Annual Review 10/11

changing mindschanging lives

- Transferring the work of the Scottish Development Centre for Mental Health into our Scottish programme and acquiring an office in Edinburgh in the process - we are now the leading and perhaps only agency of our kind in Scotland

- Graduates of our Get a Life project came out with jobs and have their own circles of support

- Running a summer intern programme for young people with Asperger’s to get them started in the work force

As you can see we have been enormously busy delivering on our mission and also preparing for what is ahead. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our partners and funders without whom this unique programme of work could not be delivered.

Thank you for your continued support.

Prof Dinesh Bhugra, Chair

Dr Andrew McCulloch, Chief Executive

Welcome from the Chair and Chief Executive

However, a storm came on the horizon in terms of the public sector recession and we had to work hard to prepare for this. We saw a major downturn in local authority income in the last quarter, but we counter-balanced this with increased work in grant income and legacies. Policy staff were exceptionally busy during this period as we saw major policy development under the new Government and we also worked hard to influence Scottish Government and the Welsh Assembly. We had a strong impact on the new mental health policy for England, which was published in February, both directly through our public mental health work, and also indirectly through our support to the Future Visions and Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalitions. We continue to see partnership working as a key part of what we do.

Some highlights of the year included:

- The continuation of our Mindfulness campaign with the delivery of our online training package which is showing significant stress reduction for users

- The launch of our major public health campaign on sleep

- Taking on board the Shift Speaker’s Bureau, which no longer receives Government funding, in order to boost our efforts to tackle stigma

- Working up a new version of our level 3 certificate in community mental health - the leading qualification for non-professional mental health workers in the UK

- Seeing the 300th participant experience our Self-Management training in Wales for people with severe and enduring mental ill-health

- Launching the MyCare project which researched the needs of young carers caring for someone with a mental illness

- Continuing our mental capacity work, with the launch of an online tool to support health and social care staff improve the way they determine the best interests of people who lack capacity to make a decision

2010/11 was a productive but challenging year for the Foundation. We were fortunate to achieve record levels of income and productivity in many fields, enabling us to deliver key projects, exert influence across the UK, and invest in our infrastructure and brand.

Contents

4 About us 5 Research - at the heart of what we do 7 Ensuring children and young people

have a say10 Promoting better mental health and

wellbeing in later life 11 Campaigning for public mental health

and wellbeing13 Influencing policy at the highest level14 Working in partnership to make a bigger

difference16 A stronger voice for mental health in

Scotland20 Helping people with learning disabilities

live their lives to the full23 Improving mental health and wellbeing

in Wales25 How our work is made possible27 Financial performance28 Looking ahead to 2011/12

of us will be affected by mental health issues each year.

About us

We are unique in the way we work, bringing together research, information and advice, service development and policy in one organisation. We use research and evidence- based best practice to identify the key issues affecting the nation’s mental health and wellbeing and use this knowledge to:

- improve policy and practice in mental health- campaign to raise awareness and remove stigma- provide high quality advice and information to help people better manage their mental health and wellbeing- provide practical solutions to improve the quality of and access to mental health services

Challenging inequality and putting individuals with lived experience at the heart of all our work, our focus is on everyone’s mental health, both now and in the future. We work across all age ranges - children and young people, older people, as well as adults - whatever their condition or circumstance.

The Mental Health Foundation incorporates the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities, whose work influences Government and local authority policy and services so they better meet the needs of people with learning disabilities, their families and carers. We also raise awareness of learning disabilities amongst the wider public in order to break down stigma and discrimination.

Our knowledge, informed by rigorous research and practice based study, has been pioneering change for over 60 years and we are not afraid to challenge the status quo or tackle difficult or under-researched issues. We deliver change and help empower people to make real changes in their lives.

The Mental Health Foundation is the UK’s leading mental health research, policy and service improvement charity. We are committed to reducing the suffering caused by mental ill-health and to help us all lead mentally healthier lives by helping people to survive, recover from and prevent mental health problems.

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Our key impacts in 2010/11:

- Over 1000 individuals trained in mental health awareness or self- management

- Over 145 million media circulation for our national public health campaign on sleep

- Over 200 events at the Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival, the biggest in Europe

- Over 100,000 copies of our advice and information resources were accessed

- Over 300 organisations across the UK got involved in Mental Health Awareness Week

- Over 1 million people visited our websites

Research - at the heart of what we do

The Mental Health Foundation is unique in the world of mental health charities, an independent research hub that for over 60 years has been at the forefront of mental health research and evaluation in the UK. Our research has transformed how we see mental health and has helped change how we care for the millions of people whose lives are affected by mental ill-health every year.

Our research doesn’t sit on dusty bookshelves. It’s out there supporting practical solutions and changing minds.Whether working in partnership with leading academic bodies, or conducting our own independent research and evaluation, we ensure a strong evidence base underpins everything we say and do.

We are not afraid to challenge accepted wisdom or tackle difficult or neglected issues and this year has been no different. Our research, development and evaluation projects have covered a diverse range subjects including:

- The needs of young people who care for a parent with severe mental illness

- How adult learning courses help reduce the symptoms of mild depression and anxiety

- Women of black and minority ethnic background and their recovery from mental distress

- The changing symptoms of people with Seasonal Affective Disorder according to weather

- Helping ex-servicemen improve their mental and physical health through horticultural therapy

- Evaluating the impact of football as a means to improve the mental health of young ex-service men and women

- Supporting people who experience long- term mental health conditions living in a low income area or in asylum

- Promoting positive mental health for challenging and deprived young people through innovative youth-led projects

Research in action - there are many more examples throughout this review of how our research is changing minds and lives.

