Friday 17th March 2023 marks World Sleep Day, a global call to action to celebrate healthy sleep. This year’s theme is “Sleep is essential for health”. In this blog post, Assistant Psychologist Adrianne Amri shares some tips on supporting positive sleep hygiene. Sleep is essential to humans, just like air, water and food. When necessary, people can cope without sleep for periods of time, but the longer we are awake the stronger the urge to sleep becomes. Sleep serves a restorative purpose, both psychologically and physiologically.  Sleep is important for general physical health, restoring energy, repairing injuries or illness, growth, psychological well-being and mood, concentration, and memory.  People vary in terms of how much sleep they need – but the average sleep duration for adults is 6-8 hours per night and a ‘good sleeper’ takes around 30 mins to fall asleep and will awake once or twice. Stages of sleep     Effects of lack of sleep Lack of sleep can lead to: Poor concentration and memory Impaired judgement and reaction time Irritability and other mood disturbances Poor physical coordination There are many more consequences of sleep deprivation, and the seriousness of the effects depends on the severity of the […]

We are proud to share this inspiring article from the Manchester Evening News all about ex-service user Dom’s journey with Care in Mind and his ultimate move into independence. Please click here to read the article in full. As Dom explains in the article, he spent 18 months living at Willowhurst, Preston, having transferred to us from an inpatient hospital setting. Although he was ready to be discharged from hospital, he still needed support with his mental health in a community setting. Dom says he was drawn to our least restrictive approach at Care in Mind and how he felt our team related to him when he first met them. Dom talks about how supportive the staff team and MDT at Willowhurst were during his time there and how instrumental he feels they were in his recovery journey. When he first moved out of Willowhurst, Dom had an Independence package from Care in Mind, with tailored support from the MDT that reduced on a graded basis over time as he settled into independent living. He now works with the team as a Young Person’s Champion, sharing his experiences to improve service user involvement and co-production across the service.  Deputy Residential […]

We are delighted to share that Lyndhurst, in Liversedge, West Yorkshire have achieved a ‘Good’ rating in their latest CQC inspection, with Outstanding in the Well-Led domain! The CQC said “The service was led by a management team who demonstrated outstanding values. They showed excellent insight into the complex needs of the people who they cared for and greatly valued and supported their staff team… The way the service was led meant outcomes for people empowered them to grow in confidence and learn new skills.” The full report can be found here:  Lyndhurst – Care Quality Commission (cqc.org.uk) Registered Manager Danny Rawcliffe said of the report; “It is so nice to see all the references in the report to individual pieces of work that contribute to the overall picture of what makes Lyndhurst special.”  The Executive Management Group said “A huge congratulations to Lyndhurst for this achievement in their first CQC inspection. Thank you for all your hard work in achieving this result, we really value the work you do!”                  

On Saturday 17th December, an awards ceremony was held at the Care in Mind 2022 Christmas party, to celebrate the achievements of our wonderful staff across the organisation. The awards recognise the individuals and teams who emulate the Care in Mind values and go above and beyond in making a difference to lives of the young people we support, and to their colleagues. Staff across the organisation were invited to nominate their colleagues across the 10 categories. Head of Residential Services, Lauren Ugbode said “On behalf of the Executive Management Team, we would like to thank all our staff across all teams and departments who each do an outstanding job in looking after the young people within our services. These awards recognise individuals for their hard work, dedication and commitment to everything we do at Care in Mind. The categories are based on the Care in Mind Values, which underpin the culture and heart of the organisation. Huge congratulations to all our winners!” In addition to the ten Care in Mind Values awards, this year there were two additional accolades awarded, one to acknowledge Outstanding Achievement and one for Special Recognition. The full details of all the awards and the […]

The eating disorder epidemic is something never far from the media, with news stories often detailing how referrals and hospital admissions continue to rise. According to an article published by the Guardian, eating disorder referrals have seen a stark rise during the pandemic of 2020/21, with lockdown causing eating disorders to thrive and available treatment being significantly impacted by pandemic-related issues. Additionally, the number of routine referrals rose from 915 in April to June 2016 to 1,850 in the first three months of 2020, this number then continued to rise to a record high from July to September, as it went up to 2,001. This data is based on routine referrals starting treatment in the community for children and young people. However, even prior to the pandemic, referrals have been rising, with a NHS Digital press release based on the Health Survey for England finding that 19% over women aged 16 and over screened positive for a possible eating disorder when question on their relationship with food in 2019. The same survey also found that almost one in eight men also screened positive for an eating disorder. This ongoing epidemic is clear when reviewing the eating disorder hospital admission statistics […]

Care in Mind home, Ashurst has achieved an overall ‘Good’ rating, following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Inspectors examined services offered in December. They rated it ‘Good’ overall, and in each of the individual categories; safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns around risk and the CQC noted that although there were risks present due to the young people’s mental health needs, these risks were mitigated appropriately with clear and robust procedures in place to monitor and manage this. They also noted that were appropriate staffing levels to support this with staff well qualified to work with vulnerable people. The report said,  “Staff at Ashurst were extremely well supported. There was a thorough induction programme and ongoing appropriate training throughout their employment.” Inspectors found that the culture at the home was positive and inclusive, people’s needs were thoroughly assessed, and care plans included appropriate health and personal information. They noted staff worked with other agencies and professionals to ensure the young people’s needs were met appropriately with the young people being treated with respect and compassion. Julie Smith, Business Development Director at Care in Mind said, “Ashurst is one […]

A young person, who has been through our services, has produced this blog post to provide you with some tips and tricks he has found useful for coping with tough situations. These coping strategies are his own experience, and whilst they may be inspired by his time with Care in Mind, they are also unique to what he has personally found useful. Here are their tips, in five separate categories, based on different ways to cope: Coping strategies can come in many different forms and are useful for different people. Part 1: Sensory Coping strategies: There are two main sensory ways to help: one is via a sensory box and the other is creating a space that appeals to your sensory needs. To create a sensory box you need to find items that appeal to your senses, this could be any of the senses you have. One way is to use something called a sensory hand. This is where you grab a piece of paper and draw around your own hand and each finger can be a sense. Write down next to each finger what you like with each sense for example: for your sense of smell it could be […]

Care in Mind home, Stubblebank has achieved an overall ‘Good’ rating, following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Inspectors carried out an examination into services offered at the end of August. The CQC rated the home ‘Good’ overall, with each of the individual categories; safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led each receiving a good in their domain. Inspectors noted that staff had received the appropriate training and supervision to help support young people effectively. Staff were also praised for supporting service users in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests with the policies and systems in the service that supported this practice. The inspection report also noted that staff worked closely with other health and social care professionals to ensure that young people received appropriate and timely care with Stubblebank placing a strong focus on developing and maintaining young people’s independent living skills and supported individuals based on their bespoke recovery goals. The report said, “The service had an open and honest culture and staff showed commitment to achieving good outcomes for young people with complex mental health difficulties”   

