National probation case I was charged by the Parole Board to make enquiries of my client’s wife. My client is a Lifer – following a domestic murder of a female partner. Ijaz (Shafa staff member) had a good understanding of the family, and of my task, in relation to the information sought by the Parole Board, who will ultimately make a decision to release my client, or not. Ijaz was engaging and interested, which helped, given the sensitivity of the
CST is an assertive outreach service, working with people over 18 who have complex mental health conditions who are excluded from other services or unable to access other services. CST work with service users primarily on a one-to-one basis. CST use a strengths-based recovery approach, which is a person-centred model with a focus on finding the strengths and interests of service users and working positively towards service user-set goals. There are some groups available to CST service users, run in conjunction with different partners, e.g.
Heidi has historically struggled to engage in mainstream services and often found them unhelpful. Depression and overwhelming feelings of hopelessness have often played a large role in Heidi’s life. Heidi had a difficult past, growing up in Local Authority care, and struggling with illicit drug use. She made a decision that she wanted things to change. She stopped using drugs without the help of any services, and no longer uses drugs as a means to manage her mental health. Heidi has a
Previously divorced with children Ms. B had managed to maintain a good standard of living in that she had made a beautiful home. She felt lonely and thought she would never find a partner who would be with a divorcee with children. So when she met her second husband it made her feel that she had found the right man. Soon after marrying, her new partner began placing demands on her such as expecting her to pay off debts. His behaviour
The Peer Led Brokerage Service offers free, independent advice and practical help with putting together Self Directed Support (SDS) packages for individuals, which are funded by their direct payment personal budget from Kirklees Council. PBS is designed and delivered by people with experience of mental health difficulties and mental health services. We help people to choose the kind of support they want and to work out what’s best for them and their recovery. During the past 12 months we have worked with a total
A woman in her 70s approached the dementia worker following a talk at a local women’s group, sharing her concerns of having similar symptoms for the last few months. She was advised to contact her GP and advised to ask for a memory test if she felt that her memory loss was not a part of her normal ageing process. As well as contact details for the BME Dementia Service, she was also given a fact sheet on ‘How the GP
I was a university student, studying accountancy but dropped out due to poor health and then worked as a security guard before joining Touchstone. I was once a service user with Touchstone and was introduced to the Touchstone volunteering course by my housing officer. I have been volunteering for two years now. I don’t visit service users but I see them in the drop-in at the Support Centre on a weekly basis. I support with emotional and practical issues. At the drop-in
I am a carer for my daughter. After hearing about Carers Leeds I went to their office for support. Shuria arranged to come and visit me at my home to discuss my support. I was happy to see her as before this I had no proper support. My worker introduced me to a volunteer at Touchstone who provided language support for us to communicate better; this was very helpful. Shuria supported me to appeal a Disability Living Allowance decision and prepare for
During 2015–2016 we have continued to deliver free psychological therapy to address anxiety and depression from a wide range of community venues across Leeds. We currently see people from community venues in Harehills, Chapeltown, Armley, Hyde Park, Woodhouse, City Centre, and Beeston. Touchstone IAPT have offered appointments to 4,052 clients over the year and a total of 2,807 clients have been seen by a Touchstone clinician. We have completed 12,261 appointments over the year across a range of different CBT based interventions, including group based Stress
By Debbie R - CBT therapist It’s International Volunteer Day on 5 December. International Volunteer Day was designated by the United Nations in 1985 as an international observance day to celebrate the power and potential of volunteering. The act of volunteering is found in all cultures, languages, and religions. Each year, hundreds of millions of people volunteer their time and skills to help make the world a better place.