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The Healthy Minds Board of trustees met on Wednesday evening, 27th September 2023, with six trustees present, and Chief Officer, one Operations Manager, Business Sustainability Manager, Membership and Engagement Coordinator, and Admin Support (notes), also in attendance.
The main agenda item was consideration of a draft proposal for Healthy Minds’ membership model and arrangements. The board received a report from the Membership and Engagement Coordinator, which provided an update on discussions held since the board agreed that membership remains the best approach for Healthy Minds, as agreed at its previous meeting in July 2023. The proposal seeks to emphasise accessibility, engagement and co-production, as well as responsibility. The focus will be on individual members, whilst recognising that some individuals may want to support Healthy Minds without the responsibility of membership. It also recognises that the option for organisations to be able to become members, probably non-voting, needs also to be set out. The draft proposal will be launched at this year’s AGM, and then consultation, including with staff, volunteers, forum members, service users and others with an interest in HM within Calderdale. The arrangements for final decision and implementation will be set out during the consultation process, with a view to completion during 2024. The board thanked the Membership and Engagement Coordinator for her excellent input and leadership on developing the proposal and outlining consultation. The AGM is planned for 25th October 2023, to link with the Forum planned for that day. The Chief Officer is finalising the annual report and accounts, for circulation in early October, prior to board sign off and the AGM. The board considered a self-assessment of understanding and compliance with the requirements of the Charity Commission’s The Essential Trustee. The self-assessment was analysed for the board by the Business Sustainability Manager. Compliance was thought to be good in most areas. A number of actions have been agreed to support improved compliance, for completion by December 2023. The board also received and discussed the Chief Officer’s operational report, report on the Chief Officer’s appraisal and objectives, Development and Finance Sub-Committee reports. The board thanks all staff and volunteers for all their work in providing a range of services to local people, across Calderdale. Paul Hunt Chair of Trustees, 12th December 2023
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Our Link project has been working with a service user at the wonderful Willow's Nook in Todmorden, guided by the incredible Fran and Lotti. This monthly venture over the last quarter has been magical! Week 1 - Finding Voice and Calm: The participant learned how to use their voice when approaching the ponies. How to stay calm and move slowly. How the pony was feeling, and how to feed them. Week 2 - Connecting with the Senses: We focussed on our senses in the environment, wrote what we had captured, and shared our observations with the teams. Week 3 - Into the woods: Venturing into the woods with the ponies and dogs, and shared our collective experiences from the last couple of months. Our participant expressed a desire for more time at Willow's Nook, a sentiment that has been relayed to the management and staff. The impact of this experience really resonated deeply with everyone involved. As Carl G. Jung wisely said, "Know all the theories, master all the techniques, but as you touch a human soul, be just another human soul." View Simon's gorgeous snapshots below (you can click to enlarge).
The Big Swim is an event inspired by our very own Healthy Minds champion, Nikki Stocks. Nikki knows from her own experiences that swimming is great for people’s mental health and wellbeing. As our ‘Big Swim’ celebrity, Nikki chose her own challenge – to swim a full mile across all three pools in two hours. Wow!
On Tuesday 19 September, four members of the Healthy Minds Forum travelled to the LIFE Centre in Bradford to have their voices heard by key West Yorkshire NHS decision-makers. Link participant Paul and Healthy Minds Volunteer Suzanne bravely shared their personal experiences, presenting to members of the West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (WYICB) at the mental health engagement session that preceded the WYICB AGM and board meeting. Supported by Georgia (Membership & Engagement Coordinator) and Claire (Healthy Minds Forum Volunteer), Paul and Suzanne were able to take a stand and reveal their lived realities to people in power. We want to celebrate and congratulate Paul and Suzanne for this incredible achievement. It takes huge strength to journey to a different place, be confronted with a busy venue filled with strangers, and present to people in positions of power about deeply personal experiences. As Paul put it in his speech: “If anyone had told me that I would be stood in front of such an influential group of people making a speech, I would have said that they’re totally mad!”
Swappers are invited to make a donation for entry, and funds are also raised from sales of extra items taken away (other than the ones they have swapped).
This year's event was their most successful yet, with an incredible £723.78 raised for Healthy Minds! Organisers of the swap also send a huge thank to all the Healthy Minds staff and volunteers who went along on Saturday and put in a lot of effort to help make the event run smoothly. Click below to view the gallery ---
Drop-in to help us create our lanterns any time from 5:30pm, but please make sure you arrive before 7pm to allow for an interruption-free lighting and reflection time.
Please note parking at Dean Clough is free after 5pm. We will also lead a walking party from our offices - get in touch with Georgia if you'd like to join - [email protected] Please note this is a completely FREE event, but donations are welcome. Your contributions help us continue to be there for those that need us most, and make a difference for mental health in Calderdale. The Healthy Minds Board of trustees met on Wednesday evening, 19th July 2023, with six trustees present, and Chief Officer, Operations Managers, Business Sustainability Manager, and Admin Support (notes), also in attendance. The board also welcomed the Chair, Vice-Chair and Chief Officer of North Halifax Partnership as observers to the board. The purpose of their attendance was for the mutual learning of larger charities in Calderdale. The Chair and Chief Officer of Healthy Minds will attend a future meeting of North Halifax Partnership’s Board.
