MH42.2013 Enable people with mental health needs to participate in activities and networks

Overview

This standard is about encouraging and supporting people with mental health needs to participate in activities. Activities could include social, economic, cultural, spiritual and leisure activities and networks within the community. At the centre of the standard is the right of people with mental health needs to full social inclusion and the standard covers the role that service providers can play in facilitating this, empowering and enabling people with mental health needs to participate to the extent that they wish. This standard applies to those who work to promote the social inclusion of people with mental health needs within mainstream communities. Users of this standard will need to ensure that practice reflects up to date information and policies. Version No 2

Knowledge and Understanding

You will need to know and understand:

1. factors affecting people's needs and/or abilities to organise support, assistance and to take direct action
2. factors which influence people's self-image and their willingness and interest in interacting with others
3. the types of support and assistance which people may need at different times and in different contexts and how to access these
4. sources of information on networks and mainstream provision
5. what sorts of information people may need, how it is to be used and how confidentiality can be maintained
6. the importance of valuing, recognising, respecting and promoting the diversity, expertise and experience of people with mental health needs and their significant others
7. how to challenge assumptions in a constructive way that raises awareness and understanding
8. the forms which discrimination may take, the behaviours which may be expressions of these and how they may differ between different groups and in different settings
9. the possible effects of stereotyping, stigmatisation, prejudice and labelling on people and how to support people who may have experience of these
10. factors which may exclude people from provision and how to deal with these
11. what constitutes discrimination, both direct and indirect
12. your own values and how these affect your work with people who use services and with other service providers
13. the importance of and how to challenge discrimination and oppressive behavior within and through your organisation's structures and outside of these
14. causes of discrimination and harassment
15. procedures for recording and reporting discriminatory practices and incidents
16. the principles and values of recovery
17. the current national legislation, guidelines and local policies and protocols which affect your work practice
18. the current resources available in relation to supporting people with mental health needs

Performance Criteria

You must be able to do the following:

1. communicate with people and with significant others in ways that support them in expressing their views and acting effectively in participating in appropriate activities and/or networks
2. encourage and support people to recognise their own strengths, aspirations and resources, and how they can build on these in moving towards recovery and development of self-management skills
3. encourage people to identify and find out about appropriate activities and/or networks
4. encourage and support people so far as they are able progressively to own and to take responsibility for their participation in relevant activities and/or networks
5. obtain and provide relevant information to enable people to determine the involvement they wish to have with relevant activities and/or networks
6. identify and create opportunities for people to participate in activities and/or networks in which they have expressed an interest
7. identify and minimise any barriers to accessing appropriate activities and/or networks
8. explore with the person any issues of identity that might act as a barrier to participation
9. provide support and assistance as required to enable people to participate in relevant activities and/or networks
10. seek appropriate advice to protect people's welfare, where involvement with an activity and/or network appears to be having negative effects on their behaviour or condition
11. take action in accordance with the advice you are given to ensure a positive outcome for the people you are supporting

Additional Information

This National Occupational Standard was developed by Skills for Health. This standard links with the following dimension within the NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (October 2004): Dimension: HWB4 Enablement to address health and wellbeing needs