Our research aims to change our understanding of mental health problems and improve the short and long term future of the nation’s mental wellbeing. We work across the full interconnected spectrum of severe mental illness, public mental health, happiness and wellbeing.

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“The Mental Health Foundation - they’re a more objective voice. They show more respect for the evidence than others in the mental health and third sector field. They put a greater emphasis on doing proper research, getting real data and information. Not marshalling evidence to support a particular view and discredit care, treatment and policy.”Professor Louis Appleby, previous National Clinical Director for Mental Health

of lifetime mental illness arises by the age of 14.

Ensuring children and young people have a say

Our work in children and young people’s mental health looks at how this group can be better supported from a young age and have a say in the services that affect them.

Giving children and young people a voiceThe last few decades have seen an alarming rise in depression and anxiety amongst teenagers. Mental health services, designed to help those in crisis, are overwhelmed because not enough preventative work is being done to support the mental health of young people.

This is why Right Here, a five-year partnership between the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and the Mental Health Foundation, is aiming radically to change how we look after the mental health and wellbeing of young people. Right Here involves young people aged 16-25 in commissioning, designing and delivering preventative and early intervention services for their peers in four parts of the UK: Brighton and Hove, Newham, Sheffield and Fermanagh in Northern Ireland.

We are now two years into the initiative and the benefits are beginning to show. The evaluation of Right Here, undertaken by the Tavistock Institute of Human Relations, shows that young people’s views are seen as equal to those of the workers and that the projects have been successful in improving confidence and the ability to cope in the young people who have come into contact with them.

Over the next three years, Right Here will continue developing and testing different approaches. Among them will be a national research project looking at how digital technology could be used to support and improve young people’s mental health.

Invest today for a better tomorrowFunded by Zurich Community Trust, the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition (CYPMHC), hosted by the Mental Health Foundation, saw 14 leading charities come together as the first unified voice speaking on behalf of children and young people’s mental health. Seeking to change policy at the highest level, the CYPMHC was launched in the House of Lords in March 2010.

The CYPMHC developed a business case ‘Improving Children and Young People’s Mental Health’, along with three key policy asks intended to cover current shortfalls in provision: re-establishing health visitors; asking that no decisions about young people are made without their active involvement; and that an element of the pupil premium be allocated to early intervention initiatives.

The business case was launched at a reception hosted by Charles Walker MP at the House of Commons in November 2010. The launch brought together MPs, peers and civil servants, giving them an opportunity to meet members of the Coalition and find out more about its objectives and policies.

“It’s just me but I am a voice, and if all voices unite we can achieve something big. We can make a difference.” Kate, member of the Right Here National Youth Panel

At any one time, 1 in 10 children and young people have a diagnosable mental health problem, and it is well established that most adolescent and adult mental illness can be traced back to childhood.

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“I only realised my mum wasn’t the same as other mums when I was six and we had to do this thing at school and say why you love your mum... Others said stuff like, ‘I love my mum because she tucks me up in bed,’ and I was like... ‘I love my mum because she says thanks when I cook her dinner,’ and everyone just looked at me...” Young carer

Looking out for young carers There are an estimated 50,000 – 200,000 young people in the UK caring for a parent with mental health problems. Many of these young people will be providing care beyond a level that is appropriate for their age, putting their own physical and mental health at risk.

Our MyCare Report, in collaboration with the Princess Royal Trust for Carers, explored the needs of young carers, the factors that offer young people a chance to build resilience against mental ill-health and how staff and services can best support them.

The report made recommendations for schools, mental health services and young carer services and showed a significant un-met need for specialist peer support for these young people to minimise their risk of developing mental health problems and help them achieve their potential.

“Britain’s young carers have spent their lives loving, supporting and caring for a member of their family. It is now time that we begin to champion them, and to ensure that each and every young carer has a strong voice and clear access to as much support as possible.” Julian Sturdy MP

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of people living in care homes across the UK have a form of dementia.

Promoting better mental health and wellbeing in later life

Compelled to address these issues, the Mental Health Foundation continues to develop a substantial programme of work across the spectrum of mental health, wellbeing and dementia in later life. Our research and evaluation work aims to improve the quality of life for people with mental ill-health in later life as well as their families and carers and to improve the quality of and access to support.

Improving quality of life and care64% of people living in care homes across the UK have a form of dementia, but many care homes provide little appropriate support for them.

It is estimated that over 100,000 people a year are inappropriately prescribed anti-psychotic medication to control their behaviour and three-quarters of care home residents say they do not have enough daytime activity.

Our grant-making programme Home Improvements proved that significant improvements can be achieved in the quality of life and care for residents with dementia, and all at a relatively low cost.

Four diverse projects were launched in 2009 and each ran for two years, including Norfolk County Council who used the grant to help families and friends of residents to become more involved with the care home and Age Concern Oxfordshire who provided information and training on the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents.

The projects attracted national interest and good practice examples collected throughout each of the projects will be shared with the ultimate aim of adopting them across the UK.

Improving awareness and access to self-directed support Self-directed support is a way for people to stay in control of their lives and enables people to have more freedom and choice about the social care they receive. It is important that all practitioners understand self-directed support and can confidently discuss it with people living with dementia and their family carers.

