Liverpool Personal Service Society

Liverpool Personal Service Society Incorporated, (PSS) was established on 1 January 1919, yet still remains an "innovative, empowering charity… with the ethos of pioneering new ways of delivering services". [Charity Commission Report. Crown]

The charity provides a range of community based social and healthcare services across north west England, central Scotland and North Wales, enabling people of all ages and needs to live independently within a community setting. Some of these services include:

:Shared Living - providing discreet housing and support in community settings for those who can benefit from additional support due to their mental health, learning or physical disabilities.

:Community Services - a variety of councelling, support and care for all levels of need, both in clients' own homes, and within the wider community. Children and families, are also caterd for.

Whether in their own homes, or in a PCC centre, services are individually tailored around each clients specific needs.

:Adult Placement - supporting vulnerable people in the homes of specially recruited families. The success of the scheme depends upon the needs of the people supported being carefully matched with the opportunities offered by carers.

Adult Placement may provide day care, short breaks, intermediate care or long term placements in a carer's home and carers receive training and continuous support to carry out their role.

History of innovation

PSS services are delivered at neighbourhood level but using innovative models and practice that have been taken up around the world. One of the founders of PSS was Eleanor Rathbone, who was also instrumental in the founding of what was later to become Age Concern. Other ground-breaking PSS projects include social housing, community legal services and marriage guidance.

Innovation and development

PSS has developed specialist knowledge and expertise in the provision of:

• services for people with dementia and their carers ; • extra care housing which incorporates assistive technology and environmental design ; • services for children, young people and their families including young carers, children whose parent use drugs, vulnerable young people in transition and women with post natal depression;• services for offenders and their families.

The charity is funded mainly through legacies and donations, and this money directly funds new innovations to support future generations.

Dementia

Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia are a huge worldwide problem. In Britain alone some 750,000 people are affected - and this number is set to double in the next 25 years.

Due to the huge impact of this issue, PSS has a special initiative and is dedicated to finding new ways to help carers to care and help support people with dementia to cope better with the effects of their illness.

The challenge of PSS is to listen and respond to what carers and people with dementia themselves say about their needs and wishes, enabling them to have as much control over their lives as possible.

Innovation, co-operation, assistive technology - PSS dementia support services today provide a wide range of help to people with dementia and those who care for them.

PSS provides a wide range of services and assistive technology, helping those sufering from dementia and their carers.

Postnatal depression

Postnatal depression (PND) occurs in some women after the birth of a child. It affects women world wide, of all ages, of all cultures and from all backgrounds. Any new mother can experience PND however, in areas where there is greater socio-economic deprivation new mothers are more a risk. [The Mental Health Foundation, 2003]

The incidence of post natal depression on Merseyside is 8 times higher than the national average but appropriate service provision is sparse and does not fully meet the level of need.

It is recognised by health professionals and voluntary sector frontline staff that there is insufficient provision of specialised services in Liverpool offering support to mothers with PND and their families.

The most common treatments for women with symptoms of postnatal depression is GP prescribed antidepressants. The focus of the PSS, PND Project is to enhance and complement current service delivery with the development of an early intervention strategy. The Project’s approach to PND is holistic, supporting women and their families. This Project works on the premise that the earlier that postnatal depression is identified the better. It makes recovery easier and means that mother and baby will be less affected. This approach is complementary to the medical model and is successful at reducing the demand on mainstream mental health services.

The project adopts a holistic approach to service delivery and the programme of activities includes:

*parent skills training
*creche provision
*activities to support Dads
*outreach -home visits & play worker support
*access to counselling
*complementary therapies
*post Natal Depression awareness raising events
*access to mainstream services inc; Welfare Benefit Advice [delivered sessionally at centres]
*direct access to wider community resources and activities programme
*delivered in non stigmatised and fully accessible community settings

This model will enable the service to be delivered across all areas. The service is unique in that it provides enhanced listening at home and access to qualifoed Counsellors in local community settings with childcare facilities.

The service will provide the following inputs:

*Home visits offering one-to-one support to women and their families
*PND can be a very isolating experience. The Mum’s support Group enables women to engage in discussion about their issues and gain support from their peers.
*Childcare available.
*The service is unique in that it provides qualified counselling at home to mums who are unable to attend outside appointments.

The service will achieve the following outcome:

*Relationships between mother and child are improved using play therapy.
*Supporting Mums whilst at work to allow them to stay in post. Encouraging mums to enter employment / education
*Cost effectiveness plus the added value from access to other support in the mental health resources
*Speedy response and reduction on the demand for crisis interventions

Ultimately this project will support Liverpool to meet local and national government targets in relation to sustaining and supporting families. It will also contribute to the development of strong local partnerships with non-statutory organisations.

Notes

External links

PSS in the United Kingdom:
* [http://www.pss.org.uk/ PSS] (Main PSS web site)
* [http://www.dementiacafe.com/ PSS Dementia Cafe] The Innovative PSS Dementia cafe and chat rooms

*UK charity|224469