About SURF and the Carers' Forum
The first meeting of the Service Users’
Recovery Forum (SURF) and Carers Forum were held
in January 2008 and continue to meet four times a year. Both
Forums have more than 30 members with representation from
the Northern Irish, Scottish and Welsh Divisions.
Remit:
- To support and provide input into the work of
the College to ensure that all policy and activity will be informed
by the experiences and perspectives identified by service users and
carers.
This would be achieved through a
regular forum which will:
- respond to and initiate strategic
policy;
- contribute to the development of
good practice guidelines;
- contribute to the training of
College members;
- signpost to a wider constituency
of service user and carer groups and individuals;
- improve mutual understanding with
College members;
- contribute to supporting good
practice.
How do SURF and the Carers' Forum contribute to the work of the
College?
- Respond to external policy documents and College policy
- Get involved in consultation workshops on different aspects of
College work
- Are represented on the following Committees:
- Association of Chief Police
Officers (ACPO) Liaison Group
- Central Policy Co-ordination
Committee (CPCC)
- Council
- Public Education Committee
(PEC)
- Public Education Editorial Board
(PEEB)
- English Policy Committee
(EPC)
- Jurisdictions Policy
Committee
- Westminster Parliamentary
Liaison Committee
- Academy of Royal Medical
Colleges Patient Liaison Group (AORMCPLG)
Annual Meetings
SURF and the Carers' Forum organise Annual Meetings to which all
service users and carers involved in the work of the College are
invited.
In 2008, the Annual Meeting discussed:
- the Fair Deal campaign
- changes to training and revalidation
- adding the service user and carer voce to the media
- social inclusion
In 2009, the Annual Meeting discussed:
- welfare reform
- direct payments and personal health budgets
- debt and mental health
- the quality of in-patient psychiatric wards (AIMS and Star Wards)
In 2010, the Annual Meeting discussed
- finding/returning to work and mental ill health (patients
and carers)
- physical health and mental health (patients and
carers)
This is a section of the website that is devoted to the views of
people who have experienced mental health problems. Please email
articles to webeditor@rcpsych.ac.uk.
- Evidence-based practices and implementation in older people's
mental health: Clifford Greenhalgh writes about this experience as
a carer of a wife with Alzheimer's and possible solutions for
better care
- Withdrawing from medication - Venlafaxine
-
Coming Apart : Music video featuring 'Friends of
Emmet' about Kevin Hines' life
-
South West Division: The Lisa Thomas Poetry Prize
-
The Guardian: Tell us series
-
Struggling on benefits
-
Superficially well, but still grieving
-
What's it like to have psychosis and what can be done about
it?
-
Mental and physical health
-
My Road to Recovery
-
Hearing voices
Resources
This is a resource for trainee psychiatrists and their trainers,
and other members of the multidisciplinary team. The film takes you
through the patients' and carers' journey - from first contact with
psychiatric services to recovery and coping - with examples of
people's personal experiences at each stage. The film can be paused
at different points to allow for group discussion and includes some
key principles.
Copies of the DVD are available from the College for £5.00
(inclusive p&p).
Please contact Leaflets
Department, The Royal College of Psychiatrists, 17
Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8PG. Tel: 020 7235 2351 ext.6259
.