We have had a client @ West End Impact for the passed 3-4 years who will remain anon. He obviously had mental health issues but has been in housing in the passed and has worked when we first came into contact with him. Recently, about 3 months ago, he started to deteriorate and get really down and seemed depressed. We had tried to get him help via The Richmond Fellowship but he refused to communicate with them, but I think they managed to get a referral to Victoria House in Morecambe. Victoria House is based at the Queen Victoria hospital in Morecambe and is part of the mental health services. On return from our holiday in August we saw in the local newspaper that this client had attempted suicide by walking into the sea and the RNLI had to do a full rescue operation.
Around this time I contacted Victoria House to see if they could give me any information regarding the client. They said that under the mental health act they weren't allowed to tell me anything to which I replied 'can you not even tell me if he is alive and safe'
They told me he was but couldn't tell me anything else. We were concerned, as West End Impact was the clients C/O address and we had a drawer full of his mail and were still getting mail for him from the courts and solicitors regarding an outstanding court case. That is a whole other story. I said I was concerned as he may have outstanding court dates that he should be attending etc. All they could suggest was that I returned the mail to sender. I was not prepared to give them the mail without the clients permission. He had signed a declaration at IMPACT to say his mail was in our care and we keep all his paperwork in the filing cabinet for him.
Out of the blue I received a telephone call from Mental Health Services on the first Thursday in November asking if we had his National Insurance Number. I suggested they email a letter with the clients signature on it giving permission for me to give the NI number but the client refused to do this. I was left with no other option than to parcel all the mail up and hand deliver it to the Mental Health Svcs for the attention of the client.
A day later they client was discharged from the Mental Health Svcs. His first port of call was West End Impact on Tuesday 11th November. He walked in and walked straight passed us without saying a word and eventually asked for a lap top - he chose to write things down to us through Google translate he typed in his language and we read the English. He ate some lunch whilst he was with us and a letter to the Care Quality Commission. It seems that wherever he goes he has to write letters of complaint but I think this is all part of his mental health and the condition he suffers from. He said on Google translate that he wanted to end his life and that he was going to wait for high tide and walk into the sea again. He didn't do this on this particular day. I alerted the police and they had him on high alert for the next 3-4 days checking surveillance on a regular basis. I talked to various members of staff within Vicitoria house and the mental health services and managed to get him to an appointment at Victoria House at 1pm on the Thrusday after he'd been into IMPACT, He was discharged again on the same day. He then went over to Lancaster at weekend and I rang round services in Lancaster to give them a heads up on the situation. He came back into Morecambe and this Tuesday 25th November he engaged with Get Connected and ask them for a laptop, and again communicated that he wanted to walk into the sea and end his life. The police called me and then came to IMPACT and asked for the full story again. The police said that they could detain him under the mental health act but again share my frustration with the Mental Health Services. I was told by the crisis team that 'this man can not just turn up at any agency or service and say he is going to take his life, and then expect everyone to jump.' This was when I was trying to get his case worker to engage and maybe come down to IMPACT on the first Tuesday he came in. I asked the CRISIS team what warrants a CRISIS then as everyone I had spoken to gave me the same answer. 'If you are concerned for this man then call the Police' He had missed an appointment that they made for him at Dalton Square Surgery on that day as a follow up to his discharge, and therefore offer an alternative appointment with the Crisis Team at Victoria House on the Thrusday and that was all they could do.
I had a long chat to the police office at IMPACT on Wednesday the 26th Nov and she left again to try and find him and within minutes the RNLI and ambulance were called to rescue him from the sea again. He was later released from hospital. Today (Thursday 27th) the client came in again, and I tried to engage with him. I wrote him a note to tell him how we wanted to help and maybe we could get him back to Poland as he didn't seem to be getting the help he needs here in England - he refused the note and instead typed a note to us on the laptop saying again that he wanted to die and that the police keep trying to rescue him but he is determined to end his life. He left around 11.15am and again I alerted the police and RNLI. The rescue took around 20 mins and this time he was detained under the mental Act - in other words Sectioned.
