Trust shortlisted in National Service User Awards
An innovative anti-bullying board game created by experts at a mental health trust in Greater Manchester has been shortlisted for a national service user award.
The “Getting on with People” card game, which was submitted by Greater Manchester West Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMW), has been shortlisted for a National Service User Award 2015 in the “Innovations in my Shared Pathway” category.
The National Service User Awards are planned by service users, for service users and are designed to recognise and celebrate the many achievements and initiatives implemented within mental health services nationwide.
“Getting on with People” is an interactive card game designed to help patients discuss their perception and experience of bullying. Designed and developed by service users in collaboration with GMW staff and Salford Mental Health Services Citizens Advice Bureau, it has been successfully piloted on a number of medium and low secure in-patient wards at GMW’s Prestwich Site.
The game promotes tolerance; understanding and respectful dialogue and helps to reduce confrontation, stigma, fear and discrimination among patients within ward communities. It provides a means for people to understand each other better by respectfully listening and sharing patient views and opinions.
Kevin Scallon, GMW’s Organisational Development Facilitator, said “We’re thrilled that our game has been nominated for an award. Service Users and staff put a lot of thought and effort into the production of the board game, which aims to positively enhance the inpatient experience.
“The game provides an ideal non-threatening way of starting a dialogue/discussion among patients and has been used by staff and service users to engage with patients. It allows patients to think about their behaviour and the effect this has on others and promotes a good ward environment enabling the sensitive subject of bulling to be more openly discussed”.
Robin Jamil, from the Citizens Advice Bureau, said “The endorsement of this project by GMW encourages the move to place service users at the centre of their care and treatment. The card game helps interaction between service users and encourages them to respect their fellow peers. This has been a really exciting and productive piece of collaborative work for our CAB and the Trust”.
The judging panel selected its shortlist from a total of over 100 nominations to attend the awards ceremony on 11 March 2015 at Silverstone Racing Circuit’s Wing Hall.
For more information about the National Service User Awards and this year's finalists, visit www.nsua.org.
ENDS
Notes for editors
- Greater Manchester West Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust provides district mental health services in Bolton, Salford and Trafford. It also provides inpatient alcohol and drug recovery services in Prestwich as well as community services in Trafford, Salford, Cumbria, Blackburn with Darwen, Wigan and Leigh and Central Lancashire.
- The National Service User Awards are in celebration of the large number of service user led initiatives in inpatient services nationwide and are designed to recognise the achievements of individuals and the initiatives implemented on a local national level.
- The photo attached to this email is of (L to R) Robin Jamil and Kevin Scallon with the “Getting on with People” card game.
For media enquiries, contact the press office on 0161 772 4313 or email katie.dolan@gmmh.nhs.uk
