The Committee will be addressed by Steve McCann, Treasurer, Havering MIND on the recent transfer of some mental health services.
Minutes:
The Chairman reminded all present that the Sub-Committee had no power to overturn a commissioning decision that had already been taken.
The Chief Executive Officer of Havering MIND explained that the organisation had been operating for 50 years and currently employed 18 staff, compared to 27 in the previous year. Havering MIND was also supported by approximately 70 volunteers.
The success of Havering MIND was due to its people and its success was measured by supporting people through quality, cost effective services. Last year, Havering MIND had received £76,000 of external funding and had raised an additional £21,000.
In September 2013, Havering CCG had decided to review mental health employment services. The services provided by Havering MIND had not been recommissioned and the Havering MIND Chairman felt that there had not been an impact assessment carried out on people supported by Havering MIND. As a result of this decision, Havering MIND had lost 42% of its funding.
Havering MIND had been commissioned to provide a community wellbeing service. This had ended on 31 December and the service provided by the Richmond Fellowship took over on 1 December 2015. The CCG had agreed to provide £60,000 of bridge funding to allow Havering MIND clients to continue to access services such as peer support groups. Havering MIND felt however the changes had led to a lack of advice and information for people who wished to access mental health services.
Havering MIND supported people back into employment and people with severe chronic pain also used these services to build up their confidence. Havering MIND wished the Sub-Committee to support the organisation’s vision to provide support and respect to all people with mental health problems.
The Havering MIND Chairman added that the reduction in funding had taken place at the same time as a 20% increase in referrals to Havering MIND. Whilst MIND were grateful to the CCG for recognising the need for bridge funding, there was no guarantee that Havering MIND would get any further funding and the outcomes of applications were currently awaited. MIND supported getting people back to work but people first had to get to the point where they were ready to work – a role performed by the MIND community wellbeing service.
The Sub-Committee Chairman felt that there were certain that were not currently being provided by the Richmond Fellowship.
The Sub-Committee were addressed briefly by a member of the public whose son had severe mental illness and was a user of MIND’s services, The person’s son had gone to Havering MIND for respite and felt safe and made friends at the facility. This was the same for other Havering MIND service users.
An officer from North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) added that people were supported after in-patient mental health care by the community recovery team. It was accepted however that this team did not offer all services previously provided by Havering MIND.
The chief operating officer of Havering CCG responded that the Richmond Fellowship did offer similar activities to those provided by Havering MIND but also offered other services. Leaflets concerning the new services had been sent to all service users. All existing service users had been contacted and the specification of the new contract was similar to the existing one.
Day centres funded by the Council were still available and it was expected that additional money would be received by the CCG next year in order to fund mental health services. This would be invested in psychiatric therapies and crisis response. Some elements of these services were already being piloted such as enhanced psychiatric liaison at Queen’s and King George Hospitals. A funding announcement re child and adolescent mental health services was expected in the coming week. Members also felt it was important that services gaps were identified in the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and notified to the Health and Wellbeing Board.
The CCG chief operating officer agreed to provide a separate response on the application of the Disability Act to mental health.
The Sub-Committee NOTED the situation.