The Bath and North East Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group and B&NES Council are reviewing the way community mental health services are delivered locally and are inviting the public to help.
Both organisations are responsible for commissioning mental health services in B&NES, and are looking at the way things are currently done to determine what is working well and identify any improvements needed.
According to recent Mental Health Foundation research, two-thirds of adults in Britain have experienced a mental health problem and, in 2012-13, there were 8,931 people aged 18 years and over registered with depression in GP practices in B&NES.
This year’s Mental Health Awareness Week (14th-20th May 2018) is focusing on stress and there are a number of events being organised in B&NES to help promote mental health and wellbeing.
The review of community mental health services launched last summer when over 60 face-to-face meetings and focus groups were held and more than 100 survey responses received.
People told the Council and CCG that community mental health services must focus on preventing people from escalating into crisis, drive parity of esteem (equal value) between medical and social interventions, and make sure that services work together more effectively.
Young people who gave their feedback felt that the transition from child to adult mental health services needs to be less abrupt, and said they would like more information about where they can get support and increased flexibility with how they access these services.
To find out what people said, you can read the Engagement Report on the CCG’s website.
Dr Daisy Curling, a Bath GP, BaNES CCG Board member and clinical lead for mental health said: “Thank you to everyone who has shared feedback with us so far.
“The views of people who currently use these services or have done in the past, people who care for those who use services, and those who provide services, are an integral part of ensuring this review is a success.”
Six working groups, made up of staff from the Council and CCG, Virgin Care, service providers, voluntary sector representatives and Community Champions – who represent the public – are now working on the next stage of the review.
This will involve holding workshops in June 2018, to which people who use services, those who deliver services and interested members of the public are invited.
Jane Shayler, the Director of Integrated Health and Care Commissioning at BaNES CCG and B&NES Council said: “We want to encourage anyone who has experience of, or an there were 8,931 people aged 18 years and over registered with depression in GP practices in B&NES interest in community mental health services to come along and help us to shape how these could be delivered in the future.
“We are keen to build on the amazing engagement and feedback we had from residents of B&NES during the your care, your way community services review and bring that same collaboration into the design of community mental health.”
Workshops will be held on the following dates:
Tuesday 5th June 2018, 9am-12pm
“How can community mental health services work better together?” Sign up here
Wednesday 13th June
9am-12.30pm: “How can we improve transitions from child to adult community mental health services?” Sign up here
9am-12.30pm: “How can we improve coordination across mental, physical, social and wellbeing services in the community?” Sign up here
1.30-5.00pm: “How can we support people who use mental health services to access meaningful occupation, including employment, training and education?” Sign up here
1.30-5.00pm: “How can we support people who are experiencing acute mental health crisis and prevent people’s needs from escalating to this point?” Sign up here
Monday 18th June 2018, 6.30-8.30pm
Workshop drop-in for anyone who can’t attend the 5th or 13th June workshops, come and share your views on any/all of the mental health review topics. Sign up here
All workshops will be held at Keynsham Community Space, 5 Temple St, BS31 1HA.
For information about the review, visit the CCG’s website, email, [email protected] or call 01225 831 800 and ask for the Communications and Engagement Team.
The wider public will be asked what they think of the different options for delivering community mental health services locally during a public consultation taking place in June-July 2018.
It is expected that a final service model will be developed and put in place in April 2019.