"Workers change constantly"

A recent home home visit from a mental worker from Northlands Sheffield has had a profound affect on my mental health, I’m sorry to say in a very negative way.

I acknowledge that staff in the mental health service are on the whole deeply compassionate and really want to make a difference. Yet this one visit highlights some profound flaws that have existed all along

In the 80's I worked, for several years, on psychiatric wards. I was full of enthusiasm, wanting to help, to heal, to be alongside people in their darkest hours and comfort them. I was shocked when, on my first visit to an acute ward, I encountered the opposite of what I dreamed of. I remembered it, as if it was yesterday. I shocked the nurse, stood beside me, by asking, is this it? You drug people up, send them home, they return, send them home, this is like stepping into a revolving door and forever going around in circles, the only escape being to end your life.

Fast forward from then to the present, things really haven’t changed much at all. The revolving door system still stands, medications speedily dished out, people discharged from services as quickly as possible, sometimes left in unbelievable torment, alone in their pain, abandoned. Where is the art of healing wounds, of comforting words, where? Where is the history, the background story to this pain? Who will take the time to talk, to listen, so as to put the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle together, to make sense of what is happening in a person’s mind. How can a person heal, without knowing what caused the damage in the first place?

Back to the visit. We let someone we don’t know into our home, across the floor they stroll, no offer to take their shoes off. I may be old fashioned, but I was brought up to be polite on visiting someone, yet why would they ask? After all it feels like our home is just an extension of the asylum of old, people coming in with authority over us, saying in a very firm voice matched by a serious expression that you have to have to have a goal. This was only their first visit, no decent history of the relative I care for, only notes on medications and symptoms. How can this person map out their life without knowing them, their background, their past, a full medical history? Workers change constantly, visits retraumatize, the past eventually appears, but the staff have no decent past history.

In this visit involving myself and the relative I care for, we were set up to accept the offer of your goal, it is only when you leave that my relative realises that this offer is not what they want, as I wouldn’t be there with them, if I am not there they would be genuinely frightened that something bad would happen to me. Also as they suffer from a heart condition, that if left untreated would be fatal, I was deeply concerned for their safety, as stress could bring it on and others may not recognise it’s occurrence. Is this not valid enough a reason to say no to the plan? The worker in question has sent a letter to my relative, with details of a group they want them to attend, the letter states not to feel pressured, yet when leaving our home, the worker had clearly stated my relative could go there in the summer, with a worker - but not me!

Days later another worker called to drop off medication, stating they’d been emailed saying my relative needed to attend Northlands with them, not me, for medical checks that have already been done. We always attend Northlands together by choice, and my relative doesn’t like going there as he fears being attacked and is frightened someone may section him, by choice all of his medical appointments are carried out by our GP, or at the Northern General hospital, not at Northlands.

In desperation I phoned Northlands reception, explaining how their plans could put my relatives wellbeing at risk. I said I wanted to make a report, days later no response. I assume that we will continue to be pressured into accepting other people’s goals for our life, and our voices will not be heard. This feels like bullying.

Thank you to the receptionist who listened to my concerns, displayed compassion and gently told me that they understand. The next time they visit, I'd rather they send the receptionist instead.