Welfare Reform on the Web (October 2002): Mental Health Services - UK

BREAKING THE CIRCLES OF FEAR: A REVIEW OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND AFRICAN AND CARIBBEAN COMMUNITIES

London : Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, 2002

Report examines the negative experiences of mental health services faced by black people, particularly those of Afro-Caribbean and African descent. There is mutual mistrust between black communities and mental health services staff, fuelled by prejudice, misunderstanding, misconceptions and sometimes racism. However the report argues against the creation of ethnically specific services.

CAN WE CLOSE THE GAP BETWEEN VALUING PEOPLE AND OUR SERVICE SYSTEM?

J. O'Brien

Community Living, vol. 15, no. 4, 2002, p21-23

Argues that a person-centred planning approach is essential to deliver real change in the lives of people with learning difficulties as set out in the Valuing People white paper.

COSTS OF VILLAGE COMMUNITY, RESIDENTIAL CAMPUS AND DISPERSED HOUSING PROVISION FOR PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY

A. Hallam and others

Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, vol. 46, 2002 p. 394-404

The analyses reported in the present paper were based on comparisons of 86 people with intellectual disabilities living in village communities, 133 in residential campuses and 281 in dispersed housing schemes. Wide variations in cost were found between models of accommodation, individual organisations and service users. Multivariate analysis revealed that higher costs were associated with support for people with higher levels of ID and more severe challenging behaviour. The cost of support was affected by the size of the residential setting, with smaller facilities likely to be more expensive. Associations were also found between increased costs and services for younger users, male users and people who had not moved from an NHS hospital. More sophisticated service processes were associated with higher costs, although systematic arrangements for staff training and supervision tended to reduce them.

HOUSING AND SUPPORT OPTIONS FOR PEOPLE WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES: DRAFT (PDF format)

Office of the Deputy Prime Minister [and] Department of Health

2002

Guidance has been produced to help local authorities with their planning to enable people with learning difficulties to have greater choice of housing open to them. Each Learning Disability Partnership Board is required to develop a housing strategy for people with learning disabilities by Winter 2002/03 and Annex A of the guide provides a check list of key tasks to help achieve this.

INDEPENDENT SPECIALIST ADVOCACY IN ENGLAND AND WALES: RECOMMEIDATIONS FOR GOOD PRACTICE

D. Barnes, T. Brandon and T Wells

University of Durham, Centre for Applied Social Studies, 2002

Proposed reforms of the mental health legislation stipulate that people subject to compulsory treatment or detention in a hospital should have access to a specialist advocacy service. This report sets out what these specialist advocacy services might look like. It proposes a definition, model of service and core standards for the commissioning, management, staffing, monitoring and reviewing of these services.

LOSING TIME: DEVELOPING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR OLDER PEOPLE IN WALES

Audit Commission in Wales

2002

The quality of mental health services for older people in Wales varies greatly depending on where they live, and there are severe shortages of specialist care when they can no longer be supported at home. Carers are generally well supported but their needs should be assessed more consistently and staff in residential homes need better training. Report highlights over 30 examples of good practice, but says that this needs to be shared more widely. Calls for more partnership working between health and social care and the introduction of defined minimum standards.

MODERNISING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES: INSPECTION OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

Social Services Inspectorate

London: D H Publications, 2002

Report describes how councils with social services responsibilities have begun to respond to government policies for the modernisation of mental health services. It focuses on how well users (particularly those from black and minority ethnic communities) are served and how far councils have planned effectively to ensure that services are safe, sound and supportive.

NO ONE TO TURN TO

R Downey

Community Care, Aug 1st-7th 2002, p.30-34

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) have been neglected for many years. There are now shortages of acute inpatient beds for children and young people, and unacceptably long waits for needs assessments. There is a staff recruitment and retention crisis leading to problems with morale. There are also concerns that CAMHS will not be regarded as a high priority for funding by primary care trusts.

OUT IN THE OPEN

Mental Health Special Interest Group, British Association of Social Workers

Professional Social Work, August 2002, p. 16

Comments on the human rights implications of the draft Mental Health Bill. Concerns centre on the proposed procedures for examination and compulsory assessment, and the patient's rights to have their cased reviewed by an independent body.

PSYCHIATRISTS TO JOIN PROTEST OVER BILL

S Boseley

The Guardian, July 29th 2002, p. 6

The Royal College of Psychiatrists is to join with mental health user groups in a march on Whitehall to protest against a draft bill which which they say will lead to the forced detention of people who are no threat to anybody, except possibly themselves. Up to 50 organisations intend to oppose the governments' bill described as "a public order bill dressed up as mental health legislation".

RECOVERING FROM ILLNESS OR RECOVERING YOUR LIFE? IMPLICATIONS OF CLINICAL VERSUS SOCIAL MODELS OF RECOVERY FROM MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS FOR EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT SERVICES

J. Secker and others

Disability and Society, vol. 17, 2002, p. 403-418

Presents case studies of 5 employment support projects that help people with mental health problems find and keep jobs. Research highlights the contrasts between projects based on a clinical model of recovery from mental illness and those underpinned by an understanding of recovery as an ongoing social process.

THE SELECT FEW

R Townsley

Community Care, July 18th - 24th 2002, p. 36-37

A project in which people with learning difficulties were trained to help recruit staff had mixed results. Author argues that the most successful examples depend on behind-the-scenes commitment.

WAITING FOR THE PUDDING

A Holman

Community Living, vol 15, no. 4, 2002, p. 6-7

Discusses progress in implementing the recommendations of the Valuing People white paper on services for people with learning difficulties. Initiatives in progress include a national survey of 3,000 people with learning difficulties, creation of a central database of self advocacy groups, development of a code of conduct for carers and a study of the relationship between supported employment opportunities and day care centres.