Our Dementia Choices project explored what people living with dementia want from self-directed support and what information they may need. We consistently found a low level of awareness and understanding of how self-directed support can benefit people with dementia, and that social care workers at a local level needed practical information.

As a result, a suite of materials was produced that address these issues, including a question and answer booklet for practitioners with common questions and appropriate answers, and a series of short films that look into the lives of people living with dementia and their family carers.

“Thanks to Dementia Choices, we were able to choose when and where we received help and we were able to use the grants given to us as we saw fit.”Mary, supporter

Helping practitioners better understand mental capacity Having successfully campaigned for new mental capacity legislation for England and Wales in 2008, we continue to support practitioners working with the Act. We are unique in that our work extends beyond people with dementia to also cover people with severe mental health problems and learning disabilities. Evidence from our work shows there is still a level of misunderstanding about how mental capacity law should be applied.

To address this, the Mental Health Foundation undertook a project aimed at helping health and social care staff evaluate and develop their practice. In addition, we joined Bristol and Bradford Universities to investigate another important area of mental capacity: ‘best interests’ decision-making for people who lack the ability to make decisions for themselves. Both projects resulted in the development of easily accessible online tools which enable practitioners to assess and improve their practice when working with people who lack mental capacity or the ability to make decisions.

Our ageing population is one of the most significant issues we face today, with the number of older people with mental health problems and dementia increasing as the population rises and a wide spectrum of people in later life who may not have a diagnosed mental health problem, but do not enjoy optimal mental health and wellbeing.

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Campaigning for public mental health and wellbeing

Our research and policy work informs our communication activity and campaigns which aim to educate and improve the general mental health of the nation. Through our websites, the media, supporter networks and social media, we aim to disseminate our information and resources as widely as possible. In 2010/11 we once again saw over 1 million people visit our websites and over 100,000 copies of our advice and information resources were accessed by the public and professionals to help improve mental health and wellbeing in the UK.

This year, we’ve undertaken two significant campaigns that address stress and anxiety, and the relationship between sleep and mental health.

How did you sleep last night?Whilst great emphasis is rightly placed on the importance of diet and exercise, sleep has for too long been neglected as a major influence on the physical and mental health of the nation. It is crucial that we now treat the issue of sleep problems as the major public health concern it is.

In January we launched our Sleep Matters report, the centrepiece of our year-long campaign and the theme for Mental Health Awareness Week. Produced in conjunction with Professor Colin Espie and the Glasgow University Sleep Centre, it included a range of resources to help people improve their sleep quality.

The report included data from almost 7000 people who took part in the Great BritishSleep Survey - a national survey on sleep habits - and highlighted how the quality of sleep can have a significant impact on mood, energy levels, personal relationships and the ability to concentrate.

Over 300 organisations helped us to promote Mental Health Awareness Week including local councils, GP practices, NHS Trusts, schools, colleges, universities, libraries, and supporting mental health charities and to date we have seen over 300 media articles with a circulation of 145 million.

The campaign will conclude in November with a joint conference with The Royal Society of Medicine for GPs to improve their understanding and management of common sleep problems.

How ancient wisdom combined with modern science can improve mental healthMindfulness is a mind-body approach that helps people change the way they think and feel about their experiences. It is clinically proven to reduce stress, blood pressure, depression and anxiety. It has also been the subject of growing attention and interest in recent years, thanks to a rapidly expanding evidence-base demonstrating that it can be helpful for many mental and physical health problems.

The Mental Health Foundation successfully launched its campaign to mainstream Mindfulness in January 2010. While the initial launch focused on MBCT - Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy - the second stage of the campaign in September 2010 focused on MBSR – Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction. The campaign included the launch of our online course and promotional activity to improve access to the benefits of Mindfulness for a wider audience.

To date, over 1,000 people have registered for the online course. Aligning with the findings from our initial research, early results from people who have completed the online course show a decrease of 35% in stress levels, 48% in anxiety and more astoundingly 51% for depressive symptoms. A research project is now underway with the University of Oxford’s Department of Psychiatry to evaluate the results so far.

“Thank you for introducing me to a new way of thinking. Having battled chronic unhappiness for 10 years, I felt powerless and worthless. I then discovered mindfulness and have not looked back. It’s the safest and most positive I have felt in years.”Ruth, Mindfulness online course graduate

We continue to focus on innovative public mental health campaigns which raise issues that are neglected or which place mental health in a fresh perspective. Over the years our campaigns have covered topics such as fear, diet, exercise, anger and loneliness – designed to help us live mentally healthier lives.

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Influencing policy at the highest level

We have a proud history of informing and influencing policy across the UK. This year we have contributed in a number of key mental health policy areas:

Changes to the Health and Social Care BillDuring the much-publicised passage through Parliament of the Health and Social Care Bill, we have expressed our concerns about the potential quality of future commissioning of mental health services and the need for better joined-up commissioning between the NHS, social care, housing and employment services.

Work Capability Assessment We highlighted the inappropriateness of the current Work Capability Assessment (WCA) for people with mental health problems and have called on the Government to make significant changes to the process.

Big SocietyWe commented on the Cabinet Office’s consultation on ‘Big Society’, and what this means for public mental health and people who experience mental health problems.

Review of Social Care Funding We took part in the review of social care funding led by Andrew Dilnot. The Review looks at how to pay for social care in the future, particularly in light of the increasing social and economic challenge of dementia care.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Framework.We input into the Northern Ireland Review of its Mental Health and Wellbeing Framework.

