Publish date: 7 April 2022
Last week the new Support Hope and Recovery/Resilience Online Network (SHaRON) launched. The service was developed by Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, who have run the network for over 12 years.
The network is a secure and confidential place for service users to find support anonymously when they need it and so far our eating disorder team have already received more than 100 referrals and expect this number increase.
SHaRON is only available to people who have been referred by Mersey Care’s eating disorder service.
The network aims to:
- provide a safe, secure, and comfortable social environment for members to communicate and support one another
- support members with both clinical and peer moderation
- provide easy, 24/7 access to useful resources.
Mike Lewis, Specialist Eating Disorder Nurse at Mersey Care explained: “The service has been used by other teams across the UK and has proven to be a valuable resource for people to discuss issues they may face in a safe and supportive environment.
It will be a non-judgemental, safe and secure space for patients, relatives and carers alike to talk and support each other.”
A handful of service users were asked to trial and feedback on SHaRON. One participant mentioned: “I feel less threatened and fearful than I do using general social media platforms, I feel as though my voice will be heard and treated with respect, kindness and compassion. The people on SHaRON understand me and are similar to me.”
To find out more about SHaRON and, please contact Joanne Adair, Clinical Business Change Manager at Informatics Merseyside: joanne