Health Management and Policy Alert

Keeping children and young people with mental health needs safe: the design of the paediatric ward - interim report

Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) - 
The risks associated with caring for children and young people who exhibit certain high risk behaviours when staying in a paediatric ward were identified as part of a HSIB national investigation. This report looks at the risk factors associated with the design of paediatric wards in acute hospitals for children and young people with mental health needs.

• Report
• HSIB - investigations and reports

Individual placement and support for severe mental illness

NHS England - 
Individual placement and support (IPS) is an evidence-based model of supported employment. The implementation of IPS has been part of the NHS Long Term Plan and preceding strategies for national mental health improvement for over eight years and is a fundamental part of the ongoing transformation of community mental health services. This guidance is aimed at integrated care systems and outlines how IPS should be embedded within integrated models of primary and community services for patients with severe mental illness.

• Guidance

 

Rural mental health

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee -
In this report, MPs express concern about how isolation, poor public transport and a relative lack of digital connectivity have contributed to poor mental health outcomes for all categories of people across rural communities in England, but especially among farm workers and vets. It calls for greater joined-up planning and action from the government to address the issue.

• Report
• Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee - news

Mental health and wellbeing plan: discussion paper and call for evidence - results

Department of Health and Social Care - 
The call for evidence was originally intended to inform two individual plans: a mental health and wellbeing plan and a separate suicide prevention strategy. The decision has since been taken to incorporate tackling mental ill health into a major conditions strategy instead of a stand-alone mental health strategy. This aims to ensure that mental ill health is considered alongside other physical health conditions and that the interactions between them are reflected in any resulting commitments.

• Consultation outcome
• Department of Health and Social Care - publications

In train?: progress on mental health nurse education

Nuffield Trust - 
This report finds that, despite steps towards closing the gap between mental and physical health services, many people still cannot access services and face long waits for treatment. It concludes that addressing workforce challenges in mental health services will be crucial to improving this situation. The report, commissioned and supported by NHS Confederation’s Mental Health Network, takes stock of progress across the country in staffing the single largest profession within the mental health workforce: nurses.

• Report
• Nuffield Trust - publications

‘It feels like being seen': how can local authorities know if their mental health services are working well?

Centre for Mental Health - 

This briefing describes research that focused on two core questions relating to the role of local authorities that commission and provide adult social services in assessing and meeting people’s mental health needs: what does it look and feel like when support effectively considers people’s social and psychological wellbeing as part of mainstream assessments and care planning?; and what does it look and feel like when there is good collaboration in the commissioning and planning of mental health services and support?

• Briefing
• More detail

Family Consultation Day Report on deaths of people with mental ill health, a learning disability or autism

Inquest - 
This report highlights how bereaved families can face persistent challenges following the death of their loved one in mental health services. The authors of the report heard from 14 family members who were bereaved by deaths in the care of mental health services or settings for people with learning disabilities and/or autism, and had faced or were going through inquests and investigations. Key concerns raised were around lack of candour, transparency and accountability. Families also highlighted the inadequate levels of communication between families and the bodies responsible for care.

• Report
• Inquest - news

Understanding and supporting mental health in infancy and early childhood: a toolkit to support local action in the UK

Unicef UK -
This resource aims to support service leaders, commissioners and policy teams to develop a whole-system approach to support the mental health of babies and young children, and to enable them to develop the capacities to be mentally healthy throughout their lives. Evidence shows that the mental health needs of babies and young children – which present differently than in older children and young people – are not well understood and often overlooked. This toolkit acknowledges that it can be harder for professionals to work together to promote and protect mental health at this life stage, as understanding varies across sectors. It suggests practical steps to help all services play their role and work together and will facilitate shared understanding, and constructive discussions about the needs of babies and young children in local communities.

• Toolkit
• Unicef UK - press release

National green social prescribing delivery capacity assessment: final report

Department of Health and Social Care -
This research looks into the existing provision of green and nature-based activities, its funding streams and its capacity to support a national rollout of GSP to support mental ill health.

• Report
• Department of Health and Social Care - publications

Children’s mental health services 2021-2022

Children's Commissioner -
This report finds that the NHS estimates that 18 per cent of children aged 7 to 16 years and 26 per cent of those aged 17 to 19 have a probable mental health disorder, up from 17 per cent in 2021. It aims to assess children’s ability to access timely treatment, and to understand how that has changed in recent years.

• Report
• Children's Commissioner - publications