Return to MHIT Report contents

The Mental Health Information Technology Project:
(4) The development of the pilot stage, including brief profiles of the organisational participants.

Having taken the initiative to lead the project and having managed to secure a significant contribution to the start-up costs from the Lloyds - TSB Foundation, Mind in Manchester subsequently agreed to contribute £7701.375 towards the wage costs of a Project Co-ordinator for the duration of the pilot. Rowan Purdy was appointed Project Co-ordinator in May 1998. As part-time Information Development Worker, he maintains a mental health information base for Mind in Manchester. He has trained extensively in the use of new and emerging Information Technology and has experience in utilising I.T. to develop mental health services. He regularly works with volunteers and facilitates user-led initiatives.

The 9-month pilot stage began successfully in May 1998 and the Project Co-ordinator developed a basic project outline which identified project objectives, timescale, activities, needs addressed and outputs in order to encourage participation in the project. Throughout May and June 1998 the Project Co-ordinator networked through a variety of media to identify ‘core’ organisations to participate in the pilot. The Project Co-ordinator strove to encourage organisations to contribute ‘in-kind’ towards the costs of the project. For example, each of the three mental health organisations were persuaded to provide office space in kind (worth approximately £6,000 in total) so that the individuals representing that organisation had a dedicated area to practice on a PC and develop their newly acquired skills throughout the duration of the project. Organisations with access to appropriate computer suite training facilities and trainers were also persuaded to contribute in kind towards the cost of hiring their venues (worth approximately £6,800 in total).

Mind in Manchester Ltd. is an Industrial and Provident Society with charitable status run by volunteers and paid staff. Affiliated to National MIND, the leading mental health charity in England and Wales. Mind in Manchester has had considerable experience in the process of building networks and developing partnerships amongst community based mental health organisations. In particular, over the last few years, Mind in Manchester has specifically used information technology to develop mental health services.

The Schizophrenia Media Agency (SMA) is a Manchester based charitable organisation run by people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia who are trying to change the way schizophrenia is portrayed in the Media.

Promoting Realistic Meaningful Innovative Enterprise (PRIME) is a city-wide service, jointly funded by the European Social Fund and North Manchester Healthcare NHS Trust. PRIME aims to ensure opportunities of access to employment, training and education, including pre-employment, training and development activities for people with mental health problems.

These three mental health organisations were chosen because they all share common objectives and have a history of working together in partnership, planning, delivering and evaluating mental health services across the city of Manchester.

Informal meetings were held at MIND in Manchester Ltd., the Schizophrenia Media Agency and Promoting Realistic Meaningful Innovative Enterprise to explain the project development plan in more detail. Each mental health organisation was asked to identify 4 representatives to participate in the pilot as trainees, ensuring that:

• Priority would be given to unemployed users or former users of mental health services.

• Participants would be expected to demonstrate a high level of commitment to attend the training days and support sessions and also to practice what they had learned back at the mental health organisation which they represent.

Manchester Community Information Network (MCIN) is a non-profit making limited company working in partnership with the local authority, voluntary organisations, businesses, the academic Sector, the health services and other community organisations. Provides an Online Public Information System - a free, comprehensive and up to date source of Community Information to people in Manchester. MCIN agreed to make the information that the project produces freely accessible to the Public via their information kiosks, of which there are more than twelve in the city of Manchester in areas of particular disadvantage. [See section (10) Appendix, (d), for more information about MCIN]

Toucan is a non-profit co-operative working in the area of research and development, providing technical assistance, management and training and development for organisations within the European Union. The focus of their activities is work with people experiencing social exclusion, and innovative actions and developments that offer opportunities for economic and social integration. Toucan agreed to assist the project by working with Tameside College to get parts of the training undertaken by the trainees accredited with a nationally recognised qualification.

Various organisations across the city with access to appropriate computer suite training facilities and trainers agreed to contribute in kind the cost of hiring the computer training suites. Organisations that provided training venues for the pilot stage training programme to take place included: The Manchester Technology Management Centre at Rutherford House. This is run by Manchester Telematics and Teleworking Partnership (MTTP) part of the Manchester Institute of Telematics and Employment Research (MITER) within the Faculty of Humanities and Social Science of the Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), which provides training in the use of multimedia and networking technologies.

