The Mental Wellbeing in Bradford District and Craven: A Strategy 2016 – 2021 was agreed by the Health and Wellbeing Board at its meeting of 29^th November 2016 and was formally launched at an event on 19^th January 2017.

The Bradford City, Bradford Districts and Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven Clinical Commissioning Groups and the Strategic Director of Health and Wellbeing will submit Document “AD” which provides an update on the planning and implementation process to deliver the strategy.

Recommended –

That activity undertaken on the development and delivery of an implementation plan for the Mental Wellbeing Strategy for Bradford District and Craven be noted and that the Committee provide any feedback and/or comments.

(Mick James – 01274 237686)

The Mental Wellbeing in Bradford District and Craven: A Strategy 2016 – 2021 was agreed by the Health and Wellbeing Board at its meeting of 29 November 2016 and was formally launched at an event on 19 January 2017.

The Bradford City, Bradford Districts and Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven Clinical Commissioning Groups and the Strategic Director of Health and Wellbeing submitted Document “AD” which provided an update on the planning and implementation process to deliver the strategy.

The Chair announced that Mick James, Head of Commissioning (Mental Health), working jointly for the CCGs and the local authority, was retiring from his post and wished him well for the future.

Members were informed that the review had helped focus on a new strategy, and the mental wellbeing launch which had taken place had been a vibrant and engaging event.  It was clear from the engagement and discussions that prevention and early intervention had to be the first phase of the strategy.

It was stated that the strategy was very detailed and development plans stemming from it were either agreed or in the process of being developed; across the three pillars (our wellbeing, our mental and physical health and care when we need it) there were 48 “we will” commitment statements followed by 12 enabling commitments; the implementation plan was still in the development phase; a Mental Health Partnership Board had been established to take work on the strategy forward; the Crisis Care Concordat group (a broad group of stakeholders) would look at acute care pathways; and Voluntary and Community Sector sub groups that looked at mental health had met to consider how they could input into the strategy.

Following an overview of Document “AD”, the following information was given in response to Members’ questions:

·         Consideration was being given to having mental health champions in schools to strengthen links with children and young people.

·         Funding in relation to W4 (mental health Champions) was due to be received in April 2017 covering a three year period.

·          Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) had been changed into My Wellbeing College.  The format had been changed in order to track success.  There were various courses/training/resources available for anyone to access.  The number of contacts had increased significantly.

·         With reference to W9 of Appendix A (relating to establishing mentally healthy workplaces), this was not yet specified in the commissioning process.

·         The process in relation to W19 of Appendix A (improved detection and access to evidence based treatment of depression for older people) was not yet mapped out.  There were plans to undertaken awareness training with front line staff to help identify people and get them into pathways for appropriate care and treatment.

With reference to contracts and commissioning, the Portfolio Holder for Health and Wellbeing stated that events were taking place in the district about inclusive growth and stressed that the principle was about how we could build it into contracts so that everyone benefitted.  She also spoke of more integrated and joined up working through the Accountable Care System.  She stated that the strategy was ‘work in progress’ following its launch in January 2017 and she was unable to give financial details at this stage.  She informed Members that the Strategic Director of Health and Wellbeing and the Member Development Manager were putting together a ‘mind map’ of how related strategies and plans fitted together in order to make it easier to understand.

The Chair stated she had attended the launch day and concurred that it was an engaging event at which there had been many discussions about working with staff and service users, however she found that those details were lacking in the strategy albeit she was aware work in this area was being undertaken.

A Member, with reference to access to therapies, stated that she had received feedback about difficulties in service users obtaining follow up appointments and that long delays had been experienced.  She considered this to be a key gap and queried what the 25% increase meant.  In response, it was reported that the IAPT national target had been 15% nationally but had increased to 25%; this referred only to working age and older adults (not children and young people, which was a separate piece of work and figures were unknown).

It was recognised that the IAPT model needed to change to help increase access, particularly for people over the age of 65 who were currently under represented.  Members were informed that new models may be piloted to see what worked best.

A Member welcomed the continuation of the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model to support people into employment.

A discussion took place about waiting lists and Members were informed that there were no waiting lists kept by the local authority for mental health services.  A representative of Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust stated that there were waiting lists for psychological therapies and where this was the case ‘keep in touch’ meetings were arranged.  Further information about these waiting times was not available at the meeting but it was agreed they would be sent to Members.

In response to a Member’s question on how stable and sustainable it was working alongside the voluntary and community sector given their funding cuts, it was stated that the local authority, in commissioning mental health services were trying to stabilise the sector as much as possible and had been successful in helping to expand some voluntary services e.g. setting up The Sanctuary in Mind.

Councillor Fozia Shaheen spoke of her new role as the Mental Health Champion for Bradford Council.  She stated that she would be working with schools as early intervention was key.

A Member raised concerns about the delivery of community development work given that funding for the Council’s Community Development workers was ending in March 2017.  In response, it was stated that reference to community development in the strategy was meant in the wider definition of the term and would link into the People Can Campaign and the work of Ward Officers. 

During the discussion it was reiterated that the strategy was in its infancy and a suggestion was put forward for an update to be presented in six months, by which time the strategy would contain more details about how aspects of it were going to be delivered.

Resolved –

(1)  That the information on waiting times, as requested by Members, be provided through the Chair.

(2)  That a session be arranged for Members on the further development of the delivery plan.

(3)  That an item on mental health be added to the Committee’s 2017-18 work programme and people with a lived experience of mental health services and voluntary sector representatives be invited to attend.

ACTION:       Director of Strategy

Overview and Scrutiny Lead