One to one Support

Our one to one support is the personal centered approach and we aim to:

• Provide assistance for Somali individuals with a mental health problem to access support and services. 
• Be the first point of contact for both service users and providers, facilitating access to mainstream mental health and related services in the public sector 
• Support our local NHS provide appropriate culturally sensitive services to the community and help services access community
• Provide advice, basic counselling and information for adults with mental health problems and those experiencing post-traumatic stress, including refugees and asylum seekers
• Help with interpreting, home visits and accompanying service users to hospital and GP appointments, social services and the police as needed.
• Provide advocacy and support in dealing with Mental Health Tribunals and other legal proceedings, including case reviews
• Reducing the unnecessary uptake of hospital beds, A&E facilities and ambulances through enabling early interventions,
• supporting the implementation of the Care Programme Approach (CPA) and working closely with the Community Mental Health Teams (CMHTs). CPA is a framework used to assess each person’s self-identified needs. And make sure that you have support for your needs.

Carers Groups

Due to COVID 19 Pandemic our weekly social activities sessions, exercises, Somali traditional dance are through WhatsApp group, Zoom, Microsoft Team and telephone.

• Maan has been working with Somali men and women for the last eight years. This work has involved regular physical well-being activities for Somali women who are carers. For men we have found that drop in social cafe sessions work. Information, guidance and training is provided for both men and women. We work closely with Carers in Sheffield and a wide range of other organisations who we have worked as part of the Carers in Sheffield Network.  We have used informal learning, storytelling and participatory activities, in order to listen and learn from Somali carers about their concerns, aspirations and ideas for individual and collective positive change.  
• Somali carers face isolation based on language, unfamiliar UK culture and systems of support. Experience of being carers isolate them further from other geographically fragmented Somali community members in Sheffield. 
• Maan has consulted and engaged with Somali carers on an ongoing basis. We use regular visual and oral monitoring tools, engagement events and group activities to identify existing strengths, needs and barriers to mainstream services. The experiences, insights and ideas from Somali carers are essential to Maan’s planning, decision making and policy development covering this work. We use open discussion sessions, one to one support sessions and planning meetings to identify the activities, actions and strategies which we need to take in this area of work. A key part of our work focused on supporting the development of skills, confidence and awareness for isolated carers.  
• Women and men taking part in our initiatives have been involved in long-term care of family members or friends with physical or mental ill-health or disability or problems related to old age. Through our wider community development initiatives, we were able to raise community member’s awareness of their role and responsibilities being part of the growing population of people who are carers.  
• Maan Carers groups bring Somali carers together with other men and women in the Somali community (delivering gender-specific sessions). Using short regular sessions for Somali carers. Carers, from isolated and vulnerable parts of the Somali community working together address issues affecting their well-being and resilience – Increase an understanding of the importance of the physical activity. 

Volunteering

Maan Somali Mental Health Sheffield believes that life experiences and the environment we live in play a major part in influencing our mental health.

Our volunteers come from a range of backgrounds and communities and volunteer with us for a range of reasons, including to:

• make a positive impact on peoples’ lives,
• gain new skills and knowledge and build experience for employment
• use and develop existing skills in varied and rewarding roles
• improve health, wellbeing, confidence and self-esteem
• meet new people from a range of backgrounds and ages, and make friends
• get to know the local community and give something back
• experience good training and support and to feel part of a team

We appreciate your commitment to us and will do the best we can to make your volunteer experience with us enjoyable and rewarding. To make sure you have the best possible experience we have created this agreement which sets out our commitment to you and what we hope you can contribute.