Art helps to give NHS service a boost
A mental health service in the county has been given a makeover by members of the Young People’s Team who have been creating pieces of art throughout the year.
Between July and October, service users working with the team - which is part of the Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust’s Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service - met weekly to create art work to brighten up the clinical spaces at Westcotes House in Leicester.
Led by consultant clinical psychologist Dr Jeanette Bowlay-Williams, the Young People’s Team works with vulnerable young people in care and those who are involved with the youth offending service.
Having secured funding from the Leicestershire Partnership Trust’s charity, Raising Health, the team approached local charity Soft Touch Arts to lead the three month creative project.
Soft Touch Arts uses arts, media and music activities to engage with and change the lives of disadvantaged young people and proceeded to work with 10 of the young service users in weekly two-hour sessions to create a range of art work themed around diversity and difference.
Their completed work was recently celebrated at a special unveiling event and has been praised by community psychiatric nurse Emily Cum- berpatch, who has been coordinating the project, she said: “The young people have really enjoyed getting involved.
“They’ve talked about how much they valued being trusted to work on the pieces, as they don’t often have the opportunity to use specialist art equipment such as spray paints and craft knives. It’s had a really positive effect on their self-esteem.”
During the event, young people and their families joined staff members from the Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service for a short presentation followed by a tour of the artwork which is now on display around the building. `