| Changing lives through sport |
What is the Positive Mental Attitude Sports Foundation Trust.
The Positive Mental Attitude Sports Foundation Trust (PMA) is a Community Interest Company (CIC). It is a nationwide Award winning community sports initiative, which uses sport as a therapeutic tool to aid the recovery and social inclusion of people living with enduring mental health issues. The PMA works in partnership with health and social care, Local councils, and other community services.
Founder of the PMA
The PMA sports initiative was developed in 2003 by Janette Hynes (MBE) an Occupational Therapist who specialises in the area of mental health. Janette is an ex professional footballer, a personal fitness trainer and has attained the level 3-football coaching badge.
Janette has won numerous awards based on her achievements following the introduction of the PMA initiative.
• Award MBE for ‘Contribution to Disability Sport’. 2008/09
• Mayor’s award for ‘Services to Sport in Hackney’ 2008/09
• London pro-active Inclusive & Active Ambassador 2008/09
• Medical Futures ‘Social Entrepreneur of the Year’ Award 2007/08
The PMA Development
Janette identified a significant gap between hospital and community living services available to clients. She quickly established that by using sport within the hospital environment this enabled the clients to acquire life skills to cope with their discharge need and community living. However, there was a distinct lack of relevant services made available to the clients following their discharge which impacted on their recovery and one of the main sports that the clients wanted to participate in football.
A market research was carried out in 2004 and Janette ran numerous Mental Health Awareness workshops linking community football clubs with NHS health services. The market research results indicated there were many likeminded sports activities available around the country but these lacked structure and framework. it was apparent that there was a glaring oversight in the absence of a Mental Health strand to Disability sports, one being football.
The Football Association (FA) and community pro clubs had not included mental health in their community disability initiatives, in the same capacity of other impairment team’s i.e. physical impairments and learning disability. This was mainly due to the fact of little or no understanding of individuals with mental health issues.
In 2004 Janette took it upon herself to create a framework to regularise this gap and pilot a structured football league in the London region. Janette established Hackney FC, a Community Mental Health Football club engaging 10 regular clients. To date there now 17-registered mental health football clubs London wide and 3 new nationwide leagues are now being established wthin yorkshire & humber, Wales, northeast and surrey & Boarders engaging more than 1,000 clients.
The PMA has also established good working relationships with the FA, local pro clubs and other disability sports bodies.
Summary of the PMA best practice model:
The PMA is a unique organisation that works by developing community sports initiatives that respond to the needs of individuals experiencing enduring mental health issues. The PMA seeks to engage participants in a meaningful activity, creating a positive environment, sensitive to their specific needs, where they are able to build confidence, learn to develop their life-skills, make significant improvements in weight loss, healthy lifestyle and take advantage of the opportunities in education, training and employment offered through the PMA best practice model. Having gained confidence and improved life- skills participants are encouraged to become more involved in the running of their club and to use the skills they have developed to achieve their own goals within or outside of the PMA. 75 % of those people engaged within the project have succeeded in engaging in further education, training or voluntary or paid employment.
The PMA Criteria
For individuals who would like to join their local Mental Health Community Club, the criteria is that they have to have been diagnose with a mental health condition regardless of severity. These individuals can be male or female of any cultural background who have attained a physical age of 18 years. The individuals can be referred to their local club from their GP, local health professionals or a self-referral. The individual may live within a hospital, forensic units, hostel or other independent community living environments and can have a dual diagnosis (i.e. drug, alcohol, or physical impairments.)
Awards won by the PMA best practice model
Awards won by the PMA SFT:
• NHS Live Health & Social Care Winner National Leadership for Improvement Award 2008/09
• NHS Live Health & Social Care Winner Regional Leadership for Improvement Award 2008/09.
• PMA ‘ UnLtd level 2 Innovation Award for ‘ Patient Empowerment 2007/08’
Awards won by PMA affiliated Community Mental Health Football Clubs:
• PMA London Football Team Champions of E.A.S.I European Competition 2009/10
• Barnsley PMA sports coordinator awarded "Chairman’s Award" at the Barnsley PCT Mental Health NHS Trust Quality Award 2008/09.
• Hounslow Hawks awarded "Chairman’s Award" at the West London Mental Health NHS Trust Quality Award 2008/09.
• Hackney FC winners of the mental health European cup 2007/08
• Hackney F.C awarded ‘Club of the year 2006/07’ at the ‘London Disability Sports Forum Awards’.
• Hackney F.C winners of the ‘CSIP Positive practice awards 2006/07,’ for ‘promoting positive health in the community through football’.
| | The P.M.A. football league is the first of its kind. |
How and why the PMA league started?
The league was formed by Janette Hynes, Senior Occupational Therapist working for the East London & the City Mental Health Trust (ELCMHT). She specialises in the area of Mental Health and is an ex-professional women’s footballer, personal fitness trainer and level 3 FA Football coach.