Mental Health (Wales) Measure 2010 We are part of the Expert Reference Group for the Mental Health (Wales) Measure 2010, which introduces new rights to support from primary mental health services, independent mental health advocacy services, and better care planning arrangements.

Measuring wellbeing In light of the Prime Minister’s announcement of proposals to measure national wellbeing across the UK, we published a ‘need to know’ introduction to measuring wellbeing. The briefing was widely circulated amongst MPs, other opinion-formers and the media.

The Mental Health Foundation works to develop evidence-based mental health policies across the UK in order to influence all four UK Parliaments and Assemblies. We provide a range of briefings on mental health issues that go hand-in-hand with our research and campaigns.

“I share the sentiments of the senior researcher at the Mental Health Foundation, Dr Robotham, who led the “MyCare” report: “While there are examples of good practice such as young carers’ support groups, much more needs to be done to meet young carers’ needs more effectively.” Julian Sturdy, MP

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Working in partnership to make a bigger difference

No Health without Mental Health In February 2011 the Department of Health published its new mental health strategy, ‘No Health Without Mental Health’. The Mental Health Foundation played a key role in the consultation process as co-chair of the Future Visions Coalition - a group of eleven national bodies representing health and social care professionals, service providers and the mental health voluntary sector.

Mental Health AllianceAs a core member of the Mental Health Alliance we researched and authored a briefing paper, setting out the extent of use of the new Supervised Community Treatment (SCT). We highlighted concerns about the numbers of people being placed under SCTs and the lack of evidence concerning its impact on people’s lives. This work led to discussions with the Care Quality Commission over how SCTs can be best monitored.

We Need to TalkThe Mental Health Foundation is a member of the We Need To Talk Coalition which campaigns for the expansion of psychological therapies across England through the Government’s ‘Improving Access to Psychological Therapies’ (IAPT) programme. The Coalition raises awareness of the benefits of psychological therapy for a range of mental disorders and our pressure contributed to a pledge from the Government to protect IAPT funding and a new four year plan to set out the vision for the programme.

Dementia Action Alliance We have published an action plan setting out our contribution to the Dementia Action Alliance - over 70 organisations committed to transforming the quality of life of people living with dementia in the UK and the millions of people who care for them. This includes completing our current work programme on dementia, seeking funding for further research into quality of life issues for people with dementia, and ensuring that issues affecting people with dementia are included in our on-going project work on mental capacity issues.

Mental Health Strategic PartnershipThe Foundation is a core member of the Mental Health Strategic Partnership (MHSP), established by the Department of Health to advise about key issues in mental health affecting the voluntary sector and to help disseminate information and good practice across the sector.

For the Mental Health Providers Forum, which leads the Partnership work, we provide regular updates on discussions of mental health in the Westminster parliament and round-ups of latest literature on mental health, including academic publications. We signed up to two Partnership briefings; ‘No Health without Mental Health: a guide for general practice’ and ‘No Health without Mental Health: a guide for community organisations’, that explain how general practitioners, community groups and voluntary organisations can improve life chances for people with mental health conditions in the context of the Government’s new mental health strategy and current NHS reforms.

We are committed to working in partnership with other organisations, where together we can make an even bigger difference in improving the quality of and access to mental health services and the provision of greater support to people with mental health problems or learning disabilities.

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people in Scotland will consult their GP about depression each year.

A stronger voice for mental health in Scotland

Challenging inequality and putting service users at the heart of all our work, we continue to operate across a range of themes including: the mental health of asylum seekers and refugees; mental health and later life; race equality; wellbeing and long-term conditions; arts and mental health; mental health in the workplace; and veterans, all through a public mental health perspective.

Merging with the SDC In February 2011 the Scottish Development Centre for Mental Health (SDC) became part of the Mental Health Foundation, establishing the foremost centre of research and development excellence in the mental health third sector in Scotland.

Combining the skills and evidence-based approach of both charities will allow us to make a greater impact on the quality and accessibility of mental health services in Scotland. It has already led to new partnerships, an increased public profile, and the opportunity to improve capacity for engaging with the Scottish Parliament and the sector more widely.

“Combining their skills and experience in research and development will only strengthen the opportunities to engage in work that helps shape public and patient led care, treatment and services. This further confirms the Mental Health Foundation as the leading charity for mental health research and development in Scotland.”Margaret Maxwell, Professor of Mental Health at the University of Stirling Helping people manage long- term health conditionsPeople who live with a long-term chronic illness may experience acute and chronic stresses and strains, which can make them vulnerable to depression and anxiety.

The Living Better project was an extensive three-year Scottish Government funded initiative led by The Royal College of General Practitioners (Scotland) in partnership with the Mental Health Foundation and the University of Stirling. It involved over 1,000 patients and primary care professionals across 5 ‘test’ sites in Scotland.

Living Better highlighted the importance of providing emotional support to people with long-term conditions and emphasised the role that primary care has in supporting people to self-manage their conditions and maintain a positive mental wellbeing.

Working to improve local community mental health careAs well as supporting the Scottish Government to inform better mental health policy, the Foundation also uses its evaluation, experience and expertise to support local authorities, health service professionals and community service providers to improve the quality of and access to mental health provision.

Supporting Local Authorities to improve servicesThe Foundation continues to use its evaluation expertise and experience to support local councils to better meet their statutory duties towards people with mental illness.

