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The making of a mental-health activist
RUTH HUNT tells the story of a mother forced to take matters into her own hands, first to investigate her son's death and then to reform the mental-health system that failed him
The more Caroline Aldridge learnt about mental-health services, the more she became aware of poor behaviour by staff and managers on a national basis

CAROLINE ALDRIDGE didn’t think she would need to become an activist after her son Tim died aged 30, even though she knew he had been waiting for a long time for the right kind of treatment from the mental-health trust.

At the time she worked for the same trust, so only days after Tim had died, she offered to help so other service users and their families wouldn’t be in the same position.

Rebuffed by the trust and instead treated in a way she found deeply offensive, she began to realise her experiences were not isolated.

Caroline Aldridge with her book on her son's death. (Pic: Caroline Aldridge)
  • No proper discharge plan in place
  • Discharge without the care plan, care programme approach and risk assessment being updated
  • Limited or no liaison with service user’s GP
  • Discharge from the crisis-resolution and home-treatment team without a face-to-face meeting with the service user
  • Rationale for discharge from service unclear
  • No crisis plan in place
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