Citation
Jenkins, D.K.G. (2013), "Forum", Social Care and Neurodisability, Vol. 4 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/scn.2013.56104baa.002
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2013, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Forum
Forum
Article Type: Forum From: Social Care and Neurodisability, Volume 4, Issue 2.
Welcome to the Forum section of Social Care and Neurodisability, your opportunity to post responses to papers from previous issues and to raise awareness of forthcoming events, consultations, policy initiatives, etc. This edition of Forum has been compiled by Dr Keith Jenkins, who looks forward to your responses by e-mail or post.
Dr Keith G. Jenkins, CPsychol, CSci, AFBPsS, National Brain Injury Centre, St Andrew's Healthcare, Northampton, NN1 5DG. Tel: +44 (0)1604 616767, E-mail: KJenkins@standrew.co.uk
Involving people with neurodisability in their care
Working in a large hospital that offers secure psychiatric care, as well as a range of services for people with acquired brain injury and progressive neurological conditions, often provides opportunities to draw upon service developments in other specialties. Over the past 12 months, I have been working with colleagues to adapt principles from Recovery Oriented Practice and My Shared Pathway (MSP) to be of value for people with the cognitive, behavioural and emotional challenges of neurodisability. Originating within mental health practice, these two approaches emphasise the involvement of service users in developing their own goals and outcomes for treatment, and being involved in all aspects of their care, operationalising the aspirational mantra, “no decision about me without me”.
Of course, an approach to neurodisability that revolves around the word “recovery” immediately challenges staff and service users who know that there is no recovery in the sense of “cure” possible from their acquired brain injury or progressive neurological condition. But similarly, there is no “cure” for enduring mental health problems, and the focus of recovery-oriented practice is meaningful service user involvement and maximising quality of life. We have, however, “re-branded” the approach to avoid immediate negative reactions, and instead we are promoting “My Life” as the umbrella term for the neurodisability way of delivering recovery and MSP. Much work has been done already to adapt and delimit how we can maximise an individual's involvement in directing their care and use the new tools. Whilst also recognising that for some people there may be issues of mental capacity or function that will require us to call upon what the individual said before their incapacity, or to use the knowledge of relatives, friends, advocates and staff to deliver the most appropriate care that we can.
If you too are involved in similar innovation around service delivery do get in touch, and watch out for more detailed updates later this year.
Where to find out more online:
Ten top tips for recovery-oriented practice,
www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/pdfs/recovery_toptips.pdf
Recovery principles,
www.hertspartsft.nhs.uk/our-services/recovery/recovery-principles/
Background to MSP,
www.networks.nhs.uk/nhs-networks/my-shared-pathway/background-to-the-project
Background briefing, no decision about me without me,
Neurological services commissioning
As I write this article, April and the “new” NHS way of delivering services is almost upon us, and it may have arrived by the time you are reading this. The need remains to seek involvement in the work of the National Commissioning Board, its regional offshoots and local Clinical Commissioning Groups in order to ensure that people with neurodisability are not overlooked. The danger of significant postcode lotteries re-emerging should not be ignored too, try this link to a comprehensive report commissioned by Irwin Mitchell Solicitors that details the fragile situation as regards acquired brain injuries: (www.ukabif.org.uk/uploads/Rehabilitation_Research_Report_FINAL.pdf).
Forthcoming events/announcements
7-8 June 2013, Royal Hospital for Neurodisability, London. Music Therapy Advances in Neurodisability: Innovations in Research & Practice (www.rhn.org.uk/events/conferences-and-seminars/music-therapy-advances-in-neuro-disability.htm).
21 June 2013, London. Epilepsy in Children 2013, 10th national neuroscience conference.
21 June 2013, Ely. Working with Families, Oliver Zangwill Centre (Rachel.everett@ozc.nhs.uk).
5 July 2013, Newmarket Racecourse. Oliver Zangwill Centre, Identity after Brain Injury: Survivors Stories’ Conference (www.ozc.nhs.uk/).
6-9 September 2013, Munich. European Brain and Behaviour Society.
25-26 September, London. BIRT Conference, New Horizons in Brain Injury Rehabilitation: Research and Practice (www.thedtgroup.org/brain-injury/the-birt-conference-2013.aspx).
1-4 October 2013, Montreal. 3rd World Parkinson Congress (www.worldpdcongress.org).
10-12 October 2013, Malta. 23rd Alzheimer Europe Conference (www.alzheimer-europe.org/EN/Conferences).
October 2013, Nottingham. National Brain Injury Centre Annual Conference (www.stah.org/).
21 November 2013, London. UKABIF Annual Conference (www.ukabif.org.uk/).
5-9 July 2014, Milan, Italy. 9th Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) Forum of Neuroscience (http://fens2014.neurosciences.asso.fr/).
For even more event details, see this World Federation for NeuroRehabilitation site: http://wfnr.co.uk/en/events/
Brain Injury Social Work Group (BISWG) Bursaries
Each financial year BISWG Ltd will be offering two exceptional bursaries of £1,000 for international conferences and 16 bursaries of £500 to attend training and conferences in the UK (www.biswg.co.uk/html/bursaries.html).
And finally
If you would like your event(s) featured, send an e-mail with details at least three months before the event to allow for publication lead times.
If you have any questions or opinions that you would like to share with the wider neurodisability community, why not send them in to Forum. I look forward to hearing from you.
Dr Keith G. Jenkins