Herts Mind Network Carol Harris Clinical Director Partnership working

Herts Mind Network Herts Mind Network is a mental health organisation providing a diverse range of recovery orientated services from its 7 Wellbeing Centres and accompanying Outreach Centres located across West and East Hertfordshire

7 Wellbeing Centres Bishops Stortford Ware Waltham Cross Borehamwood South Oxhey Watford Hemel Hempstead

Herts Mind Network believes that effective partnership working is essential to meet the complexity of challenges faced by people experiencing mental health conditions. Only by working together can holistic support be realised for individuals and families requiring truly empowering and effective interventions. Herts Mind Network works with a number of partners including Ascend, Turning Point, DrugLink, Guidepost Trust, Mind in mid Herts, Luton and Beds Mind, the NHS, local authorities, housing associations, education providers and JobCentre Plus.

Social enterprise Delivering self-sustaining services through trading Providing work experience and paid jobs - Horticultural Training Centre (Green Canteen) -Grounds maintenance services -Workshop in Mind - Counselling

Vocational Advice Evidence shows that employment can be good for health and recovery. Employment can provide structure, motivation and meaning in life, help to build self-esteem and social networks as well as improve income levels. Herts Mind Network offers successful Vocational Advice Services from all 7 of Herts Mind Network’s Wellbeing Centres. Herts Mind Network’s Vocational Advice Service is supported by a variety of funding Partnerships; Watford – Innovation Fund Dacorum – Passport To Go Borehamwood – Local Strategic Partnership Ware – Joint Commissioning Team

Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust seconded a Business Development Manager into Herts Mind Network to explore how Social Enterprise opportunities could be developed to take advantage of specific available funding. Herts Mind Network delivers several innovative services operating along social enterprise principles where trading sustains the service. These services, where possible, aim to provide employment, training and volunteering opportunities for individuals with lived experience of mental health conditions.

WorkShop in Mind is a social enterprise project in partnership with Luton & Bedfordshire Mind, funded by the Department of Health. WorkShop in Mind recruits, trains and develops people with a mental health condition to become self-employed Support Assistants. Services are marketed, e.g. 1-1 community support, to members of the public who purchase these services. Mentors assist each Support Assistant to ensure that work is rewarding and is an integral part of recovery. Services are often provided to other users of mental health services including those who have a personal budget. This can be used to purchase practical help or emotional support.

Let’s Talk Grounds Maintenance is a social enterprise which has received start-up funding from the Social Enterprise Initiative Fund to purchase grounds maintenance machinery, vehicles and training. Let’s Talk Grounds Maintenance provides professional services to public, private, voluntary, community and social enterprise sector organisations wishing to commission high quality grounds maintenance services. Working within strict health and safety guidelines, individuals with lived experience of mental health conditions are contracted as Grounds Maintenance Operators to provide a reliable year round service.

The Green Canteen is a Horticultural Training Centre and Retail Trading Shed. It is a new social enterprise, a partnership between Herts Mind Network and the Watford Community Housing Trust. The Green Canteen Trading Shed will be a way for the community to donate and recycle unwanted gardening tools. The plan is then to renovate and sell these goods plus what we grow to the local community, making it easier for neighbours to stock a vegetable box or buy something for their garden.

Hertfordshire Adult & Family Learning Service in partnership with Herts Mind Network has developed a 5 week training course for people with a mental health condition who are now ready to face the challenge of working in the WorkShop and Grounds Maintenance projects. Topics covered include working relationships, boundaries, managing anxiety, health & safety, record keeping as well as the importance of time-keeping, personal development and performance.

Using RITE courses, additional training has been given to those working with WorkShop and Let’s Talk Grounds Maintenance including “Mental health Awareness” and “Practical Skills for Working with Anxious People” These training courses not only help workers provide services to people currently experiencing mental health issues, but also gives them an insight into their own needs and those of their colleagues.

Herts Mind Network Partnership working Ascend DrugLink Guidepost Trust Mind in mid Herts, Luton and Beds Mind NHS Innovation Fund Passport To Go Local Strategic Partnership Joint Commissioning Team

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