Reaching Out : Connecting Older People

Mind Wise New Vision, has been awarded £479,702 to provide a range of support services and activities for older people with mental ill health across Northern Ireland, helping them to get more involved in community life.

 The project has been developed in partnership with each of the five Health and Social Care Trusts in Northern Ireland. We will appoint a Community Bridge Builder in each of the health trusts who will work with isolated older people. The Bridge Builders will visit older people in their homes and help them develop a personal plan so they can get more involved in community activities and events.

 “The Bridge Builder could help the older person get involved in education or training in computers, they might organise for them to go to a book group or the library, arts and crafts or painting classes, a swimming classes, or a tea dance run by a local group – it’s up to the older person to decide what suits them and go at their pace,” said Area Manager Jackie McCaughey. 

 “These activities will build the person’s confidence and self-esteem, so gradually the Bridge Builder will step back, and the older person will have the links and friendships to continue to stay involved in their community. “

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Reaching Out- Empowering Young People

Mind Wise New Vision will use £488,683 to work with young people, aged 13-21, who have been released from policy custody with a warning, caution or on bail to appear in court at a later date.

MindWise currently delivers the NI Appropriate Adult Scheme which aims to support young people without parental support and vulnerable adults during police interviews to ensure that they understand the process, their rights and the questions put to them. The new Linked-In Project will receive referrals via the Appropriate Adults Services for the custody suits in Musgrave Street, Belfast, the custody suites in Antrim and Strand Road PSNI Station in L’Derry.

Project workers will then offer the young people six months of intensive individual support with the aim of reducing reoffending and addressing health and other issues in their lives which might lead to re-offending and reduced life opportunities.

“Our research has shown that young people involved in first time or low level offending, are experiencing a higher level of mental health problems, undiagnosed mental health conditions and issues like communication, language & speech problems and homelessness, alcohol abuse etc. As far as we are aware this is the first early intervention project of this type in the whole of the UK where intervention takes place before a young person ever reaches court,” said Mirjam Bader, Young People’s Services Manager. “At the moment young people in Northern Ireland receive little support when they leave police custody, leading to high levels of young people not attending court and breaking their bail conditions and as a result re-offending.

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