Guest blog by Debbie Cleaveley (Recovery College Trainer and Mental Health Nurse)   There’s no one more surprised to be a guest blogger than me as up until a couple of years ago, I thought that my career was over and that I was destined for a life of depression. I thought that […]

Guest blog by Sam Wilson, Healthcare Support Worker     Hi I’m Sam. I’m a healthcare support worker and I work in inpatient psychiatry. In this role I work alongside talented professionals such as qualified nurses and occupational therapists to provide therapeutic sessions to our inpatients. In this blog entry I hope to provide you […]

By Nic Higham I’ve been a fan of a meditative self-inquiry process known as ‘The Work’ for a few years now. The Work is a simple yet powerful process that teaches you to identify and question the thoughts that cause suffering. It’s a way to understand what’s hurting you, and to address the cause of […]

This fascinating account of how dogs are trained, in America, to support people with dementia comes via the Alzheimers’ Society online forum. Star Wards, as you’ll probably know, evangelical about the benefits of dogs for people with mental illness, including in hospitals. Wardipedia has a feature on animals on wards (Idea #6 Animals ), including […]

By Nic Higham (Inpatient Care Consultant and Health Care Support Worker)   Being somebody who has never really been into sport and who is allergic to most kinds of popular national hype, I thought I’d be successful in avoiding all manifestations of the 2012 Olympic Games. How wrong I was. Not because I chose to avoid it […]

Sunday was a special day. I provide respite care for Eddie (30, who has been staying with me for 25 years!) and Matthew (12), who both have Williams Syndrome, a blessing of a ‘condition’ as kids and adults with it are usually exceptionally sweet-natured, as indeed are my lads. Matthew was in concert on Sunday […]

I met Sue Merchant when we were running our London Bridges project, during which Jude Hackett worked closely with a number of London Trusts to help them set up Star Wards. Sue was NELFT’s service improvement manager and simply one of the most impressive, dynamic, warm, committed members of staff I’d come across. It was […]

The dynamic Dorset Mental Health Forum ran a fantastic art project and their report on this is exceptional. Written by an OT, Jackie Lawson, it’s a richly described account of the project, which weaves in thoughtful observations about the individuals and how their art, and the process which created it, reflects important aspects of their […]

Quick recap from newsletter #53:   How Recovery Bracelets came into being Many thanks to Kim Parker for sending me details about this brilliant initiative which applies recovery model philosophy to fashion, enhancing patients’ self-esteem, providing enjoyable occupation and generating income. How creative and practical is that? We were in a Star Wards meeting planning […]

Regulars will know that we’re huge fans of Harrison House in Grimsby, and I am deepy grateful for the friendship and energetic help of their incomparable Ellie Walsh. Huge congratulations to all at Harrison House and the brilliant Tukes employment company for winning the Guardian’s Public Service Awards, in the complex needs category. Here’s the […]