Agenda item

The purpose of this report is to review progress made since 13 March 2014 on developing the ‘Promoting emotional wellbeing and mental health’ priority action plan. The report also demonstrates progress on developing a mental health crisis care concordat for Surrey.

Witnesses:

Donal Hegarty, Senior Manager for Commissioning, Surrey County Council

Diane Woods, Associate Director for Mental Health and Learning Disabilities from North East Hampshire and Farnham CCG

Key points raised during the discussion:

1.    The Senior Manager for Commissioning presented a presentation to the board on the local crisis care concordat. He explained that a workshop had taken place in May around the local crisis care concordat with the key themes emerging from this. The group at the workshop helped shape the draft concordat which would eventually require sign up from multiple Surrey agencies.

2.    A member of the Board commented on the positive results from the workshop and asked for the draft crisis concordat to be presented at the Community Safety Board.

3.    Officers were conscious of the level of resource available in mental health but conversations were ongoing with CCG’s around creating a single point of access for crisis care.

4.    Members of the Board were grateful for the work which had been done around the draft crisis care concordat but wanted to ensure there was clear and swift follow through on delivering the action plan.

5.    Concerns were raised over the branding of mental health and the possibility of using the term ‘crisis’ in its place.  The Associate Director for Mental Health and Learning Disabilities explained that an all inclusive service for everyone in a ‘crisis’, including those with mental health issues would be coordinated at a single point of access on the local level.

6.    It was stated that CCG’s had collaborative commissioning arrangements in place for mental health. These arrangements ensured single solutions across Surrey were agreed.

7.    Members highlighted the need for discussions around the budget required for implementing the crisis care concordat to ensure effective mobilisation.

8.    It was stated that an action plan would come back to the Board in September 2014. A delivery group for the concordat would also be established and support was offered to the leads by the Chair of Healthwatch Surrey.

9.    A Member of the Board suggested there would be value in mapping the initial ‘triggers’ of mental health crisis and working with District and Borough Councils to help target efforts to prevent crisis escalating or happening at all – examples given were the issuing of parking tickets and housing decisions.

10.  The Associate Director for Mental Health and Learning Disabilities introduced a second presentation on the joint commissioning strategy for emotional wellbeing and mental health. The draft strategy would go out for consultation in July 2014. 

11.  Clarification was sought around the difference between mental health and mental wellbeing. The Associate Director for Mental Health and Learning Disabilities recognised that consistent terminology had not been used in the draft commissioning strategy for emotional wellbeing and mental health but confirmed the terminology would be clarified for the final strategy. 

12.  A member of the board announced that the Care Act would be published on 6 June 2014 and would distinguish between mental health and mental wellbeing. It was suggested that the draft strategy draw out the difference between the terminology from the Care Act.

13.  It was explained that mortality rates for people with a severe mental illness was three times higher than in the general population. A member of the board stated that a high number of deaths were due to physical factors such as smoking rather than mental health factors. It was further added that when a suicide had taken place in the presence of a police officer, the resulting case would have to be referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission which would incur heavy costs for the police.

 Resolved:

The Health and Wellbeing Board agreed,

·         To note that the draft commissioning strategy will be going out for public consultation in June 2014 for a period of 12 weeks.

·         To note the outcomes of the mental health crisis care concordat workshop held on 23 May 2014;

·         That the Surrey Health and Wellbeing Board be the body to provide the strategic overview of the concordat, with operational delivery through the Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Partnership Board (linking with the Community Safety Board and Better Care Board).

·         To support an annual workshop to bring the mental health crisis concordat signatory organisations together to review progress and hold each other to account on the delivery of the action plan.

Actions/Next Steps:

For officers to provide the board with a progress report on results from the consultation on the draft emotional wellbeing and mental health jointcommissioning strategy for a Health and Wellbeing board meeting in October 2014.