I am writing this as an account for myself but hopefully to build awareness that something more needs to be done. Open lines of communication need to be put in place for this kind of incident. I asked myself why he was not detained in the first place when they discharged him out the Mental Health Services for bad behaviour on the 9th November. If he was kicking off he should have been Sectioned. There should also been open lines of communication with charities who have been trying to help a client for nearly 3 years to get help. There should also be clear lines of communication with the different level of Mental Health Services. I have not named anyone or any level of the Mental Health Service for a reason, but there are so many levels and it is not clear what the pathway is to get the client the help they need. Something also needs to be done about only being able to access Mental Health Services through a GP. This whole thing has been a breech of human rights I am sure, and is also a massive strain on charities who care and are trying to help the client get the help they need. On this occasion it just seemed like a game of ping pong with the client. Lots of money was wasted, and if only the Mental Health Services had come down to IMPACT and talked to the client with our help we may have got much further and it would have saved a lot of time, money and effort for all parties. Something needs to change something needs to be done. If this was not a CRISIS I don't understand what justifies a CRISIS!! This client was crying out for help and my hope and prayer is that he now gets the help he needs!!
Thursday, 27 November 2014
Wednesday, 5 November 2014
An easy way to raise funds for a Good Cause!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amYWRTpnvM4&feature=youtu.be
Click on the link and see our easy instructions (if not a little crazy) to raise funds for West End Impact as you do your Christmas shopping. It's a great and don't forget to press the gift aid donation as that gives us 28% more!!
www.westendimpact.org.uk
and also consider becoming and IMPACT ANGEL this Christmas and help us make a difference to Morecambe in so many ways - our local counsellor said at a conference just this week that IMPACT has changed the face of Morecambe West End immensely, so please help to continue and sustain the difference we are making through God's grace and strength.
.jpg)
Without you and your support we can do nothing - but with your help we can change the face of Morecambe
Click on the link and see our easy instructions (if not a little crazy) to raise funds for West End Impact as you do your Christmas shopping. It's a great and don't forget to press the gift aid donation as that gives us 28% more!!
www.westendimpact.org.uk
and also consider becoming and IMPACT ANGEL this Christmas and help us make a difference to Morecambe in so many ways - our local counsellor said at a conference just this week that IMPACT has changed the face of Morecambe West End immensely, so please help to continue and sustain the difference we are making through God's grace and strength.
Without you and your support we can do nothing - but with your help we can change the face of Morecambe
Tuesday, 21 October 2014
Tuesday, 14 October 2014
Living LIfe to the Full
We have two groups happening at West End Impact that are recent additions to the various projects/ministries already in existences. The two groups are going to grow and I can see that we will need more than one funding bid to keep these projects going. Unless, of course, God decides to provide in other ways.
Living Life to the Full is based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and also some Biblical Principles to help people overcome depression. This course has been accredited by the NHS and one of our staff has been trained to facilitate the course which runs for 9 weeks. It's a closed group for confidential purposes which means you can not join the group half way or part way through the course. GP's and other mental health services can refer into this group as part of the NHS 'stepped care plan' for mental health. This group is growing at an immense rate and has only been running for the third time. In October we hope to roll the program out and do the course for the first time for another agency at a charge of £400.
Chapter 12 is a group that is a brand new project that we are trying to develop through experience and the experience of its member. This group is for recovering alcoholics and uses Purpose Driven Life material and practical activities. The hope is to get the guys doing some healthy cooking, some DIY and some sport ie Table Tennis going to the gym. The name for this group Chapter 12, came from the verse in Romans 12 'be transformed by the renewing of you mind' and from the 12th Step of the 12 steps which admits that we need to turn to God otherwise we are powerless to stay in recovery. All the guys in the group have been in various recovery groups that they have never felt 100% comfortable with for one reason or another as not all people fit into group recovery. This project will include group work and one-to-ones and activities. It will be tailored around the individual and we hope it will keep these guys in recovery in a way that no other group has done.
Two very important group to help people some massive difficulties that hold them back from living the life that God intended them to live!!
Living Life to the Full is based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and also some Biblical Principles to help people overcome depression. This course has been accredited by the NHS and one of our staff has been trained to facilitate the course which runs for 9 weeks. It's a closed group for confidential purposes which means you can not join the group half way or part way through the course. GP's and other mental health services can refer into this group as part of the NHS 'stepped care plan' for mental health. This group is growing at an immense rate and has only been running for the third time. In October we hope to roll the program out and do the course for the first time for another agency at a charge of £400.
