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In praise of day centres
Posted Tuesday 29 June 2010
A guest post by Marion Janner, founder of the Star Wards project
Despite enormous progressive changes over the last decade, there continues to be ill-informed prejudice and perplexing stigma, inferring or conferring inferiority on those associated with it. My immunity to this stigma for the seven long years that I’ve been severely mentally ill has recently collapsed and I am using this opportunity to bravely come out in public. [Clears throat, extends herself to the full available 4’9” and announces:]
I go to a day centre. A day centre for mentally ill people. A morning a week, sanity permitting.
When I’ve told friends about this, all but one have laughed merrily and started to make requests for baskets for their picnics, pets or poker sets. I asked the dissident why she didn’t regard me going to a day centre as being a bad move, and she replied: “Why wouldn’t I be enthusiastic about you volunteering at a day centre?” When I cleared up the misunderstanding, she laughed merrily but stopped short at placing a basket order.
I have to confess that I was also a bit iffy about day centres before I started going to one. I knew that the relatively few that have survived changes in fashion and funding don’t actually have hundreds of people sitting at assembly benches, in gloomy light, bunging widgets into tiny plastic bags. But I did have lurking doubts about whether there was something – er, inadequate about these services and even perhaps the people that use them. There had to be, really. Progressive services don’t ‘congregate’ people who happen to share a label. My approach was Marxist: I didn’t want to belong to a club that accepts people like me as members, just like Groucho didn’t.
And then I went to a meeting with some of the big-wigs at Jewish Care to discuss Star Wards. It ended rather inconclusively in relation to work, but with me deeply enthusiastic about starting to go to one of their ‘well-being centres’. And two months later, I’m benefiting way beyond what I’d hoped for by going to Kadimah, their Hackney centre. Kadimah is Hebrew for ‘forwards’, usually slightly shouted in a “Let’s go”, or “Onwards” sort of way. It’s also the name of the centrist, liberal party in Israel. I like it that my centre is similarly inclusive and accessible to such a diversity of people, located in one of the heartlands of the ultra-orthodox community, Stamford Hill, but happily embracing everyone from the traditionally garbed to those adorned with tattoos, self-harming scars, bling…. Black, white, old, young, train-spotters and trainee potters.
The staff are wonderful - expert, warm, funny, human/normal/friendly. And completely accessible. Unlike so many services where we have to gear ourselves up to knock on the office door expecting to be told to come back in x minutes, the Kadimah staff are constantly around in the lounge, schmoozing with us.
There are rules, but mainly along the lines of we must feel able to come as frequently or occasionally as we want, take part only in the activities that we’d like to do that day etc. (Of course, eating lots, telling jokes and overstating the achievements of the kids in our life are core expectations.)
The groups are very enjoyable, from a mellowly therapy-lite women's group to the Jewishish film group where everyone's talking at the same time and there's no shortage of opinions. And brace yourselves for this one! We’re welcome to take part in the activities of the day centre for elderly people in which Kadimah is based. Not only do I not find it peculiar or let alone stigmatising being based, lunching and hanging out with ancient Jews, but it feels inclusive and heimisch (homely). And the elders have great guest speakers, music sessions and nice sweets in the bags dangling from their wheelchairs.
Kadimah’s magazine, Shemesh (sun) is remarkable. Edited by the award-winning, geniusly witty and creative member, David Filabon, its 32+ pages are full of articles I feel motivated rather than obliged to read, are a visual pleasure and another regular boost to my patchy morale. Star Wards is hoping to have the honour of publishing Shemesh on our website. (A few more high-calorie enticements for David and team and I hope to have clinched the deal.)
I’m lucky to be well-endowed with social and psychiatric support, but Kadimah combines the best of all these and is now an essential part of my life. Friends have stopped the basket jokes and several are openly envious of my being able to go whenever I want to what feels more club than centre, where I can relax with interesting, friendly, supportive people, enjoy the activities and recharge. With a continuous supply of food and jokes.
Marion Janner
Marion was awarded an OBE for services to mental health care in the New Year Honours list 2010.
6 Comments
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I THINK DAY CENTRE ARE VERY INPORTANT
ITS A LIFE LIFE LINE AND THEY SHOULD BE
MAINTAINED AS PART OF SOCIAL CARE
AND NO BODY DOSE IT BETTER THAN MIND -
I fully agree. However, they are not all run with respect. Blackpool branch when it was fully open, was so riddled with corrupt staff, two people killed themselves in 3 years. The staff wouldn't even go to the funerals. The head office trusted their lies and the staff are still in employment to continue their abuse regime with other agencies.
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day centres are helpful they make you relise you not alone and i have had excelent help sorting benifits out from oxford mind without this help i wouldnt been able to manage i have attended henley mind in past and there was one very good worker there called fiona
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Local mental health day centres have been 'transformed', changing their activities programmes and uses, opening themselves up to new members. Groups are in various ‘normal’ places in the community and this is seen by commissioners as demonstrating steps forward, social inclusion with better outcomes. Local charities struggle financially and perhaps have to look to the priorities of those who fund rather than what service users may ask for every time. Going to the library, cinema, bowling or walking groups has to be positive where the individual chooses, feels mentally up to it, finds support, but also needs the option on other days of playing snooker or ‘just’ sitting with others who understand their distress.
