About us
SWUF is controlled and run by users and survivors of the mental health services for users and survivors of the mental health services. It has an elected committee of users and survivors who meet monthly.
SWUF actively promote and support the empowerment of users, ex-users and survivors of the mental health services, and the full involvement of users and survivors in the planning, provision and checking of services provided for users and survivors.It encourages user participation and self-advocacy in mental health settings, and campaigns for equal opportunities and choices for users and survivors.
SWUF also challenges discrimination and stigma and promotes awareness of the social model of disability and the social model of distress.
A Brief History
In 1992, a user group called FLAME was meeting, supported by Mid-Warwickshire MIND. It was comprised of users and survivors of the mental health system. The group had some involvement in Central Hospital, a large Victorian mental asylum on the outskirts of Warwick, which was in the process of being closed down in the move towards care in the community and the establishment of the new St Michaels Hospital.
The group however, was not recognised by the Chief Executive of South Warwickshire National Health Trust, as being representative of all mental health service users in the region, therefore a forum was set up to gain support.
The first user forum conference was held in September 1992 and it was supported by Mid-Warwickshire MIND, Warwickshire Social Services, and Warwickshire Health Authority. The forum continued to meet twice a year to revue important issues and with the support of Mid-Warwickshire MIND, users became involved in various planning and consultation groups. In 1995, largely through the work of Andrew Kent funding became available through the Mental Illness Specific Grant, and a steering group was duly set up chaired by Andrew and a User Empowerment Worker (Graham Lacey) was appointed. On 28th September 1996, South Warwickshire User Forum was formed after a proposed constitution was adopted at its first Annual General Meeting.
Since then SWUF has continued to develop:
- In 1998, SWUF secured Lottery funding for the development of a Patients Council within the Trust. As a result of this, SWUF now has an office within St Michaels Hospital in Warwick, and is able to actively involve service users in service planning and implementation within the trust and the community.
- SWUF achieved charitable status in 2000.
- In 2003, SWUF was awarded a three year Community Fund Grant (Lottery Funded) of £132,071, which enabled the renting of premises from Mid-Warwickshire MIND in Leamington Spa and the appointment of a Recovery Guide Co-ordinator and a Counselling Co-ordinator.
SWUF is currently seeking funding to continue its current projects and provide more support to service users and survivors in the region.