Chapter 12 is a group that is a brand new project that we are trying to develop through experience and the experience of its member. This group is for recovering alcoholics and uses Purpose Driven Life material and practical activities. The hope is to get the guys doing some healthy cooking, some DIY and some sport ie Table Tennis going to the gym. The name for this group Chapter 12, came from the verse in Romans 12 'be transformed by the renewing of you mind' and from the 12th Step of the 12 steps which admits that we need to turn to God otherwise we are powerless to stay in recovery. All the guys in the group have been in various recovery groups that they have never felt 100% comfortable with for one reason or another as not all people fit into group recovery. This project will include group work and one-to-ones and activities. It will be tailored around the individual and we hope it will keep these guys in recovery in a way that no other group has done.
Two very important group to help people some massive difficulties that hold them back from living the life that God intended them to live!!
Saturday, 4 October 2014
An introduction to Theology
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0p2SBxEmEk PLEASE Watch
As a church we sometimes get critised by main stream 'in-the-box' 'Let''s follow the Status Quo, cause that's how we have always done it' Christians, for not being deep enough!!! ?? ***
I have learnt to question this accusation and its simple, it goes like this:
'How deep do you want it??' Is Jesus dying on the cross to save you from your wrong and the wrong of the world and give you eternal life, and the free gift of grace, being sanctified as we speak and have the indwelling life of Christ through the gift of the Holy Spirit living in and through you not deep enough for you??'
We have a misconception of deep sometimes - if its head knowledge they want then there are plenty of other churches that will give that. It's not as if we don't know our stuff I lived in a Bible college for 4 year Michl studied theology and all the German theologians that we Brits need to learn German for, if we really want to get to grips with all that deep stuff.
Anyway this video clip above is an introduction to Theology - Michl is so good at making complicated things understandable, which basically why Jesus used every day stories to get his message across. Jesus had something to say to those who thought they were wise they were full of head knowledge but didn't really live it out and they were called Pharisees. He also chose what this world would call foolish to show up those who thought they were wise and actually were foolish. So just because a church makes things understandable and the message of a church can be applied to every day life does not mean its shallow!!
Hear endeth today's sermon and remember 'you only know as much of the Bible as you actually live out and do' that's what really knowing something is!! Don't just talk about it do it!!
As a church we sometimes get critised by main stream 'in-the-box' 'Let''s follow the Status Quo, cause that's how we have always done it' Christians, for not being deep enough!!! ?? ***
I have learnt to question this accusation and its simple, it goes like this:
'How deep do you want it??' Is Jesus dying on the cross to save you from your wrong and the wrong of the world and give you eternal life, and the free gift of grace, being sanctified as we speak and have the indwelling life of Christ through the gift of the Holy Spirit living in and through you not deep enough for you??'
We have a misconception of deep sometimes - if its head knowledge they want then there are plenty of other churches that will give that. It's not as if we don't know our stuff I lived in a Bible college for 4 year Michl studied theology and all the German theologians that we Brits need to learn German for, if we really want to get to grips with all that deep stuff.
Anyway this video clip above is an introduction to Theology - Michl is so good at making complicated things understandable, which basically why Jesus used every day stories to get his message across. Jesus had something to say to those who thought they were wise they were full of head knowledge but didn't really live it out and they were called Pharisees. He also chose what this world would call foolish to show up those who thought they were wise and actually were foolish. So just because a church makes things understandable and the message of a church can be applied to every day life does not mean its shallow!!
Hear endeth today's sermon and remember 'you only know as much of the Bible as you actually live out and do' that's what really knowing something is!! Don't just talk about it do it!!
Tuesday, 2 September 2014
Holiday nightmare - I had it a little rough!!
