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

BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD

British Association of Social Workers

Professional Social Work, Oct. 2002, p.18-19

Summarises the Association's response to the government's consultation on the draft Mental Health Bill. Focuses on four key areas:

  • the civil process for compulsory assessment and initial treatment of people with mental health problems;
  • the role of the Approved Mental Health Professional;
  • non-medical inputs to decisions about care and treatment
  • the non-resident assessment or treatment order.

A "BITTERSWEET PILL TO SWALLOW": LEARNING FROM MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE USERS' RESPONSES TO COMPULSORY COMMUNITY CARE IN ENGLAND

K. Canvin, A. Bartlett and V. Pinfold

Health and Social Care in the Community, vol. 10, 2002, p. 361-369

Paper presents findings of a qualitative investigation into service users' views and experiences of living with Supervised Discharged Orders (SDOs) under the Mental Health Act 1983. Gives a typology of the range of responses. These are fatalism and resignation, dependency, ownership, bargaining, co-operation, resistance and rejection. Provides a model for understanding how service users respond to compulsory community care where their options are legally constrained.

THE BREATHING SPACE PROJECT: WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP

M. Sandford

Mental Health Review, vol. 7, Sept. 2002, p. 15-18

This article looks at the Breathing Space Project which was developed in response to concerns about the mental health needs of refugees and how mental health issues are dealt with in dispersal areas.

CHILDREN AND MENTAL HEALTH

C. Daly and C. Hamilton

Child Right, issue 189, 2002, p. 16-19

Article discusses current mental health provision for children, focusing on young people in care and young offenders. Goes on to examine the effect on them of the draft Mental Health Bill published in June 2002.

FAMILY FEARS

S. Wellard

Community Care, Oct. 3rd-9th 2002, p. 32-33

Presents case studies illustrating the stress endured by the families of children and young people with mental health problems due to inadequate care and support services.

IS THE ENGLISH NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE MEETING THE NEEDS OF MENTALLY DISTRESSED CHINESE WOMEN?

G. Green and others

Journal of Health Services Research and Policy, vol. 7, 2002, p. 216-221

Linguistic and conceptual problems explain Chinese women's relatively poor access to mental health services. The continuing failure to tackle these problems through the routine provision of interpretation and advocacy services lays the NHS open to charges of institutional racism.

LEARNING TO LIVE

H. George

Housing, Sept. 2002, p. 36-37

In recent years "supported living" schemes have become an alternative option to residential care for people with learning difficulties. Article traces the development of housing options for this group and looks at an innovative scheme in the West Midlands.

LOUD AND CLEAR

P. Smith

Health Service Journal, vol. 112, Oct. 3rd 2002, p. 10-11

There has been widespread opposition to proposals in the draft Mental Health Bill for the compulsory detention of potentially dangerous people with severe personality disorders. The bill's broadened criteria for the definition of mental ill health are also causing concern. There are signs that government may shift its ground in response.

MENTAL HEALTH TSAR REMAINS BULLISH IN THE FACE OF CRITICISM OF DRAFT BILL

K. Leason

Community Care, Oct. 3rd-9th 2002, p. 18-19

Mental Health Tsar Louis Appleby defends the draft Mental Health Bill in an interview with the author. He argues that the bill aims to reduce compulsory treatment through general service improvements and that mental health services would be adequately inspected by the successor body to the Commission for Health Improvement. He also maintains that the use of "approved mental health professional" instead of approved social worker for assessments would not compromise their objectivity or independence.

MUSINGS, MECHANISMS AND MODELS: EXPLORING PARTNERSHIPS IN HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE

A. Crawford and E. Peck

Mental Health Review, vol. 7, Sept. 2002, p. 6-14

This paper looks at the nature of partnership between the NHS and social services in the mental health field. It muses on the conceptual issues that have arisen and looks at the mechanisms that seem to support effective partnership.

MUST DO BETTER

J. Pearce

Community Care, Sept. 12th-18th 2002, p. 34-35

Discusses "whole school approaches" to promoting children's mental health, involving dedicated senior management and generation of a school culture that values all those engaged in the care of children, clear policies on behaviour and bullying, low staff turnover, good training in child development and skilful teaching which motivates pupils.

NOT SO EASY

K. Newbigging

Mental Health Today, Oct. 2002, p. 12-13

Mental health care offered by GPs is patchy and staff are often poorly trained. The introduction of primary care trusts (PCTs) and of the National Service Framework for Mental Health has fostered a more strategic approach to service development. Key to success is positive partnership between primary care, specialist mental health services, and local authority social services.

SERVICE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH MULTI-DISCIPLINARY AND MULTI-AGENCY PARTNERSHIPS

F. Burbach, M. Donnelly and R. Stanbridge

Mental Health Review, vol. 7, Sept. 2002, p. 27-30

Article discusses the establishment of a new family interventions in psychosis service in Somerset. A programme was developed which integrated individual skills-based training with team and service development. This approach necessitated the development of new multi-disciplinary and multi-agency partnerships to transcend existing training structures.

TIME FOR DIRECT ACTION

S. Aspis

Community Care, Sept. 19th - 25th 2002, p. 30-31

Take up of direct payments by people with learning difficulties is low due to lack of support for clients in their management and use, and to hostility from social workers to the scheme.

WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP: FLEXIBLE EXPERIENCES

J. Chapman and R. Smith

Mental Health Review, vol. 7, Sept. 2002, p. 19-22

This article examines:

  • the need to introduce the Health Act flexibilities;
  • what the benefits of partnership are;
  • which services are suitable for partnership agreements;
  • what the flexibilities are; governance and monitoring arrangements;
  • staffing issues.
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