Agenda item

To note the developments in Community Mental Health Services and Pathways and the change to the CCG contracting model.

The Board was informed of the new provider arrangements for mental health services in the Borough, brought about as a result of changes to commissioning outlined in the Health and Care Act 2021.

Subject to parliamentary approval, in July 2022 the new Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB) would assume the duties of the existing Clinical Commissioning Groups in the region. Through this change, the Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (mental health trust), would become the lead provider of mental health services and determine the best arrangements to deliver mental health outcomes through collaborative working with partners and engagement of local communities.

The Black Country footprint of the new ICB would result in reduced clinical variation and variation in commissioning and provision of NHS mental health services across the Black Country.  The Trust would be developing a set of  service user outcomes to measure whether people in crisis and family carers were being treated with dignity and sensitivity and ensure that service failures were addressed much more promptly.

The next stages of work were to focus on improving the learning disabilities and autism mental health provision.

The new community model of mental health was underpinned by five golden threads:

·      Easy and fair access to services – Mental health services suited to person’s individual needs.

·      No more gaps – Seamless transition between services to enabling continual care.

·      Better community support – Working in partnership with the voluntary and community organisations to provide rounded support of mental health needs in the community.

·      Better reintroduction to services – Simplified access to services after finishing treatment, if required, to avoid having to ‘retell the story’ to multiple professionals.

·      Reduced waiting times – A holistic personalised plan of care within four weeks of assessment.

The model of support was based on the Maslow Hierarchy of Needs which was based on the premise that people’s basic needs (access to basic resources) had to be addressed first before mental health therapy could become effective. This necessitated looking at mental health from the angle of wider determinants of health.

It was highlighted that many people with complex mental health needs also experienced multiple comorbidities.  Therefore, the new model aimed to involve a wide range of organisations, including an inpatient nurse at mental health support locations.

The following was noted in response to questions and comments:

·      The holistic and integrated approach to mental health provision, that looked for both physical and psychological wellbeing of people, was welcomed.

·      Your Health Partnership was doing some work on the physical health of people with mental health issues.

·      Smooth transition points between services and pathways was paramount.

·      It was felt that following the abolition of Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) mental health provision had declined significantly and the voluntary sector had had to step in.

·      Funding grassroots projects represented a good example of how tackling mental health problems needed to start with tackling everyday problems.

·      Tackling mental ill health was not just about clinical interventions, but also the wider determinants of health. A mindset shift was necessary and the new provider would have the funding to work with partners across the Black Country to provide seamless interventions between tiers.