Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Director of Public Health.

The report presents the One Stockport Mental Health & Wellbeing Strategy which sets out five ambitions for the next seven years to 2030.

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to review the Strategy.

Officer contact: Jilla Burgess-Allen by email: Jilla.burgess-allen@stockport.gov.uk or Judith Strobl by email: Judith.strobl@stockport.gov.uk

The Director of Public Health submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) presenting the One Stockport Mental Health & Wellbeing Strategy which outlined five ambitions for the next seven years to 2030.

The Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care (Councillor Keith Holloway) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         Members noted the gap in support for young people as they transitioned from children’s to adults’ services and that once a young person reached adult services they were expected to seek their own mental health support and services. It was queried how the council engaged with and provided support for people who were unable to leave the house or actively research available support due to their mental health.

·         In response, it was stated that the council was adopting a whole system approach to ensure that people who were struggling had a number of avenues to get the help and support they needed from a variety of different sources in a joined up and holistic way. It was noted that one of the strands within the neighbourhoods and prevention programme was around accessing information and advice in a number of ways whether that be via social prescribing, GPs, online or telephone with the aim of early intervention.

·         Members welcomed the Whole School Approach to mental health and wellbeing throughout Stockport and the outcome associated, and requested additional information around the proposal to build a specialist provision on the Hazel Grove High School site.

·         In response, it was confirmed that a written response would be circulated providing additional information in relation to the specialist provision at Hazel Grove High School.

·         In relation to community mental health and the stakeholders involved, it was queried whether that included Stockport Mental Health Carers and the police.

·         In response, it was stated that the service was working closely with the Stockport Mental Health Carers group who had previously raised significant concerns from their perspective in terms of accessing specialist mental health services, both in primary and secondary care and had been linked into local providers. It was noted that the group would be involved in and had influenced the structure of the Mental Health Partnership Board and their report including the recommendations made had been considered at the ONE Stockport Health & Care Locality Board and was due to be considered at Pennine Trust’s Board. In relation to the police, it was commented that the Mental Health Partnership Board needed to be ambitious in its scope and welcomed a broad representation of partners including the police as a key partner.

·         It was suggested that the mental health literacy training be made available to Members given their role in the community and work with residents across the borough.

·         It was requested that further information in relation to the Mental Health Partnership Board and Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism Delivery Board including the work and anticipated impact of the Boards be shared with Members of the Scrutiny Committee.

·         It was noted that whilst the strategy explored some of the factors which influenced a person’s mental health such as socio-economic and physical factors including age, there was no reference to some of the communities in the borough such as the LGBTQ+ community or Black, Asian and minority ethnic community.

·         In response, it was recognised that the experiences of the equality groups identified was different to other groups within the community and was a focus of the suicide prevention work. Members were assured that the equality groups were being considered as part of the mental health and wellbeing work. In addition, the neighbourhoods and prevention work sought to provide a granular understanding of the differential experiences of some of these issues within the different neighbourhoods and communities across the borough in order to provide equitable support to all residents in Stockport. 

·         Members sought clarification in relation to the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4