This year we worked with Glasgow City Council to develop a method for working with local government to explore these obligations and to build capacity for creating mental health outcomes in areas of council work that would not normally be associated with mental health.

“Whilst there is still a lot to be done in terms of providing emotional support to people with long-term conditions, the Living Better project has done much to raise the profile of these issues and promote ways in which people can take steps themselves to improve their mental health and wellbeing. ” Graham Bell, Living Better patient representative

The Foundation has a proud history of helping improve mental health in Scotland. From our offices in Edinburgh and Glasgow we work at every level, from strategic support to Government, to supporting practitioners to develop skills and evaluate and develop services, to working with people with lived experience of mental illness to ensure their voices are heard.

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The project developed and piloted training and self-management approaches and recommended that mental health awareness training be made widely available to health professionals and that patients are given information and resources to enable them to take steps to improve their wellbeing. As a result, a suite of training materials for both patients and professionals were developed.

Following a full training needs analysis, a face- to-face course was designed. A key objective was to enable participants to identify training needs for Scotland’s Mental Health First Aid or the suite of suicide intervention skills training on offer locally.

The course ran eight times in six Health Board areas: Highland (North West Sutherland), Glasgow, Grampian, Lanarkshire, Fife and Lothian. The Lothian training also included participants from NHS Forth Valley and NHS Dumfries and Galloway. Already, two Health Boards have commissioned additional training.

Supporting mentally healthy workplacesThe Health, Work and Well-Being Challenge Fund supported the Foundation to work with third sector organisations to develop sustainable action plans for supporting wellbeing at work in times of change.

Working with the SCVO, we recruited a range of third sector organisations and each organisation was supported through a process underpinned by our ‘PH Toolkit’ (Productive and Healthy), which takes participants through mental health awareness training for managers, the running of a self-assessment, and then a series of outcome focused action planning sessions working in groups where similar organisations could share ideas and provide peer support. We also supported a HSE Management Standards Stress Audit.

Focus groups with mental health service users explored their perceptions of council services and their views on what the Council could do to support recovery. Following interviews with 14 heads of service across the Council and companies that run Council services, we developed and ran intensive one day seminars on mental health.

The seminars were delivered to over 100 managers from various departments and involved discussion of concepts in public mental health and recovery, development of a shared understanding of the department’s role in mental health, and an outcome focused action-planning session.

A second phase for the project is now underway with four further departments, after which a Council wide action plan will be developed. Three further local authorities have also signed up to undertake seminars using the same approach.

“I have learned not to label mental health as a severe (illness) associated with only worse case scenarios. It has to start somewhere.”

‘Keep Well’ Anticipatory CareUnder the Keep Well initiative, a free health check is offered to adults aged 45-65 who live in deprived communities to increase the likelihood of discovering health problems early and providing an opportunity to engage in primary care for people who may not normally attend and may be most at risk.

To improve the quality of assessments, the Foundation was commissioned to develop a one day training session for Keep Well advisers to improve their questioning skills about mental health during assessments, and to improve their understanding of mental health and wellbeing in the broader context of their work.

“I now understand the link between mental health and anticipatory care. I have invited a mental health support worker I met here to attend my meetings.”

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A Brighter Future - improving mental health in later lifeMental health problems are more common and have a worse outcome for the 60% of older people who suffer from a long-term condition. On top of this older people are often socially isolated, resulting in loneliness.

To address these issues, we launched the Brighter Futures project - a peer mentoring service for isolated older people that enhances social networks and enables meaningful activity. Developed in partnership with Seniors Together – South Lanarkshire Council, Glasgow Association for Mental Health, and Renfrewshire Association for Mental Health - the Brighter Futures project provides a unique form of support to isolated older people by recruiting, training and supporting older people as Peer Mentors.

The project has had a major impact on the lives of both the older people and the people who volunteered as Peer Mentors. Participants have told us how their lives have significantly changed by being supported to overcome barriers to getting out of their houses and reconnect with their communities. The Peer Mentors have given us equally strong evidence that the project has made a real difference at a difficult time in their own lives. Many have found renewed confidence in what they have to contribute to society and have gone on to further voluntary work and employment within the caring sector.

We are planning to take this vital work forward and activities are underway to influence the forthcoming Change Fund, to ensure local investment in the mental health of older people.

Barbara’s storyBarbara is 60 and lives with her husband and teenage sons. Until she became ill with lung cancer, she worked full-time and led an active life looking after her children. She had a lung removed and suffers from COPD. As a result, she needs a walking aid for short distances and a wheelchair for longer ones. Until she joined the project, she would describe most days as sitting on the couch and watching television, with only her cleaner for company a few times a week. Her mood became increasingly low and she was treated for depression. When Barbara joined the project, her mentor was matched to her because of her life long interest in arts and crafts. Her mentor supported her to attend a number of arts based activities and even managed to persuade her to look at a university course on still life drawing. A few weeks into the course, she can now go independently and feels it’s given her a whole new set of friends and interests. She still faces some challenges, but the project is now supporting her to look into the possibility of self-directed support so she can continue her classes and activities.

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of people with a learning disability have a job.

want one.

