Agenda item

(a)       That the Committee notes the structure of the Flintshire Community Mental Health Teams (CMHT);

(b)       That the Committee understands the referral process to the CMHT and typical presentation of those being referred; and

(c)       That the Committee request a further update on the service as it progresses and an update on the Mental Health Strategy in March 2017.

The Chief Officer (Social Services) presented a report on the function and purpose of the Flintshire Community Mental Health Teams (CMHT) which were jointly funded and managed by the Council’s Social Services and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB).

An overview was given on service eligibility, resources of the teams and links with key third sector organisations to support patients.  The Local Primary Mental Health Support Service (LPMHSS), which was co-located with the CMHT at Aston House in Deeside, was noted to be the lowest resourced team per 1000 population of the six counties in North Wales.  Details were shared on current caseload of the Secondary Care team where additional service demand for young people was being monitored.  Examples were shared of typical referrals received on a daily basis.

In praising the level of detail in the report, the Chair asked what options were available to individuals in need of therapy if new referrals were closed, which was a noted area of concern.  Mr. Andrew Roach of BCUHB said this was representative of how services had been run historically but gave assurance that individuals continued to be supported by the Care Co-ordinator.  As part of his new role, Mr. Roach said that capacity and demand for psychological services were being evaluated to feed into the Mental Health Strategy.

In response to a question from Councillor Paul Cunningham, the Service Manager (Disability, Progression & Recovery) replied that CRUSE offered general bereavement support to both adults and children, with support also accessible by children from Barnardo’s Young Carers.  Counselling in schools was available through educational social workers.

Councillor Dave Mackie spoke about the impact on emergency services from continued non-urgent calls.  Mr. Roach said that this was seen as a national issue and that some individuals with personality disorders may not necessarily meet the criteria for secondary care but would require specialist pathways.

Councillor Andy Dunbobbin referred to the specialist psychological services for ex-services personnel and asked about engagement with armed forces charities.  The Service Manager said that any details of charities would be forwarded to the Care Co-ordinator.  On the need to meet increasing pressures, Mr. Roach explained the approach to the Strategy in understanding areas of demand to manage resources and identifying a range of preventative measures.

Councillor David Healey commended the work of the CMHT which had received positive feedback from service users.  He felt that more resources were needed to avoid lengthy delays and asked about the approach to recovery planning.  The Service Manager described recovery as the basis of the work of the team and explained that the care and treatment plans, produced by the Care Co-ordinator and the individual, set out a range of goals for the individual with support given to achieve them at their own pace.

In response to questions from Councillor Hilary McGuill on specialist psychological services, Mr. Roach explained that whilst a range of low to medium level support was available, there was a limited number of Clinical Psychologists to deal with more challenging disorders.  He was unable to clarify at this stage where additional resources would be recruited but said that the multi-disciplinary model would form part of the Mental Health Strategy.

Following comments from Councillor Cindy Hinds on the need to prioritise Mental Health, Mr. Roach said that the direction was to carry out robust benchmarking and understand how to effectively deploy resources.

The Chair proposed that the Committee request a further update on the service at a future meeting.  Mr. Roach said that an update could be given on the Mental Health Strategy in March 2017.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That the Committee notes the structure of the Flintshire Community Mental Health Teams (CMHT);

(b)       That the Committee understands the referral process to the CMHT and typical presentation of those being referred; and

(c)       That the Committee request a further update on the service as it progresses and an update on the Mental Health Strategy in March 2017.