Here at Touchstone, we love to share our experience of inclusion and diversity to make the world a better place for all. As the number 1 ranked Top 50 Most Inclusive Employer in 2016, Touchstone can show it knows a thing or two about equality but we don’t want to hug that knowledge to ourselves - our mission is to share this expertise - so that everyone can benefit and
In the run up to World Religion Day (15th January), Arfan Hanif (operations director) explains why Touchstone is introducing training on Islamophobia and Mental Health. As an organisation diversity and inclusiveness is in Touchstone's DNA - we do what we do because it needs doing and we can’t rely on or expect others to do so. With the rise in reported hate incidents in all its nasty manifestations whether it be anti-Semitism,
Self-proclaimed Christmas lover and CBT Therapist Nicole C has taken time to write a very important and moving reflection about the festive period and the potential effect on mental health. As somebody who loves Christmas and the whole festive season it is important to be reminded that not everyone feels this way. I wanted to write something about how Christmas may be a difficult time for some people and how
Wednesday 21st December marks the Winter Solstice. However, not many of us are aware of what this means and it's significance. To enlighten us Touchstone IAPT CBT therapist Paul P has written this wonderfully witty piece to bring attention to this time of reflection. Enjoy and happy solstice one and all. Winter Solstice. Aren’t they lovely words? They make me think of Bond films; of crisp snow-capped mountains, skis and
WY-FI runs regular Peer Mentor Training, to encourage people to pass on the benefit of their experience to others who may be struggling with similar circumstances. Using their own knowledge and lived experience of local services and recovery options, WY-FI Peer Mentors support and build up mentoring relationships. Because they’ve been through similar situations to the people they’re working with, they demonstrate that recovery is possible, and therefore can give
After contacting a service user whom we had not seen for a couple of weeks, we were informed that they had had no heating or hot water for three months (the weather was very cold at the time). The service user was in bed trying to stay warm and had given up. We encouraged the service user to visit the Winter Wellbeing Café; they had symptoms of hypothermia and a severe chest infection. A hot meal and clothing were given and emergency
Mrs M is 72 years old and lives in the Cleckheaton area of Kirklees. She recently lost her husband to a long term illness and was a carer for him, in addition to caring for her mother and a friend, both of whom passed away in the space of two years. Before going through bereavement and a difficult time, Mrs M had an active lifestyle; she enjoyed being an active member of the church and going to local social groups
The BME Dementia Service has had another busy and successful year which has included a number of diverse pieces of work, including: delivering one-to-one case management; facilitating the Dementia Café; awareness raising sessions; developing the work of Dementia Champions; raising awareness in Touchstone and working in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Society in Calderdale. The key highlights for the year were: Delivered 17 awareness talks to 260 people from BME communities. Supported 52 people with dementia and their carers. Promoted the service at various events/conferences,
We have been going from strength to strength: making real changes in people’s lives where they are not only getting a chance to meet new friends and reduce their feelings of being alone, but also to learn new skills for dealing with their health better and receiving a range of one-to-one treatments. Many of our referrals state they have tried all the options available and are very happy to find something that really helps with their pain, mobility and anxiety. Recent evidence suggests
It is important to really get to know your volunteers. This means taking time to understand what they find satisfying about volunteering and any concerns they may have about the role or the organisation. Volunteers do get bored; they have other things going on in their lives. Volunteers Project has managed to sustain volunteers for more than one year. We support our volunteers by seeking to understand them, which will help us to: Revise roles to ensure they are still relevant and valuable