Helping people with learning disabilities live their lives to the full

Over the past year, we have adopted a new strategic approach, by focusing on delivering research and development work in our key work areas, including:

- Providing better opportunities for children and young people

- Making personalisation a reality- Promoting the rights and autonomy of

people with learning disabilities and their carers

- Supporting young people and adults in the work place and community

- Improving health and wellbeing

We’ve also secured a number of contracts and grants to identify effective approaches to hate crime, reduce bullying and harassment, and to support people with learning disabilities in the criminal justice system, which will continue into 2011/12.

Taking personalisation forward “Finding out about Get a Plan was the best thing that’s happened for years!” Get a Plan in Cornwall is a local support service that enables people with learning disabilities and their families to use person centred planning to take control over their own services and support, whilst supporting local government to ensure that the personalisation and transformation strategies in Cornwall are moving forward.

The project works in partnership with a range of local community groups and committed individuals to show how flexible, creative and local resources can build capacity for person centred planning approaches, circles of support and personal budgets for people with learning disabilities, their families and supporters.

The project has supported over 300 people, including individuals, family carers, practitioners and professionals over the last year alone, through providing training, organising information days, providing a mentoring programme and facilitating local hubs to help people create their plans.

The individuals we have supported have gone on to use their plans in a variety of ways to help take more control over their lives. Some have used their plans to inform service reviews with providers or for funding, others have used them to push for action like a house move, change in support provider, education or employment, and many have used them to access a personal budget.

Joe’s story We worked with a young man and his family for about 9 months during the Get a Plan in Cornwall project. When we first met Joe, he had been living in an isolated institutional setting with very high levels of support for over 10 years. He and his family were desperately unhappy about the situation, so we helped them develop a person centred plan so he could move back home. Thankfully life is very different now. Joe is living at home with his family and no longer needs such a high level of support. As part of the community, he is now happier and more settled than he has been in a very long time, and is looking forward to a very different future.

Over 1.5 million people in the UK have a learning disability. Our learning disabilities team work to break down the economic and social barriers and prejudice that people with learning disabilities face throughout their lives.

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Building inclusive communities “Community is an experience, not just a place”

Building Inclusive Communities is a two- year development programme, funded by Kent Adult Social Services. We’ve led and delivered the project in collaboration with Values Incorporated and various local voluntary and statutory organisations since 2009. Findings from the project will be published in 2011.

Our aim is to build awareness and understanding for people with learning disabilities by making it easier for them to use services available in the local community. So far we have worked with libraries, leisure centres, health services, the police, town and district councils, local businesses and faith communities across Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge and Malling, and Swale.

Our project with Kent Libraries and Archives, Making the Difference, is a good indicator of the programme’s success so far. Through our work, libraries have now been recognised as a safe place for people with learning disabilities to seek shelter and meet and socialise on a regular basis, and annual inclusive events such as fashion shows and poetry readings have also been held. “People are listening to what we are saying and changing things for the better”

The project has also worked with Mystery Shoppers Kent, where 8 people with learning disabilities have been trained to carry out assessments and have since visited the majority of libraries in western Kent. As a result, accessible and relevant information is now being stocked and staff have been trained to better accommodate people with complex needs.

The project is now being established in libraries throughout Kent and has been awarded the 2011 CILIP Libraries Change Lives Award, which will assist in ensuring sustainability and similar projects being disseminated nationally.

Improving leadership skills in young people“When I leave college I want to travel on my own so I will start learning how to use the bus.” Too often young people with learning disabilities have everyone else making their decisions for them. To challenge this, we set up the Learning 4 Leadership at Transition project to give young people the skills and knowledge needed to shape their own lives once they have left school or college.

The project consists of eight day courses for young people, their families and teachers, and representatives from local agencies, where participants discover how to create person centred plans and circles of support. We have delivered the programme in London schools and colleges over the past two years and over 40 young people have left with an individualised development plan. The project has been so successful that we’ve been asked to deliver it for a second time by the National Transition Support Programme.

To promote wider awareness we have held a seminar about the course in London for 65 professionals working with young people, created a section on our website with help and information for teachers that has received over 3,000 visits, and produced a range of good practice guidelines for others wanting to run similar programmes in their area.

“We met and did lots of things to get us thinking about what we wanted to do after we left college. It showed us what’s possible with the right support. I’ve applied for an internship at Guy’s Hospital which I hope will get me a job.”Robin, Learning 4 Leadership at Transition participant

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people are in hospital in Wales each day because of a mental illness.

Improving mental health and wellbeing in Wales

This year we contributed to the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s ‘Not just another Statistic’ work, and delivered the mental health element of their equality training to the Welsh Local Government Association.

We are members of the Mental Health Promotion Network’s Advisory Board, which provides strong leadership and a focus for mental health promotion in Wales. As part of this role, we have helped design conferences, assessed its good practice awards and run workshops on measuring wellbeing.

We also continued our Self-Management training programme and together with Hafal, launched Taking the Wheel, a service-user led campaign to empower mental health service users to take more control of their lives and the services they receive.

Self-Management support for individuals with severe and enduring mental ill-health ‘Self-Management’ describes a set of skills that enable people to take more control over their health within the context of their day-to-day lives.

Our ground-breaking work is developing, delivering and evaluating self-management training for people with severe and enduring mental ill-health across Wales. This is the first initiative of this kind and on a scale not seen before in the UK. To date, more than 300 people have benefited from our support and we’ve also delivered both the first ever course for young people and the first course in Welsh for Welsh speakers.

Taking the WheelIn partnership with MDF Cymru and led by Hafal, this campaign engaged people with a serious mental illness to become involved in the services they receive.

