IHSCM: Your weekly news Editorials and Events
Jasmine
I walked purposefully to the open door of the church in North Devon. My fellow choir choristers were arranged in the pews, ready to start a rehearsal for our sold-out concert scheduled to start in an hour. I was to compere the event that evening and wanted to go over my notes and get some air outside before we started.
She was standing directly outside the solid oak door, blocking my way. A bicycle, propped up on its stand was behind her, but it all looked haphazard; urgently positioned, no thought given to pedestrian courtesy. In the heat of the day, she wore a colourful dress and sandals. Her fair hair was in a style best described as fly away. At first glance she looked relaxed and smiling, but then the forehead marginally furrowed, the smile waned and a look of distressed anxiety pushed away the superficial comfort she had displayed initially.
‘Are you here to pray?’, she enquired of me. ‘Are you a believer?’. ‘It’s just, I’ve been out cycling and I’m cold now.’ She held her hand out for me to feel. There was a definite chill to it as I grasped it before expressing my concern for her.
And then her eyes filled with tears and she began to cry, offering snatches of dialogue between sobs to help me understand what was going on in her life and why she was here, now, on a Saturday evening in July. Her birthday. People have been unkind. She is on her own. She is cold. She has suffered domestic abuse. She doesn’t know what she is doing or what she is going to do. The sobs intensified, uncontrolled, great lachrymal washes tumbling down her cheeks.
It is at times like these that humans get to make a choice. Do you do the right thing or the wrong thing? Do you turn left or right? Do you offer help or pass by?
In the moment, my mind only allowed me to do one thing.
‘Here’, I offered and opened my arms to her. She fell into them, her head resting on my chest as great wracking sobs issued from her mouth, her body shaking uncontrollably. ‘You are in a safe place, stay with us a little while. You are amongst good, kind people. We can help to sort things out.’
One of my friends who had noticed the scene unfolding came to ask if everything was OK. ‘Perhaps, could you bring a cup of tea with a couple of sugars in it?’ I asked him. Turning to the woman, her head still buried in my chest, I asked her if she would like to come in, sit down and enjoy a cuppa. She nodded assent and I guided her to a pew where tea and piece of fruit cake were offered. Still crying and trembling she allowed herself to be detached from me and one of the chorister wives came over to see if she could help.
I went outside to bring her bicycle in for safe storage and pondered the scene in front of me. A young woman clearly in mental health crisis. Desperate. Alone. Vulnerable. At 6pm on a Saturday evening in a North Devon town where one wouldn’t imagine that this was anything like a regular scenario.
Other people began to turn up. A community policeman and a member of the church who had seen her pacing the church aisles earlier in the day. But no-one who really knew what to do. So, she stayed with us all evening, listening to us sing our Welsh hymns, love songs, and uplifting ballads. She had more tea, more cake and we left her in the hands of a couple of kind ladies from the church. She was still distressed.
I won’t tell you her real name, but we will call her Jasmine here. And the difficult truth is that there are thousands of her across our land of varying ages, genders, cultures, and backgrounds, needing help because they are in crisis – but the NHS and other agencies cannot possibly shoulder this on its own and in its current form.
What can we do? What would you do? Because until society decides to answer those questions fundamentally and resolutely itself, Jasmine will be left to answer them – and she cannot.
Stay safe, stay strong, and thank you for the brilliant work you are all doing.
Jon Wilks, CEO
Co‑production Shared Learning Space – Join Us for a Powerful, People‑Led Conversation: IHSCM Co-production Special Interest Group Tickets, Friday 17 July • 12 PM - 1 PM GMT+1 | Eventbrite
We’re excited to invite members to a special Co‑production Shared Learning Space, led by Lydia Taylor, Operational Lead (Co‑production) for Mental Health at CAPITAL Charity and Liaison Officer for Policy and Involvement at West Sussex County Council.
This session is designed to introduce members to the principles and practice of Co‑production and Lived Experience within health and social care — and to explore how sharing power with the people most affected by services leads to better outcomes, stronger relationships, and meaningful change.
During this interactive session, Lydia will guide us through:
what co‑production really means
why lived experience is essential to system improvement
how organisations can embed co‑production from project design to everyday practice
the impact of inclusive, collaborative approaches
real examples of co‑production transforming services in Sussex
Members will also take part in reflective exercises and group discussions to explore their own experiences as patients, service users and professionals.
This session will help you strengthen your professional line of sight to the people your organisation supports and understand how co‑production can be embedded across systems. Come along online, and learn more about shared learning, and the launch of our new Co-Production Special Interest Group.
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Ready to Grow Your Leadership This Summer? Join the IHSCM Summer Leadership Academy 2026
Summer is the perfect moment to pause, breathe, and invest in yourself — and our 6‑week Summer Leadership Academy is designed to help you do exactly that. Running from 24th July to 4th September, this flexible, energising programme supports you to grow your confidence, strengthen your capability, and reconnect with the leader you want to be.
Whether you’re just starting your leadership journey or already guiding teams through complexity, the Academy offers practical tools, weekly inspiration, and a supportive community that walks alongside you. It’s leadership development with sunshine in its DNA — lighter, brighter, and genuinely achievable.
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By the end of the programme, you’ll have recognised evidence of your development, a stronger professional identity, and a clear route to continue progressing with IHSCM.
Earn up to 150 HPL Points
The IHSCM Summer Leadership Academy Summer Leadership Challenge is mapped to the High Performance Leadership Framework, allowing you to earn up to 150 HPL points across all five competencies depending on the activities you complete. These points contribute toward Bronze, Silver and Gold HPL Awards, and for IHSCM members, they also accelerate progress toward Fellowship.
Why It Matters
Leadership can feel heavy. Summer gives us space to breathe, reflect and rebuild. Confidence grows when you’re supported. Competence grows when you’re guided. Your potential deserves to be seen, nurtured and celebrated.
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Ready to join us?
IHSCM members can join free of charge using their membership number. Secure your place and step into a summer of growth, confidence and capability:
Register for the IHSCM Summer Leadership Academy: IHSCM Summer Leadership Academy Tickets, Friday 24 July-Sunday 6 September | Eventbrite