Mental Health and Learning Disability Services for Devon

Working in partnership with Exeter College and Mind Exeter and East Devon, Devon Partnership NHS Trust has launched its first Devon Recovery Learning Community prospectus.  The courses are open to people with lived experience of mental health difficulties, their family and friends and the professionals who support them. The courses aim to provide:

Knowledge
- about the experience of mental distress
- about what we mean by Recovery

Skills
- ways of managing a mental health problem
- how to look after your own wellbeing
- how to think about getting back into work
- practical creative skills like woodworking

Opportunity
- the chance to meet other people and share your experience
- opening up new avenues for learning making new choices possible

Click here to view the prospectus, courses on offer and how to book.

We believe that sharing people’s stories is a powerful way to give hope and inspiration to others who may be experiencing similar challenges.

On World Mental Health Day in 2009, Beyond the Storms was published - a collection of stories from people across Devon who have experienced mental ill health and emotional distress.  Films of people’s stories are also available on our YouTube channel.

To continue to collect and share stories we asked Recovery Devon to recruit a Peer Reporter and we are delighted that Francis Hallam was appointed towards the end of 2012. Francis has been working collaboratively with both staff and people who use our services to help them tell their stories and has found the role deeply moving and satisfying. 

Click here to read more

Devon Partnership NHS Trust’s brand new medium secure facility, the Dewnans Centre, has opened on time and on budget. 

Located at the top of the Langdon site in Dawlish, the £27m Dewnans Centre is the most modern facility of its kind anywhere in the country.  Its state-of-the-art design sees 60 beds located in four wards, alongside a wide range of recreational, educational and vocational resources that include a Sports Barn and Therapies Centre.

Dr John Parker, Clinical Director at Langdon Hospital, said:  “We are all very proud of the Dewnans Centre and it will provide a fantastic environment for the people we support and the staff who work with them.   Of particular importance is the fact that we can now provide services to support a broader range of people. This means we are able to care for some people who have previously had to be treated outside Devon – meaning that they can now be closer to their families and friends.  There are also new employment opportunities for local people and the recruitment of nurses and other professionals to join the team has been very successful.”

Photos from the recent open day

Time to Change is launching a brand new advertising campaign this week to celebrate 'everyday heroes' - ordinary people who have taken small steps to be there for someone with a mental health problem. Showing your support when someone feels unwell doesn't necessarily mean making any grand gestures. More often than not, it's just about doing little things, like sending a text or making a cup of tea. And you can be an everyday hero too - by starting your own conversations and promoting the campaign. Here are a few ways that you can help spread the word: 

Use the top tips card - click here to view the top tips card 
Share the TV advert or one of the videos - click here to watch the new TV advert 
Sign the Time to Change pledge wall - click here to go to the pledge wall

Find out more about the campaign on the Time to Change website.

Beyond the Storms is a collection of stories from people across Devon who have experienced mental ill health and emotional distress. It was published to coincide with World Mental Health Day in 2009. Hard copies are available by emailing dpn-tr.info(*at*)nhs.net  Alternatively, a PDF version of Beyond the Storms is available for download by clicking this link

Working with our recovery partners across Devon and Torbay we have jointly published a guide entitled Putting recovery at the heart of all we do. This shares the values, principles, practices and standards that we all endeavour to work towards in supporting people's recovery.