To celebrate our 10 Year Anniversary, we are sharing journeys of our staff and ex-young people. This blog post was written by a ex-young person who recently left Care in Mind as part of our “Independence Package” – this is where the young person lives completely independently but still have access to psychological support. Part 1: Catching you up to speed Before I joined Care in Mind (CIM), I was in and out of hospital jumping in, getting meds and being discharged. The last time I was in hospital before moving to CIM, I did a severe attempt on my life and was sectioned on section 3 and was about 3 months into it. I felt hopeless about leaving Psychiatric units due to my recovery being very up and down. At this point, my Care Coordinator said she wanted to try something different than medication and wanted me to try psychology sessions, with a place to stay outside of the hospital while recovering. She told me that she had found a place called Care in Mind and that she wanted me to go there. A few days later, I got told I was going to be assessed by CIM with […]

To celebrate our 10 Year Anniversary, we are going to be sharing an insight into how various members of staff across the organisation have progressed internally. At Care in Mind, we are passionate about investing in our people and helping them to achieve their professional goals. We achieve this through staff support sessions, in-house training, and other career development opportunities. Across the organisation there are many inspiring individuals who have advanced through roles, whether solely residentially or starting in the Residential Team and moving through to Head Office. Here, Amanda Kavanagh shares an insight into her own journey. When did you join Care in Mind? and, what was your role? I joined in January 2015, and I started as a Bank Support Worker, where I then quickly progressed to a Team Leader position within our residential service in Liversedge until late 2018. How have you transitioned through roles and how did you end up in Head Office? I did a lot of Health & Safety work in my previous job. I brought a lot of forms with me to Care in Mind that I used to implement different checks at Lyndhurst. I became a bit of a Health & Safety […]

To celebrate our 10 Year Anniversary, we are going to be sharing an insight into how various members of staff across the organisation have progressed internally. At Care in Mind, we are passionate about investing in our people and helping them to achieve their professional goals. We achieve this through staff support sessions, in-house training, and other career development opportunities. Across the organisation there are many inspiring individuals who have advanced through roles, whether solely residentially or starting in the Residential Team and moving through to Head Office. Here, Karen Nairi shares an insight into her own journey. What initially attracted you to the organisation? It was my daughter really (who also works at Care in Mind), she just kept talking about what they do here, about the least restrictive policy and things like that. I had never worked with young people before, although I have worked in mental health for 20 years or more, so I decided to try a few bank shifts with Care in Mind. How have you transitioned through roles and reached your current position? I started as a Bank Support Worker, and I absolutely loved it, so then I started doing a little bit more, […]

During LGBT+ History Month, all of our homes engaged in various activities as part of our ‘Staying Connected’ programme. The programme has played a vital part in keeping young people engaged and connected during the pandemic, with different remote-friendly events planned throughout the year. During February 2021, the homes all engaged in a month of activities and education sessions to celebrate LGBT+ History Month. Why is this an important month to recognise within the homes? Within our homes, there are many young people that are proud to identify as LGBTQIA+, so this is naturally something that they feel passionately about and are motivated to get involved in. Additionally, as an organisation, we feel it’s important that all of our young people feel supported and comfortable in their identity. Part of this is celebrating alongside them when it comes to special events in the year, such as LGBT+ History Month. Furthermore, our residential teams often take the opportunity of awareness events to not only celebrate, but also educate. How did the homes get involved? One of our Yorkshire homes, Woodside, played a particularly important role in organising activities during one special week to promote LGBT+ History Month. The young people of […]

As a service we recognise the value and importance of service user feedback in helping us to improve our services and ensure that they are the best they can be for the young people who use them. Therefore, we feel it is vital that young people are regularly offered the opportunity to speak freely and openly about how they feel about the service. It is equally important to have an effective process in place to capture that feedback and ensure that it is implemented. To do this, at Care in Mind we conduct an annual ‘Service User Feedback Audit’ which takes place throughout June, July and August. As part of this audit all young people currently in service are sent a survey to complete. The survey covers all aspects of the service and contains questions on the following topics: The residential home and the environment Care in Mind Team Independence and recovery Education, vocation and activities Service User Involvement Care and treatment Information and communication Feedback and complaints Survey questions are mostly closed questions, making it easier for young people to complete. However, within the survey there are also lots of opportunities for young people to elaborate further on things […]

The eating disorder epidemic is something never far from the media, with news stories often detailing how referrals and hospital admissions continue to rise. According to an article published by the Guardian, eating disorder referrals have seen a stark rise during the pandemic of 2020/21, with lockdown causing eating disorders to thrive and available treatment being significantly impacted by pandemic-related issues. Additionally, the number of routine referrals rose from 915 in April to June 2016 to 1,850 in the first three months of 2020, this number then continued to rise to a record high from July to September, as it went up to 2,001. This data is based on routine referrals starting treatment in the community for children and young people. However, even prior to the pandemic, referrals have been rising, with a NHS Digital press release based on the Health Survey for England finding that 19% over women aged 16 and over screened positive for a possible eating disorder when question on their relationship with food in 2019. The same survey also found that almost one in eight men also screened positive for an eating disorder. This ongoing epidemic is clear when reviewing the eating disorder hospital admission statistics […]

At Care in Mind, there are many distinctive elements to how we do things, whether it’s our approach to therapeutic risk management or our specially trained clinical staff. We are proud to offer care with a difference, and strive to ensure that our staff are well supported in doing the amazing job they do. Here, one of our Clinical Psychologists, Emma Williamson, shares why working for Care in Mind has differed from her previous experiences: What makes us different? Before coming to work here, I worked in other NHS services locally, and came to know about Care in Mind from working on an inpatient ward. We had referred some young people to the service, and I had heard good things. While I didn’t know anything in detail, there was just a general sense of the service being good. They seemed like a nice place to deal with and refer young people to. So, when I saw a job advertised, I applied for it partly because it felt like somewhere I wanted to work, it seemed like a place that was very caring and compassionate and when I read up a little more, I really liked the therapeutic models and the […]

At Care in Mind, there are many distinctive elements to how we do things, whether it’s our least restrictive model of care or our commitment to staff. We are proud to offer care with a difference, and strive to ensure that our staff are well supported in doing the amazing job they do. Here, our Residential Services Manager, James Lucas, shares why working for Care in Mind has differed from his previous experiences: What makes us different? Having worked within the care sector since the age of 21 and having held a number of different roles within different care providers, I can honestly say that no company has come close to offering the support and guidance that Care in Mind does for its staff team. Obviously support structures like supervisions and team meetings are commonplace within the care sector. However, within Care in Mind, there is also Reflective Practice and Staff Support within service, as well as Team Briefs company wide. I feel that these support structures are something that are highly valuable in looking out for the welfare of our staff team. Working within residential care is a massively challenging job and staff are exposed to some really challenging […]

