Health Management and Policy Alert

Policy briefing: social care funding and mental health

Centre for Mental Health -
This briefing explores what a fair and sustainable funding settlement for social care needs to look like in order to deliver parity of esteem for mental health and sufficient funding to support people of working age as well as those in later life. It reviews the current funding and provision of mental health social work for people of working age in England. It finds that mental health social work has a vital role in helping people to live independently and to secure their rights and dignity.

• Briefing
• Centre for Mental Health - publications

The new realists

Unite Students - 

This report, produced together with the Higher Education Policy Institute, investigates young people’s transition to university, their expectations and their experiences in the first year, looking at both academic and non-academic aspects. Among the findings are that loneliness and mental health are growing issues, with one-in-four students ‘often’ (22 per cent) or ‘always’ (four per cent) lonely.

• Report
• More detail

The Autism Act, 10 years on: a report from the All Party Parliamentary Group on Autism on understanding, services and support for autistic people and their families in England

All Party Parliamentary Group on Autism -
Under the landmark Autism Act, alongside other important laws like the Care Act, autistic people in England are entitled to the care and support they need. But this inquiry report, based on a survey of around 11,000 autistic adults people and families, found that not enough has been done locally and nationally to make sure that the Autism Act makes a difference to all autistic people in the country. Progress has been held up because there isn’t enough understanding of the Act’s duties on councils and the NHS and of how to implement them.

• Report
• National Autistic Society - press release

Holy alliances: church-secular partnerships for social good

Demos -
This report shows that due to austerity, more churches are partnering with non-faith voluntary organisations to tackle local issues such as poverty, mental health and loneliness. The research shows that partnership working has led to a number of benefits including unlocking resources and funding, boosting impact, administrative support and assistance in targeting the right group. Whilst there are a number of positive outcomes from church-secular partnerships, the report also highlights some difficulties, including a fear of the religious motivation of church volunteers from secular partners, which could lead to a lack of trust.

• Report
• Demos - projects

Government response to "Ignoring the alarms follow-up: too many avoidable deaths from eating disorders"

Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) - 
In June 2019, the House of Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee published its report into avoidable deaths from eating disorders. It contained recommendations across six areas to improve eating disorder services and this report outlines the government's response to the recommendations.

• Report
• Original inquiry

People with learning disabilities in England

Public Health England (PHE) - 
This report provides updates of national statistics about people with learning disabilities in England and the services and support available to them and their families.

• Report

Mental health trusts work in partnership to support people affected by eating disorders

NHS England - 

CONNECT: the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Adult Eating Disorders Service, is a regional service aimed at improving care for adults with eating disorders. It offers a variety of treatment options based on a person’s needs including early intervention, home-based treatment or inpatient treatment. This case study describes the service provided by a partnership of four mental health trusts.

• Case study
• More detail

Service user experience in adult mental health services

National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) - 
This quality standard covers improving the experience of people using adult NHS mental health services. It describes high-quality care in priority areas for improvement.

• Guidance

Towards mental health equality: a manifesto for the next Prime Minister

NHS Confederation -
This manifesto focuses on five key asks of the new Prime Minister: take action to prevent mental illness; create a cross-government plan for mental health and establish a ‘mental health in all policies’ approach across government; reform the Mental Health Act; ensure everyone can access the right mental health support, in the right place, at the right time; and build a mental health workforce fit for the future.

• Manifesto
• NHS Confederation - news

Employment Advisers in Improving Access to Psychological Therapies: process evaluation report

Department of Health and Social Care - 

This research looks at stakeholder views of the Employment Advisers in Improving Access to Psychological Therapies pilot which began in March 2018.

• Report
• More detail