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about us

Mind Jersey is an independent local charity that provides support to people living with mental illness. Our vision is of a society that promotes and protects good mental health for all, and that treats people with experience of mental illness fairly, positively and with respect.

Although affiliated with Mind in the UK, Mind Jersey retains its independence, both financially and operationally. All money raised by Mind Jersey stays in Jersey for the benefit of Island residents.

Our affiliation ensures that we meet Mind’s quality standards of governance and service delivery, follow best practice models of involving local people in their community – people who have had experience of mental illness – and provide good quality services.

We aim to:

• Change public attitudes, reduce stigma and misunderstanding;
• Influence government policy and improve practice towards people with mental illness;
• Provide support and help so that people can take control of their mental health and live full lives;
• Make lives better for their families and friends.

Our current priorities are;

• Campaigning to tackle stigma, improve information and reduce misunderstanding
• Promoting good mental health in the workplace, making it core business for all employers
• Listening to young people, encouraging their participation and promoting greater understanding about the importance of supporting them from the earliest opportunity
• We want to ensure people with long term mental illness get the support they deserve and meets their needs

• Direct Access to the voice and brand of Mind. A well respected and well known UK wide charity championing the needs and desires of people experiencing mental distress.
• Access to printed resources. Mind produces a wide variety of information booklets on types of health problems, treatments and ways to cope.
• Support for our staff. The opportunity to network with other professionals who work in similar roles – not having peers in Jersey can lead to staff feeling isolated. Mind provides direct support, opportunities to learn from other services and people and access to the training that Mind offers at greatly reduced rates.
• Campaigning resources. Jersey has many issues which we feel need to be addressed. Mind can assist us with expert media advice, how we can campaign successfully and ensure that our voice is heard.
• Regular review of the Quality of our services. Quality Management in Mind (QMiM) operates a quality review of all local Mind associations, evaluating and setting standards for all areas of their operation. This skill and quality audit will enable us to show the quality of the work that we do and demonstrate the professional services we offer. This will evidence that the money that is donated to Mind Jersey is supporting a worthwhile and effective service.

• Quality of Services & commitment to quality in all areas
• Measuring our performance & monitoring – using satisfaction surveys, user feedback, service provider feedback, with an aim to always be looking to enhance or improve.
• Good governance of the charity by the committee and throughout the charity as a whole.
• A commitment to future planning and policy development – including input in strategic developments in mental health services and local community.
• Good financial management
• Good people management, including health & safety, supervision and support of all staff, training.
• Provision of information – providing good and clear information, record keeping and data protection.
• User Involvement – involving service users in all areas of what we do and development of new services, including recruitment of staff.
• Equality and diversity. To provide a welcoming environment for all, providing services for all and working to best practise.
• Networking and Partnership – with other Local Mind Associations and other service user groups. Good communication with other local groups and organisations.
• Standards for services: Having a clear purpose for each service that is regularly reviewed and evaluated to provide the best method for enabling individuals towards the road to recovery. That the service meets the needs of individuals – which Mind Jersey champions through a
• Person – Centred approach.
• Commitment to promoting the Mind brand

Mind Jersey was re-launched in June 2011 as the most recent stage in the evolution of the charity. Mind Jersey has a long and honourable history, having evolved from “Jersey Focus on Mental Health”, which in turn formed in 2002 when the “Jersey Association of Mental Health” (formed in 1969) and “The Jersey Schizophrenia fellowship” (formed in 1977), merged.

All of these charities have collectively been providing services, campaigning and actively supporting people with mental health problems, their families and carers for more than forty years. They came together to unite their resources and strengths in order to provide a better, more responsive charity that has the health and well-being of it’s membership at heart. The creation of Mind Jersey, and previously Jersey FOCUS on mental health has also allowed assets and resources to be combined, thereby avoiding duplication and maximising influence over local mental health policy development as well as allowing us to improve and develop our services.

Anyone who has experienced any sort of mental health problem will be acutely aware of what a difficult and distressing experience it can be – stigma, rejection, family upheaval and the complexities of treatments can suddenly all become a part of everyday life. Similarly, any parent or family member who has witnessed the onset of mental illness in a relative or loved one will know the helplessness and despair of trying to manage, using logic and rationale that is no longer meaningful or even understood by the sufferer. Also the difficulty for both users and carers of having to deal with a whole range of mental health professionals that have always existed for ’someone else’.

Very often, when these situations arise, the most immediate form of relief and reassurance can come simply from talking to someone who has, or is living through, a similar situation to you, someone who ’knows the ropes’, has learned to cope and is able to demonstrate that, with help and support, things can improve.