Time to talk…
By Miriam Valencia, ASC’s Head of Digital Content
5th February is Time to Talk day, when people come together to talk around the country to talk openly about mental health.
If you are affected by mental ill health, life can be challenging. Time to Talk day is a campaign run by our national mental health charities and is designed to encourage people to share their experiences and have open conversations about mental health.
We know that talking and building relationships can be really important for all of us to feel well and fulfilled. Medical and therapeutic approaches are also key to maintaining some people’s mental health.
Social care and mental health
However, on this Time to Talk day, we wanted to highlight the importance of social care to people with a mental health condition, and to let you know a bit more about your rights.
People with a mental health condition who need care and support have rights under the Care Act 2014. The Care Act is the law that describes what your council – also known as a local authority – must do to promote the wellbeing of people in their area. This includes providing care and support to those who need it.
It is really important to know that your need for care and support is not just about whether you are physically able to look after yourself. The Care Act does not prioritise physical needs over needs that you have because of your mental health.
The guidance that was published with the Care Act explicitly states that there is no hierarchy regarding different aspects of your wellbeing. If you need care and support to achieve mental and emotional wellbeing, maintain relationships with your family, have work or study that is right for you, these are all just as important as care and support that you need with physical tasks.
Types of care and support
The type of care and support that might help someone with a mental health condition will vary from person to person. Support could include reminders or prompting to take medication, help to look for work or stay in employment, support to maintain a safe and comfortable home, or help to attend appointments. Of course, these are just a small sample of the types of support that might be available to you through social care. It is also important to remember that there is no specific model of social care support. Anything that you feel could help you maintain your wellbeing could be considered. If you are eligible, you may also be able to receive a direct payment, which allows you to arrange and purchase your own care and support.
Carers’ support and mental health
If you have an unpaid carer who supports you, they may also be eligible for support under the Care Act. Carers can request a carer’s assessment from the local authority and get the support they need to keep offering the care that you need from them.
S117 Aftercare
While people who get care and support from the local authority often have to contribute financially towards the costs of the care, there are some circumstances where social care should be provided completely free to people with a mental health condition.
This includes where people have been detained in hospital under certain sections of the Mental Health Act. In this case, social care can be part of a free all-round package of support. This is called s117 Aftercare.
How to start your social care journey
If care and support could help you manage your mental health and improve your wellbeing, AccessAva can help. AccessAva is an online service dedicated to helping people access the care and support they need.
The service provides clear information about your rights, as well as a range of template letters you can use to enforce them. You can find information about needs assessments, direct payments, carers’ support, s117 Aftercare, and much more.
How you can help
We want to develop new social care content for AccessAva. By talking to people who draw on social care, as well as their relatives and supporters, we can ensure our content reflects what users really need.
If you would like to get involved, you can sign up to receive alerts here and earn points towards vouchers to thank you for your participation.