The Essentials

Since 2004, every branch in the country is providing a series of basic services to agreed standards. These services, known as The Essentials, set out the forms of information and support that we believe everyone has the right to expect from one of our branches, no matter where they are.

They include:

• Being easy to contact, with a single, widely promoted phone number
  
• Providing appropriate, high-quality information on MS
  
• Holding up-to-date information on other local services
  
• Communicating via a regular newsletter
  
• Providing a trained person to offer information and support to people who are newly-diagnosed
  
• Appropriate support for all those affected by MS, including family, friends and carers
  
• Financial support where this is needed but unavailable through other sources

Meeting varied needs

Research shows that people affected by MS want support that is appropriate to their situation. So young people want opportunities to meet with other young people, carers want to meet with carers, and those more severely affected want to meet others whose MS is at a similar stage. We are working with our branches to develop their activities, to ensure that in future a "menu" of services which reflect people's varying needs will be available across the country. This means that more branches will be able to offer specific activities and support groups for the newly diagnosed, young people, carers, and people severely affected, as well as opportunities to try yoga and other therapies, and to attend courses such as Getting to Grips (a course for the newly diagnosed run in partnership with professionals) amongst other activities.

For more information about branches, please email Branch Support.