news
Covid precautions
We are continuing to run our OASIS/drop-in
service at Faulkner Road. There will be social
distancing inside our building and people will
need to have a lateral flow covid test before
entering - we can provide the test kits or you
can use your own.
The days and times are the same as pre-covid:
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 12 - 5pm, Tuesday
evenings 6pm - 11pm, Saturday and Sunday 12 -
6pm. The Friday, women only ,session is on
earlier than before the pandemic: 12 until 2-
30pm. The art/craft group is running on
Thursdays from 10am - 12-30pm, but the music
group can’t restart until the situation with covid
infection risks improve.
We continue to provide counselling in our
building using masks, visors and clear screens,
although there is still the option of receiving
counselling by telephone.
The horticulture/conservation project continues
to be open on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays
and Fridays from 10-30am until 4pm. The women
only session is on Tuesdays,11am - 2pm.
There will still be advice and support available
on the telephone and through email (0121 742
4941 or 0121 743 4237; and
contact@solihullmind.org.uk).
Our seven day a week crisis service is open from
6pm until 11pm from 4th October in our building
in Faulkner Road and has the same covid
precautions as the OASIS service.
Facemasks
Although the government has dropped the
compulsory wearing of facemasks in enclosed
spaces, many shops are still requiring them.
However, there are exemptions from this
requirement; including young children, people
with breathing difficulties, and, most
significantly, “people whose disabilities make it
difficult for them to wear a face covering”- and
this includes people who are unable to wear
masks due to their mental health.
As it isn’t obvious that people with “hidden
disabilities” are exempt from wearing a mask,
there are badges available that can be worn or
displayed on your smart phone. The government
Black Lives Matter
Mind believes that Black Lives Matter and black
mental health matters and we share our support
for the Black Lives Matter movement.
In mental health – as in other areas of life –
there is a huge disparity in how black people are
listened to and supported at every level. People
from black and minority ethnic (BAME) groups
living in the UK are more likely to be diagnosed
with mental health problems, be diagnosed and
admitted to hospital, experience a poor outcome
from treatment, disengage from mainstream
mental health services, leading to social
exclusion and a deterioration in their mental
health.
Under the outdated Mental Health Act, Black
people are more likely to be compulsorily
admitted for treatment, more likely to be on a
medium or high secure ward and more likely to
be subject to seclusion or restrain.
We know there’s no easy solution and that there
is still a long way to go to make sure everyone
experiencing a mental health problem and other
forms of discrimination, is treated equally, both
within our organisation and outside it.
oasis
Our OASIS service will continue to run after the
end of March, even though we will no longer
have the Solihull Council contract to provide
mental health drop-ins. The new council funded
drop-ins, run by Mental Health Matters, will be
provided in three locations within the borough
over seven days: two sessions in the south, two
in the north, and three in Solihull town centre.
As our OASIS service provides access to our
other services and is located in a dedicated
building providing mental health support seven
days a week we believe that it offers a
sufficiently different service to the new drop-ins
to justify continuing to provide the service. The
service will be funded by our reserve funds while
we look for new sources of funding for it.
Solihull Mind AGM
Our 2022 Annual General Meeting will be held in the Meadow Room at Solihull Ice Rink on Thursday 19
th
May from 7pm. There will be reports on all our services,
our annual financial report and audited accounts, plus the election of Board Members, followed by a buffet. For an agenda and more details, please contact our
office.