What we do
Wish is a unique charity that works with women in secure hospitals and prisons throughout England and Wales. It is the only organisation to provide independent advocacy and emotional support at all stages of a woman's journey through the mental health system. We reach out to those deemed at risk of entering secure settings, seek to improve the quality of care for women already detained, and maintain our support after their release or discharge.
Wish is a user led, membership organisation which is run by women with experience of mental distress and the mental health system. This applies to over half of Wish's Board of Directors, as well as to many of our paid staff members and volunteers.
Our aims are:
- To empower women before, during and after their stay in a secure setting to achieve a self-defined improvement in their quality of life.
- To influence the development and delivery of gender specific services to address diversity of need.
- To work with staff and managers in secure services to improve the quality of women patients' daily lives and reduce their isolation.
- To influence reform of mental health provision and the criminal justice system through specific campaigning.
How We Can Help
Wish takes time to build relationships with every individual, giving each woman space to explore issues and develop solutions, both practical and emotional. Women frequently request support and/or representation from Wish in formal arenas such as Care Programme Approach reviews, Mental Health Review Tribunals and ward rounds, increasing their participation in these processes. Wish also offers assistance in areas such as finding a solicitor. A third strand of our involvement is providing emotional support – non-judgemental, non-clinical and highly valued by women.
Wish also works to make women's voices heard at a local policy level through our user involvement project, Voices>Actions>Solutions Together (VAST), and at a national level through our grassroots campaigning work. We have a membership of around 300 women with experience of the secure hospital and prison system and their allies, and publish a quarterly newsletter which showcases members' creativity and stories as well as providing relevant information and articles.
A unique feature of Wish's work is the continuation and consistency of support throughout the system including extended support to women when transferred to another unit, or when discharged into the community through projects such as Community Link. Women have cited this ongoing aspect of Wish's support as "the difference that makes a difference".
For more information about the full range of services that Wish offers to women and professionals, please visit the services section of the website.