[Chris - Rethink]

Hi all,

Rosemary from Rethink will be here on Thursday 20th January to answer your questions about personalisation.

Do you use personalised services at all? Would you like to? Or maybe you're not sure what it entails - ask your question here!

Chris

PS Rethink is about to launch a new website about personalisation - you can see a sneak preview (with some unfinished bits and pieces) here www.rethink.org/personalisation

[alienpresence]

Do you need to smash the local shop up or something to access it? I haven't seen my CPN in months and feel like I've been forgotten by system. It came to mind that this might be because the people who obtain attention are those willing to throw their rattles out the pram. Is this personalised service meant to focus all the help on the rattle throwers, the squeaky wheels, at the expense of the quiet ones at the back of the class? Being a quiet one, my rattle throwing days are mostly over and I'm med compliant, what does this seemingly new over optimised effeciency obsessed system have to offer me? and those like me?

[ghost]

alienpresence, on 11 January 2011 - 06:03 PM, said:

Do you need to smash the local shop up or something to access it? I haven't seen my CPN in months and feel like I've been forgotten by system. It came to mind that this might be because the people who obtain attention are those willing to throw their rattles out the pram. Is this personalised service meant to focus all the help on the rattle throwers, the squeaky wheels, at the expense of the quiet ones at the back of the class? Being a quiet one, my rattle throwing days are mostly over and I'm med compliant, what does this seemingly new over optimised effeciency obsessed system have to offer me? and those like me?

Yep, care is mostly given based on behaviour, the entire system itself is geared towards behaviour rather than need.

[ramboghettouk]

I agree they're only concerned wsith those non med compliant who get into the press etc, i'v e applied for direct payments had it blocked, it reached the ombudsman who's now agreeing with the council that my needs are in the low category, i wonder if they'd say that if i came off meds, the way things are going it's a temptation to come off meds, i just think sometimes about whther it'd be moral to expose those around me to an off meds possibly psychotic me

Personalisation, i have a horrible feeling it's going to replace benefits and everything else and i'm liable to miss the boat

A question what do you do if social services are blocking it

[Ditko]

Has someone put something in my drink? I can't make head nor tail of this. Is there a freemasons society within mental health. If anyone can explain this whole personalisation budget thing, i'd greatly appreciate it. I can't even get incapacity benefit at the moment.

[firemonkey]

alienpresence, on 11 January 2011 - 06:03 PM, said:

Do you need to smash the local shop up or something to access it? I haven't seen my CPN in months and feel like I've been forgotten by system. It came to mind that this might be because the people who obtain attention are those willing to throw their rattles out the pram. Is this personalised service meant to focus all the help on the rattle throwers, the squeaky wheels, at the expense of the quiet ones at the back of the class? Being a quiet one, my rattle throwing days are mostly over and I'm med compliant, what does this seemingly new over optimised effeciency obsessed system have to offer me? and those like me?

Tell all and sundry that you regularly self harm and make dramatic gestures about wanting to top yourself on a regular basis then you'll get quick access to it.

If your problems are more chronic and subtle you'll get passed over when it comes to accessing such help.

[ghost]

Ditko, on 11 January 2011 - 09:35 PM, said:

Has someone put something in my drink? I can't make head nor tail of this. Is there a freemasons society within mental health. If anyone can explain this whole personalisation budget thing, i'd greatly appreciate it. I can't even get incapacity benefit at the moment.

Theres more info here Ditko My link

[Ditko]

ghost, on 12 January 2011 - 12:29 AM, said:

Theres more info here Ditko My link

My scepticism has got the better of me, I smell a rat.

[alienpresence]

Ditko, on 12 January 2011 - 12:50 AM, said:

My scepticism has got the better of me, I smell a rat.

I think it may be a digital thing like the jehovahs witnesses. Your in or your out but there isn't a inbetween. The question is whether it is safer to be in or out with regards a headless cult run on tickboxes and very likely to mutate into something nasty. Consider what happened to the useless eaters last time there was a depression of this magnitude and a sovereign hyper-debt economy? Risk it with the mindless mob out side the system, who if they detect non-conformist opinions will slaughter us? or risk it with the system that apparently cares for us but only really cares to keep themselves employed and see us a s a means to that end?

[Chris - Rethink]

Hi all,

Rosemary will be here to answer your questions about personalisation on 20th January - it is confusing (to me as well), which is why we're doing this.

I suggest you take a look at our (unfinished!) Personalisation website here: www.rethink.org/personalisation and see if that raises more detailed questions for you.

Please try to keep this thread for questions for Rosemary only, rather than discussion - though if you want to debate the issues I'm happy to create a thread for that.

Chris

[I am an Aardvark]

Chris - Rethink, on 12 January 2011 - 10:13 AM, said:

Rosemary will be here to answer your questions about personalisation on 20th January - it is confusing (to me as well), which is why we're doing this.

So it's confusing to you - a 'normal' that has had no severe MH difficulties; & someone that doesn't have to use this system. & yet people that have suffered & who are suffering with severe MH issues & difficulties are expected to make sense of it all? Disgusting.