At the end of each year, we host a ‘Staff Awards’ celebration to recognise individuals who have gone above and beyond over the previous 12 months. During 2020, we were especially impressed with the resilience and dedication of all our staff, in a year of unprecedented challenges. So, although we weren’t able to get together in person, our virtual awards ceremony on 17th December was a particularly special celebration of our staff team’s achievements. Each category is carefully considered, and the finalists for each category were nominated by their colleagues, with the winner being carefully selected by our Executive Management Group. The ‘Young Person Award’ was particularly meaningful, as it was voted for by the young people we care for across Care in Mind. Our Winners Care in Mind Values Champion: Cara Godbold-Holmes (Residential Manager – Willowhurst), Danny Rawcliffe (Deputy Manager – Lyndhurst), Hannah Langton (People Services Manager) This is for an individual who consistently demonstrates the Care in Mind values (Committed, Empowering, Collaborative, Innovative, Compassionate and Respectful) within their role. Head Office Team of the Year: Service User Involvement Team This award was for a Head Office team who consistently demonstrate good team working, to deliver an efficient and […]

At Care in Mind, we pride ourselves on our commitment to our employees, because it is our hardworking, passionate colleagues who make us what we are. Therefore, when faced with the opportunity to step up our Investors in People (IIP) accreditation from the Standard First Time assessment to Silver or Gold, our People Services team decided that they wanted to quite literally, ‘go for gold’. Over many months, the team worked alongside IIP, with employees also getting involved through answering questionnaires and having interviews with an IIP representative. The People Services team were keen to achieve Gold as a way of recognising and showing to others that we are truly committed and invested in our staff. Subsequently, on 19th November 2020, we received the news that we had been awarded the Gold level accreditation. The CEO of IIP, Paul Devoy said of our achievement: “Gold accreditation on We invest in people is a fantastic effort for any organisation, and places Care in Mind in fine company with a host of organisations that understand the value of people.” We could not agree more with his words, and with just 17% of accredited organisations managing to achieve the Gold level, we really […]

At Care in Mind, we work within a least restrictive model, with an emphasis on therapeutic risk management. The dilemma of risking or restricting risk comes down weighing up long-term benefits with present day risks. So, why do we believe in long-term benefits and managing risk therapeutically and with the least restraint? When a young person spends lots of time in a hospital, it can lead to a heavy reliance on others to protect them. Additionally, it can be easy for them to unlearn, or become fearful of, various normal areas of life, such as making a cup of tea or using metal cutlery. Essentially, it can significantly hinder their ability to learn the value in responsibility and independence. This is especially true of young people who may have been in and out of hospital during their early teenage years. As well as a loss of independence and reliance on others, heavy restrictions can cause young people to feel out of control. Losing this control may lead them to take increased risks as time goes on, thus they find themselves in a dangerous cycle of risky behaviour. Of course, it is understandable that restrictive care has become the norm, as […]

Clinical audit and quality assurance are an important part of any healthcare organisation. Behind the scenes, Care in Mind is very much like a well-run machine with various vital components to keep things running smoothly. One component of our organisation that helps us to remain high-quality, compliant, and reflective is our Quality Assurance Department. The White Paper “Working for Patients” introduced the audit of clinical care initiative in 1989. The purpose of the initiative was to improve the quality of patient care and to ensure best practice is being undertaken. Whilst this process originated within the NHS, it is now embedded across many healthcare organisations, including Care in Mind. Additionally, our auditing process does differ from that of the NHS as we have a unique model of care. The auditing undertaken within Care in Mind is used to measure performance across all areas of the business: Residential audits Medication and physical health equipment audits are completed by the CQC champion of each home. Health and safety audits are completed by the health and safety champion in each house. File audits are completed, which review areas such as, care plans, risk management plans, daily notes, and incident reports. We also have a Service user involvement audit completed by […]

As a mental health care provider, our values are immensely important in helping us to achieve our core mission. With a strong set of values, we are able to ensure that as individuals, we can understand each other and work towards the same goal. This is particularly important when it comes to working within mental health care, as our collective goal is to help people, and the most effective way we can achieve this is together. Below, we are going to share with you how our values came to be, based on the words of Sharron Amri, our Managing Director: The journey of creating the Care in Mind values was a process that took several months. It was important to get right as we knew that they would carve out the company culture and reflect who we are and what we care about to all our stakeholders. We also strongly felt that the values should be created collaboratively with the very staff that embody them, so our employee focus group was a key part of the process. Firstly, the group looked at a number of visuals and everyone picked an image that they thought best described Care in Mind. Then, […]

Whilst mental health is more widely understood than it once was, there are still harmful myths and stigmas attached to it.    Continuing to believe these myths, and the many others that exist, seriously hinders the excellent progress being made regarding understanding mental health. So, in honour of World Mental Health Day, we want to disprove just a few mental health myths. MYTH: People with mental health issues are often violent and unpredictable. This particular myth is, sadly, commonly believed, and may somewhat be attributed to the way in which TV and film portrays mental illness. However, the truth is that there no evidence to say that people with a mental health condition are more likely to commit violent crimes. In fact, it is far more likely that someone with mental illness will be victim to violence or harm themselves. MYTH: Talking therapy either makes your condition worse, or doesn’t help at all. The myths surrounding treatment of mental illness are aplenty, and people often have their own opinion on what does or doesn’t work. Unfortunately, there are often falsely believed ideas about the benefits of therapy, but the truth is that therapy is a helpful part of recovery for […]

As what would have been Manchester Pride 2020 rolled around, Cherryhurst Support Worker, Liam, was keen to create our very own Care in Mind Pride event. Below, he shares how teamwork and kindness brought his idea into fruition, as well as details of the day itself: Care in Mind consistently practice with inclusivity, which I feel particularly aware of as a transgender man. Therefore, when it came to planning Care in Mind Pride 2020, I was not surprised by the enthusiasm my colleagues and Residential Manager, Dominic, encountered my idea with. Every step of the way, Dominic has been incredibly supportive in bringing the idea to reality, ensuring we had enough budget for decorations and rainbow party food! Additionally, we were met by extreme kindness from local businesses and charities who donated prizes and runway clothing for the day. Refuse To Conform clothing donated some prizes and gifts for the young people to thank them for their hard work towards making the day such a success. And, it was a local charity shop, West Kirby Cats Protection, that helped us pick out some amazingly fabulous runway outfits. The big day itself was a complete success; from the planning to the […]

Suicide is a taboo subject, however, talking about it in an appropriate and sensitive manner is hugely important. Much alike the wider conversation around mental health, talking about suicide may help someone who feels isolated in their thoughts, feelings or experiences. Individuals suffering with suicidal thoughts, suicide attempt survivors and those bereaved by suicide could all benefit from the support talking can bring with it. However, it can be a triggering topic, which is why it isn’t as simple as opening up the conversation – we must also get the dialogue right. Within our Model of Care, we focus a lot on the importance of the words we use and our body language. Don’t be afraid to be direct When it comes to talking about suicide, your instinct may be to tiptoe around the subject. However, it is better to ask simple, direct, but, still sensitively-worded questions. Through this method, the individual will be provided with the opportunity to share how they are feeling. In fact, according to Mind UK, research has actually shown that speaking openly about suicide can decrease the likelihood of the person acting on their feelings. Practice active listening Active listening is almost like an enhanced […]

