In preparation for the publication of the new NHS contracts for Mental Health and Community Services, each SHA is holding a contract implementation support workshop in October/November for their commissioners and providers to introduce the emerging contractual requirements and processes in advance of the publication of the NHS Operating Framework and new NHS out-of-hospital contracts.

All PCT commissioners, NHS Trusts, NHS Foundation Trusts, independent sector providers and third sector providers from Mental Health, including Learning Disability, and Community services are invited to attend these workshops.

http://www.pcc.nhs.uk/events/

The Leeds BME Strategy Group invites you to the first of a series of events, which will look at how to help to improve the lives of people from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities. The first event (in partnership with the Leeds BME Network and NHS Leeds) is focused on HEALTH, and how BME communities can influence and be involved in decision making.

Mental Health Providers Forum has been funded by the Delivering Racial Equality (DRE) programme to pilot the Mental Health Recovery Star across a range of organisations providing services for people from minority ethnic backgrounds. Over six months a Project Co-ordinator will be working with and supporting the pilot sites in the use of the Recovery Star in their nominated services. The Recovery Star is being piloted across a number of service provision models, including outreach support, day services, floating support and residential rehabilitation.

Project aims
The aim the pilot is to evaluate the Recovery Star's appropriateness, develop potential adaptations and make recommendations for its use in BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) contexts. We want to explore the following key issues:

Does it meet the needs of people from minority ethnic backgrounds who access mental health services
Are the outcome areas right - what needs adding, removing or modifying
Is the presentation suitable - how might it be modified for this client group

This is the first edition of the newsletter 'Third Sector Update and News', published by the Department of Health's Third Sector Partnership Team. It is designed to:
- Raise awareness of specific actions the Department of Health (DH) is undertaking to support the third sector in the
context of wider DH objectives and service reform agenda, eg, Third Sector Investment Programme.
- Draw attention to and explain wider DH/reform programmes, which have implications for third sector organisations.
- Highlight the broad national strategies where there is the clear potential for third sector organisations to contribute
to delivery.

As this is the first newsletter, the team are keen to receive feedback and comments: Howard.x.chapman@dh.gsi.gov.uk

A new website aimed at tackling health inequalities affecting Muslim communities in the UK has gone live just before Ramadan.

The resource is part of the Maslaha project, a new organisation being established by the Young Foundation aimed at helping Muslims deal with the everyday dilemmas of living in western society. Maslaha translates from Arabic as ‘for the common good’ and the organisation will be built around an interactive website.

The health pilot, which has been commissioned by Tower Hamlets Primary Care Trust, focuses on managing diabetes of which there is a disproportionately high occurrence amongst Bangladeshi and Pakistani communities. Maslaha has produced a website and films in both Sylethi and English which give advice from a religious and medical perspective to help tackle diabetes.

Maslaha’s health strand will contribute towards providing a greater understanding amongst healthcare workers about how Islam can touch on all aspects of a Muslim patient’s life and how they can use this knowledge to gain the confidence of their local Muslim community. A Muslim patient is more likely to visit a GP or nurse if they feel their beliefs and way of life are understood.