Welfare Reform on the Web (May 2003): Mental Health Services - UK
CHANGE FOR THE WORSE?
N. Valios
Community Care, Mar. 6th-12th 2003, p. 34-36
Many owners of residential care homes for people with learning difficulties are deregistering their properties and creating supported tenancies for residents. This gives the tenants access to income support and the owner access to funding from the Supporting People Initiative. There are concerns that some owners are de-registering in order to avoid the constraints of the Care Standards Act 2000.
DIFFERENT BUT EQUAL
D. Crepaz-Keay
Mental Health Today, Mar. 2003, p. 30-31
Begins by outlining three alternative models of mental illness: the medical model, the continuum model and the recovery model. Goes on to argue that diagnosis of a mental health problem invariably leads to discrimination because people are immediately treated as inferior by virtue of their diagnosis.
FULFILLING LIVES: INSPECTION OF SOCIAL CARE SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES
C. Cope
London: Department of Health Publications, 2003
Inspection identified great enthusiasm for Valuing People and good progress in promoting its values and in establishing partnership boards. However it also found that:
- young people with learning difficulties are often poorly equipped to make the transition to adult services;
- high quality person centred planning, good information and where necessary the support of an advocate are required to increase choice and control;
- more needs to be done to win the hearts and minds of carers if clients are to take advantage of the new inclusive services;
- the needs of people from black and minority ethnic communities are not being met;
- supported housing needs to be made available to clients with complex needs.
INSIDE OUTSIDE: IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR BLACK AND MINORITY ETHNIC COMMUNITIES IN ENGLAND
National Institute for Mental Health in England
Leeds: 2003
Proposes a package of measures to drastically improve mental health services for people from minority ethnic groups. Recommends cultural competency training for staff, appointment of community development workers to help mental health organisations bridge the gap between Western models of care and community values, and recruitment of more staff from minority ethnic groups.
MENTAL HEALTH
Anon
Social Care Law Today, issue 9, 2003, p.7-10
The Court of Appeal has provided a useful summary of the current state of the law about decision-making by persons with impaired mental capacity.
MENTAL HEALTH (CARE AND TREATMENT) (SCOTLAND) ACT 2003
Edinburgh: TSO, 2003
New law will:
- establish a Mental Health Tribunal to decide what is best for patients;
- ensure that advocacy is available for all persons with mental illness;
- provide a new compulsory treatment order which will allow care to be tailored to the personal needs of each patient;
- strengthen the Mental Welfare Commission;
- establish mechanisms for the nomination of a "named person" to represent the patient's interests.
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IN PRIMARY CARE
R. Rosen and C. Jenkins
London: King's Fund, 2003.
Presents results of a survey of one in five GP practices in London and the mental health leads in London's primary care trusts. Found that services are improving but development is being hampered by a lack of funding and severe recruitment problems.
SHARING CARE
P. Partridge
Mental Health Today, Mar. 2003, p. 14-15
Standard six of the Mental Health National Service Framework requires local authorities to identify people with mental health problems and their carers in their area and offer the carers an annual needs assessment. Based on this assessment, they should provide or commission support services. Article reports progress in implementing standard six. Barriers to meeting standard six are:
- lack of resources;
- tensions between professional staff and carers;
- lack of awareness of carers' issues;
- lack of inter-agency collaboration.
AN UNCARING APPROACH
T. Stickley and S. Masterson
Mental Health Today, Mar. 2003, p. 24-26
The Care Programme Approach for people with serious mental illness is intended to offer integrated health and social care. Article discusses the advantages and disadvantages of this approach.
WHO SAYS?
Anon
Mental Health Today, Mar. 2003, p. 10-11
Government is under pressure to pass legislation covering decision-making on behalf of people with mental incapacity. There are calls for carers and relatives to be given a legal right to a say in decisions about medical treatment.
WOMEN'S MENTAL HEALTH: INTO THE MAINSTREAM: STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH CARE FOR WOMEN
Department of Health
London: 2002
Strategy was developed to determine the priorities for action for all women's mental health services, including secure care. Addresses the social context of mental health, including risk and protective factors, the detection of mental distress, and services for women with perinatal mental illness.