Chorlton Workshop Electronic Village Hall is a community education centre which offers free, open access training in information technology and telematics to socially and economically disadvantaged groups in the inner city areas of Central and South Manchester who are unlikely to take advantage of other educational opportunities.

The Manchester Multi-media Centre (MMC) is also part of the Manchester Institute of Telematics and Employment Research (MITER) within the Faculty of Humanities and Social Science of the Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), which contributes to the creation of employment and economic development through the application of multimedia and networking technologies.

A number of individuals were approached to deliver different sections of the training programme (outlined in section 4). Those trainers who agreed to participate included:
Tish Roberts – Previously worked for the Centre for Employment Research within the Faculty of Humanities and Social Science of the Manchester Metropolitan University. (tish.roberts@man.ac.uk)
Nicola Teece – Self-employed multimedia and Internet consultant / lecturer. Also part-time training and development worker for Manchester Community Information Network. (nicola@mcin.net)
John Frost – Graphic designer. Currently works for the ‘Bootroom’, based at the Manchester Multi-media Centre. (john.frost@bootroom.com)

Throughout the early stages of the project, the Project Co-ordinator met with a number of representatives from various local educational establishments’ to discuss the possibility of securing accreditation of the training undertaken by the project participants.

Tameside College, a further education college, agreed to provide the pilot stage participants with an NVQ level 1 in Telematics to accredit the Email and Internet training undertaken. Tameside College is based at Ashton Centre, Beaufort Road, Ashton-u-Lyne, Lancashire, OL6 6NX. Tel: 0161 908 6600. Fax: 0161 908 6611. Minicom: 0161 908 6610

Chorlton Workshop Electronic Village Hall via the Open College of the North West agreed to provide the pilot stage participants with a Foundation Accreditation in Science and Technology, the formal equivalent of an NVQ level 2, to accredit the multimedia training undertaken. The Open College of the North West is a consortium of three institutions of higher education - Lancaster University, University College of St Martin, Edge Hill University College and over forty FE colleges. Practitioners from member FE colleges propose adult learning opportunities for accreditation and validation by OCNW. Such proposals pass through a consultation/development process involving advisers and other interested practitioners before recognition by a panel of higher and further education representatives for accreditation. Such recognised provision is made available, with appropriate staff development, for use throughout the consortium. This degree of practitioner-driven co-operation assists processes of obtaining external recognition, networking and the avoidance of 'reinventing the wheel'. OCNW qualifications are recognised by all British universities, the FEFC, many professional institutions e.g. the Institute of Bankers, UKCC (nursing), CCETSW (social work), and many other employers e.g. the Civil Service, local authorities etc.

Although the costs of running the pilot stage of the project had been successfully secured it was necessary to devise a strategy to secure contributions towards the capital and running costs of the rollout stages of the project. The Project Co-ordinator made regular visits to Voluntary Action Manchester’s Fundraising Surgeries. Stuart Henry-Lucas, VAM’s ‘fundraising strategist extraordinnaire’, carefully began to sow the seeds of ‘no-frills’ fundraising into the greymatter of yet another fundraising novice. With further careful nourishment, the Project Co-ordinator was able to produce a detailed development plan and budget projection. [See section (9) Appendix, (b) and (c) for more information about the project budget projection and costs respectively].

The development plan and budget projection were subsequently developed by the Project Co-ordinator into fundraising applications to secure contributions towards the capital and running costs of the rollout stages of the project. The organisations applied to include:

• The Tudor Trust
• The Abbey National Trust
• Comic Relief
• The Garfield Weston Foundation
• Halifax Community Grants Scheme
• Manchester City Council Social Service’s Mental Illness Specific Grant

Only the application to the Halifax Community Grants Scheme was successful. They agreed to contribute £1,000 towards the pilot Project in December 1998. [See section (8) for a brief profile of the Halifax Community Grants Scheme]

Return to MHIT Report contents