The board meeting began with extended consideration of the Staff Wellbeing Survey. The Survey was presented by the Business Sustainability Manager, standing in for the Projects Development Manager, who had led consultation on staff wellbeing experience, and who had prepared the report. The board welcomed the process, the range of information gathering and the quality of the report. The board thanks all staff for their engagement in describing their experience, and also the openness of the Chief Officer and senior team to the undertaking and implementation of the Survey. The board was keen to understand what would happen following the Survey. The board welcomed the intention for feedback through the sharing of the report in full, presentations in team meetings and through team briefings, and for an action plan to be developed over the next three months. The board notes that HM’s commitment and approach to staff wellbeing will be set out either in a standalone policy or as an addition to the staff handbook. The board proposed that the Survey be repeated once there had been time to implement the action plan, and for improvements to become embedded. The board discussed its approach to a pay award for 2024/25. The board asked the Finance Sub-Committee to develop some detailed principles, to include staff recruitment, retention and reward, affordability, pay comparators, for adoption over the medium term, rather than just for the current or next financial year. The board will consider the Finance Sub-Committee’s recommendations later in the year. The board received a report from the Membership and Engagement Coordinator, proposing an outline of a membership model, for refinement and consultation. The proposal reflected the discussion on options, discussed in May 2023. The board agreed the proposed direction of travel, and for further discussion, before considering a full proposal at the September 2023 board meeting. The intention is for a launch of an agreed proposal at this year’s AGM, and then consultation, including with staff, volunteers, forum members, service users and others with an interest in HM within Calderdale. The board also received and discussed the Chief Officer’s operational report, an update on employment and other policies, board Essential Trustee survey, Development and Finance Sub-Committee reports. There are continuing stresses in life, including anxiety over conflicts in Europe, climate change, pressure on health services, local authority budgets and, of course, cost of living increases. These affect the population we serve in Calderdale and, indeed, the staff and volunteers of HM. The board thanks its staff and volunteers for the committed and creative way in which they responds to these challenges, and to the staff’s engagement in helping create a positive wellbeing environment. Paul Hunt Chair of Trustees, 27th September 2023 We caught up with Jenna from the Safespace team to find out more about her role, how they are working to improve mental health for people across Calderdale, and why Safespace is so important.
Huge thanks to everyone who participated in this year's census! Your responses are a vital compass guiding us to enhance our efforts and bring about impactful transformations. Here's a glimpse of our initial findings:
Mapping Our Reach: Our census garnered 77 responses, representing 16% of those connected with Healthy Minds (excluding Safespace and Time Out). We had a fairly good reach across the borough, but we're committed to extending our reach to areas like Sowerby (Bridge), Ryburn Valley, and mid-Calder Valley. Diversity and Inclusivity: We noted that around 75% of people in touch with Healthy Minds are female, whilst Calderdale’s population is 51.2% female. We need to do more to understand why fewer men are in touch with Healthy Minds. Our demographics are generally in line with Calderdale Council data, indicating that we are achieving a good level of diversity in race and ethnicity relative to the population. However, we are dedicated to addressing the complex issues that create health inequalities around mental health, and have made this a priority in Healthy Minds’ strategy for 2022-25.
The Healthy Minds Board of trustees met on Tuesday morning, 9th May 2023, with four trustees present, and Chief Officer, one Operations Manager, Business Sustainability Manager, Membership and Engagement Coordinator (presentation on the Forum and Membership options) and Admin Support (notes), also in attendance.
The Membership and Engagement Coordinator, provided an excellent presentation on the relaunch of the Forum, and on the development of Membership options. The work aligns with HM’s Business Plan for 2023/24. 65 people have been involved so far, with five volunteers helping in the leading of Forum events. The main themes that have come out of workshops so far are: members having a say and being heard, involvement to generate support, material benefits and brand awareness and sustainability. The board welcomed the work and discussed: implications for HM constitution; membership and democratic models; development of a membership offer; whether there should be a membership fee; timescales for developing, agreeing and implementing the model. The Board Chair and the Membership and Engagement Coordinator will meet in June to formulate proposals for the July or September board. The Board welcomed the undertaking of a staff wellbeing survey, recognising that this allowed for difficult comments to be made and heard. The Board looks forward to receiving an action plan following the survey, which it understands should be completed in time for the July Board meeting. The Board has Safeguarding as a standing item on each of its meetings. This provides an opportunity for senior management to bring to the Board’s attention any cases requiring particular comment or guidance from the Board. The Board received an outline, respecting confidence, of a particularly challenging case, which has led to the re-engagement of statutory authorities and improvements in safeguarding for care. The Chair has written to relevant staff to thank them for their work, and to commend their best practice and achievements. The Board also received and discussed the Chief Officer’s operational report, the output of the recent survey, agreed the final Budget for 2023/24, made recommendation for the Board’s Safeguarding lead, confirmed arrangements for review of processes and policies against the Charity Governance Code. Paul Hunt Chair of Trustees, 19th July 2023 |
