It’s time for real change in Wales; for us to hear the voices of activists, people with lived experience of poor mental health, and staff within the system who have seen things not working. For their tireless campaigning to be reflected and enshrined in Government intent – and for that intent to turn into tangible action.

What we are witnessing here is not a new problem, nor is it isolated to a lack of funding, or just to burnt out staff. It's been baked into the mental health system since before it began...

“I feel that I cannot win. I feel I have no agency. My trauma is belittled. Mental health professionals have labelled me as manipulative, demonstrative, childlike, badly behaved, more difficult than others,  and less deserving of care.” …

Jen Daffin reflects on the recent Bevan Commission conference, and how solving the problems faced by the NHS will take more than just trying harder.

At Platfform, we believe hope is a way of being, a process. It is why we are excited that we have received funding from the Moondance Foundation for two years of a ground-breaking project in the Caerphilly area.

We have outgrown the story that people having a tough time with their mental health are just experiencing the fate of biology, genetic potluck and lacking ‘personal resilience’. If we understand that distress and mental health is not rooted in disease and pathology then it makes no sense to construct our understanding from this starting point.

This is why we believe change urgently needs to happen - to bring about an evolution in how we understand and respond to mental health.

Read the latest blog from Ewan, CEO at Platfform.

We must stop putting the issue of mental health onto the person and blame them or think of ‘them’ as second-class citizens but we must recognise the role adversity, trauma, distress and injustice have on our mental health.

'The energy price cap, while welcome, won’t address the fears of those dreading winter in a cold house. It won’t stop their savings being eaten away. And it won’t undo the damage done to our collective health’ - our Head of Policy explains the need for deeper change.

We’ve all been in the same storm but on different boats. We've shared a collective trauma but we have experienced it individually. So, no surprise then that there is not a one-size-fits-all formula for how to support each other in this almost post, but still lingering pandemic.