Bracknell Forest Community Network

The Bracknell Forest Community Network (BFCN) was formed in 2017 and sits across both Bracknell Forest Community Mental Health Teams (Adults and Older Adults) providing local secondary mental health step-down and day provision. The Network supports individuals and carers aged 18 and over in Bracknell Forest on a short-term basis living with a variety of conditions including psychosis, personality disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, dementia, anxiety and depression. This support may include, for example, supporting an individual who is feeling anxious and depressed on a one-to-one basis to access a local Job Club, attend a local landshare to maintain their practical skills or signposting and supporting a carer to attend a weekly Ranger Walk at South Hill Park for exercise and to meet people.

Our Recovery Facilitators could help you or someone you are supporting if they are experiencing any of the following: 

• Recovering from an episode of mental ill-health
• Social isolation or looking to get out in the community more
• A carer of somebody living with mental ill-health wanting to access the community
• Needing practical support and information to get back to independence

In addition to this signposting and one-to-one support, the Network offers on-going monthly Mental Wellbeing sessions (for example: Understanding Difficult Emotions, Anxiety Management) for individuals and carers who are currently supported or have moved on from Network support. These sessions give attendees the opportunity to better understand the challenges they face as well as knowledge of personal coping strategies, internal and external resources, their own areas of strength to feel more in control of their condition(s) and have a greater internal capacity to work towards mental and emotional wellbeing. The Network also organises bi-monthly Network Group Meeting where supported individuals and carers have the opportunity to listen to talks from community organisations, try new activities and to put their views across about the Network in an informal and comfortable setting.