Crisis Cafés are one of three ‘Mental Health Crisis Alternatives’ which aim to ensure that people in Derby city and across Derbyshire can access a range of services to receive support and prevent crisis out of hours.

A 24 Hour Helpline, run by P3 in partnership with NHS Clinicians and a Safe Haven, run by The Richmond Fellowship, are already up and running. A Crisis Café provides a warm and welcoming space in the evenings and at weekends for anyone who feels they are approaching a mental health crisis. It will be staffed by trained mental health workers and have access to NHS Clinicians. 

Crisis Alternative Development Workers, Naomi and Claire, have been learning from other regions that already have Crisis Cafés and are talking to organisations that may want to offer a Crisis Café in Derbyshire. They are keen to have conversations with anyone that has a view on what a good Crisis Café would look like and to talk with organisations that might want to provide the service, as a single provider or as part of an alliance.

A short survey has been created to gather the sector’s views on what support would be needed from statutory services to ensure that Crisis Cafés are safe and accessible for all. You can complete the survey in 5 minutes by following this link. The survey will close at 5pm on Friday 8^th July.  
 

Crisis Cafés Survey

If you would like to discuss anything about Crisis Cafés, please contact naomi@erewashcvs.org.uk  or claire@erewashcvs.org.uk

Feeling Connected in North East Derbyshire and Chesterfield

Social Connectedness Action Plan

‘Feeling Connected Fund’

Call for Proposals
Projects in the range £501-£5,000
Submit by 5.00pm on Thursday 28 July 2022 to info@dva.org.uk

What is the Feeling Connected Fund for?

The aim of the Feeling Connected Fund is to fund work in the community that will help to break down the barriers people experience which stop them from feeling connected to others.  These barriers include:

The Social Connectedness Action Group wants to commission new project work in North East Derbyshire and Chesterfield which will address one or more of these barriers – or indeed any other barriers you have identified in the course of your work.  Projects should be complete by 31 March 2023.

Please send a short proposal (no more than 2 sides of A4) outlining:

• WHAT: a description of the work you would like to do
• WHERE: where your work will take place
• WHO: the people who will benefit from your work (a community of interest or a geographical community). 
• HOW MANY: the number of people your proposed project will help.
• WHEN: start and finish dates (projects should take no more than 12 months)
• HOW MUCH: an outline budget of the funds you need to enable your project to happen.
• THE NATURE OF THE BARRIER(S) YOUR PROJECT WILL ADDRESS: a description of the barrier(s) and an explanation of how your project will help.
• OPPORTUNITY TO WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OTHERS: detail any opportunities for joining up your work with the work of others.

Send in your proposal at any time over the next five weeks (from 23 June to 28 July) to: info@dva.org.uk.  Our Social Connectedness Funding Panel will assess the proposals during w/c 1 August.  We’ll follow up the proposal with a more in-depth discussion with the applicants we are able to support (15-26 August) and put in place a short service-level agreement for the delivery of the work by 15 September.  We will highlight the successful projects in our communications during Feeling Connected Week (26-30 September 2022).

For more information contact Julia Cook on 07716 737397 / 01246 555908 / julia@dva.org.uk or James Starky on 07743 514934 / 01246 555908 / james@dva.org.uk.

A Civic University Agreement, developed by the University of Derby, has been launched in partnership with 15 other organisations from across the city and county.

Derbyshire Voluntary Action is one of the organisations that has signed the Agreement, this is as part of our role in Community Chesterfield which is a partnership project between Derbyshire Voluntary Action and the University of Derby.

The Agreement, created following extensive consultation, clearly articulates the long-term civic ambitions of the University, and how it intends to work with these 15 signatories to drive forward the local recovery and regeneration of Derby and Derbyshire, helping to channel aspirations, support local communities, share knowledge and enhance the area’s overall offer and vibrancy.

It focuses on five core goals, designed to make a positive impact on the people, communities, organisations and businesses within Derby and Derbyshire:

1. Secure our future
2. Drive ambition and positive change
3. Make a positive environmental impact
4. Support health and wellbeing
5. Invest in culture as a driver for change

The development of Civic University Agreements was a key recommendation in a report published in 2019 by the Civic University Commission set up by the UPP Foundation and chaired by the former Head of the Civil Service, Lord Kerslake.

The report sets out how universities like Derby have the capability, opportunity and responsibility to support the places where they are based to solve some of their most pressing and major problems. These issues range from helping local businesses adapt to technological change, to boosting the health of local people, improving education for school pupils and adult learners, and training and developing new civic leaders in every field from politics to the arts.

The report aims to help universities build on the excellent work that many of them are already carrying out in these areas, working alongside councils, employers, cultural institutions, schools and further education colleges.

The signatories of the Civic University Agreement are:
University of Derby, Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, DHU Healthcare, University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust, Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust, Derbyshire County Council, Derby City Council, East Midlands Chamber, D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, Chesterfield Borough Council, Derby Cathedral, Derbyshire Voluntary Action, Derby’s Cultural Education Partnership, Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner and High Peak Borough Council.

Read the full press release here.

To help evaluate ‘Joy’ the social prescribing platform, NHS Derby and Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group have pulled together a survey, please take the time to complete the survey which should take no more than 5 minutes.  Your feedback is much appreciated and will help to build a business case to extend Joy.  They want to hear from different stakeholders who have used / will use or be involved with Joy, including social prescribers, care coordinators and health and wellbeing coaches, wider practice staff, community / VCSE organisations and wider partners. 

If you have any questions, please contact clare.burgess1@nhs.net.

If you would like to know more about Joy take a look at this ‘Joy in Three Minutes’ video: https://www.thejoyapp.com/demos/joy-in-three.

The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed the way we access our GP Practices – potentially permanently, with access to care moved to a triage system, online bookings, and video, phone, and face-to-face appointments.

Healthwatch Derbyshire would like to hear from patients, carers, and service users about how this change has impacted them and is asking local residents to share their views and recent experiences of accessing their GP. Take their survey today and have your say on what changes at your GP practice have worked well, and what could be made better for you.

Feedback from the survey will help local health providers to understand how these changes have effected patients. The findings and recommendations will be shared with GP practices as well as Derby & Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group (DDCCG) which is responsible for commissioning and providing GP services. 

If you need help to complete the survey give Healthwatch Derbyshire a call on 01773 880786.

Click here to take the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/HWDemail
Click here for Easy read version: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/0YIR3Q/

Unforgettable Experiences (Social Enterprise) have partnered with Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (DHNFT), to work closely with their Memory Assessment Triage team and Living Well Team to actively support their patients and help with their long waiting lists.

Unforgettable Experiences are offering in partnership with DHNFT, 12x  free live digital, creative, artistic and interactive cognitive stimulation therapy sessions to support patients aged 50+  in Derbyshire with memory complaints, mild cognitive impairments and mild-moderate dementia on the waiting list to be assessed or currently waiting for a diagnosis. (Courses run as 2x 1hr online sessions a week, in groups of 3-5 participants)

Live, creative, and interactive  sessions are in the disciplines of:  Arts & crafts, history & culture, music, composition & dance, creative writing, film & photography.  

This service is delivered through personalised programmes with technical support, patients can choose two artistic sessions per week of their choice.

Visit their website to find out more and make a referral.