Agenda item

Dr David Fearnley, Chief Medical Officer and Chris Oliver, Chief Operating Officer at Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust presented a report to update the committee on the strategic outline for the Community Mental Health Transformation Programme.

The following points from the report were highlighted:

·  The programme was based largely around primary care and the VCFSE sector, with access to care provided at the neighbourhood level of the community model;

·  The model was designed with colleagues in line with evidence and best practice and reviewing complaints and incidents;

·  By April 2022, each locality would have its own Initial Response Service to provide a single point of access for care and requests for help;

·  Leadership and governance of the programme was provided in part by the Community Mental Health Transformation Steering Group, which was co-chaired by the mental health and voluntary sectors;

·  Each region had its own Partnership Delivery Group to implement the national framework for mental health transformation at a nuanced, local level in order to address each area's needs; and

·  The scale of recruitment necessary for the programme was a key risk to the project, which a specific Workforce Group had been established to address.

In response to questions, the following information was provided:

·  The project was deliverable within the resources available, though workforce and recruitment remained a key risk. The programme used a tried and tested model, which was currently operating successfully in Cheshire and Merseyside, and the transformation programme in Lancashire and South Cumbria would coincide well with the expansion and re-design of other service areas.

·  To date, there had not been sufficient engagement with service users, but better engagement was planned for current and future stages of the timeline.

·  The project would be rolled out incrementally, based on the recommendations of stakeholders in the primary care networks. The potential risk of overwhelming services had been recognised from the start of the project.

·  The recruitment process for the project would not be without its challenges and work was being completed to overcome this. A number of measures were hoped to reduce the risk of recruitment problems, including the phased delivery of the Initial Response Services, which in turn would allow for phased recruitment; the support of the VCFSE sector; continuing to deliver some care digitally, which had proved effective during the pandemic; promoting the Trust as an attractive employer and place to work; collaborating with local colleges and universities, such as to encourage trainee nurses to become registered; and investigating opportunities for overseas recruitment.

·  The development and commissioning of housing support by the NHS, where vulnerable people and those living with mental health issues did not always receive sufficient support, needed to be further explored by the Trust.

·  The promotion and communication of the new service would be led by NHS England. The Lancashire and South Cumbria crisis line was also staffed 24/7, which continued to be promoted at a community level and through social media. It was recognised that the project's communication and engagement strategy was essential to its effective delivery.

·  Indicators and measures of success were being built into the programme. Feedback was currently collected through patient surveys and work with Healthwatch Lancashire.

·  A key ambition of the project was the involvement of volunteers. The voluntary sector's role in co-chairing the Community Mental Health Transformation Steering Group was intended to ensure representation and a wide range of skills. At this early stage, information was being gathered about how volunteers and agencies wanted to support the programme. The programme model also provided long-term opportunities to improve and support the voluntary sector in return.

·  Training on trauma-informed practice would be included in the model to ensure consistent delivery of trauma-informed care by both staff and volunteers. The importance of supporting those providing care in such emotionally challenging contexts was recognised.

The committee recognised that the transformation programme was both needed and welcomed, and it was agreed that a further update to the committee would be beneficial at the time of the programme's launch.

It was noted that county council officers had been invited to attend the meeting to provide information on the council's engagement with, and support of, the programme. As they had been unable to attend, it was proposed to ask officers for a briefing note which could be circulated to committee members. It was noted that information on the level of engagement with district councils would also be useful at a later stage.

Resolved: That

i)  The report and next steps of the MHICC Transformation Programme, as presented, be noted;

ii)  Representatives from the Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust be asked to provide another update to the committee at a later date; and

iii)  County council officers be asked to prepare a briefing note for the committee on the support provided to the MHICC Transformation Programme by the county council to date.