Recovery Across Mental Health charity praised for its efforts

Recovery Across Mental Health (RAMH) helps people in Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire through its crisis support line and adult counselling sessions.

Renfrewshire South MSP Tom Arthur and Councillor Emma Rodden recently met with RAMH chief executive Stephen McLellan to discuss challenges such as the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on service demands and the current staff recruitment and retention issues in social care.

Mr Arthur, whose constituency stretches from Johnstone to Barrhead, said: “Organisations like RAMH are a vital part of our support to recovery for communities across the country following the pandemic. 

“There is no doubt that the after-effects of social isolation and the current cost-of-living increases will have a major impact on everyone, most especially those who were experiencing poor mental health before Covid-19 struck.

“Through local projects such as the Community Garden, ‘Recovery Runs’ and Recovery College, all taking place in Barrhead and the surrounding area, RAMH engages with individuals in a wide range of settings, getting them out, connected and improving both mental and physical health.

“I was delighted to visit them to discuss ongoing work in the Scottish Parliament and will continue to support them in their invaluable work across Renfrewshire South.”

Mr McLellan said: “I was happy that Tom and Emma both took the time to visit us and spend such a long time having a fairly extended discussion with us, which was helpful.

“The impact of the pandemic and the consequences for people’s mental health were the primary points of discussion, as well as our perception on how it’s been and our expectations going forward with the cost-of-living crisis.

“We also discussed the issues of recruitment in social care in terms of staffing, which is a really challenging position right now. 

“We’re now trying to get people to consider social care as a career, rather than something that people fall into.”