Our brain has various methods for coping with trauma and stress, one of these methods is dissociation. When someone dissociates, their thoughts, feelings, behaviours, how they see their environment, memory, how present they are, and how they view the world disconnects. Their mind no longer works in harmony, and instead becomes separated. There are many theories of dissociation, but one is the idea that dissociation is a continuum, and that symptoms can range from mild to severe. In fact, for many of us, it may be a surprise to realise that we often mildly dissociate in our day-to-day life. Dissociation for some may mean ‘zoning out’ or ‘daydreaming’ – it may present itself as missing your exit on the motorway or losing track of time during in a dull meeting. However, for someone who has experienced trauma, dissociation can show itself in a more pronounced way. It may impact their memory, sense of who they are, and how they perceive the world. Severe dissociation may occur in many ways, such as forgetting past experiences, depersonalisation (feeling detached from yourself), or unusual experiences such as seeing/hearing things other people cannot. It may also cause vivid and realistic flashbacks to past trauma, […]

We began implementing “Safewards for Safehomes” at Care in Mind in 2015, to support our ethos of least restrictive practice and working therapeutically to manage risk. Our team worked alongside Professor Len Bowers of Safewards to adapt the ward-based model for our community setting. Working closely with Professor Bowers, we have been able to stay true to the original Safewards model. To our knowledge, we remain one of the only residential providers implementing the model within a community setting. Safewards is an evidence-based model that is designed to reduce conflict and containment, traditionally on ward environments. This is achieved through ten key interventions that serve to improve the relationship between staff and young people thereby reducing conflict and containment. You can find out more about the model and interventions on the Safewards website. We have found that the implementation of Safewards for Safehomes within our residential services has had an overwhelmingly positive impact. The model allows for a more therapeutic relationship between staff and young people. In fact, in many ways, it allows the young people in our care to see the staff as more human. It also complements other elements of our model of care, including the Boundary Seesaw […]

Building and maintaining healthy friendships is an important part of an individual’s journey to improved mental health. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to know exactly how to support friends who are struggling. Here, we have rounded up six simple tips to help you support your friend. Firstly, try to encourage communication and create a safe space for them to discuss how they feel. People who are dealing with a mental illness may not always be forthcoming in talking about their emotions. Therefore, be prepared to start the conversation rather than waiting for them to come to you. You can create a communication safe space by ensuring it is somewhere they are comfortable, and with few distractions around. When you are talking with your friend about their mental health, try not to make assumptions or diagnose them. Their diagnosis and subsequent solutions are areas best left to their healthcare professionals. When communicating with a friend about their mental health, listen to what they are saying and validate their feelings. We recently did a blog post about the importance on empathy, which may help you understand how to be validating in what you say. If your friend is not already seeking professional […]

This year, we will be entering the Great British Care Awards for the first time. Great British Care Awards are a series of regional events throughout the UK and are a celebration of excellence across the Care Sector. The purpose of the awards is to pay tribute to those individuals who have demonstrated outstanding excellence within their field of work. We have exceptional talent at Care in Mind, with staff regularly demonstrating a true passion and dedication to help our Young People. Through entering the Care Awards, we hope to shine a light on the amazing people that consistently work hard to uphold our values. Anyone can nominate a Care in Mind staff member, and through doing so, you will be supporting their dedication and commitment. Additionally, you will be helping to raise the profile of Care in Mind. If this is something you are interested in, please see the details below. The categories that we are eligible to enter are: The Care Employer Award The Care Newcomer Award The Care Team Award The Care Home Activity Organiser Award The Workforce Development Award The Care Innovator Award The Frontline Leaders Award The Home Care Coordinator Award The Putting People First/Personalisation Award […]

As an organisation, we are committed to service-user involvement, and thus, we encourage the young people to suggest projects and acitivites for the homes to engage in. Getting involved in projects is not only a rewarding way to spend time, but it is also a great opportunity for the young people and staff to engage with each other. Subsequently, the young people often take the lead in planning projects, and recently, a Yorkshire hub home resident formulated their own idea of a project to involve their home and local community. Their idea was to create a positivity tree to lift the spirits of their local community during the coronavirus pandemic. As a home, the young people worked on putting together boxes to share around the local area containing a positivity bauble, wooden heart, a leaflet about the home, an explanation of the ‘Positivitree’ and a small sweet treat. They were then dropped off to houses around their local community. In the box, there were instructions for individuals to write their own positive message or quote onto the wooden heart. The purpose being to hang these messages on the tree, thus creating an inspirational and happy place. On a sunny evening […]

Empathy, compassion and validation are a vital part of our company values. Alongside our five other key values, we are committed to being compassionate in all that we do. The act of being compassionate goes hand-in-hand with empathy and validation, and allows us to offer the best support to the young people within our care, thus successfully assisting them through their journey to recovery. But what exactly is empathy? And how does it relate to validation? Empathy can be understood using the metaphor of shoes – it is the act of placing yourselves in someone else’s shoes to understand how they feel. Naturally, depending on the condition of the shoes, the size, brand and style, you can’t always completely understand what it is like to wear the shoes of someone else. You can, however, use your own past experiences and knowledge to gain a good understanding of what other people’s shoes may feel like, which is where empathy comes in.  An important part of empathy is letting go of the idea that you must solve someone’s problems, or distract them from what they are feeling. Whilst this may sometimes be a useful tool, there are other occasions where the opposite is […]

One of the Care in Mind young people share a unique insight into how they have adapted to life in lockdown. How have you found lockdown? It has been hard. For the first three weeks I was stuck in a cycle and unable to sleep properly as I would be sleeping a lot in the day. There was nothing much I wanted to focus on and I didn’t know what to do. How have your therapy sessions altered? For me, I can’t communicate with people if it is not in person, so I was worried about how therapy sessions would be. I struggle to get as deep into things, and if it is not deep then I can’t advance more because I don’t enjoy it – I just don’t feel comfortable. It’s difficult because I do really want to move on and advance, I want to talk about so much but it’s a struggle. How have you overcome this? Instead of going deep into a situation, I am quickly analysing how I feel and asking myself questions like… “Ok, this happened to me. Well, why did this happen? What was the reactions of both people? Why did they react in […]

Care in Mind Clinical Psychologist, Dr Christy Laganis, shares her unique take on adapting to life in lockdown. Rather than being based in an open-office, trying to drown out the chitter-chatter around me, the majority of my days are now spent in my living room speaking to people online – it’s a bit weird. I was recently introduced to a new support worker, he asked me a question which took me by surprise, and I had to pause to think. The question was simple enough but few people other than my supervisor, manager and ‘buddy’ have taken the time to ask. The question: “how are you coping with all of this?” As a Clinical Psychologist, I spend most of my time listening to how people cope, or if I’m being truthful, trying to get people to acknowledge how they are coping. So, I should probably be comfortable talking about feelings-right? I think a common misperception of Clinical Psychologists is that we somehow do feelings better than everyone else or that we like them because we spend so much time going on about them. I’m mindful that I can’t speak on behalf of all Clinical Psychologists but let me be clear […]

