Agenda item

The cabinet response to the scrutiny recommendations on the emerging  Joint Mental Health Strategy is attached.

Alasdair Smith, Director, Children, Families and Adult Services and Dick Frak, Interim Commissioning Director, Southwark Council presented the update on the emerging Joint Mental Health Strategy and the cabinet response to the scrutiny report recommendations on the developing Joint Mental Health Strategy.

The following issues were raised in the subsequent discussion:

·  Members raised concerns about delays to the finalisation of the strategy but praised officers for talking to people. Officers agreed the strategy is late but said that they believe it has been thorough, with 150 stakeholders involved. A strategy is important and will be followed by an implementation plan.

·  Members said that recent report in the press have said that integration is still a challenge and in some cases going backward, how are the council and CCG integrating? Officers said that there are recent steps to combine and integrate our commissioning arrangements across three areas mental health; children & young people and older people with complex needs. At the moment there is a spend of about £5million for CAMHS , and money in the mental health focused young people Transformation Plan is set to modestly increase this,  given ongoing coverage of the crisis in mental health services for children.

·  A member asked if the budget was ring fenced? Officers said that in terms of CAMHS it is, and there is an assurance process. Is there going to be shortfall overall? Officers said that with children services they are more confident of adequate resources, but with adults there is more concern as there is a squeeze.

·  Will homeless and housing be firmed up in the final strategy? There is a report going to cabinet about care leavers, accommodation provision, continuity and mental health.

·  Will there be a focus on transition from children to adults? Members highlighted that this is a focus of the scrutiny on care leavers. Officers said that one of the issues is that the thresholds to get adults services are very high. Frequently young people lack good services in transition and then disappear to only appear later post 35, which is the largest cohort of adults’ services.

·  Are social media applications used to reach young people? There is the “headspace" app. and also "young minds” that have a good website for children and young people.

·  Are there ways for people to re-establish contact and support if something happens, such as bereavement? Officers said that ‘making every contact count’ is one approach. Another is accessing services via Primary Care where the threshold is lower.

·  What about relationships with the CCG in terms of budget cuts? Officers said that the council and CCG have been very deliberate and deliberative in developing partnerships on three keys areas. We do have a good retention rate for social workers, which is good as for quality mental health provision we do need skills and memory.