Case Study
Joining up local and national in Lanarkshire
Children and Young People’s Campaign
About the initiative
An alliance of 30 organisations in Lanarkshire was the first to sign the ‘see me’ Anti-Stigma Pledge in July 2003.
Involving ‘see me’
This commitment was consolidated in April 2005 when support and enthusiasm was matched with funding from NHS Lanarkshire, North and South Lanarkshire Councils and the national ‘see me’ campaign. Dedicated resources could be used to work along side ‘see me’ to deliver a well researched, sustainable and integrated local campaign. Individuals from within partner organisations are implementing the ‘see me’ campaign locally as part of their responsibilities. This case study focuses specifically on the Children and Young People strand of the ‘see me’ campaign.
The challenge
Following the launch of the Children and Young People strand a round-table discussion was organised in Lanarkshire and supported by the national campaign team. The aim of this meeting was to engage with local decision-makers who work with children and young people. This included CAMHS, Education, School Nursing Services, Heath Promoting Schools, Public Health, voluntary groups and young people.
Resources
A number of existing programmes were identified through which the ‘see me’ message could be delivered in Lanarkshire. These included:
- Heath Promoting Schools.
- Personal, Social and Health Education Programmes.
- Learning communities, community projects and existing mental health programmes.
What we did
Key to progress was making the message local to Lanarkshire; i.e. 6,500 young people in Lanarkshire will have experienced mental health care needs in the last week. ‘see me’ case examples were used to demonstrate the personal impact of stigma on young people.
Local initiatives were planned and included:
- High level social marketing activity in Lanarkshire, including ‘see me’ images and strap lines on 85 buses.
- ‘see me’ promotion on 18 of NHS Lanarkshire’s vehicles and 12 of Amey Roads (North Lanarkshire) Ltd vehicles.
- Targeted distribution of ‘see me’ materials via workplaces, schools, local authority and NHS services, libraries and community centres.
- A summer leisure campaign saw a ‘see me’ road show travel around 12 leisure centres in North and South Lanarkshire at a time when young people had free access to swimming pools.
What we achieved
Motherwell Football Club signed the Lanarkshire ‘see me’ pledge in May 2005, the first football club to do so. Through linking nationally the group was informed of work that was progressing in Glasgow to develop a resource that not only met the group’s objectives but surpassed them. Members of the group reviewed the materials and attended the launch of the new Glasgow schools pack (Positive Mental Attitudes). Importantly this pack fits well within current curriculum. The following progress has been made:
- The Mental Health and Well-being Curriculum Pack developed in Glasgow has been adapted and adopted within Lanarkshire.
- North and South Lanarkshire Choose Life Groups have provided funding for implementation.
- Positive Mental Attitudes packs have been purchased for each secondary school in Lanarkshire.
What we learned
- Understand as much as possible about the national campaign.
- ‘Think National, Act Local’. Make the message local.
- Discuss with ‘see me’ first, act second. ‘see me’ has done the strategy.
- It has to be someone’s job in the key organisations.
- Form a local ‘see me’ partnership group.
- ‘see me’ - it’s on a plate.
‘see me’ is run by an alliance of five mental health organisations: Highland Users Group; National Schizophrenia Fellowship Scotland; Penumbra; Royal College of Psychiatrists Scottish Division; and Scottish Association for Mental Health. ‘see me’ is fully funded by the Scottish Government.
Published by ‘see me’
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