While working within an inpatient hospital setting, running successful and highly attended football sessions. The idea formulated from a professional observation that was made when the individuals left hospital and engaged back into community living, no sports service was available for them to attend.
The main aim for this league was to bridge the gap between hospital and community living, addressing meaningful activities and to break down barriers of stigma and inclusion within the local communities by educating and normalising mental health.
Football can be an acceptable way for young people (particularly men who shy away from services) to become more physically active and engage, which can help promote their recovery.
Criteria to be considered for the Teams?
•Each team is a community based service run by service users and mental health support staff.
•All teams who are affiliated consist of male/female adults, who have experienced acute or enduring mental health problems and that are living in the community or hospital setting.
•Each player can be referred by Community Mental Health Services, Day Hospitals, Hostels, CPN or self referral as part of their Care Plan Approach (CPA).
•Referral forms must be signed and a medical questionnaire must be completed. Appropriateness to be included in the team will be assessed by each team manager and according to each team protocol.
•Through the ‘POWER OF FOOTBALL’, the teams’ aims are to develop and encourage individuals to use football as a tool to promote healthy lifestyles, whilst also addressing issues to increase socialisation, rehabilitation and well being.
•The PMA League is affiliated to the London Football Association (FA)
•Each team is eligible to apply for football foundation small grants of up to 10,000 to help set up your team and support it for 3 years.
•League committee and website www.leaguewebsiteco.uk/pmafl/ and individual team websites E.g. www.clubwebsiteco.uk/hackneyfcmh
•Each match is played once a month 7v7 games. ( October-may)
•To date the PMA League has registered 14 teams from within 6 London MH NHS Trusts. At least 180 service users have participated in the PMA league this year.
CUP MATCHES:
•World mental Health 5v5 Tournament (in October),
• Reading MH Festival (October),
•London Mixed Disability Festival (April)
•PMA League Cup Presentation (May).
Proven benefits and Success?
2006/07 Hackney FC and PMA League initiative won:
Care Service Improvement Partnership (CSIP)
Promoting Positive Mental Health in the Community through Football - Positive Practice National Award
London Disability Sports Forum
Club of the Year
Medical Futures
Mental Health Award
Results of a 10 month Questionnaire evaluation on 15 players from Hackney FC
Mental Health & Social Inclusion
73% (N=18) reduced their psychiatric medication
75%(N=20) reported better social and family life
75% (N=20) have taken up employment or education
Physical Health
71% (N=14) lost weight (mean 6.26kg)
79% (N=19) took more exercise on top of football
82% (N=17) reduced or stopped smoking
74% (N=19) eat more healthily
Future Plans
2007-2008
•Central office to be established to provide umbrella management support system for the whole organisation
•Establish a development strategy committee for the PMA
•Strengthen the links with the Football Association (FA) &London Disability sports Forum and bring awareness of mental health within there disability strand.
•Existing 7v7 league will develop to 11v11 from 2008
•Start to help co-ordinate teams nationwide, linking in with P.M.A league.
•Link in mental health within there FA mixed Disability 11v11 league division.
•Draw up policies & procedures in running the league with more structure.
•Mental Health Teams will be independently self-funded and managed to maintain service development
•Research the outcomes of social, physical benefits off all league teams
•Start to work in conjunction with the Paralympics committee for 2012
•Links with other Mental Health League teams in Europe and Worldwide
Other things we need help to maintain the teams
•Football Kits, shoes, tracksuits, training kit, footballs
•Qualified football Coaches & fitness coaches
•Transport, mini buses
•help with DVD for promoting the project.
•Staff Wages to establish it the structure
•Help with advertisements and promotional work
•More pro football clubs to get involved with there community teams
•More high profile players and individuals to get involved.
History
June 2005 – May 2006
•Links with the London FA to establish officially the PMA league on December 2005.
•Set up of a steering group with the London FA to affiliate all developed mental health football teams to the league and to help them apply for funding through the Football Foundation
•Competitive monthly 7v7 league matches within London boroughs
June 2004 – May 2005
•Consultancy services provided by Janette Hynes to other developing teams across London
•7v7 Tournaments established across London to create framework and further develop teams
June 2003 – May 2004
•Works aims are to developed for Professional Club Coaches and Mental Health Workers to raise awareness of Mental Health issues and explain the power of football to break down barriers (perceptions of Mental Health Users)
•Success and growth of NHS teams within league (6 teams joined)
•7v7 football monthly matches for community Mental Health service users continued.
June 2002 – May 2003
•To help bridge the gap between hospital and community, Weekly coaching sessions for Community Mental Health Users established
•Liaison developed with other National Health Service Trusts within London to play friendly matches (3 teams involved).
•Tentative links developed so that regular fixtures and teams became more established.
May 2001 - May 2002
•In-service hospital 5v5 tournament involving clients and staff
•In-service 5v5 league then developed, with monthly fixtures
For further information Please contact Janette Hynes PMA Director on janette.hynes@elcmht.nhs.uk or telephone number on 07904931281
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