Webinar featuring a range of speakers including Dr Dominique Thompson; Atif Choudhury, CEO Diversity and Ability; Chloe Tear, Disability Blogger & Scope forum moderator; Vicki Sherry, BACP-accredited counsellor; Phil Goulden, The Silver Line; Gill Moffat, British Red Cross psychosocial support

1. AbilityNet LIVE! Mental Health
Sarah Botterill, Free Services Marketing Manager;
Dr Dominique Thompson; Atif Choudhury, CEO Diversity and
Ability; Chloe Tear, Disability Blogger & Scope forum moderator;
Vicki Sherry, BACP-accredited counsellor; Phil Goulden, The
Silver Line; Gill Moffat, British Red Cross psychosocial support
12 May 2020

2. Mental Health| 12 May 2020
Housekeeping
• Live captions are available during the webinar
• Please use the Q&A window to ask questions
• We have turned the chat window off for ease
• Slides, a transcript and recording will be made available post-
webinar – you will be notified via email
• There will be a feedback form to ask any follow up questions

3. Mental Health| 12 May 2020
Welcome: Mental Health
• AbilityNet and how we can help; AbilityNet LIVE!
• Introduction to mental health; some statistics
• Students/young people and mental health: Dr Dominique Thompson
• Atif Choudhury, Diversity and Ability
• Scope: a disabled perspective, online forums and mental health
• Counselling and diversity: Vicki Sherry
• The Silver Line, supporting older people: Phil Goulden

4. Mental Health| 12 May 2020
About AbilityNet, and how we can help
• Our mission is a digital world accessible to all
• Supporting people at home, at work and in education
• Network of 300+ trusted (DBS-checked) volunteers
• Normally, face-to-face advice but it’s business as usual for us with
remote support and you can still call FREE on 0800 048 764
• FREE online support through My Computer My Way,
My Study My Way and via a series of FREE factsheets

5. Mental Health| 12 May 2020
Making a difference to our clients
80% of clients said that they were “better able to use technology”
thanks to help from our volunteers
78% find it easier to manage daily life
86% felt more knowledgeable
76% felt more independent
69% felt less isolated

6. Mental Health| 12 May 2020
• @Mark
For details of future webinars
https://abilitynet.org.uk/free-
resources/webinars

7. Mental health statistics

8. Mental Health| 12 May 2020
Mental health statistics
• Approximately 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental
health problem each year (Mind) 3
• In England, 1 in 6 people report experiencing a common mental
health problem (e.g. anxiety and depression) in any week (Mind) 4
• By 2030, there are expected to be two million more adults with
mental health problems than in 2013 (Papworth Trust)

9. Mental Health| 12 May 2020
Mental health and disability
• Average anxiety ratings are higher for disabled people at 4.27 out of 10,
compared with 2.66 out of 10 for non-disabled people (ONS) 1
• Only 17% of people experiencing sight loss are offered emotional support in
relation to their deteriorating vision (Papworth Trust)
• Feelings of wellbeing were lower among blind and partially sighted people
when compared to the rest of the population.
• The proportion of disabled people (13.3%) who report feeling lonely “often
or always” is almost four times that of non-disabled people (3.4%), with the
greatest disparity for young adults (age 16-24) 2

10. Mental Health| 12 May 2020
• @Mark
Poll 1

11. Studying and mental health

12. Mental Health| 12 May 2020
Dr Dominique Thompson
• Tell us briefly about yourself and your work?
• What are some of the specific challenges this group will be
experiencing during lockdown?
• Uncertainty young people is one of your passions can you tell us a
little more about this?
• What are some tips for coping with uncertainty
• Do you have advice for parents living with lockdown teenagers?

13. Mental Health| 12 May 2020
Useful Resources from Dominique
• Books: https://buzzconsulting.co.uk/books
• Parent tips: https://buzzconsulting.co.uk/resources
• Twitter: @drdomthompson
• Videos:
www.youtube.com/channel/UCDftvkOylLQJC7Zmaig2YKA/videos

14. Mental Health| 12 May 2020
• Tell us about D&A and why you launched it?
• What are the consequences of learning in isolation, specifically for
people with learning difficulties?
• What is the role of technology in terms of supporting people during
this time?
• How are you continuing to provide mentorship during this time?
• How can carers support home learners with their mental health?
Atif Choudhury, Diversity and Ability

15. Mental Health| 12 May 2020
Useful links from Diversity and Ability
• Home page for D&A
• Support for students
• Support for employers
• Support for employees
• List of useful resources
• D&A Blog (Workplace Mental Health and wellbeing Coaching amid
uncertainty; Supporting your mental health while working from Home)

16. Diversity and mental health

17. Mental Health| 12 May 2020
Scope: Disability and mental health
• What is your role for Scope with regards to the online community?
• What kinds of topics are discussed with regards to mental health?
• Why are forums a good place to discuss these issues?
• What are the downsides and how do you ensure safeguarding?
• How has blogging (https://chloetear.co.uk/) about your lived
experience helped you with your mental health, and your readers?
• What, if any, are the downsides?

