More on complex needs at
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themselves about how social action contributes to
people’s recovery, self-worth and confidence, talking
about their routine and the benefits peer mentoring
can have – lots of living proof that change is possible
and offering hope,’ he says. ‘So the question is, how can
social action improve outcomes, prevent crisis, support
recovery and develop more responsive services for
people with complex needs?’
Next stage will be to produce a report over the
summer, bringing together case studies, examples, key
learning themes and ways forward, based on the
evidence received and the discussions that take place
at an imminent roundtable event for health and social
care leaders.
‘We’ve got lots of positive evidence that social
action improves employment skills, and we’ve also
heard a lot on reducing stigma, both in the community
and in the individual,’ says Adebowale. Many of the
suggestions involve ‘breaking down the barriers
between people with lived experience and so-called
professionals’ and improving understanding of how to
reduce stigma as a means of promoting recovery.
‘We’ve also had lots of evidence about peer
mentoring giving a sense of belonging and
responsibility,’ he adds. Build on Belief (BoB) were
among those to talk about social actions and peer-led
activity as a counter to loneliness and isolation, ‘which I
think is a real issue here for people with complex needs.’
So how will this work galvanise the political process
and have an impact? ‘That’s one of the challenges for
the roundtable and the whole point of this work,’ says
Adebowale. ‘We’re building the evidence case and there
are challenges. Social action programmes are often
dependent on a few, or just one creative person, and
that person can disappear. Services take time to set up
and become effective, and one problem at the moment
is that funding cycles are often very short for projects
to develop. And there can be issues – boundary issues
and that kind of stuff – around getting individuals to
work in an effective environment.’
But he is optimistic on ‘moving the needle on
engagement activity’: ‘We’ve received quite a lot of
evidence about what the keys to success are –
dedicated staff, a partnership approach and
personalised support for individuals. We’ve got some
key people involved, including the minister for civil
society… it’s also exciting that we’ve managed to
engage NHS England.’
Key players are expected at the roundtable,
including chief executives and directors of the NHS,
charities, funding bodies, LGA, and Collective Voice.
‘We’re looking to make this work and to lift the lid
on it – and to really shift what government does to
encourage commissioners to learn from this,’ he says.
‘It has to be quality led and outcome based – and it
has to be delivered in a way that makes sense, rather
than cutting corners.’ DDN
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What Would make
a differenCe to me?
Given I have a number of complex issues and
engage with multiple agencies, I was asked by
DDN to write a little about my current experience.
I’m a 48-year-old single white British male and not only do I have HIV,
but also ongoing mobility issues due to post-thrombotic damage in
both my legs. I have multiple mental health issues: as well receiving
help for a history of addiction I also suffer from a persecution complex,
anxiety, depression and paranoia, all of which have worsened as I try to
navigate through welfare reform.
Having been in receipt of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for
the last four years, I was invited on 2 June, albeit a year early, for
reassessment of my mental and physical health needs. However,
despite both my physical and mental health worsening, my score went
from 13 to zero in the space of 18 months.
Despite numerous times offering to provide further medical and
photographic evidence at my assessment, I was repeatedly told, ‘If you don’t stop offering me
medical evidence then we won’t have time to complete your form.’ I subsequently failed my
assessment and am currently appealing their decision, which unfortunately started the ball
rolling for the problems that were to come.
Despite being in receipt of a number of benefits, because my PIP was suspended housing
benefit also decided to stop any payments, despi te me being in receipt of ESA [Employment
Support Allowance], which subsequently meant letters from my housing association threatening
eviction because my rent wasn’t being paid. I was never informed of any decisions until after they
were made and had started affect my circumstances.
After speaking with DWP they informed me that this was purely an error on behalf of housing
benefit and in fact they have the facility to check what claims are current for each client. However
if they don’t know how to use the system, or fail to use it, the knock-on effect can be devastating.
Because I appealed against their decision, in the last six weeks not only has my benefit
entitlement been cut by around 70 per cent, but also because of employee incompetence my
housing benefit was stopped and in the last week I’ve received three letters of notice to quit by my
landlord, despite numerous calls to DWP and housing benefit to rectify this situation and their error.
Not only has it affected my physical health, but also because of what I had gone through in the
last month I couldn’t foresee doing the same for the next 18 months while I go through the
appeal and tribunal process. I wanted to end my life.
It has left me unwilling to deal with these agencies but I intend to follow my case through to
tribunal for an independent body to review my application and circumstances. I still face a long
and hard fight to receive my correct entitlement, while also having to battle through non-curable
physical health and worsening mental health.
As I look around my city and peer group it’s not something I can see improving any time soon,
because despite having the systems and ability to share information, employees are using them in
a completely different way to other services. If staff aren’t trained properly or do any cross agency
work, then unless they use the same system in the same way, it’s doomed to fail.
It’s not something that should be happening after all the work that’s been done and the
money that’s been spent over the last decade to set up these systems. There was no reason for me
to be under the threat of eviction.
Joining up access to housing and employment opportunities and specialist services for mental
health and substance misuse, and then actually using the same systems in the same way, would
make a massive difference when helping people like me to address their multiple complex needs.
Our correspondent’s name has been withheld to safeguard sensitive information
July/August 2017 | drinkanddrugsnews | 9