National Schizophrenia Fellowship(Scotland) The National Schizophrenia Fellowship was set up in London in 1972 with the aim of providing mutual help and support for carers of people who have schizophrenia. Scottish members set up their own organisation in 1984 and NSF(Scotland) is now autonomous and responsible for its own policies, projects and funding. Who are we? NSF (Scotland) is a national charity concerned with schizophrenia and related illnesses. We aim: to improve the wellbeing and quality of life of those affected by schizophrenia and other mental illnesses, including families and carers. We achieve this through providing practical help, support and advice, education and campaigning. We are a member-led organisation with at least 75% of our management committee being relatives of someone with schizophrenia and other mental illnesses, or service users.
	The Values of NSF(Scotland) We believe that: every individual has the right to be valued and to share in the opportunities, enjoyment, challenges, responsibilities and choices of everyday life those who experience mental illness, their families, carers and friends are entitled to quality support in the community or in hospital, as appropriate those who need care and support should be enabled to play an active role in decision making within service provision should they so choose people affected by schizophrenia have a specialised knwledge. Their expertise is reflected in all that we do.
	What does NSF(Scotland) do? Membership NSF(Scotland) has approximately 500 members who are mainly people whose lives have been affected by schizophrenia as family members, carers or service users. Members receive newsletters and information and some use services run by the Fellowship (see below). Support Groups There are many groups throughout Scotland. Some are carers only, some users only and some have both carers and users. Members of these groups support each other and some groups also undertake local campaigning and fundraising. Volunteers As an organisation with a strong self-help ethos, volunteers are a central part of the work of the Fellowship. Information and Advice At the National Office, the Information Officer answers an average of 90 written and verbal enquiries per month and offers one-to-one appointments. Information on recent research, legislation and policy development is also collected and disseminated to the Fellowship's members, staff and service users on a regular basis through Newsletters and Members' Updates. Carelinkline Information and Advice Service responds to an average of 185 enquiries per month from carers within Grampian. There are also local Carers' Officers. (See FACT SHEET for details.)
	Services Services run by the Fellowship all aim to offer easy access, choice, flexibility, confidentiality and a commitment to the involvement of users in deciding how that service is run and operated. Staff currently provide support to over 1200 carers and 1400 service users across Scotland. Support for carers provided by Carers' Support staff: One-to-one support Group support Information and advice Education courses for informal and professional carers. There are also support networks for carers which have been a feature of NSF(Scotland) since it started. These can be accessed through the Fellowship's National Office. Support for service users Drop-in centres Our drop-in centres provide a friendly, understanding and safe setting for social and recreational activities. They also provide personal support, a range of specific interest groups and good food through the development of centre-based cafés. Outreach Outreach work offers support to individuals in their own homes providing a vital service, particularly in rural areas. Employment and training Supported employment has been developed using work experience in a supportive environment. Training opportunities include desktop publishing, catering training and placements with employers and voluntary organisations.
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