18. Mental Health| 12 May 2020
Vicki Sherry, BACP-accredited counsellor
• How did you become a counselor, and what is your interest in
working with disabled people?
• What types of emotional issues come up in dealing with clients?
• During this time of pandemic, many of us are experiencing sudden
shifts/restrictions on our lives like those which can arise from a
decline in health. What could we learn from your clients?
• Is technology helping you adapt your counselling practice during this
time of physical distancing, and if so, how?

19. Mental Health| 12 May 2020
• @Mark
Poll 2

20. Older people and mental health

21. Mental Health| 12 May 2020
The Silver Line: Paul Goulden
• What is The Silver Line, and who do you support?
• Have you seen an increase in the number of calls coming through
during the pandemic?
• What kinds of issues are you hearing from people before lockdown,
and during?
• There seems to be an increased awareness of people who were
already living in isolation. What can we learn and how can we
maintain support when we return to the so-called ‘new normal’?

22. Mental Health| 12 May 2020
Contact the Silver Line
• Call: 0800 4 70 80 90
• 24 hours per day, every day of the year
• https://www.thesilverline.org.uk/

23. Mental Health| 12 May 2020
British Red Cross, Gill Moffat
• What is your role with the British Red Cross?
• What is the Red Cross coronavirus support line, and why have you
responded in this way?
• Who can call the helpline, and when?
Red Cross coronavirus support line: 0808 196 3651
Red Cross coronavirus support line

24. Mental Health| 12 May 2020
• @Mark
Poll 3

25. Mental Health| 12 May 2020
Links to mental health charities (1)
• Age UK: https://www.ageuk.org.uk/contact-us/
• Anxiety UK: 03444 775 774
• BACP: Find a therapist
• British Red Cross Helpline: 0808 196 3651
• CALM: 0800 58 58 58; https://www.thecalmzone.net/
• Cruse: 0808 503 4193; www.cruse.org.uk
• Mind: 0300 123 3393; www.mind.org.uk

26. Mental Health| 12 May 2020
Links to mental health charities (2)
• Rethink Mental Illness: 0300 5000 927; www.rethink.org
• Samaritans: 116 123; jo@samaritans.org
• Scope: www.scope.org.uk; https://community.scope.org.uk/
• The Silver Line: 0800 4 70 80 90; https://www.thesilverline.org.uk/
• The Mix: 0808 808 4994 www.themix.org.uk
• Young Minds: 020 7089 5050; https://youngminds.org.uk/

27. Mental Health| 12 May 2020
AbilityNet resources for mental health
• Ambient apps to help you focus and study
• Apps for anxiety (focus on stroke)
• Apps for wellbeing and mental health
• Five ways technology can help you improve mental health
• Factsheet: How computers can help manage stress
• Seven apps to reduce anxiety at university
• The evolution of the AI therapist
• University Mental Health Day

28. Mental Health| 12 May 2020
Further support from AbilityNet
• Freephone support: Call us on 0800 048 7642 during UK office
hours, Monday – Friday or by email enquiries@abilitynet.org.uk
• AbilityNet Live! www.abilitynet.org.uk/abilitynet-live
• My Computer My Way: https://mcmw.abilitynet.org.uk/
• My Study My Way: https://abilitynet.org.uk/HE-services/my-study-
my-way
• FREE Factsheets: https://abilitynet.org.uk/free-resources/abilitynet-
factsheets

29. Mental Health| 12 May 2020
• @Mark
Q&A

30. Mental Health| 12 May 2020
• @Mark
For details of future webinars
https://abilitynet.org.uk/free-
resources/webinars

31. Mental Health| 12 May 2020
• @Mark
Donate and support AbilityNet
www.abilitynet.org.uk/donate

32. Mental Health| 12 May 2020
• @Mark
Thank You