Mental Health Money Advice Project

Staff Survey

The Money Advice Project has been funded for 3 years from April 2002 via the Legal Services Commission Partnership Innovation Budget.

The project has built up consistently good results from the face-to-face advice work carried out with clients and also has excellent feedback from the people who use the service and consistently report improvements in their health when debts were sorted out.

On this basis we felt it was now time to contact staff to take account of their views of how important they see the service and primarily review the effect dealing with debts and money have on both their clients and also the relationship they have with clients.

In February we sent out a staff survey form. This was targeted at 80 staff who worked in teams that have clients that would benefit from the Money Advice Project. By May we have had 37 returns.

Of the forms returned:

• 15 came from Community Rehabilitation Teams
• 7 came from Community Mental Health Teams
• 6 came from Substance Misuse Team
• 4 came from Voluntary/User Organisations
• 3 came from In-patient and A&E Liaison Services
• 1 came from Psychology Services

What follows is the questions followed by a summary of the responses made.

What effect does debt have on your client’s emotional/physical health?

• Out of 37 replies 35 stated that debt had detrimental effects on their clients ill health. The majority of the 34 stated there would be increased stress caused by debt. It was regularly noted that debt affected relationships, self-esteem, quality of life and caused distress and had an effect on their ability to engage in the therapeutic process.
• 2 replies were unable to make direct comment, as they did not deal directly with clients.

Before the Mental Health Money Advice Project were you able to help if your client’s had debts? If so how? Did you ever signpost clients to other advice agencies?

• The answer to this by the majority of the 37 replies were that debts had tended to be ignored a few had sent them to welfare rights or the CAB.
• 2 replies had been unable to comment as one person did not work directly with clients and the other worked for a service that had not had much contact with the service

Now that there is a mental health money advice project and a welfare rights service available are you more likely to raise money and debt as an issue with your clients?

• 19 respondents said that they always raised the issue of money and debt
• 13 said that they would do so most of the time
• 3 said that they would occasionally do so
• 1 said they would if the client raised it.
• 1 person was unable to comment, as they had no client contact.

Do you see an improvement in the mental health of your clients when they have been in contact with the Money Advice Project/Welfare?

• 15 respondents said they always saw an improvement in their clients mental health
• 14 said they regularly saw an improvement in mental health
• 3 said they sometimes saw an improvement in mental health
• 2 said they occasionally saw an improvement in mental health
• 3 people did not make comment due to not having used the service yet, not having direct contact with clients and one felt unable to comment.

Do you find the therapeutic relationship with your clients improves if debt/money are being dealt with? If so could you say how?

• The overwhelming response to this question was that by alleviating debt made it easier for the client to engage on with the worker on other issues. 33 people responded in this way.
• 2 people felt it depended on how much the debt had been affecting a person’s mental health in the first place as to whether it would directly affect the therapeutic relationship.
• 2 people were unable to comment due to lack of client contact.

Are you now more likely to see debt/lack of money as having a negative effect on mental health?

• 30 people responded that they either already did or were now more likely to see debt as having a negative impact on a person’s mental health.
• 3 people responded negatively to this question
• 2 people did not answer the question and a further
• 2 people did not feel they had sufficient client contact to comment.

What difference does a money advice service have on the way you work?

• The vast majority of responses (34) to this question mentioned the fact that they now had more time to spend with clients concentrating on core issues. They also said that working in partnership with another service improved the way they worked and improved the relationship with their clients.
• 3 people did not make comment.

Are they any improvements we can make to the service? Are there any other gaps you have identified in advice service that could be offered to your clients?

• There are generally no improvements or gaps that people have been able to identify in the advice service offered. The most common response was that the service be permanent and/or expanded! Other comments were around ensuring services are kept informed about progress in a clients case and also around training.

Summary:

In conclusion, this has been a survey in which we have had 50% response rate from staff targeted. What staff seem to be saying is that debt and money worries can be a significant factor when assessing a person’s mental health. Now there is a service that they know deals with debts and is responsive to clients needs they are now more able to raise debt as an issue. What staff notice once there has been input from the money advisers and/or welfare rights staff is that there is a notable improvement in clients mental health in a significant number of cases and also staff find it easier to work with their clients as what is often seen as a huge block has been removed or made manageable, it also means that staff have more time to deal with clients on other important issues rather than get caught up in an area of work that is complex and time consuming. Clients are often seen to respond more positively to the social worker/cpn/support worker if they feel that they have played a part in ensuring one of the areas of great stress has been dealt with.

Ultimately we are seeing that both the Money Advice Team and the Welfare Rights Team have become an integral part in supporting a person’s recovery. Use the details below to contact us for further information.

Comments:

A selection of quotes from staff:

What effect does debt have on your client’s emotional/physical health?

"Profound effect, usually leads to relapse and client becoming unwell due to increased stress"

Before the Mental Health Money Advice Project were you able to help if your client’s had debts? If so how?

"I felt very frustrated that I could not help them. Advised to go to CAB but they always had difficulty accessing this"

Now that there is a Mental Health Money Advice Project and a Welfare Rights Service available are you more likely to raise money and debt as an issue with your clients?

"Able to describe the type of help available. Most clients are amazed at the level of service offered - which helps enormously in their lives"

"It is easier to raise debt concerns if you know that there is somewhere it can be addressed particularly as I do not have the knowledge base myself"

Do you see an improvement in the mental health of your clients when they have been in contact with the Money Advice Project/Welfare Rights Service?

"The relief the clients feel when debt/benefit advisors have helped is truly amazing - they almost always say they can now get their life back on track - it tends to boost their mood"

"Problem seems more manageable less overwhelming. Important feeling of working together on a problem; giving client back sense of control"

."I have always believed that (MAP) has played a vital role in improving client’s mental health. This has also enabled and empowered clients to seek appropriate advise - before they get into debt which enables clients to seek support before the debt becomes significant and unmanageable."

"Has helped relieve stress and worry - both of which could cause relapse in mental health"

"Positive improvement in their mental health and physical health. Also impacted on their relationships with family in a positive way"

Do you find the therapeutic relationship with your clients improves if debt/money are being dealt with? If so could you say how?

"Less interference in my therapeutic work if debt problem can be managed and contained outside therapy"

"Yes - increasing in trust and belief in level of support you are able to offer"

"Yes - have time to work on mental health problems instead of having to concentrate on the debt issues"

"Yes it does improve as once the issue of debt has been taken out of the equation, then it allows the client to focus on other aspects of their care and treatment, enabling me to support and work with them more effectively"

What difference does a money advice service have on the way you work?

"1 - Improvement/service development. 2 - Networking with other agencies. 3 - Building therapeutic relationships with clients. 4 - Working in partnership"

"It is very important to be able to assist people to access support in relation to underlying issues which may contribute to their substance misuse/mental health"

Are there any improvements we can make to the service?

"I think MAP is an excellent service and credit is due to the staff who are brilliant when engaging with vulnerable and mental health client groups"

Contact Information
Send us a Message	Welfare Rights Tameside MBC Council Offices Wellington Road Ashton under Lyne Lancs OL6 6DL View local map
0161 342 3068