Care in Mind Best Practice Facilitator, Dominique Hooper, shares her unique take on adapting to life in lockdown. So lockdown…. It’s been interesting to say the least. From the first announcement I felt relief, relief that I could work at home and be safe, relief that my salary would stay the same and relief that my son was at an age where he could be home alone for short periods while I delivered training etc. Then the guilt came momentarily when I realised my initial thoughts and concerns were about myself and my son, not the people around me. Then my mind worked a little over time and began to think about my 2 nanas and my grandad and how they would cope and how I would cope not seeing them. How will my mum and dad cope? What about my pregnant sister? What about my other sister’s wedding?  However, through routine I have managed well I think. Each morning, myself and Karen log on early and have a catch up and make each other laugh, which helps start our day on a high. Then, I meet for lunch with Alison and Karen on Teams as often as we can […]

Care in Mind Recruitment Coordinator, Matthew Fletcher, shares his unique take on adapting recruitment processes during a global pandemic. My experience working remotely from home has been positive all-round. Recruitment is the backbone of any business and it is something that we have managed to keep on top of. We are experiencing a rise in applications across the board so we initially vet each suitable candidate over the telephone to discuss the company, the role and the current pandemic which we are facing, and ultimately to discover whether a career with Care in Mind is what they truly want. The Recruitment Team have adapted and are growing evermore resilient by the day whether it be communicating over Microsoft Teams, Tele-vetting candidates more thoroughly, engaging with current candidates through the onboarding process or thinking up new, smart ways to recruit during such hard times. We have strengthened our already strong engagement methods with candidates who are going through onboarding and offered regular support and catch ups which has enabled us to retain a high percentage of them. Sometimes onboarding can take longer than we would like due to reference checks and DBS checks being carried out, so offering continual engagement throughout […]

Care in Mind Referrals Coordinator, Sue Bougen, shares her unique take on adapting the referrals process in lockdown. I’m Sue and I’m the Referrals Coordinator within the Business Development Team. The referrals team receive telephone and email enquiries from commissioners and sometimes current placements, enquiring about placing young people with Care in Mind. We follow enquiries through to receipt of referral, screening, arranging face-to-face assessments and communicating outcome decisions to commissioners. Pre-lock down, referrals activity was extremely busy so we had to put a lot of thought into just how this would work whilst we were all at home. Our first challenge was to ensure that we had all the necessary equipment so that communication channels could continue. This was swiftly sorted out by IT support, making sure we had ‘virtual’ phones on our laptops and that we could all access the network. Next, we set up daily Business Development meetings via Teams, which means that we can discuss referral activity, agree shared actions and ensure that we are all kept up to speed in our fast-paced department. These calls have been invaluable in avoiding duplication of work, sharing the load in what has continued to be a very busy […]

  Children are not immune to the effects of stress, but there are ways you can help them manage these feelings. Throughout our lives, we will often encounter stressful times, which is very normal. Learning to cope with this early on can equip children with the tools to manage later in life. Here, we share some helpful tips to assist in building up your child’s stress management ‘toolkit’. Talking It’s always important to encourage children to talk about how they are feeling, but it is especially important during difficult times. There are many ways you can put your child at ease when discussing their emotions, for example, make sure you get down to their level or lower, and ensure you give them your full attention. Additionally, refrain from assuming what your child is feeling, and instead take the time to truly listen and respect their emotions. For more tips on how to talk to your child about their feelings in the most effective way, check out our previous blog. Routine Maintaining a routine can be reassuring for children during times of stress or change. Routine can be as simple as meals being at the same time each day, or more […]

For some people, self-isolation may seem like a dream come true and for others, it may seem like a nightmare. However, the reality is that social distancing and self-isolation for those with symptoms is the current government advice for reducing the spread of Covid-19. Those with mental health difficulties may find this particularly challenging, especially with the level of uncertainty we are currently experiencing. This makes it all the more important that we practice self-care, whatever that means to you, and maintain our wellbeing at this time. But, how do we manage this when our movement is so limited?   Maintain structure & routine It may seem boring, but having structure and sticking to your usual routine can provide huge comfort and reduce stress levels. Naturally, your day will be different when isolating, but you can come up with a new structure whilst maintaining some similarity with your normal routine.  For example, if you usually get up at 8am and have breakfast, then continue to do this regardless of whether you need to be up at that time. Then, rather than travelling to college or work, you could use that same time to do some light morning exercise. When you may be […]

Within Care in Mind, there are many inspirational, passionate and professional women. During International Women’s Day 2020, we celebrated some of these individuals by asking them to share what they are most proud of. Below are the responses we received: Sharron Amri I am proud of my academic achievements, I have graduated from University twice despite leaving school with only one qualification. I am proud of my three children; they are good, thoughtful, kind and hardworking. I am also proud of overcoming my own battle with Mental Health. The people around me motivate me; those who show me unconditional love, kindness, and honesty; my family, friends, colleagues, Care in Mind staff and the young people. I feel blessed every day and this gives me strength to face challenges! Dominique Hooper I am proud of being a single parent raising the most kind, caring and considerate young man, who has been described as a “good friend to all” by his headmaster. Without my loving family and friends this would have been much more difficult and for that I am grateful to them. I am also proud of myself for climbing Mount Snowden, after putting it off for three years. The encouragement […]

Eating disorders are on the rise, with an estimated 1.25 million people living with one in the UK right now. Whether you’re a parent, carer or someone working within a care setting, a key concern is often ensuring that those we care for are receiving adequate nutrition and enjoying a healthy, happy life. This preoccupation with what we eat starts young, and for many mothers, it may even begin whilst our child is still in utero. Many mums-to-be are keen to eat the best diet for their unborn child, with the next concern being breast or bottle. Since I’ve taken on the ED role, I’ve noticed that as a society, we obsess about food, diet and our body image. It has truly become a national obsession! We are often bombarded with social media telling us what is and isn’t ok, often with polarising extremes of diet and body image. Personally, I have become increasingly aware of how I talk about food, calories, exercise and my appearance – much to my benefit, as I am now far less stressed about it. The worry over making sure our younger generation is not overweight has subsequently led to a preoccupation with ensuring children […]

