Agenda item

The Wellbeing Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel is asked to note:

·  Continued progress in implementing more service user led, recovery focused community support services.

·  The implementation of the “LIFT Psychology” Primary Care Talking Therapy service.

·  The issues and options to be considered by local stakeholders relating to specialist acute mental health in-patient services.

Andrea Morland (Senior Commissioning Manager, Mental Health & Substance Misuse) introduced Bill Bruce-Jones, Clinical Director on AWP for Bath & NE Somerset.  The Chair welcomed Bill to the meeting.

Andrea referred to the Wellbeing Festival held on 18^th July which had been very successful.  A member of the Panel asked for better advertising of the venues for future events since he had been unable to find out where it was being held.  A member of the Panel asked how often it was intended to hold events such as this.  Andrea said that the team was becoming more confident about the value of these events in the light of the success of the “What Works” conference and the recent Festival.  Plans were therefore in hand to hold a future event on a Saturday in the school holidays.

Andrea referred to a number of areas mentioned in the report showing good progress.  The LIFT Psychology Therapy Service had been very successful in its first year and steps were being taken to build on this.

She referred to the shortcomings identified by CQC in the Sycamore Ward building and said that an immediate action plan was in place to address all the issues identified by CQC.  At the Panel’s next meeting she would report on plans for a longer term solution.

Councillor Vic Pritchard said that some of the options being considered seemed to be very ambitious and asked if they were viable (eg rebuild).  Bill Bruce-Jones replied that the rebuild option is very real and was possibly the only option.

Andrea reported that recent demand for beds had been higher and there might be a need to increase bed capacity alongside the ability to use facilities outside the area short-term.

Councillor Eleanor Jackson asked whether women were still being sent to Salisbury.  Andrea said that the Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit for women was in Bristol but any patients – men or women – might occasionally go to Salisbury short-term when no suitable bed was available locally.  Patients from Salisbury occasionally come to Bath when they are short of beds.

Bill Bruce-Jones said that there was a debate about whether there was a national shortage of mental health beds.  The flexible approach made that manageable but not ideal.

Councillor Sarah Bevan asked whether clients of the LIFT psychology service were keener on group or individual sessions.  Andrea said that clients were initially wary and most asked for individual sessions.  The approach was to encourage them to access “training courses” rather than “group sessions”.  This way, many have found it less threatening.

Pat Foster asked whether LIFT was available for young people.  Andrea confirmed that it was for over-16s but she was aware that Children’s Services made primary care provision for under-16s.

Councillor Bryan Organ asked whether the transition between youth and adult services has been improved.  Andrea said that, particularly for those with complex needs, there had been progress but less so for those with less complex needs.  She would be looking at this in the future.

The Chair thanked Andrea Morland for her update.  He said that the issues raised would be the subject of another report in the autumn, particularly the issue of the inadequate building in which Sycamore Ward was housed.