This is me starting to recover - I just turned 48 but have been pretty poorly. Our long awaited and very needed holiday turned out to be a bit of a disaster. We went to Austria to visit the in-laws, which is not really a holiday, then we had booked a week in a 4* hotel in Slovenia. It was supposed to be a Spa hotel with much relaxation and massages and jacuzzi's and swimming and sun. Let me tell you non of the above came to fruition. We did get 2 days of sun and 2 swims in a not very clean over crowded pool. Then it happened, I got hotter and hotter, and this time I could tell this was more than the effects of going through the change. Fortunately we had paracetamol to keep my temperature down slightly but then came the eruptions in my stomach and I literally spent the next 2 days on the toilet. The bathroom could have been a lot more desirable too, let alone clean. I managed on the 3rd day to visit the Slovenian doctor after taking something from the chemist that hadn't helped. He gave me something to stop the runs, which I later found out was not ideal, and he gave me pieces of what looked and tasted like coal, which I had to swallow. Not that I knew what coal tastes like!! What then came out of my body could only be described as tarmac, it was vile. By this time I had started to worry a little, I had had enough and the storms were literally raging in Slovenia, which made the atmosphere very heavy and gave me a massive headache. At least it was only the first day that I was completely delirious, thinking that yellow monsters were coming through the window and Peter Kay was coming with a tea tray to my door as room service. This amused the children slightly, although they were also very concerned. On the 4th day we decided to leave the horrible, unhelpful and far from friendly hotel and venture back to Graz Austria. On ringing the doctor in Austria it was recommended we make an immediate trip to the hospital as I could have Salmonella. The hospital in Austria was great, as always, I had 3 people working on me straight away. May temperature was taken, blood pressure too, and then for an ESG and bloods taken. Within and hour I was on a drip and I had had a lovely talk, in English, to a lovely Austrian doctor, who I think secretly was very pleased for the opportunity to show off her linguistic skills. Within 3 hours my Vital Stats had returned and potassium had been added to my drip. I had a severe intestinal infection and quite a bit of inflammation. They sent me home with some very strong anit-biotics and things started to improve from there. We don't know what caused the severe Gastroenteritis but hey at least we had a clear picture that I was soon going to get better.
Not really the holiday I needed. We did have a few enjoyable days together as a family though, a couple of days just wandering round Graz, a day where they train the Lipizzaner horses for the Spanish riding school, and a day in Vienna where we did the touristy thing and took a horse and cart tour. We still needed a rest though and have been trying to rest for the remainder of the school holidays. There are always jobs to do though, especially the ones that have been left as we have been too busy to do them over the last 10 months. I have been reading a good book though by Dutch Sheets called 'The Pleasure of His Company' which is very refreshing. It is really what I needed to just spend some time with God. I need to restock. I needed to sift out the Urgent from the Important. I need to rest more and have some fun. I need to get fitter and look after my body or I'll be no use to anyone. I think I have just been too busy with 'Ministry' over the last year and I think I need to have some good talks with God about what HE really wants me to do. It's hard because everything we do is good!!! but does that make it right when it wears you out to a frazzle. I don't think so!! I also need to analise the demands that others make on me and yes I will have to let some people down sometimes. I am human, I am not a super human. It's not going to be easy but I am determined after all I have been through in the last few weeks. Hopefully I will look back on this blog and reminded myself of what I have written :)
Monday, 21 July 2014
Prayer - and being too busy!!!
I can't believe that I haven't written on here since March and now its JULY!!! CRAZY - I am challenged more and more about the business of life and how quickly time flies by. Recently a fellow church planter died at the age of 39 so I guess there is a urgency in all that we do to 'Help people become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ' There have to be boundaries though and there has to be PRAYER lots of prayer.....
I find myself running ragged bordering on exhausted, and maybe if I took more time to just reflect and be still I would see things from a different perspective - it would be easier to sift out the URGENT from the IMPORTANT!! I am sure too that if I took more time to stop, and reflect and to be thankful I would quit moaning so much about always being busy busy busy!!
-
The problem is I am a problem solver and an ACTIVIST - if I see a problem I don't rest until 'problem solved'. I have recently been involved in a case at West End Impact that the council have been working on for 17 years but I have been like a Jack Russell with a bone. We will solve this man's problems no matter what as its a life or death situation. Regardless of the man having a Compulsive Disorder or being stubborn, regardless of the problem being far deeper than my remit and the impossibility of the situation, I will find a solution!! That's my character!! I have brought this problem to GOD on several occasions and the members of the City Council involved said themselves it would take a MIRACLE (that in itself was a motivation for me :) Needless to say we are making progress and God has sent some incredibly qualified people to help us make that progress happen. but it has taken heaps of time and energy for just one of the 200 clients that come to WEST END IMPACT!!
