Monday 3 March 2008

Can't quite believe this is true...

but BLPT have set up (Foundation Trust promotion) sites on Facebook, Myspace and Bebo.

Someone hasn't got enough to do - or hasn't got their priorities straight, or something...

Surprisingly enough, I haven't become a member of any of these groups...

6 comments:

theMuddledMarketPlace said...

it's quite sad when you think about it- isn't it?
somewhere, someone.....

but could it work?
even in my most generous mode i'm not entirely convinced...........

Disillusioned said...

Well, it doesn't look to me like any of the groups have (a) anything real to offer or (b) any members.

It could just take time to get off the ground....
But it could be a kite that will never fly.

I suspect the latter. Groups on this sort of social networking site need something to enthuse, to get excited about. To me, that seems to be rather lacking.

If they could have used their time to provide more resources on their existing website, that would seem to be useful.
But, as is often the case with social networking sites, this is more about advertising (and persuading people to sign up for a Foundation Trust that seems not to have inspired interest or enthusiasm or commitment locally) rather than about creating anything vibrant and useful.

I'm left shaking my head over it really. Desparate.

Made by Mandy said...

Perhaps BLPT are trying to get hip. More chance of them getting hip replacements.

Bless...I feel a bit sorry for them but not much.

Cos Facebook etc are more about inidividuals connecting to other individuals. And yep some set up networks but how many people want a mental health trust network, to join, as a hobby or area of interest.

Then again, people once believed the earth was square and that everything else rotated around it. that was before the new realities came into being..that George W is square and he thinks everything rotates around him.

Maybe not so much change. And I'd love to hear the BLPT Playlist. Bet you a fiver Dire Straits are in there.

:>)

Disillusioned said...

lol Mandy.

Having looked, (out of pure curiosity!) I could find the MySpace page, but not the Bebo or Facebook ones. Like I said, no members.

Maybe it will take off. I do believe they are frantically trying to recruit members. They need 5000 by June, apparently - and currently have 1000. Most of those are probably management - would love to see the staff / public breakdown!

Made by Mandy said...

Hi D

So it is a numbers game is it?

Well BLPT must be quite desperate...what with them going for Foundation status and all that.

Shows what a charade it all is. And I don't just mean from the Trust side.

I would think gaining foundation status leads to another layer of government bureaucracy which won't actually improve mental health services.

If I thought becoming a member would help people with mental illness, I would do it. Only, my years of service user involvement made zilch difference. All the hierarchies have selective hearing and they don't really want to know the truth. Plus, I am in no position to be attending meetings, even if I could get there.

Plus if the Trust acted on existing feedback from service users...such as the service user survey, perhaps service users would feel more inclined to believe the Trust wants them involved.

But I dunno.

Disillusioned said...

Oh yes, I am sure it is part of the numbers game.

I also agree with you about the pointlessness of signing up to membership; as you point out, there is too little listening going on as it is. In fact, I feel that all the debate about Foundation Trust status is taking up time, money and energy which could be better directed to improving services. But there you go.