Agenda item - Emotional Health & Wellbeing (Including Mental Health)

Presentation on the Joint Health & Wellbeing Strategy Priority by Clare Mitchison, Public Health Specialist (BHCC), Alison Nuttall, Strategic Commissioner CYPT (BHCC) and Anne Foster, Head of Commissioning, Mental Health & Community Care (CCG) (Copies attached). 

9.1       The Board considered a presentation on the Emotional Health & Wellbeing (including Mental Health) Joint Health & Wellbeing Strategy Priority, from Clare Mitchison, Public Health Specialist (BHCC), Alison Nuttall, Strategic Commissioner CYPT (BHCC) and Anne Foster, Head of Commissioning, Mental Health & Community Care (CCG).   

9.2       The presentation set out how improving mental health was a key issue for the City.  Members were informed that further work needed to be carried out to ensure mental health had equal priority to physical health.  There was a need to develop an explicit local strategy that took a broader approach beyond the mental health and wellbeing services and a need for broader BHCC leadership to help achieve this.  The presentation suggested that Brighton & Hove City Council could nominate a senior officer with a responsibility for mental wellbeing within the council, and screen new services and policies (eg mental wellbeing impact assessment) to ensure positive or neutral impact on mental wellbeing for all relevant BHCC decisions.

9.3       Councillor Bowden asked if the strategy would take into account action the government was taking to reduce the financial deficit.  Clare Mitchison replied that the recession did have an impact.  Suicide prevention work and financial advice work was being carried out.

9.4       Councillor Bowden mentioned a constituent with mental health problems who had been detained in police cells.

9.5       Anne Foster replied that there was a need for a broader strategy approach in relation to mental health.  The aim was to divert people out of the courts.  

9.6       Councillor Bowden stressed the need for educational training.  Staff did not always have the skills to deal with people with mental illness.  He stressed that a high proportion of people in prison had mental health problems.

9.7       Alison Nuttall informed members that there was work being carried out to train GPs and staff in GP practices to ensure young people could experience the best environment when visiting their GP.  There were also conversations with the police about this issue.

9.8       Robert Brown mentioned that the LINk had written a report on 16-25 year olds, and on self harm in A&E which might be of interest.  He would be happy to share the report with the Board.  The LINk printed 10,000 bookmarks and had distributed these to young people in the city to help with exam stress and rights when accessing a doctor.  The chapter listed a number of strategies in development/need of review.  Healthwatch would be interested in having a conversation about this.  Mr Brown asked if the chapter needed a specific outcome on increasing resilience amongst young people.

9.9       Alison Nuttall replied in the affirmative to Mr Brown’s questions.  Young people steered the project.  Services were being developed that would encompass all people from children to adults.  

9.10    Hayyan Asif asked what was being done for older people and people with disabilities.  He also asked what was being done to help people with exam stress. 

9.11    Anne Foster explained that there was a strong community and voluntary sector in Brighton and Hove.   Work had been carried out with Adult Care & Health which included older people and the LGBT community.  There had been a focus on those at risk. 

9.12    Alison Nuttall informed members that the Safer Schools Programme informed officers what young people were doing in schools.  Children had access to school counselling.  There was also work being carried out in sixth form colleges.   The colleges were interested in improving the mental health and wellbeing of their pupils.  Clare Mitchison reported that lottery funding had been received for work with young people in schools.

9.13    Tom Scanlon asked if the draft strategy could be in place earlier.  Anne Foster replied that work would commence in late summer 2013 and the strategy would be implemented in 2014/15.

9.14    The Chair thanked the officers for their presentation.

9.15    RESOLVED – That the presentation be noted.