I have been frustrated with prayer as I often feel like God is dangling the carrot!! It seems like he inspires us with ideas and gives us gifts and abilities but there is always one part of the equation missing. Resources and money and capacity to carry things through is often missing. The apathy of the Christians around us who never seem to have the time, or guts to get stuck in are also a disabling factor. The thing is we have a GOD who can supply all our needs, he owns the cattle on a thousand hills, he can open up the floodgates of heaven and provide all we need for any project or mission or person we want to help. Does HE though??? Sorry to be so outspoken and honest!! I guess though, instead of this meaning I pray less, it should mean I pray more. There were many people in the Bible who prayed with persistence and didn't get the result they wanted so they prayed more. Jacob for example wrestled with GOD!! I have started to read Philip Yancey's book on 'PRAYER' and I think this is going to help me greatly in my struggle. I am reminded that PRAYER is not just about asking for stuff or guidance or help but is also about thanking GOD for all that he is and all that he has done for us. The thankful heart changes your outlook, and I am sure it helps your health too physically as well as mentally. It's being transformed by the renewing of our mind Roman 12 v 1-2!! PRAYER is also confessing our weaknesses which means admitting our dependency on GOD, confessing our wrong doing and wrong attitudes which often cripple us, and confessing the things that we should be doing and aren't, watching less telly, spending more time with family!!! etc. We also need to tell GOD more how wonderful HE is but of course if we are not experiencing his wonders how can we tell him - so we need to take time to experience HIS wonders, his creation, study his character in the BIBLE, see his loveliness in others who are also made in GOD's image.
So all in all I am seeing that if I take more time for moments of prayer or 20 minutes of prayer my whole prospective will start to change and maybe I just won't be so busy. Maybe I just won't feel so busy or maybe I will stop doing some of the things that I shouldn't be doing!! Or maybe I will find it easy to say no to the unimportant things that fill my time.
Help me LORD to have more faith in prayer and not always think of PRAYER as asking for things or getting results but more of a change of attitude and being in your presence as I go about my daily life in you!!!
I find myself running ragged bordering on exhausted, and maybe if I took more time to just reflect and be still I would see things from a different perspective - it would be easier to sift out the URGENT from the IMPORTANT!! I am sure too that if I took more time to stop, and reflect and to be thankful I would quit moaning so much about always being busy busy busy!!
-
The problem is I am a problem solver and an ACTIVIST - if I see a problem I don't rest until 'problem solved'. I have recently been involved in a case at West End Impact that the council have been working on for 17 years but I have been like a Jack Russell with a bone. We will solve this man's problems no matter what as its a life or death situation. Regardless of the man having a Compulsive Disorder or being stubborn, regardless of the problem being far deeper than my remit and the impossibility of the situation, I will find a solution!! That's my character!! I have brought this problem to GOD on several occasions and the members of the City Council involved said themselves it would take a MIRACLE (that in itself was a motivation for me :) Needless to say we are making progress and God has sent some incredibly qualified people to help us make that progress happen. but it has taken heaps of time and energy for just one of the 200 clients that come to WEST END IMPACT!!
I have been frustrated with prayer as I often feel like God is dangling the carrot!! It seems like he inspires us with ideas and gives us gifts and abilities but there is always one part of the equation missing. Resources and money and capacity to carry things through is often missing. The apathy of the Christians around us who never seem to have the time, or guts to get stuck in are also a disabling factor. The thing is we have a GOD who can supply all our needs, he owns the cattle on a thousand hills, he can open up the floodgates of heaven and provide all we need for any project or mission or person we want to help. Does HE though??? Sorry to be so outspoken and honest!! I guess though, instead of this meaning I pray less, it should mean I pray more. There were many people in the Bible who prayed with persistence and didn't get the result they wanted so they prayed more. Jacob for example wrestled with GOD!! I have started to read Philip Yancey's book on 'PRAYER' and I think this is going to help me greatly in my struggle. I am reminded that PRAYER is not just about asking for stuff or guidance or help but is also about thanking GOD for all that he is and all that he has done for us. The thankful heart changes your outlook, and I am sure it helps your health too physically as well as mentally. It's being transformed by the renewing of our mind Roman 12 v 1-2!! PRAYER is also confessing our weaknesses which means admitting our dependency on GOD, confessing our wrong doing and wrong attitudes which often cripple us, and confessing the things that we should be doing and aren't, watching less telly, spending more time with family!!! etc. We also need to tell GOD more how wonderful HE is but of course if we are not experiencing his wonders how can we tell him - so we need to take time to experience HIS wonders, his creation, study his character in the BIBLE, see his loveliness in others who are also made in GOD's image.
