Maidstone Borough Council

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Sub Committee

Thursday 4 August 2011

Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells Adult Mental Health Services Review

Report of: Orla Sweeney, Overview and Scrutiny Officer

 1.     Introduction

1.1    To consider the recommendations made by the Committee as part of the Adult Mental Health Services Review and agree action to be taken.

2.     Recommendation

2.1    The Committee is recommended to revisit the recommendations         made (Appendix A) and discuss the best way to take these forward     taking into consideration the meetings and roundtable discussions    that have taken place subsequently as a follow up.  Members should          consider the information and evidence presented at the meetings      and determine the relevance of this in relation to the original    recommendations made. 

3.      Reasons for Recommendation

3.1    The Tunbridge Wells and Maidstone Overview and Scrutiny Review into Adult Mental Health Services was formally launched at a Roundtable Mental Health Discussion held at the Camden Centre in Royal Tunbridge Wells on 23 July 2011.  The meeting explored key emerging themes: Volunteering, Primary Care Diagnosis and Access to information.

3.2    A follow up roundtable took place on 10 July 2011 at the same venue.  This was Chaired by Greg Clark MP and took forward the suggestions and requests of those involved at the July meeting.  There were three presentations from the following:

· West Kent Service Redesign and First Response (FRIS), Erville Millar, Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust;

· Supported Volunteering -  A Proposal, Chris Grogan, Kent Supported Employment and Kate Anker, VAWK; and

· Exercise on Prescription for Mental Health – Helen Wolstenholme, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council and Stewart Wild, Fusion Lifestyle.

3.3    The next steps identified at this meeting were to involve Job Centre Plus and to offer an opportunity for the Voluntary and Community to network.

3.4    On 20 May 2011 it was Maidstone’s turn to host and a meeting was arranged within the community to help emphasis the nuance of the meeting.  The Blackthorn Trust hosted the meeting and on this occasion the meeting was Chaired by Chairman of the GP Consortium, Dr Kuvalagh Singh.

3.5    The meeting included a marketplace, in the Blackthorn gardens with Voluntary and Community groups displaying literature and presentations were made by the following:

· Blackthorn Trust - a short film made by the Open University last summer about their work, the site and those they work with – Julie Chalmers-Stevens, Employment Support Officer;

· Job Centre Plus: Personalized Advice; Get Britain Working; and The Work Programme – Stuart Rayner , Mental Health Co-ordinator for Kent and Medway and Anthony March, Integrated Partnership Manager;

· Integrated Pathway – Stuart Rayner, Mental Health Co-ordinator for Kent and Medway, Job Centre Plus and  Lynn Marchant, Kent & Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust Service User Employment Manager, and Lead for Kent Mindful Employer; and

· MCCH - the development of employment services in relation to Primary Care and meeting the needs of a range of individuals from across the mental health spectrum - Michael Duignan-Murphy, Service Development Manager, Employment & Vocational Services and Kate Turner, Deputy Service Development Manager, Mental Health, Employment, Enterprise & Engagement Services.

3.6    A feedback form was included for all delegates to help re establish the direction of the Adult Mental Health Services Review as there had been a clear divergence from meeting to meeting removing direction from the 12 recommendations.  The feedback given established that the next steps were to revisit the original recommendations.