Croydon's Mental Health Service User Group
Hear Us; Croydon's Mental Health User Service User Group


Hear Us
Linkworkers Comments
  To promote, educate, communicate and empower, for the benefit and interest of people affected by mental health issues

SLaM 24 hr
Information line:
Help line gives
information and
support to people
in Croydon with
mental health
problems.

0800 731 2864

SAMARITANS

A 24 hour service providing confidential emotional support to any person who are suicidal or despairing

020 8681 666

A 24 hour confidential help line providing
advice and information on a range of health issues.
0845 46474

 

 
Registered in England No. 6891337 Charity No.1135535
Hear Us is a Company Limited by Guarantee.

Hear Us
Orchard House 15a Purley Road,
South Croydon, CR2 6EZ
020 8681 6888
hear.us@hear-us.org
www.hear-us.org
I was part of the first Linkworker training sessions for Hear Us and we started the actual Linkworking Project at the Bethlem Hospital 2 years ago on Gresham 1. The Linkworking Project has since proved to be interesting, rewarding, enlightening, and funny and, gives you a sense of achievement which you don’t expect, but it happens over time.

I have been party to Linkworking at the Bethlem, Westways, Tamworth Road, Purley Resource Centre, The Crescent and the Selhurst Road Unit; Linkworking at all these places has been varied and different. On Alex Ground Floor (now Gresham 1) there have been real highs and lows; from patients dancing for you, to patients who have been violent on the ward and us as Linkworkers, sitting down with them and explaining the merits of not being violent on the ward, the result of which, was the patient, who was on a section, then being given leave by the staff, and subsequently being discharged from the ward.

It’s so rewarding when you return to the ward and those particular patients have turned their ‘ward-life’ around to a positive rather than a negative experience as it was before. Just listening to what people have to say about the Mental Health Services that are being provided for Service Users (sometimes good, sometimes bad) and the fact that we, as Linkworkers are also Service Users too, shows the patients that there is light at the end of the tunnel, as we can empathize with them.

As with all situations, there are good and bad days, but I really enjoy Linkworking and as I mentioned before, it is very a very rewarding and therapeutic experience.

Carmen Gray (Linkworker & Project Worker for Hear Us)

I’ve been Linkworking from May of 2008 and am as enthusiastic about the job as I was on the first day. I feel privileged that I was asked to take on this role and have found that my past and on-going status as a service user has been vital in establishing my role in regards to dealing with both staff and service users.
I have found that you can never predict which way a session will go, from just a guarded conversation, to a willing participant, to just lending an ear for an hour or so.
Key to our role is the feedback we give to the senior staff at the end of our sessions. I have found the majority to be very courteous and helpful towards anything we relate back to them.
From a personal perspective, I feel I have gained a renewed sense of self-belief and thoroughly enjoy interacting with service users, staff and Hear Us workers alike.
I look forward to extending my work hours in the future

Duncan (Linkworker for Hear Us)