012 from 1pm to 5pm at Together, 12 Old Street, London. Everybody is welcome and refreshments will be provided. The September meeting has had to be moved from a Wednesday to Thursday 27.9.2012 (subject to approval by this Wednesday's meeting) because of the availability of a room at Together.   -------------------------------------------------------------------- The agenda for the July meeting will be drawn up at the beginning of the meeting, but it will include Peter Campbell's regular report back on the research he is leading on the history of Survivors Speak Out and discussion of material received from other people about Survivors Speak Out.  Rick Hennelly has sen
Self Advocate’s Support and Action Group Wednesday 08 February 2023 Time: 12:30pm-2:30pm https://us06web.zoom.us/j/97471173675 Meeting ID: 974 7117 3675 1. Present Andrew Ray Olcay Russell Phil Sarah 2. Apologies: Jenny Firielle Chris Peter Vicky Andrew welcomed everyone to the meeting. Our last meeting was 8th February. 3. Check-in Andrew asked how everyone was feeling. Everyone shared how they were feeling and their news. 1 Firielle: told us about her acting work. She finished her tour with the play Milk and is now doing a performance with Dark Horse. They are currently touring. Russell: said he had just been to a face-to-face speaking up meeting, which was really good. He also told us that Joanne won the Derek Russell Award for Outstanding Leadership at the North West Self |Advocate’s conference. Peter: said he has been well. He told us about some of the jokes and play on words that he works on. He shared some that he had worked on earlier. Ray: said he has h

National Association of Patients' Forums

Here's the 1st Association newsletter FYI: Patient and Public Involvement Forums Newsletter of the National Association of Patients’ Forums Members’ Newsletter No 1. July 2007 1. The National Association Members of the National Association were elected by members of Forums through an Electoral Reform Society ballot. There are two members for each Region whose names are shown on the enclosed contact list. We have so far had three national meetings and have been very active since the Association was established in May 2007. Some of our activities are shown below. 2. Our Goals A copy of our initial three months programme is available on request. Our primary goals are to influence Parliament and the D of H to ensure an effective transition from Forums to LINks, and to build a national movement of Forum members which will provide continuity for effective patient and public involvement in health. 3. Parliamentary work A major area of work for the National Association has been to influen