So all in all I am seeing that if I take more time for moments of prayer or 20 minutes of prayer my whole prospective will start to change and maybe I just won't be so busy. Maybe I just won't feel so busy or maybe I will stop doing some of the things that I shouldn't be doing!! Or maybe I will find it easy to say no to the unimportant things that fill my time.
Help me LORD to have more faith in prayer and not always think of PRAYER as asking for things or getting results but more of a change of attitude and being in your presence as I go about my daily life in you!!!
Monday, 3 March 2014
Saturday, 1 March 2014
Church Planting Conference - really encouraging!!
Had a really great weekend last week with Church Planting Initiative http://www.cpi-britain .org/cpi
We felt so loved and encouraged and ready to come back to work this week. Church Planting is often a lonely place because the main stream church doesn't often understand you. Some Christians think we are just going out on whim or we are starting again because we are just not getting 'real church!' Church planting is a calling and unless you have the right tools to do it, it will be an impossible task. This is why we needed to get alongside other Church Planters who are in the same boat. They understand and they can talk on the same wavelength. We have that co-operate sense that God is doing a new thing with his church.We have a sense that we are to be different to the Church in its decline in the 21st Century, and we have a sense that God's church is the Hope of the World!!
I met people who understood the loneliness and understood the frustration we face. One of my biggest frustration is Christians and this causes me much pain when I am honest, and it was good to share honestly this weekend. Over the years God has placed it deeply on my heart to define the difference between Christianity and Christian culture and that was also strongly seen when talking with other Church Planters. I am hoping to finish my book all about this issue one day!!
Other blessings were it was all free and tea and coffee were on tap all day long :) CPI also had a great effect on our kids who were integrated and felt at home straight away. The conference also had a totally international feel with such diversity and yet unity. It never came into the conversation what flavour of church we were or what our theological tendencies were. YAHAY!!
What a lovely bunch of treasures we are getting to know in CPI - saints and ambassadors for Christ in a country that is seeing a new thing happening with God's church if only we catch the wind and surf the wave that God is sending.
Thank God for CPI XXX
We felt so loved and encouraged and ready to come back to work this week. Church Planting is often a lonely place because the main stream church doesn't often understand you. Some Christians think we are just going out on whim or we are starting again because we are just not getting 'real church!' Church planting is a calling and unless you have the right tools to do it, it will be an impossible task. This is why we needed to get alongside other Church Planters who are in the same boat. They understand and they can talk on the same wavelength. We have that co-operate sense that God is doing a new thing with his church.We have a sense that we are to be different to the Church in its decline in the 21st Century, and we have a sense that God's church is the Hope of the World!!
I met people who understood the loneliness and understood the frustration we face. One of my biggest frustration is Christians and this causes me much pain when I am honest, and it was good to share honestly this weekend. Over the years God has placed it deeply on my heart to define the difference between Christianity and Christian culture and that was also strongly seen when talking with other Church Planters. I am hoping to finish my book all about this issue one day!!
Other blessings were it was all free and tea and coffee were on tap all day long :) CPI also had a great effect on our kids who were integrated and felt at home straight away. The conference also had a totally international feel with such diversity and yet unity. It never came into the conversation what flavour of church we were or what our theological tendencies were. YAHAY!!
What a lovely bunch of treasures we are getting to know in CPI - saints and ambassadors for Christ in a country that is seeing a new thing happening with God's church if only we catch the wind and surf the wave that God is sending.
Thank God for CPI XXX
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)