Somehow the use of day centres and chosen support now gets linked with a perceived/apparent sense of 'dependency' in mental health, something to be avoided at all costs. Independence (preferably with an early return to employment) is seen as a better result with less time spent receiving any kind of support unless brief treatments such as CBT. Personalisation also means that the voluntary sector will have to make sure that enough of their users receive personal budgets if this becomes a main source of funding from the councils or primary care trusts which used to provide a grant to help keep a service going without so many expectations.
I use a mental health drop in which has a mix of social days and activities days. I find things I like within that such as yoga and I can call in and find some good company too. I went on a trip to the beach a few days ago it was a different kind of Saturday, usually weekends are the hardest time.
I have also used a cancer drop in centre following the death of my father 12 months ago. I always have experienced a warm, uplifting place despite members being affected by cancer at different stages (including the volunteers, but also those receiving treatments for cancer, their carers and the bereaved). There is no time limit for contact (the lovely manager told me I could go there forever if I wanted to), complementary therapies are offered when you walk in along with hot drinks and cake, you can ask to talk to someone in private. A lot of the social chat tends not to be about cancer but living, families, local events. You can also use a counsellor or nutritionist, go for tai chi and yoga. Within this cancer drop in there is no pressure to go out and hold groups elsewhere to be more socially inclusive, nor an expectation of full recovery within a certain time, self referral is most common and there are no criteria as to what level of care you get outside there. I have felt great acceptance there especially when I most needed it. I made friends and got hugs back. I have seen this as a gift my dad had given me in dying from his horrible disease, otherwise I would never have known this special centre.
I feel that drop ins of whatever type should be supported and valued rather than dismissed as making members 'institutionalised' or stuck. Members should also define what they want to happen there, drawing on the support of project workers who have a good sense of how life changing mental distress can be at the worst times. The cancer drop in was in a good position in receiving charitable donations rather than seeking grants with the strings funders attach to even relatively small amounts of money. The typical community generosity towards mental health may be far less than for cancer. However it still serves as a great model - this drop in showed that there can be kindness, compassion even love for its members – and that can be a big help when facing serious health crisis in its full sense of body and mind. -
@Cheshire Waters
Thank you for your comments. We are sorry that your experience has left you with these concerns.
As the comments you raised were of a very sensitive nature we have taken the opportunity to review our records. We are confident that any complaint raised against Blackpool Mind has been thoroughly investigated and resolved and we have no open or outstanding complaints.
If you have a concern about a local Mind then you would need to address your concerns directly to the local Mind in question as they are all independent charities with their own board of trustees to oversee them.
If you have concerns about Mind NAMH, you can find our complaints policy and procedure here http://www.mind.org.uk/about/feedback_complaints
Taking the opportunity to complain directly allows you to communicate with those best placed to assist you. Using this comments section to share your feedback and comments does not give you the opportunity to engage with us in a way that allows us to provide you with relevant support or address your concerns.
If you feel it would be useful to talk to someone about any concerns that you may have. You may find it helpful to contact the Mindinfoline on 0845 766 0163 as they will be able to help you to find appropriate local support and advocacy should you feel that is appropriate to your situation.
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Cheshire Waters am struggling to understand your opinion, its important to yourself though to the many friends whose attention you have gained who also used and continue to use blackpool mind, we are bemused to say the least and in no way agree
blackpool mind created a vast family in the 20 odd years its been running and continues to run, keeping in touch with all its members, celebrating ALL births, deaths and marriages.
No indiviuals death ever went without representation from mind, that was far too important to staff, their words!!!!!!
to suggest members deaths was linked to mind is an unbelievable statement. we are a family, all pulling together no room for corruption, support being soo importanti've lost a friend and fellow member who went off the radar from time to time. Her death was in no way linked to Blackpool MIND and we, her friends want to make clear she in no way was either ''ghost'' member you refer too, still much loved and missed by all
We all have varying degrees of mental health and get somewhat confused with reality but come on, get a grip.
the corrupt staff you refer to worked above and beyond their call of duties and tirelessly, sometimes out of work hours, and attempted to raise much needed extra moneys to support the centre and all it stood for. the jumbles and auction alone required ALL staff attention without exception.
none of us can recall any 1 single day that the centre wasnt open, other than the days it was meant to be and apart from the craftroom, for health and safety reasons, we had access to ALL areas.
respect we all earned and inevitably within any family sometimes differing oppinions might kick up some''dust'', but we got over it and moved foreward together, thats life, we wont always see things the same.
finding the words to say thankyou to blackpool mind isnt easy and on a more personal note please please please keep up the good work. all diamonds in my opinion and much under valued
to Cheshire Waters Blackpool Mind is still open every Wednesday and us members are here to support you in your mental health, but deffinately not that opinion
the high standards Blackpool M.I.N.D set are something to be proud of and a good starting point for any member suffering with mental health old and new
hope my words reflect only a small and truer part of what Blackpool M.I.N.D is about, it is so much more to us members
thankyou thankyou thankyou
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