Agenda item

The Chairman welcomed and introduced Paul Farmer CBE, the Chief Executive of MIND, who had been invited to attend the Board meeting to discuss MIND’s views on the role of councils, and what suggestions he might have for inclusion in future LGA work on mental health and in particular on public mental health spend.

Paul Farmer CBE provided the Board with background information on MIND and his related roles. He informed the Board that he had chaired the NHS England Mental Health Taskforce which had published the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health, and had  also been appointed as a co-chair of a piece of work commissioned by the Prime Minister to improve mental health in the workplace.

He highlighted that in general terms the mental health of the country was not improving and for some groups was getting worse, particularly amongst young women and older men. He raised inequality of access to support as a particular concern.

He noted however that mental health had gone up the political agenda. He emphasised the role local authorities play in enabling people to stay well and live a full life and informed the Board that he was enthused and encouraged by the initiative presented in the report. He also emphasised the importance of conversation between the voluntary sector and public sector in the wider discussion on mental health.

In addition he went on to note that good mental health required more than support from the health service. It involved a range of services such as debt and financial advice and housing, which was why councils had such an important role to play in this agenda. Councillor champions had created conversations locally and the next step was considering how health and wellbeing boards could play a greater role.

He expressed a view that local authorities should have more systematic involvement in Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP.) He also expressed a view that local suicide prevention strategies being established was the best next step in improving public mental health, as was work on sickness absence, where the first priority was to identify good practice, including from local authorities.

In the discussion with Paul Farmer CBE which followed Members raised the following points;

·         Mental health was a growing priority for communities, and with financial pressures on services the voluntary sector needs to be viewed by local authorities as a key player.

·         Members commented that it was encouraging Paul Farmer CBE emphasised the importance of STPs, and asked whether in his view STPs and health and wellbeing boards were looking enough at mental health issues.

·         Paul Farmer said that councils needed to articulate what the added value that local authorities provided was, and that consideration needed to be given to how to help people with mental health issues remain in work, to help those who needed it back into work and what could be done to assist those who had never been in work.

·         The work of carers is vital and how could they and their families be better supported should be considered in more depth.

·         Paul Farmer noted that health and wellbeing boards were still new organisations but they were looking increasingly at mental health issues, though there were issues local MIND bodies found in feeding views in mental health needed to be embedded into the work of STPs.

·         That local authorities need to look more closely on how to better link a range of services they provide to the NHS. In particular, a council’s social services role in this needs to be brought more to the fore. 

·         That local authorities are key in supporting a person’s mental health through many of their roles, such as in Housing.

·         Members commented that it would be important to recognise mental health support in rural areas.

·         That local authorities need to ensure the same level of access to mental health support is available in academies as in state run schools.

·         Members commented that the importance of parks, libraries and the general environment of an area on mental health needs to be taken into account.

·         Members expressed a view that that local authorities need to pursue new ways of undertaking joint-commissioning.

·         Paul Farmer CBE expressed a view that the extent to which members empower officers to talk on this will be important going forward.

·         In regards to carers Paul Farmer CBE informed members that MIND had identified the cost of unpaid care at £14 billion and that it was critical to ensure the best support for carers and that the support was available at the required time and of good quality.

Abigail Gallop, Senior Adviser, informed the Board that the LGA is intending to develop a report that sets out the key role of local government in mental health. She emphasised that any further feedback on the objectives, scope and methodology of the LGA mental health report would be useful.

In the discussion which followed Members raised the following points;

·         Members commented that in regards to the scope of the report a greater emphasis on early intervention and prevention would be needed. There was not only a moral reason for this, but a financial reason, in that prevention would prevent future referrals to CAMHS.

·         Members expressed a view that it would be important to capture in the report all the work in this devolved administrations are undertaking.

·         Behavioural support was emphasised as an area of importance, in which schools required further support.

·         Joint commissioning was identified as a key area that needs to be developed.

·         Members commented that the report would need to include work on cyber bullying.

·         Members also suggested as potential contacts in this work the Citizens Advice Bureau, Race Equality Councils, Clinical Commissioning Groups, the Samaritans, the voluntary sector, Sports England and Police and Crime Commissioners.

Decision

The Community Wellbeing Board noted Paul Farmer CBEs comments and thanked him for his attendance at the Board.

Action

Officers to undertake the direction in the development of the report.