The annual My Voice event brought together people from Turning Point’s substance use, learning disability and mental health services across the country.
Over a 100 people were in attendance at the Wakefield Exchange on Tuesday, February 10th, as Turning Point staff, current and previous service users, family members and carers, discussed topics related to three key areas - community, wellbeing, and the challenges of a changing world.
The interactive sessions looked at how to develop a sense of belonging for the people supported by Turning Point, have their voices heard to improve services to make contributions to society and the support needed to do that.
Each group was made up of people from different ages, backgrounds and experiences.
People with lived experience spoke about the psychological and physical impact of substance use, mental health and learning disabilities and how, for some, these were co-occurring conditions. They discussed what had helped them and what more can be done by services.
With society going through a tumultuous time, the event looked at how wider social, economic, and cultural changes affected the people supported by Turning Point.
Nathan, a peer mentor was among the group that attended from Wakefield Inspiring Recovery.
“Two years ago, I was on the streets addicted to crack. The staff at Turning Point never gave up on me and made me realise I've got self-worth because they had it for me. They gave me the platform and tools to be able to get myself clean and that's available for everybody in addiction, it's just being able to grab it when you're ready.
“I love that as a peer mentor I can help other people now. I talk about my path and how I got there, and they really get inspired by that and helps them to engage with the service.
“An event like My Voice gives people an opportunity to have their say on what the future can look like for not just the recovery community but also people living with disabilities and mental health issues.
“I was involved in the process of this event happening so to speak to people from around the country and see how positively they felt about the day was absolutely amazing.”
Liam is supported at Turning Point supported living service Foundry House in Castleford.
“Turning Point has been life-changing for me,” said Liam. “With support and guidance, I've slowly found myself again - I'm getting better every single day.
“I feel like I'm that person again where I've got a voice to speak out and say to people ‘if you want change, I'm going to try to make that happen’.
“I'm very passionate about what I want to change in life and what's better for the community and to do that I will make sure my voice is heard.”
Muhammed, a resident at Birchwood Nursing Home, said he enjoyed the opportunity to meet with people from other Turning Point services.
“It was a fantastic event with so many people sharing interesting and thought-provoking stories,” he said.
“What I took away from the event was the importance of wellbeing, the importance of working together and sharing knowledge which Turning Point does really well.
“I see it firsthand as the chair of Horizons – a mental health lived experience group at Turning Point that brings together service users from across the country to share their ideas and views with the aim to improve the service that is provided by Turning Point.”
Lou, a resident at Turning Point’s Sycamore House supported living service in Cumbria, has been campaigning for the learning disability community for over 30 years.
She helped establish Turning Point’s Learning Disabilities People’s Network, bringing invaluable expertise and passion to the group.
“Events like My Voice are really valuable because it brings everybody together, whether it be from the learning disability side, the mental health side or the drug and alcohol side - you find out what people's views are,” said Lou.
“Some people assume that if you've got a learning disability or are non-verbal, you don't understand what's going on but that isn’t true. Just because you don't use words to communicate, it doesn't mean that you can't communicate at all. You've just got to find other ways for that person to communicate, whether it be through eye movements or technology like computers.
“If I can keep making a difference and make sure people get the life that they should get, then I'll be happy with that.”
Jo Rowe, Senior Operations Manager at Wakefield, said:
“I am so proud of everyone who shared their experiences at the My Voice event. They all spoke so passionately about their journeys which I hope will inspire others.
“The event was a great opportunity to meet colleagues from other Turning Point services and share knowledge and experience on how to provide the best care to the people we support.”
Matt Miles, Turning Point National Head of Involvement, said:
“Turning Point believes we can only provide the best support possible for people if we work in real partnership with them. Coming together to listen to people’s experiences helps us to understand what great support looks like around substance use, mental health, and learning disabilities and allows us to continually learn and improve.”
Julie Bass, Turning Point Chief Executive, said:
“The My Voice event is a vital way for us at Turning Point to improve our services. Hearing from the people we support, their families and wider support network, allows us to implement changes based on the feedback and to tailor support for each individual.
“In Wakefield, we are proud to support people across the city with substance use, mental health challenges and learning disabilities. I was delighted to see so many people from across these services attend the event and share their experiences. They were able to highlight the benefits of the integrated care they receive from Turning Point and local healthcare providers which was encouraging to hear.
“It’s important for people to know that their views are being heard not just across Turning Point but in society as well. A key role for Turning Point is to amplify the voices of the people we support and that’s why we will continue to provide a platform to share their experiences and bring about meaningful change.”