Space to recover

Story: Derrick Okrah

SPACES, a Community Recovery Service (formerly Adult Mental Health Day Services), is a newly commissioned service which has an ongoing commitment to support people to re-engage with their local communities and to access the resources and opportunities that most of us take for granted.

The new name was voted for by staff and service users from a range of suggestions and simply stands for “Sheffield Pathways and Access to Community Engagement Services.A member of staff puts it this way;

“We believe the new name is more reflective of the work that day services have been doing for some time now, which delivers more of its services in the community.”

To provide a holistic approach to service delivery for people with mental health problems, SPACES combines the skills of community recovery nurses and social care workers and also involve other health agencies.

“We work with a wide spectrum of mental health support needs, ranging from those who require short term support to manage their mental wellbeing, and regain confidence and independence, to those whose needs are more complex and enduring and who need more support to enjoy good quality of life.”

SPACES in two teams, North (based at 259 Pitsmoor Rd) serving the North and West of the city and South (based at 9 Moncrieffe Rd) serving the South East and South West of the city. Access to SPACES is usually by referral from a member of a Community Mental Health Team, an acute ward, or an Sheffield Health & Social Care specialist service. Potential service users are contacted within seven days after being allocated a worker.

What do service users say about their experience with SPACES?

“I can remember walking into this room and saying to myself, ‘there is no chance I am staying in here,’ but now look at me; I can’t get away from it!”

“It came to a point in my life where there was no hope for me. The only hope I had was SPACES, and they were there to support and encourage me in my recovery. For them to be present at that critical moment in my life, stopped me from doing some horrific things to myself.”

“Where do I start? In short, the staff and support you get from SPACES are priceless; the staff are some of the most down to earth people you will ever meet in the NHS.”

On June 17th in the South and 24th in the North, the long anticipated SPACES launch events proved to be a success with the warm weather adding to the excitement. Service users, service providers, voluntary organisations and members of the general public had the chance to find out more about what SPACES offer.

If you would like to find out more about SPACES, contact Will Mayor from the North on 226 2660.