15 September 2022

That’s what we were doing on Wednesday. It was P3 Derbyshire Day, a unique, one-off day where we’re able to celebrate our services with the people we’re working alongside. We spend it in Bustler Market in Derby with music, games, art workshops and much more: see all the activities below! It’s been generously funded by a donation from local businesswoman Dr Amanda Elliot.

And we’re also taking the chance to let everyone in P3 know all about our Derbyshire services. Actually, there’s quite a lot to tell, so the blog will go out in two parts. Today you’ll about the various services we offer for mental health: BeWell Derbyshire, the Derbyshire Mental Health Peer Recovery Support Service and the Derbyshire Mental Health Helpline. Then later, in Part 2, we’ll cover the outreach and homelessness services: Derbyshire Independent Living Service, the Derbyshire and Staffordshire Moorlands Outreach Team (just call them DOT) and the Homeless Prevention Service.

As you probably guessed, we’re busy with so much going on. But we’re a great team and we’re really glad to be making such a contribution to our beautiful county and the people who live in it. Well, I don’t need to say more about it – here’s the Derbyshire Blog Part 1, from Jane Bellamy, Ann-Marie Humphries and Laura Baldwin!

Sean Wimhurst

Head of Support and Community Services for Derbyshire

Amie Jeffery, whom P3 works alongside in Derbyshire, was delighted to take part in the collaborative P3 banner art project, arranged by Triage Worker and artist Sarah Brighty (see main image), and to display some of her own artwork. “I have mental ill-health but I find that art helps me to keep calm and relaxed,” Amie said. “It’s a sort of mindfulness.”

Some of the collaborative art projects going on throughout the day

Everyone enjoyed performances by local musicians

Long time artist Marvin Rumson was delighted to show his work. “P3 are marvellous,” he said. “I love that they do things like display my art. They’ve changed my life.”

Elaine Coleman and Hannah Tagg, Mental Health Recovery Coaches in Swadlincote 

People are referred to this service and have low-level mental health needs. We work alongside them to agreed person-led goals that we have specifically in mind, together.

Once someone has been referred to us, Peer Recovery Coaches provide personalised one-to-one support. This might be face-to-face, over the phone, in groups or peer-led.

Most people we work alongside have faced particular challenges during the pandemic and lockdown. The anxiety, social isolation and loneliness that was forced upon them made it very difficult to make that step out into the world. Lots of people have found that daunting and terrifying, but we are here to support them in doing it.

Our Peer Recovery Workers work the most tremendous magic. They always take that extra step to support people back out through their doors, once again entering communities, with a supportive and caring hand right beside them to guide and assist them each step of the way.

We have numerous groups running successfully each week in both Ilkeston and Swadlincote Navigators. These cover trips out, improving confidence and self-esteem and eliminating loneliness and isolation through making friends and looking forward to the good things in the future that a lot of us take for granted.

I’m so proud of the amazing support given by the teams in this service – they climb mountains!

Ann-Marie Humphries

Service Manager

Lauren (top), Tracy, Jane and Becca

We are a needs-led support service, creating individual support packages for people who are experiencing mental ill-health (as identified by Adult Social Care) in their own homes or local communities, in receipt of a Personal Budget. (That’s how we get our income.)

What’s great about BeWell is that we can be creative and flexible in meeting people’s individual needs. We can really work out what they need and make sure they have very tailored support to improve their health and wellbeing, develop life skills and make decisions about their futures. There’s generally no time limit for support, so people can take as long as they need to reach their full potential. Nobody has to feel rushed or on any sort of deadline.

We have the most amazing, fun, diverse, committed and hardworking team. Most of them have been with the service for many years and have been involved with developing it and its high quality. They are creative and flexible – like the service! – and they really, really get to know the people they support. Above all, everyone is very kind and that’s one of their major strengths.

We’re totally committed to, and proactive in, making a healthy and positive culture within our team. We believe that is what has given BeWell its excellent local reputation as a stand-alone specialist mental health service across Derbyshire. That is also reflected in our ever-increasing referrals and personal growth of people we support as well as colleagues.

But if you’d like a few figures to tell you more about the service…We currently have a team of 32 Wellbeing workers, two Senior Wellbeing Workers and two Service Managers. Right now, we support 99 people over 605.5 hours every week, although that can change on a daily basis.

In short, Derbyshire needs us, and we are so, so glad to be able to help.

Jane Bellamy

Service Manager

Amber Trust, Ripley

Mental health services are stretched everywhere, but in Derbyshire, P3 is helping people to get the support they need.

The freephone Derbyshire Mental Health Helpline and Support Service is available to everyone – both young people and adults – living in Derby City and Derbyshire who is struggling with their mental health. It is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

P3’s key involvement is giving callers the opportunity to discuss the issues that caused them to ring.

We help them explore non-clinical ways of coping with their mental ill-health, as long-term clinical intervention can sometimes be avoided if you can just get the right kind of support early enough.

Callers can also use the time just to offload their thoughts and explore their feelings; sometimes, just being listened to, acknowledged and treated like a human can make all the difference.

By providing this emotional support and signposting people to other appropriate services, the team can help callers come up with a plan for how to cope with and overcome their mental ill-health.

Helpline staff are supported by clinical NHS staff at all times. If they need to ask for advice or pass a call on to someone else who has the specific skills for a particular caller’s needs, they can do so at any time. We are here for everyone’s mental health and that includes our own team!

Laura Baldwin

Service Manager

Derbyshire Mental Health Helpline and Support Service