The stigma attached to self-harm means that society has a limited understanding of what it is and why people do it. For many young people, it often serves a function, such as to regulate emotions or to communicate their distress. Andrew Sutton, our Clinical Nurse Specialist, shares the three key functions of self-harm for children and young people. To Regulate Self-harm is usually linked to an individual feeling overwhelming emotional pain, which they may find difficult to convey verbally. To cope with this pain, they may turn to harming themselves in order to alleviate their internal pain. Our brains are still forming well into our twenties, which means understanding the world and processing emotions can be limited. Coupled with the difficulty of being a young person these days, this can make for a very turbulent time. There are many barriers for young people when it comes to communicating their internal distress, such as; shame, fear or low self-esteem. Furthermore, everyone has an emotional baseline, meaning we all have a different distress tolerance. Some young people have a higher threshold to distress and may be less vulnerable to anxiety throughout adolescence. However, others may have a lower threshold, which coupled with […]

Negative body image and an unhealthy relationship with food has unfortunately become commonplace within society. Tackling these issues can feel overwhelming, whether it is a personal battle or one you want to help someone else face. To help, our Clinical Nurse Specialist and Eating Disorder Lead, Emma Shearer, has pieced together some top tips for tackling poor body image. 1. Prepare and eat food together. Make it a fun activity, perhaps even a positive distraction from negative feelings. 2. Avoid talking about diets and weight loss, especially around mealtimes, as this can be damaging for those struggling. 3. Add variety into your diet and let go of the ‘treat’ food mentality. Don’t be afraid of eating what you want, in moderation. 4. Engage in moderate exercise, making it a fun activity, such as: a dog walk, gardening or a bike ride in the park. 5. Consider how you describe your own body or that of others – is there an implied criticism of yourself or others? Whilst there may be more to recovery than just these tips, they are an ideal place to start. Small changes can eventually lead to a bigger shift within your mental health!

Talking about our mental health is challenging, regardless of age, but it is especially difficult for children and young people. However, just as it is a challenge to talk about our own mental health, it can also be difficult approaching the subject of your child’s mental health difficulties. Ensuring you go about it in a healthy and effective manner can have huge consequences on how helpful your input is. Below are some of key tips, based on our model of care, for discussing and understanding a young person’s mental health: Perhaps, one of the most important points is to try to understand and respect what they are feeling. Have no expectations and make no assumptions, we are all feel things differently, and thus our reactions can vary. Make sure you are sat with them at the same level, or lower if need be, as towering above someone can be intimidating. Listen carefully, exercise patience and give your full attention, as this will aid a child in feeling comfortable to open up. Encourage them to think critically and work through their challenges with your assistance. Steer away from confrontational questions, such as ‘did you harm yourself?’ and instead focus on how […]

Care in Mind originated through a passion to aid the recovery of young adults with complex mental health needs. One in eight people under the age of 19 have a diagnosable mental health disorder (NHS, 2017). Young people with complex mental health needs often end up being admitted to hospital for treatment. Whilst this is often a necessity, an unhealthy pattern of readmission can emerge. Prior to Care in Mind being founded, our Executive Management Team worked in inpatient CAMHS services. Here, they witnessed the difficulties in finding appropriate placements for young people to move onto after hospital admission, especially those with complex risk presentations and the need for ongoing therapeutic support. Founded in 2010, our aim has always been to assist young people in breaking free of the vicious readmission cycle. Therapeutic risk management, young person-centred care and a least restrictive approach is at the core of our model. Through this, we aim to transition young people out of inpatient care and provide an alternative to hospital admission. Initially, Care in Mind was established as a Tier 3+ CAMHS team, providing in-reach packages into residential homes run by partner providers. By 2014, we began providing residential care and mental […]

Young people across the globe look forward to prom as an important event in their lives. The American-born tradition provides teenagers with the perfect excuse to get dressed up and dance the night away. However, for many of the young people in our care, prom is a milestone they may have missed out on. With this in mind, and prompted by a young person’s suggestion, in 2019 we embarked on organising the very first Care in Mind prom. Our Young Persons’ Champions and Service User Involvement Coordinator supported the young people across our services in the organisation of the celebration. Our young people were significantly involved in prom arrangements to ensure the event was exactly what they wanted. Each home shared around preparation tasks, such as creating invites and choosing music. Taking place towards the end of the year, the event was ideal for celebrating individual achievements throughout 2019. On the night, each young person received a personalised award in recognition of their own unique triumphs for the year. Additionally, the Executive Management Group handed out five special awards  to recognise outstanding contribution over the last 12 months: Inspirational Young Person Award Outstanding Achievement Award Greatest Impact Award 2019 Initiative […]

Once again this year at Care in Mind we held our annual Christmas Card Competition. The competition is open to all young people across our services to design a Christmas card. The winning entry is then developed into an e-card to share with families, friends, external stakeholders and Care in Mind staff. The competition was judged by Care in Mind’s Executive Management Group (EMG) who had the tough job of deciding which of the designs would be crowned the winner. There was also a £50 love2shop voucher up for grabs for the creator of the winning design. This year we had a fantastic response with young people across several of our homes submitting their expertly crafted hand drawn designs to be judged by EMG. The competition was extremely tight and it was very difficult to decide on a winner! A decision was eventually reached and we are delighted to share with you the winning design from a young person at Reservoir Lodge. As the standard was so high and to recognise the efforts of all the young people who entered the competition, it was decided to include all the entries in the final E-card. I am sure you will all agree […]

We are delighted to report that Laura, one of our Young People’s Champions and previous Care in Mind service user, was recently nominated for an award at the Greater Manchester Care Leaver Awards 2019. The Awards were held at the Royal Northern College of Music on 23rd October. Laura’s leaving care worker, Sarah, nominated her in the “All Round Inspirational Person” award category. The nomination was in recognition of how far she has come since first being admitted into services at age 14, and all the incredible work she does now supporting other young people going through similar experiences. In her role as Young Person’s Champion at Care in Mind, Laura is integral in supporting our Service User involvement work, which includes: Developing and delivering training to new staff; including an introduction to Service User Involvement and the young person perspective on our model of care (TRUSST training) Supporting our interview process for new support workers, ensuring young people are represented Interview training for young people in our services Supporting involvement initiatives across the organisation, for example the 2019 Care in Mind Prom We are delighted that Laura was nominated for this award  and that her achievements (personal and work-related) […]

We are delighted to announce the opening of our newest home, Woodside, in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire! Woodside provides specialist therapeutic residential placements for up to 5 young people aged 16-25 with complex mental health needs. Woodside will implement Care in Mind’s established model of care, working innovatively to support young people with high levels of risk and complexity in the least restrictive setting. Our specialist model provides an integrated approach, with comprehensive clinical MDT support within the residential setting. Each young person has an allocated clinical nurse specialist and clinical psychologist and is under the care of a consultant psychiatrist. This enables timely, individualised interventions to be delivered to our young people. Least restrictive practice and a therapeutic risk management approach are central in how we work with young people. We approach risk management collaboratively with young people, with the aim of supporting them to develop resilience and responsibility. Our Young Person profile Age: 16-25 Gender: Male and Female We support young people with complex mental health presentations, including: A formal or Emerging Personality Disorder Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Moderate or severe Depression and/or Anxiety Psychotic Illnesses Attachment Disorder Eating Disorders Complex risk presentations (including self-harm) Adverse Childhood Experience […]