Following approval of the new Mental Health Measure, where the Foundation was part of the consultation, the campaign will encourage people with a serious mental illness to take advantage of their new rights under the Measure and to manage their own recovery. This includes making choices about their care and treatment and engaging with providers of mental health services so they can be involved in planning and commissioning those services.

“I suffered a psychotic breakdown which resulted in me spending time at a mental institution. During my stay, I realised I was good at getting other service users motivated and involved in group activities. This led to me becoming a self-management facilitator .

The self-management course is written by service users, for service users and delivered by service users. It has been designed to help people gain control over their illness and, for me, joining the course when I did proved to be a considerable step forward in my ultimate recovery.

I can’t speak highly enough about the positive effects that the course has had on myself and almost everyone who has taken it. In my experience, 99.99% of ‘graduates’ in courses I have been involved with, have spoken of how their lives have improved, sometimes quite dramatically, after taking the course.”Don Rhead, Self-Management Facilitator

The Mental Health Foundation is committed to improving mental health services and promoting mental wellbeing for everyone in Wales. Whether working alongside the Welsh Assembly or in partnership with leading organisations to inform policy, improve services and support better mental health, we put people with lived experience at the heart of our research, campaigns and policy work.

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to say that you’ve been affected by mental illness.

How our work is made possibleWe are grateful to these funders for supporting these specific projects with restricted grants:Statutory Grants Project Amount (£)

Department of Health S64 Dementia Choices 60,900

Community Connections 53,216

Race & Disability 37,062

Thinking Right 41,640

Strategic Partnership 15,000

Scottish Executive VOX 158,484

Total 366,302

Other Restricted Grants

Big Lottery Fund (Wales) Self-Management for People with Severe Mental Health Problems

285,715

Big Lottery Fund (Scotland) Brighter Futures 169,276

Paul Hamlyn Foundation Right Here 125,000

Esmee Fairbairn Foundation Harassment & Bullying 65,920

Comic Relief VOX 62,292

Zurich Community Trust Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition 61,145

Baily Thomas Charitable Fund When I’m Gone 50,000

Esmee Fairbairn Foundation Age Well 36,735

Long-term Conditions Alliance Scotland Moving Minds 35,370

European Commission Aspen 21,019

NHS Glasgow and Lanarkshire Joint Experiences 19,485

Barchester Trust When I’m Gone 16,000

RPH-Promotor Foundation Medically Unexplained Illnesses 15,684

Age Well 15,144

Comic Relief Post-natal Depression and Teenage Mothers 12,203

Constance Travis Charitable Trust Students as Researchers 10,000

Awards for All- Big Lottery Fund (England) What Kind of Future? 9,975

Awards for All- Big Lottery Fund (Scotland) Scottish Film Festival 8,038

NHS Glasgow Mental Health in the Work Place 5,666

Bernard Sunley Charitable Trust Students as Researchers 5,000

Shirley Foundation Children with Complex Health Needs 5,000

Scottish Mental Health Research Network Scottish Mental Health Service User Research Network 4,265

Goldsmiths Company Charities Children with Complex Health Needs 3,000

Coutts Charitable Trust Students as Researchers 500

Total 1,042,432

Donations and Gifts to General Funds

Peacock Charitable Trust 60,000

Johannes Marcus Ullman Trust 45,080

Maclay Murray & Spens Charitable Trust 20,033

Edith Jamieson Charitable Trust 18,418

Hugh and Mary Miller Bequest Trust 4,500

Martin Charitable Trust 4,000

PF Charitable Trust 2,000

Total 154,031

Please note this is not the full list of donations and gifts we receive. There are many more, and we are grateful for each of them.

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We would also like to thank every donor, marathon runner, fundraiser, Tea & Talk host, trust, company and business who, despite tough times, see the benefit of what we are trying to do and kindly help us make a difference in changing minds and changing lives.

We are proud of being independent of any one funding stream but our work is only possible with your generous support.

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Financial performance

Income Amount (£)Donations & gifts 1,386,094

Legacies 1,525,279

Fundraising events 292,999

Investment & interest 69,179

Statutory grants 366,302

Other grants 1,042,432

Charitable trading income 907,242

Total 5,589,527

Expenditure Amount (£)Fundraising 1,158,591Mental Health Programmes 2,544,211Learning Disabilities 1,109,937Information 929,578Governance 34,109Total 5,776,426

The extremely challenging operating environment continued in 2010/11 with an operating loss of £186,899 being incurred. Total income rose by 16.7% to £5.6 million partly due to increased levels of grants for projects and legacies totalling £1.5 million. This enabled the Foundation to undertake an increased level of research projects.

It remains a priority to restore the reserve levels as protection for the future with the emphasis on cost controls and maintaining fundraising activity.