Maybe Rethink & this Government are trying to confuse us all to Death?

[Chris - Rethink]

The whole point of this is to help everyone make sense of this system (which wasn't created by Rethink, by the way), not demand that you make sense of it on your own.

Personalisation is a system place in some local authorities whereby people with a need for care can be given an individual budget, that they can use to purchase their own services, rather than have their services bought (or 'commissioned') for them. It is going to be rolled-out into more local authorities over the coming year, as I understand it.

Please read our FAQ about Personalisation here - please note, the website isn't finished yet.

[I am an Aardvark]

Chris - Rethink, on 12 January 2011 - 01:42 PM, said:

Personalisation is a system place in some local authorities whereby people with a need for care can be given an individual budget, that they can use to purchase their own services, rather than have their services bought (or 'commissioned') for them. It is going to be rolled-out into more local authorities over the coming year, as I understand it.

So in English that means that the people that really need help get less of it.

[Chris - Rethink]

Why do you think that? It's more about customising your services. See some Personalisation stories here- based on real life but names etc. changed.

Again, please note the website is not 100% finished yet.

[I am an Aardvark]

Chris - Rethink, on 12 January 2011 - 01:45 PM, said:

Why do you think that?

Because everything is being aimed at cost cutting; reducing services, & social isolation & exclusion; there isn't anything being done to genuinely help those that are in severe mental distress.

How is someone in a severe psychosis meant to access any of this??? Let alone initially figure it all out???

[melody]

I am a serial rattle thrower!! I have for over a year been campaigning to get more help for my brother who has been neglected by the local CMHT. Even with all the noises I have made (seeing managers, directors, lodging a formal complaint, seeing our local Mayor twice)... my brother (who is schizophrenic, is still left in an unsupported flat on his own, with very little input from the CMHT. The personalisation of his case just involved them throwing money into an account which I managed on his behalf in order to get carers to visit him daily to give him lunch. He rings me often to say he has no food in, no money, often no gas/electricity and yet the council will not let me use the direct payments for any of these things. It's ridiculous and stressed me out so much that I had a breakdown myself! Care in the community DOES NOT WORK. I hope you get the help you deserve alienpresence, but unfortunately, you do have to make a noise.
My main issue is my brother has been assessed as "having capacity", so can make choices, albeit wrong ones in most people's estimation. huh?? He thinks his flat is NASA control centre and has no idea how to look after himself. How is that having capacity to make wise choices, when he is quite simply off the planet??? My next plan is to go ahead with the Press who have caught wind of this story. I am hoping it will help not only my brother, but people who do not have anyone to speak up for them xx

alienpresence, on 11 January 2011 - 06:03 PM, said:

Do you need to smash the local shop up or something to access it? I haven't seen my CPN in months and feel like I've been forgotten by system. It came to mind that this might be because the people who obtain attention are those willing to throw their rattles out the pram. Is this personalised service meant to focus all the help on the rattle throwers, the squeaky wheels, at the expense of the quiet ones at the back of the class? Being a quiet one, my rattle throwing days are mostly over and I'm med compliant, what does this seemingly new over optimised effeciency obsessed system have to offer me? and those like me?

[ghost]

Chris - Rethink, on 12 January 2011 - 01:42 PM, said:

The whole point of this is to help everyone make sense of this system (which wasn't created by Rethink, by the way), not demand that you make sense of it on your own.

Personalisation is a system place in some local authorities whereby people with a need for care can be given an individual budget, that they can use to purchase their own services, rather than have their services bought (or 'commissioned') for them. It is going to be rolled-out into more local authorities over the coming year, as I understand it.

Please read our FAQ about Personalisation here - please note, the website isn't finished yet.

I'm struggling to understand what has changed with this. Didn't supporting people and others assign funding for care in the same way? I was under the impression when i asked for floating support from Rethink that they then put in a form to 'supporting people' to fund that support. In my case i chose the support, whats changed with this?

[alienpresence]

Make it difficult to access so people don't? Then they can use this as a lever to remove other benefits like DLA?

[Chris - Rethink]

It sounds like we need to know the history/background of Personalisation, as I'm fairly sure it all started long before the current financial crisis.*

Here's an article I've just found from the Community Care magazine website- I think Rosemary will be able to tell us how accurate it is, but it's quite interesting!

*Edit - correction, according to the article, the extending of direct payments to people with mental health care needs happened in 2009. However I remember editing leaflets about direct payments in relation to physical disabilities for a London council many more years ago.

[ramboghettouk]

Read on the brent mind website they'll do personalisation as long as they keep a bit of the money, maybe i should try them, my diy with an advocate has reached the ombudsman who agrees with the council i have low care needs, chris said the ombudsman was independent well they're out to make savings just like the council

Some manager phoned another meeting, she says it's to explain the decision

Seems to me personalisation is money given to those with carers instead of services, when money isn't really the issue to carers in the way it is to me, when however i ask for personalisation instead of services it's blocked and they come up with completely opposite reasons

They say me doing without the things i asked for internet computer is not a threat to my independence, i'm not so sure particularly on top of benefit cuts, as it is hospital sometimes seems to have advantages