Agenda item

To review the progress made since June 2015 on delivering the ‘Promoting emotional wellbeing and mental health’ priority action plan.

Witnesses:

Charlotte Alder, MH & LD Assistant Commissioning Manager, North East Hampshire and Farnham Clinical Commissioning Group

Jane Bremner, Senior Commissioning Manager, Adult Social Care, Surrey County Council

Key points raised during the discussions:

1.    The Senior Commissioning Manager, Adult Social Care introduced the report to the Board and informed the Board on some key achievements of the Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Strategy. This included monitoring the spending of £1.5 million for mental health crisis care, implementing the Helios Project which is an interactive web-based tool for carers. The Board was further advised that Safe Haven, a mental health crisis support centre in Camberley, had opened in November 2015 for which the costs had been met through the Transformation Challenge Award Fund.

2.    The Senior Commissioning Manager noted there was a new County Councillor champion for mental health and requested the support of the Board in promoting awareness around mental health issues. Further information was requested on the role played by the Mental Health Champion in helping to improve services for those suffering from mental health problems. It was highlighted that the Mental Health Champion was a County Councillor who worked to ensure that mental health was given full consideration by service providers when developing and delivering services for Surrey residents. It was agreed that a letter from the Co-Chairs of the Health and Wellbeing Board should be sent to both the Leader and Chief Executive of each District and Borough Council highlighting the importance of working to deliver improved outcomes for those with mental health issues.

3.    The Board expressed their support for the pilot mental health crisis cafes which were being opened across the County although concerns were expressed regarding the accessibility of crisis cafes to groups such as those with learning disabilities as well as those with sensory and sight impairment and those in particular religious groups.  It was stressed that the accessibility of mental health crisis cafes was integral to how these services were designed to ensure that all residents were able to and felt comfortable using them when required. The Senior Commissioning Manager further highlighted the importance of raising awareness of crisis cafes and that this was being done through mediums such as the internet and word of mouth.

4.    Members were informed that no children in Surrey had been detained in police custody as a safe place under a Section 136 arrangement for over a year and that this marked a significant achievement for mental health services in the County. Furthermore, for the month of October no adults had been detained in police custody as a safe place under a Section 136 arrangement despite an increase in Section 136 detentions which was putting additional strain on mental health services across the County. In response to this, capacity was being increased in the delivery of frontline mental health services by extending the opening hours of certain services as well as putting mental health staff in emergency call centres to reduce pressure on the police. 

5.    Concerned was expressed regarding two actions related to Priority 5 of the Promoting Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Strategy. Integration of Mental Health into primary care hubs and Better GP understanding for accessing accommodation were listed as being outstanding issues with action required to address them. The Board requested that these actions be reviewed to ensure that they had been assigned the correct status.

6.    Members were provided with information on the Workplace Wellbeing Charter and ways in which it can improve employee health and wellbeing. SCC was actively encouraging Surrey businesses to sign up to the Charter. It was agreed that further detail on the Workplace Wellbeing Charter would be circulated to Board members for consideration.

7.    The Senior Commissioning Manager asked the Board to consider how it would like to receive Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Priority Status Updates at future meetings.

RESOLVED:

To note the progress of the commissioning strategy at the mid-way point of year two.

Actions/ further information to be provided:

1. A letter to be drafted from the Co-Chairs of the Health and Wellbeing Board to be sent to the Leader and Chief Executive of each District and Borough Council highlighting the importance of working to deliver improved outcomes for those with mental health issues (Action Ref: A22/15).

ii.     Reassess the outcomes marked as red on Priority 5 of the Promoting Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Strategy to check what work has already been done by CCGs against these priorities (Action Ref: A23/15).

iii.    Information to be circulated to Board members on the Workplace Charter and how their organisations can sign up to it (Action Ref: A24/15).

iv.    The Board to decide how it would like to receive the Promoting Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Priority Status update when it is considered by the Board in June (Action Ref: A25/15).