Donations & gifts 25%

Legacies 27%

Fundraising events 5%

Investment & interest 1%

Statutory grants 7%

Other grants 19%

Charitable trading income 16%

Donations & gifts

Legacies

Fundraising events

Investment and interest

Statutory grants

Other grants

Charitable trading income

Fundraising

Mental HealthProgrammes

Learning Disabilities

Information

Governance

Fundraising 20%

Mental Health Programmes 44%

Learning Disabilities 19%

Information 16%

Governance 1%

Donations & gifts

Legacies

Fundraising events

Investment and interest

Statutory grants

Other grants

Charitable trading income

Donations & gifts

Legacies

Fundraising events

Investment and interest

Statutory grants

Other grants

Charitable trading income

Fundraising

Mental HealthProgrammes

Learning Disabilities

Information

Governance

Fundraising

Mental HealthProgrammes

Learning Disabilities

Information

Governance

Looking ahead to 2011/12

2011/12 will be a challenging year - we will have to cope with the impact of reduced public sector spending in-year as well as preparing for further, deeper, impact in 2012/13. We have already set in hand measures to further increase our already high levels of efficiency to prepare for this. This will include moving to more cost effective premises and further reducing our management overheads. It will require considerable commitment from staff and volunteers to take on new responsibilities and show even more flexibility in their working arrangements. However, we believe that these changes will allow the organisation to make an even greater impact in the future and to offer even better value to donors, partners and commissioners.

During the year we have plans to start many new and exciting projects which will touch the lives of people with mental illness or a learning disability.

We will launch two major new projects on learning disability – Thinking Ahead and An Ordinary Life. The first will help families plan ahead for the time when older family members are no longer there to support a loved one with learning disability. The second will address the needs of the larger group of people living with complex needs who are dependent on medical technology.

In mental health, we will also launch a range of new projects covering issues such as teenage mothers and post natal depression, dementia and recovery from severe mental illness. We will complete our ground-breaking work in Wales on self-management for people with severe mental illness and we will continue to expand our hugely influential programme of work in Scotland, now based both in Glasgow and Edinburgh. We will also complete our work on stigma and discrimination as part of a major European collaboration.

There has rarely been such an important time to invest in our mental health and wellbeing. In 2011/12 we will continue to ensure that the Foundation remains at the forefront of improving the nation’s mental health.

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Did you know...

The Mental Health Foundation aims to help everyone live mentally healthier lives.

As the UK’s leading charity for mental health and learning disabilities, we are committed to reducing the suffering caused by conditions such as dementia, depression, stress, anxiety, insomnia, bi-polar and the many other aspects of mental health. Every year our ground-breaking research, practical solutions, campaigning and public mental health promotion change thousands of lives. All this is only made possible through the donations of good people like you.

We rely on donations from the public to continue to empower all those affected by mental health problems and conditions and those living with learning disabilities. Please complete the form below, visit us at www.mentalhealth.org.uk or call us now on 0207 803 1121 and support us today.

Any amount you can spare will make a difference. Your generosity will help us continue developing solutions to help more people survive, recover from, and prevent mental illness.

I enclose a cheque / postal order / charity voucher (Made payable to Mental Health Foundation)

OR Please debit my Visa / Mastercard / Maestro / CAF

I am a UK taxpayer and would like the Mental Health Foundation to treat all donations that I have made in the past 4 years and all future gifts I make from the date of this declaration as Gift Aid donations * * You must pay income tax and / or capital gains tax in each tax year at least equal to the tax we reclaim on your donations

Please Gift Aid your donation! If you are a UK taxpayer we can claim back the tax on your donations – that’s at least 25p in every pound you give.

I wish to give £25 £50 £75 £120

or my preferred amount of £

Card number Valid from

Issue No. (Last 3 digits on back of card)

(Maestro only) Security Number

Expiry date

Signature Date

Please return this form or alternatively, you can donate or set up a regular gift of your choice online at www.mentalhealth.org.uk, or call us on 0207 803 1121.

Please help us make a difference to the lives of people with mental health problems and conditions and those living with learning disabilities

Thank you for your support.

That 1 in 4 of us will be affected by mental health issues each year?

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Title First name Surname

Address

Postcode

Telephone

Email

C30-012-AR11

Governance

Patron HRH Princess AlexandraThe Hon Lady Ogilvy KG GCVO

Trustees Dr Steve BeyerDouglas BlaustenMatthew CooperProfessor David KingdonKay LaurieKeith Leslie (Honorary Treasurer)Harry MacAuslanCatherine McLoughlin CBE (Acting Chair)Diane MooreProfessor David O’Donnell

Secretary Dr Andrew McCulloch

President Sir William Utting CB

Vice Presidents Lord Dholakia OBE JPLady EustonTessa Baring CBEThe Hon Robert Loder CBESir Neville Macready Bt. CBEDavid SachonCharles WalshMike Wilson

Chief Executive Dr Andrew McCulloch

London and registered office Colechurch House1 London Bridge WalkLondon SE1 2SX

Glasgow officeMerchants House30 George SquareGlasgow G2 1EG

Edinburgh office 17a Graham StreetEdinburgh EH6 5QN

Company registration number 2350846 (England and Wales)

Charity registration numbersEngland and Wales801130

ScotlandSC 039714

Auditor Buzzacott LLP130 Wood StreetLondonEC2V 6DL

Bankers Coutts & Co440 StrandLondonWC2R 0QS

Investment managers Newton Investment Management Limited160 Queen Victoria StreetLondonEC4V 4LA

Solicitors Wilsons Solicitors LLP4 Lincoln’s Inn FieldsLondonWC2A 3AA

Hempsons LLPHempsons House40 Villiers StreetLondonWC2N 6NJ

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changingminds

Mental Health Foundation

Telephone020 7803 1100Fax020 7803 1111

Emailinfo@mentalhealth.org.ukWebsitementalhealth.org.uk

Registered Charity No.England 801130Scotland SC039714

The Mental Health Foundation is a UK-wide charity that carries out research, campaigns for better mental health services, and works to raise awareness of all mental health issues to help us all lead mentally healthier lives.