The Power of Story

Telling the stories of service users and staff to better understand mental health

The Power of Story project, funded by the Maudsley Charity, aims to capture the unique experiences, life stories and thoughts of service users, relatives, carers and staff at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM). By telling these stories, SLaM hopes to better understand how mental health impacts people’s lives, and develop their services in the future.

Since 2019, four films have been created with IMS Media. These films demonstrate compassion, kindness, meaningful and creative occupation and collaborative co-production and partnerships.

All about me – Inside Chelsham House

All about me- Inside Chelsham House documents the compassionate care, transferable plans and meaningful and creative activities of the specialist dementia assessment unit, with family and staff speaking about their experience.

Stan and Daniel

The Stan and Daniel film shows how the artist derived creative inspiration from stories he heard at his JOAP workshop at South London Gallery.

Service User and Carer Advisory Group

The SUCAG (Service User and Carer Advisory Group) film illustrates how members are valued and contribute to SLaM services, and how recovery and wellbeing is supported through education and connection. It features members enjoying the creative engagement multi-arts project provided by Create and Ashurst Law firm

Journeys of Appreciation

The Journeys of Appreciation Programme (JOAP) film showcases the innovative and sustained partnership with museums and galleries for older adult inpatients to engage in monthly creativity and wellbeing visits at Horniman Museum and Gardens, Dulwich Picture Gallery, Bethlem Museum of the Mind and others. This project is funded by the Maudsley Charity and you can read more about it here.