The head image and logo of the Newhaven Community Development Association

THE SUMMERHAYES MODEL

Summerhayes is one of the

Newhaven Community Development Association (NCDA) Projects

  • In 1989 Sargeants Estate Agents in Newhaven gave the ground floor of Summerhayes to Social Services
  • With the proviso that it was used for the benefit of the people of Newhaven
  • Initially Summerhayes was used as a Day Centre for older people, which eventually moved to Downlands in Peacehaven, thus leaving the Centre empty

What to do with the building

  • Discussion between a local community organisation (NCDA) and Social Services identified the need for a ‘preventative mental health centre’
  • To offer support to people at times of difficulty and life transition
  • The idea was that this support would

Ø Alleviate distress

Ø Take some of the pressure off existing services

Ø Particularly for those people experiencing ‘common mental health concerns’ (who may not be meeting access criteria for statutory support services)
 

Small Intervention / Big Impact

  • There was an understanding that a small amount of intervention early on in a difficult experience or situation; may prevent a person becoming more troubled and therefore needing more intense intervention at a later date
  • It was also believed that a community based centre could avoid the labelling that sometimes went with the more traditional day centres for those with mental health issues
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Open the Doors

In1999 Summerhayes opened as a preventative mental health centre;

  • Social Services provided the building and maintenance costs
  • NCDA provided the staffing and running of the Centre
  • Summerhayes has since then been developing as a community based preventative mental health centre promoting positive well-being
  • It provides a comfortable, quiet, confidential meeting place in the centre of Newhaven, for individuals and groups
  • Mutual and individual support and information exchange is encouraged in a relaxed, accepting, and non-labelling atmosphere

§ Summerhayes benefits from being involved in inter-agency and partnership working. The Steering Group has various members from the Voluntary Sector, as well as from Social Services, Primary Care Trust, and Community Mental Health Team

§ Summerhayes has also been an active member of the local action and steering groups

§ Summerhayes is a project of NCDA (Newhaven Community Development Association) which has over 90 member community groups
 

In line with Standard 1 of the National Service Framework; Summerhayes

§ Promotes mental health for all, working with individuals and communities.

§ Combats discrimination against individuals and groups with mental health problems, and promotes their social inclusion.

We understand that Summerhayes has been identified in the list of local priorities as being a model site of preventative mental health care that could be replicated in other areas.
 

The positive impact of the work

§ There is acknowledgement that in life; perhaps at times of transition, difficulty or crisis; we all need a bit of support, and that when this is timely and respectfully offered in a non-pathologising environment, it may alleviate much distress, both in the short and long term. By offering a wide choice of support services at Summerhayes, we hope that people will find the service that is right for them at that time.

§ There is potentially further impact in reducing demands upon staff in Primary Care Practices and Community Mental Health Team; and upon Carers.
 

Figures and Costs

The year 2002/3 saw over 6000 attendances at Summerhayes

2003/4 saw over 7000 attendances

2004/5 saw over 9000 attendances

2005/6 saw nearly 10,000 attendances

Example of Summerhayes Running Costs 2004/5 = £72,597

v Number of attendances 2004/5 = 9281

v Therefore Cost per attendance = £7.82

Breakdown of Attendances as follows:

Meetings = 5%

Practitioners = 22%

Clients = 73%

Phone Calls and Personal Visits;

v Approximate number of additional informal visits at Summerhayes in 2004/5 = 854

v Approximate number of telephone enquiries = 3152
 

TOTALS

v Therefore Total Interventions 2004/5 = 13,287

v Therefore cost per intervention 2004/5 = £5.46
 

A week in the Life of Summerhayes

§ Support that may be found at Summerhayes includes, or has included, for example Coffee and Chat, Postnatal Group, Toddler Groups, Care for the Carers, Parent Carers’ Support, Benefits Advice, Citizens Advice Bureau, Police/Town Council Surgery, Cruse Bereavement Care, Mankind for Survivors of Abuse, Step Forward Domestic Abuse, Community Alcohol Team, Counselling, Cognitive Therapy, Weight Watchers, Employment Project, Volunteer Scheme, Crime Reduction Initiative, Anger Management, Basic Skills Training, Sussex Careers, Courses for Anxiety and Depression. In addition Summerhayes hold a file of local and national resources, and offers a sign posting service. The Havens Options service is also managed by and runs from Summerhayes, using practitioners form the CMHT and from the Voluntary Sector, and offering a therapeutic and signposting service to patients of GPs in Peacehaven and Newhaven and currently receives about 250 referrals a year. The NCDA organisation holds a Healthy Workplace Award.
 

Staff Team

A positive impact for staff working at Summerhayes is the reward of making a difference in the local community.

§ The team is enthusiastic and hard working and keen to develop connections and partnerships with community groups and individuals.

§ Local people are employed wherever possible.

§ There is a daily experience of offering something that is valued and appreciated.

§ Summerhayes offers a simple model and experience builds a trust that it works.

Summerhayes currently employs

5 part-time staff ranging from 4 to 32 hours per week,

A further 12 additional sessional staff

In addition we work with and offer a wide range of placement opportunities including graduate workers, trainee psychologists, trainee counsellors, trainee cognitive therapists, group work.
 

Development of the project

Some things that have happened to date:

  • We have turned the old bathroom into a meeting and counselling room
  • We have turned the hair washing room into a library and resource room
  • We have converted what was an industrial kitchen into a user friendly kitchen/diner room, which is now used both as a meeting space, and also as a cooking/dining space; for example Healthy Cooking Groups
  • With a capital grant and building project we have recently expanded the Centre including new meeting rooms and a conservatory. This has created a refurbished and appropriate venue, ensuring that Summerhayes is increasingly safe, accessible, compliant and suitable for diverse use.

Vision for the development of Summerhayes is to ensure the sustainability of the Centre; maximise the use of the Centre according to local need; and further develop our partnership working through;

  • Securing sustained funding
  • Identifiying gaps in service provision
  • Working with local and county wide partners
  • Keeping up to date with ideas from reports such as ‘Layard Report’ (2005) and ‘Depression Report’ (2006)
  • Continuing to develop as a Well-being Centre

Partnership Model

  • Our experience is that working in diverse partnerships is greatly enhancing and enriching, creating an end result of a whole that is greater than all its parts, and which offers good value and great appreciation.

Kate Charlton (Summerhayes Development Manager) March 2007