Issue - meetings

RESOLVED:

That the Cabinet Member update be noted.

Both Item 10 and 11 were considered together. The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Public Health and Domestic Abuse presented members with an update on the tackling health inequalities strategic priority area. Alan Downey, Chairman of the Surrey Mental Health Partnership and Improvement Board was welcomed to the meeting. He stated that to date the board had met once on 27 January and officers and members were making good progress with the project. The first meeting of the board demonstrated that there was strong commitment to make progress in improving metal health outcomes and tackling the obstacles that prevented progress from being made in the past. It was apparent from the first meeting that there was a desire to see a more preventative approach to mental health, building on community assets and importantly listening to those who experience mental health illnesses. The project team had developed draft key lines of enquiry with workshops being organised in March focusing on solutions. A set of proposed actions would be developed in March and April and then implemented from May onwards. The success of the project would depend on the ability of organisations to work across boundaries.

Members commented that the actions taken by the board would help find practical solutions to support prevention and early intervention. The Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families updated members on the new Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) contract explaining that young people’s mental and emotional wellbeing had been badly affected by lockdown and the pandemic. The new CAMHS contract would focus on community based interventions that young people supported. Extra funding had been put in alongside CCG’s to support this work. The Cabinet Member for All-Age Learning echoed the concerns of the Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families explaining that the service had seen an increase in referrals up by 60% from last year and was forecasting a surge as lockdown eased. It was highlighted that the service had successfully bid for funding for three mental health support teams in schools which would provide support for young people with mild to moderate mental health needs.

The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Public Health and Domestic Abuse briefly updated members on the work being undertaken by Adult Social Care in the mental health arena. Recommendations from the mental health task group were being considered in detail and were being actioned within the commissioning service. Technology would be used by the service to help tackle loneliness and isolation.

Mr Downey was thanked for the work he and his board were doing and Cabinet looked forward to an update report in due course.

RESOLVED:

That the Cabinet Member update be noted.