Future Development workshop

1. Future Development workshop MoneyActive and Advice: Bespoke FC Sessions for People with Mental Health Difficulties and Health Care Professionals Led by David Miles davidmiles@smhcab.org.uk assisted by Debra Lowe debralowe@smhcab.org.uk Duration – 1 Hour Improving MH and Well-Being – the role of Advice and Advocacy

2. Workshop aims and methodology • To review the experience of SMHCAB in delivering financial skills training to mental health professionals and service users and explore how similar services could be offered elsewhere. • Consider the target trainees, skills needed to deliver, duration, content to be delivered, handouts and feedback. • Notes from workshop to be available to participants Improving MH and Well-Being – the role of Advice and Advocacy

3. Why do it? • “One in two adults with debts has a mental health problem” RCOP • “33% of people with psychosis are in problematic debt. This compares to just 8% of the general population” Govt MH Strategy 2011 • Debt and mental health go together and see this training as a proactive way to avoid debt with its adverse effects on stress and wellbeing • Helping those with mental health problems avoid debt is in the interest of the service users as well as mental health service provision. Improving MH and Well-Being – the role of Advice and Advocacy

4. What is it? • Short training sessions aimed at financial inclusion of people with mental health problems. • Structured to meet availability and needs of front line mental health professionals and service users in public, private and voluntary sectors Improving MH and Well-Being – the role of Advice and Advocacy

5. Who is it for? • The mental health community – hospitals and day services within the health service, rehabilitation and support within the private sector, voluntary sector where major part of client group have mental health problems • Recognise that many of potential trainees are vulnerable and don’t easily engage with mainstream financial institutions and advice services including telephone advice lines Improving MH and Well-Being – the role of Advice and Advocacy

6. Who is it delivered by? • Volunteers • Training of volunteers covers ‘delivering training’ and ‘content to be delivered’ • Course Material adapted from many sources including CA and Bureaux Improving MH and Well-Being – the role of Advice and Advocacy

7. How promote/market? • Experience from FC forum and locally is that poor response to notices calling meetings. • Aim to deliver training in regular meetings of an organisation wherever possible, so to some extent have a ready audience. • Aim to have session with front line workers first and then plan how best to meet needs of their service users. • Direct approach and also advertise locally particularly in mental health publications. Improving MH and Well-Being – the role of Advice and Advocacy

8. Content and duration of sessions for front line workers (1) • Ideally 3 hours including break but may be shorter (minimum 90 minutes) • After ice breaker look at Financial situation of typical clients – cost of being financially excluded • Distribute “Toolkit” – a handout which will be referred to but intended to help them work with their clients Improving MH and Well-Being – the role of Advice and Advocacy

9. Content and duration of sessions for front line workers  (2) • Dealing with Debt, • Affordable Credit and Saving, • Basic Bank Accounts, • Optimising Income and Reducing Expenditure, • Budgeting, • When and where to go for help. • How we can help their client group (– are most on benefits; energy deal may not be relevant in sheltered accommodation; if all have current accounts little interest likely in basic bank accounts….) Improving MH and Well-Being – the role of Advice and Advocacy

10. Content and duration of sessions for service users (1) • Budgeting for 1 hour, a 15 minute break and then further 30 to 45 minutes. • Distribute a service users Toolkit which includes most of content of training and serves as a handbook for future reference. Includes where to go for help • During budgeting identify issues such as energy cost, paying bills when don’t have bank account, basic bank accounts, better to save than borrow from high interest rate loan companies. Improving MH and Well-Being – the role of Advice and Advocacy

11. Content and duration of sessions for service users (2) • After break - cover issues relevant to trainees which may be: • optimising income, reducing expenditure, social tariffs, energy best deal, • insurance, • basic bank accounts, proving identity, • saving and access to affordable credit Improving MH and Well-Being – the role of Advice and Advocacy

12. Feedback • Very positive - despite the relatively short duration of sessions. • Achieves if have succeeded in getting at least one message across which will improve financial inclusion. • Trainees seem to highlight items which they have seen as a personal issue. Improving MH and Well-Being – the role of Advice and Advocacy

13. 1 to 1 sessions • These can follow group sessions and can meet specific topic needs such as social tariffs or can be looking at particular difficulties trainee raised which needs more time than can be given in group session. • Can be referrals from Advisers in Bureau Improving MH and Well-Being – the role of Advice and Advocacy

14. What impact on Bureau? • The advisers are aware of this training and refer clients for one to one training or advice. This may be on energy (social tariffs or best deal), budgeting, interpreting bank statements….. • Although Bureau has always aimed to deliver holistic service, ‘holistic’ has now a broader meaning than before! Improving MH and Well-Being – the role of Advice and Advocacy

15. Questions for Workshop. • Should we be offering a bespoke service for this client community? • How identify potential trainees? • What financial and human resources are needed to deliver this training? • How can we maximise the number of mental health individuals/groups we can deliver to? • What hurdles need to be overcome for a similar service to be offered elsewhere? Improving MH and Well-Being – the role of Advice and Advocacy