only black led mental health service in Waltham Forest. Set up originally to support the high numbers of homeless young men from the community, 22 years on this service is still offering a 'safe space' for both carers and those who use mental health services from this community.

Dr Geraldine Strathdee, National Clinical Director of Mental Health, NHS England, a clinician with a vision for making real improvements for the very groups whose poor treatment has been sidelined in recent years. Her planned reforms on better early intervention and less compulsion has brought new optimism to one of the most challenging areas of mental health care. Dr Strathdee spoke at ACCI & BMH UK national conference on Policing, Mental Health & black Briton this year, where she was clearin her commitment to getting the issue of ethnicity and mental health right.

Service users

Rachel Barclay, executive director, Two Way Street, leads this much needed black African Caribbean mental health social firm in Bristol. Despite swathing funding cuts to her work Barclay continues to offer range of highly sought after culturally appropriate services, from advocacy and inpatient visits, to self funding peer support groups for people who would otherwise not get any kind of support at all.

Amos Omerri, has articulated the need to ensure that humanity and justice lies at the heart of services at forums including the IPCC (Independent Police Complaint Commissions) Article 2 review, and ACCI & BMH UK national conference on policing, mental health & black Briton.

Omerri has brought into these arena's important insight into the