For Carers Week (8 – 14 June), Essex Partnership University Foundation Trust is highlighting some of the support available for people who have a loved one living with personality disorder and complex needs.
An unpaid carer is someone who provides unpaid care and support to a family member or friend who has a disability, illness, mental health condition, addiction, or who needs extra help as they grow older.
Unpaid carers don’t always think of themselves as having caring responsibilities, but are entitled to legal rights, benefits and support. For more information visit the Carers Week website.
The Trust’s Personality Disorder and Complex Needs Service offers a peer support group and education programme for carers and relatives. These are part of the Trust’s commitment to providing personalised, inclusive care that improves mental health for everyone, including families and carers of people who use the Trust’s services.
The I Care peer support group enables them to meet other people in a similar situation and share their experiences and helpful advice and resources. The group meets monthly online and is open to adultsaged 18 and over who live in Essex. Email [email protected] to find out more.
The Skills for Carers programme is a seven-week course that covers topics such as what personality disorder is, carers’ rights, emotions and validation, the family environment and problem solving.
Carers can learn skills to improve communication with their loved ones and what to do if they experience a mental health crisis. They are also supported to look after their own health and wellbeing.
People who have completed Skills for Carers have said they valued being able to meet people who understood their situation and to share their experiences and advice.
The programme is held in different locations around Essex. It’s currently being held at The Haven Project in Colchester from 10 June until 22 July every Wednesday between 12pm-2pm.
Anyone interested in joining this course is asked to complete a short form or email [email protected]
Carers who cannot attend the Colchester programme can complete an expression of interest form to be informed of future course dates or email [email protected]
Family Connections is a longer 12-week course which goes into more detail to help carers build these skills to improve communication, relationships, and collaborative problem-solving.
It is based on dialectical behavioural therapy, a type of behavioural-focused therapy that their loved ones may also receive as part of their treatment.
Here are some examples of feedback from people who completed the programme:
- “I would like to thank everyone for all their support over the last 12 weeks. This course has been really beneficial in understanding emotionally unstable personality disorder.
“I have learnt many skills to help me move forward. I feel anyone can benefit from this course as these skills are needed in everyday life. I feel really lucky to have been given the opportunity to join this course.”
- “My understanding has grown, which has encouraged me to try different approaches to getting a better outcome. My confidence will continue to grow as I practice some of the techniques and skills.”
To find out more information about Family Connections, email [email protected]
About EPUT:
- EPUT has a vision to be the leading health and wellbeing service in the provision of mental health and community care: Who we are – Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
- EPUT provides services to more than 100,000 patients at any one time and our staff are focused on providing high quality care in often complex situations.
- The organisation has invested in inpatient facilities and community services to make them safer and more therapeutic. We have extensively invested in technology to keep patients safer, enhanced training, and are continuously working with our staff, patients, their families and carers to use learning and best practice to enhance our quality of care.
- While there is more to do, the Trust has made significant progress through innovation:
- Our 111 mental health crisis phone line ensures people in need can access support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
- People with lived experience have been employed in designated roles across the Trust, ensuring patient voice is heart of the organisation and all that we do.
- A number of new initiatives have been launched, helping people access the support they need when they need it most. These include a mental health urgent care department, By Your Side maternal mental health service, Rough Sleeper team, mental health crisis ambulance cars, virtual wards and neuromodulation service.
- EPUT was formed on 1 April 2017 and provides community health, mental health and learning disability services across Essex, Luton and Bedfordshire and Suffolk. We employ more than 7,200 staff working across more than 200 sites.
- To read more about our priorities and commitments to deliver the highest quality and safest care possible, visit https://eput.nhs.uk/about-us/2023-2028-strategic-plan/