Innovation

SDC has a track record in innovation. For example the Building the Strengths Within project is ground breaking in looking at the issues around self harm, in relation to young people from ethnic minorities in Scotland. SDC, with SRN lead, produced a conference in 2005 which brought speakers from America to Scotland to talk about their experiences of introducing peer support into services.

SDC constantly is reaching out to new audiences and emphasising that mental health is everyone’s business. As a part of its 10th Anniversary Year, the conference With Scotland's Future in Mind grappled with big issues that Scotland face now and in the future and the health and wellbeing of its population.

Policy

Policy and strategic planning :

SDC seeks to support the development of policies and plans that lead to good practice in mental health services and to enhanced mental health for individuals and communities. SDC has extensive skills and experience working with local and national bodies to contribute to the formulation of strategic objectives and plans for their implementation, developing briefings and information analysis to assist.

Service user involvement

In 2001, SDC working with Allies in Change produced a guide to involvement in mental health service development, for service users and carers, Route Map to User and Carer Participation. This provides practical information for user groups on how to increase their influence in individual care and treatment as well as service and organisational development. With increased interest in and commitment to recovery, it remains as pertinent as ever.

SDC is committed to promoting the equal participation of service users in the planning and delivery of services, and recently wrote learning materials for NES on the service user and carer involvement.

Inequalities

SDC is committed to tackling the sources and effects of mental heath inequality. This means that is committed to work which promotes respect for diversity and seeks to redress disadvantage, but also within its projects it aims to include an equalities perspective. For example, in consultation events SDC encourages organisers to take into account the needs of people facing multiple barriers to participation, or to achieving health and well being. It has strong links with inequalities groups such as the Lothian LGBT Centre for Health and Well-Being, and the National Resource Centre for Ethnic Minority Health.

Stakeholder consultation

Almost all areas of current mental health policy and practice require the engagement and involvement of a broad range of stakeholder groups. This can range from local communities and groups of those who use services through to senior policy makers and planners at national level. SDC has experience in facilitating discussions with stakeholder groups. There is a considerable advantage in having independent facilitation to aid consultation and discussion with stakeholder groups, to ensure that divergences of view are fully understood and used as a positive resource to inform change. Our experience is that, where there is a divergence of views or areas of conflict, the involvement of an independent organisation like SDC enhances the credibility of the process and the outcomes achieved.

Contact details

Pippa Coutts
pippa@sdcmh.org.uk

0131 555 5959