Understanding behaviours that challenge  in a community setting for young adults with a complex mental health presentation Wednesday 16th October | 12pm – 4pm | York Racecourse We are delighted to be hosting our next educational event in York on 16th October, considering behaviours that challenge in a specialist residential setting. This half day session will explore: The behaviours that might be considered challenging in a residential setting working with young adults with complex mental health presentations. The functions of these challenging behaviours for our young people. Consideration of key elements of the model of care at Care in Mind and how they work together to support management of challenging behaviours, including; Safewards for Safehomes; Structured Clinical Management (SCM-A), Therapeutic Risk Management, Boundary See-Saw and Staff Support & Reflective Practice. The event will be interactive and will allow professionals working with individuals with complex mental health presentations to learn and share experiences and best practice. The event is aimed at commissioners, social workers, care coordinators, mental health practitioners and other professionals working with young adults with complex mental health presentations. Attendance certificates will be issued at the end of the session. Lunch and refreshments will be provided on the day. Booking a place […]

Following the success of our last event Yorkshire, we are delighted to announce we will be hosting our next Educational Event in the North West in June. Our second event will take place at The Park Royal Hotel in Stretton, Warrington on Wednesday 19th June 2019, from 12 pm – 3 pm. Our inaugural event in Yorkshire in March began with an introduction and welcome from our Director of Business Development, Julie Smith before a series of presentations by a number of Care in Mind professionals from different areas of the organisation. Presentations started with an overview of Care in Mind, the origins of the company and a brief insight into the future plans of the organisation, delivered by Dr Rachel Scullion, Clinical Director. Care in Mind’s Best Practice Facilitator, Dominique Hooper then delivered an interactive presentation on Safewards for Safehomes, encouraging delegates to take part in group activities and share their thoughts on some the interventions that we use in our services. Following a quick break, presentations resumed with Clinical Nurse Specialist and Clinical Lead for Yorkshire, Josef Comyn-Doyle. Josef explained more about our approach to therapeutic risk management and how specific risks are managed within our homes. An open […]

Throughout April, Care in Mind have been raising awareness and sharing tips and ideas that our employees can take part in to help relieve stress. Stress Awareness Month is a national campaign that has been recognised since 1992, designed to increase the public’s awareness around the causes, cures and effects of stress on your body and mind. Workplace stress can have a huge impact on organisations, so supporting staff in recognising and managing stress in the workplace is key. Our People Services Department led weekly campaigns throughout the month looking at the impact stress can have on individuals and teams and how we can cope with and relieve stress both in and outside of the workplace.   Raising Stress Awareness Throughout the month we shared resources with our staff teams on how stress can affect individuals and how managers can support the positive mental health of their teams. Staff have been considering how stress makes them feel and behave, how it can affect them in the workplace and sharing tips on how they reduce and relieve their own stress. Active Week The aim of Active Week was to promote the positive effects of activity and a healthy lifestyle on mental […]

We are delighted to announce that our newest home, Cherryhurst, is due to open on Monday 4th March 2019. Cherryhurst is located in West Kirby, Wirral, and will offer specialist residential placements for up to 5 young adults aged 18-30 with complex mental health needs. Working to Care in Mind’s established and innovative model of care, the service will support young people presenting with high levels of complexity and risk in the least restrictive setting. Young adults may transition to Cherryhurst from inpatient settings, and we can also provide an alternative to hospital admission as we are able to manage significant levels of risk in a least restrictive community environment. Our unique model provides 24/7 on-call and crisis intervention, to support young adults to maintain their community placement and avoid readmission. Our evidence-based model of care is supported by a structured MDT including Clinical Nurse Specialists, Psychologists and Consultant Psychiatrists. Cherryhurst is a spacious, detached property located in a quiet community setting. The house has a large open plan kitchen/lounge area, as well as a second lounge, providing plenty of communal space for the individuals placed there. There are 5 bedrooms, some with en-suite bathrooms. The new service expands our […]

In March, Care in Mind are holding an Educational Event in West Yorkshire. This will be the first in a series of events that we plan to host throughout 2019 for our colleagues in the NHS and social care. The events will provide the opportunity to hear from Care in Mind professionals about our specialist model of care and positive outcomes.   Working with complex young adults in a specialist residential setting: Promoting recovery through least restrictive practice   Wednesday 27th March 2019 | 12 pm – 3 pm Holiday Inn Leeds Brighouse (just off the M62, J25)   This event is aimed at professionals working with 16-30-year olds with complex mental health needs and significant risk presentations. We will be exploring issues surrounding the support of this complex client group in a residential setting. The afternoon will feature presentations and workshops on: Outcomes achieved with complex cases at Care in Mind Dr Rachel Scullion, Clinical Director Self-harm and therapeutic risk taking: the Care in Mind approach Josef Comyn-Doyle, Clinical Nurse Specialist Safewards for Safehomes: applying Safewards in a residential setting Dominique Hooper, Best Practice Facilitator   The seminar will also include a service user’s perspective on the therapeutic risk approach and […]

For the second year running, Care in Mind are pleased to announce that we have been recognised as a Mindful Employer. This illustrates our commitment to supporting our staff who may suffer with mental health difficulties and the approach we have when recruiting staff for our services. As an employer, we recognise and support employees who experience mental health difficulties and the stigma and discrimination that surrounds the topic of mental health in today’s media. In 2017, Care in Mind signed the Charter for Employees who are Positive about Mental Health. As an employer and a mental health provider for young people, we are committed to not only supporting our young people throughout their placements but also supporting our staff and colleagues and focus on creating an open culture environment where staff are able to talk openly about mental health in their place of work.   What does this Charter mean for Care in Mind? In signing this charter, Care in Mind have made an ongoing commitment to our staff to: Provide non-judgemental and proactive support to individual staff who experience mental health difficulties. Not make assumptions that a person with a mental health condition will be more vulnerable to […]

On Saturday 8th December, Care in Mind celebrated in style at our annual Christmas Party and Staff Awards Ceremony. This year’s event was a Casino Royale theme and gave our teams the chance to dress up and celebrate a year of amazing achievements.   Care in Mind Auction The celebrations also included a charity auction in aid of three charities: The Seashell Trust (http://www.seashelltrust.org.uk/) – supporting children and young adults with complex learning disabilities and additional communication needs The Down’s Syndrome Association (https://www.downs-syndrome.org.uk/) – “Helping people with Down’s syndrome to live full and rewarding lives” The Stockport Women’s Centre (https://www.thewomenscentre.uk.net/) – which specialises in providing services for women surviving poverty, social exclusion and emotional trauma consequent to sexual and/or domestic abuse. Expertly compered by Josef Comyn-Doyle, Clinical Nurse Specialist, the auction was a roaring success! Along with the raffle, we raised over £1500 for the charities. We’d like to extend our thanks to all the organisations who got involved providing gifts and experiences – there were some incredible lots up for grabs on the night including: Signed football memorabilia Chauffeur-drive experience Restaurant vouchers Night out experiences The auction followed our annual staff awards ceremony, where our Executive Management Group presented […]

Care in Mind are pleased to share with you that once again this year we have taken part in The Wellspring’s annual Christmas Project, the Rucksack Appeal. Our receptionist, Karen Hill, led the collection, with donations made to the appeal by staff and young people across our eight residential homes and our head office.   Who are The Wellspring and what do they do? The Wellspring charity is a resource centre for homeless and disadvantaged people. They provide referrals into housing; supporting rough sleepers into getting off the streets and into safe accommodation, 365 days of the year. The overall aim of The Wellspring is to considerably reduce homelessness and eventually, prevent homelessness in the future. The Wellspring also provide many educational, computer and art courses to allow rough sleepers to build their skills base with the hope that they will be back in employment and off the streets in the future.   Staff and service users across Care in Mind have been working together to fill boxes of essential items that are needed not only over the Christmas period but for the next few colder months. Taking part in this project is not only a way to engage staff […]

Earlier in November, Stubble Bank, our specialist mental health residential service in Ramsbottom, organised a dog walk. Staff and young people from other services across the Care in Mind group were invited to take part in walking around the beautiful Lancashire countryside. Near to Stubble Bank and The Stables in Ramsbottom. Young people, staff and their very well behaved four-legged friends met at a local pub before walking up to the Peel Tower, a historic landmark 335 metres above sea level and has amazing views of the Lancashire landscape.

In October the young people at Lyndhurst, our home in West Yorkshire, worked together to host a Coffee Morning to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. Staff and young people from services across the organisation were invited to come and take part in a variety of activities, including: Pumpkin carving Care in Mind Bake Off Slip and slide Face Painting Raffle Gemma Waddington, Deputy Manager of Lyndhurst says: “This was a fantastic event all the young people and staff had an amazing time. We all loved the food and cakes the young people made some delicious ones and I’m sure everyone enjoyed throwing sponges at me!” Well done to everyone at Lyndhurst for arranging a brilliant day and for raising a total of £100.72!    

The 10th October 2018 was World Mental Health Day and this year the theme was “Young People and Mental Health in a Changing World”, focusing on the different issues that young people are facing across the world today including topics such as: Gender Identity Cyberbullying Suicide Effects of Trauma As Care in Mind are a provider of specialist mental health residential services for young people, we wanted to engage with our young people about what was important to them on this World Mental Health Day, so we asked them to share their own responses to the statement “I wish people knew…” The responses we received were really powerful and inspiring!   Staff at our Head Office also got involved in World Mental Health Day by wearing green to show their support for raising awareness and reducing the stigma surrounding mental health today for young people.

We are delighted to announce that our newest service, Reservoir Lodge, is now open and accepting admissions. Reservoir Lodge offers specialised therapeutic residential placements for up to 4 young people aged 16-25 with complex mental health needs. Our innovative and evidence-based model of care is supported by a structured MDT including psychiatrists, psychologists and clinical nurse specialists, and aims to support young people in transitioning towards independent life in the community.   Reservoir Lodge is a spacious, detached house with calming views over Eccup Reservoir. The house has a large garden and a separate guest house, allowing young people to take time for themselves in their own space. The new service expands our offering in the North of England, allowing us to provide much needed additional specialist placements for young people in the least restrictive environment out of hospital settings.   Our Managing Director, Sharron Amri says of the new service: “We are delighted to have further expanded our provision in such a beautiful house where our young people can make some positive steps in being the best they can be and making some positive changes during their journey to recovery.”         For more information about our […]

Care in Mind Candidate Privacy Notice Introduction Through our candidate application and recruitment process Care in Mind will collect, process and store personal information about you. Candidate data is processed for four main purposes which are; (a) application, (b) assessment and (c) pre-employment screening, and (d) worker permissions.   This document explains why we collect your personal information, what information we collect and how it is processed. In this Privacy Notice the term “processing” covers all activities involving your personal information, including collecting, handling, storing, sharing, accessing, using, transferring and disposing of the information. 1) Why do we collect your personal information? To manage your application, we will process certain personal information about you. The purposes for this are set out below. We only process your information which is necessary for the purposes of progressing your application or which is required by law or any regulatory requirements.  There are rules set out by Article 6 (general data) and Article 9 (for special data) that we comply with for the strict purpose of the data we collect, use and store.  Not all of the purposes set out below will apply to you. Application: CV, application form,name, address, employment history, academic and […]

Care in Mind has recently taken the pledge, with the Restraint Reduction Network, to work towards creating restraint-free environments for young people in our care. What is it that the Restraint Reduction Network do? Their mission is to be clear and transparent when it comes to their commitment to all the people that use, work and are involved in their services. They want all their staff to work together effectively to make sure that the use of coercive and restricted practice is minimised, and the misuse and abuse of restraint is prevented altogether. They will work together with all those who have taken to pledge to build restraint free services that are built on continuous improvement and learning. Why have Care in Mind taken the pledge? “Care in Mind have always been passionate about creating services for young people with complex mental health conditions, free from restraint, we are very committed to provide a restraint free service, promoting inclusion and recovery”. Sharron Amri, Managing Director. What are the Values and Principles of the Restraint Reduction Network? The Restraint Reduction Network agree to abide by 12 common values and principles that they follow and are at the core of all of […]

We are very pleased to announce that Care in Mind has been awarded Investors in People recognition at our first-time assessment. Julie Burton, HR Manager, explains; “This a fantastic achievement for the company and all of the staff that work for Care in Mind. The company has grown significantly over the past two years and we have achieved some fantastic outcomes for the young people we support. This could not have been achieved without the dedication of our staff that work tirelessly to support Care in Minds aims. The IIP assessment highlighted a number of strengths for the company such as the learning we have done as we have grown and the company’s willingness to introduce changes as a result of this. It was also highlighted that our approach to staff support really set the company apart as staff confirmed that the welfare and well-being of both young people and staff were paramount. The next stages for Care in Mind are to develop this recognition further over the next few years and continue to aim to be an employer of choice in the care sector.”

We value the opinions of all our Young People and we are always keen to develop fun events specifically for them. The next event should be held at the end of Autumn! Let us know your ideas. More details to follow.

We had a lovely day yesterday in Lyme park, although some were left a little sunburnt! We all met early Sunday and went for a 6-mile walk through muddy fields, up steep hills, passed deer, and around a cage before chilling out at the cafe and treating ourselves! The next ramblers walk is just being organised!! #CareinMind #Ramblersclub

Congratulations and a massive well done to all those that have completed their Qualification as part of the Care in Mind Academy! #Success #CareinMind #CareinMind Academy http://ow.ly/i/tG2K2

We did it!! 16 staff and young people rocked up to Tesco in Macclesfield for the start of the Middlewood way. 10 miles walking to raise money for the NSPCC.